26er, solid fork, you cretin, parts are easy to get, and it's light!
[ 5 ] 45%
29er, solid fork, you n00b, big wheels crush all!
[ 3 ] 27%
26er, front shock, big bumps need cushions!
[ 3 ] 27%
29er, front shock, ride over anything.
[ 0 ] 0%
Total Votes : 11
Eric_s
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 2:12 pm
Joined: 07 Mar 2007Posts: 1691Location: the dirty south
So, I've been thinking about a mountain bike, or something like that. something I can take off road without worrying about pinch-flats, at least. maybe I should get a tourer/cross bike with lots of clearance, but I'd like something a little better for dirt trails and shennanigans.
That said, I'm going to be riding it around the city mostly, so there are some classes of mountain bike which just don't make a lot of sense, (i.e downhill, full suspension, anything designed for people who drink mountain dew code red) and some I am interested in, such as 29ers, hardtails, and burly touring bikes. After reading lots of online reviews, but riding few mountain bikes, I've almost decided, but I want more information.
Out of the plethora of options, I'm close to getting the Surly Karate Monkey, partially because I can get the frame for cheap and build it up (educational!) and because 29" wheels seem cool. and because it looks like a frame with a lot of possible configurations.
However, I've been looking around at other bikes, and now I can't decide.
So, dear lazyweb, what are some good questions to ask? what is your favorite mountain bike style and frame, and why? what are some mistakes you've seen or made yourself?
Thank you in advance!
Eric.
mississippi
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 2:34 pm
Joined: 02 Feb 2007Posts: 258Location: cap hill
unless you are 6'huge then you don't need a 29er. they are heavy, land horribly, parts are horribly overpriced.
my recommend:
96-99 homegrown frame. american made in colorado by yeti. light, bomb proof, awesome geometry, and clean on a trail. best xc bike ever made!!
jeff
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 2:42 pm
SOC pussyJoined: 05 May 2006Posts: 4501
Lose the shocks, they only add weight. unless you are going all X-games you won't need 'em. I have a schwinn mtn bike from that era. It's bomb proof.
mississippi
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 2:51 pm
Joined: 02 Feb 2007Posts: 258Location: cap hill
agreed, if you are going to be on the road most of the time, then forks will hurt you more than help. i personally love watching kids ride by on a bike with the fork bobbing up and down, killing their momentum.
if you plan on going and doing some trails though, might want to get a 80-100mm travel fork with a remote lockout. stick to either rock shox, marzzochi, or fox suspension forks. also shoot for ones made after 2004, they seem to have better internals, or more resilient at least in my dealings. plus with the lockout you can ride it as a stiff fork on the street and if your pals take you off through a trail unexpectedly *COUGH COUGH* then you are set up.
the schwinn moab (pre 2000) is a good bike too, it's similar to the homegrown in geometry.
mcrawfor
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 3:16 pm
Joined: 09 May 2006Posts: 1039Location: Ballard
jeff wrote:
Lose the shocks, they only add weight. unless you are going all X-games you won't need 'em. I have a schwinn mtn bike from that era. It's bomb proof.
Boo! you already have a road bike, if you wanted road efficiency, you'd be riding it.
Shocks are *fun*! They're worth it.
_________________ -miles
jeff
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 3:30 pm
SOC pussyJoined: 05 May 2006Posts: 4501
mcrawfor wrote:
jeff wrote:
Lose the shocks, they only add weight. unless you are going all X-games you won't need 'em. I have a schwinn mtn bike from that era. It's bomb proof.
Boo! you already have a road bike, if you wanted road efficiency, you'd be riding it.
Shocks are *fun*! They're worth it.
True, but he said he's going to be riding it in the city. And all those shocks will do is be squishy on pavement.
Eric_s
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 3:35 pm
Joined: 07 Mar 2007Posts: 1691Location: the dirty south
mcrawfor wrote:
jeff wrote:
Lose the shocks, they only add weight. unless you are going all X-games you won't need 'em. I have a schwinn mtn bike from that era. It's bomb proof.
Boo! you already have a road bike, if you wanted road efficiency, you'd be riding it.
Shocks are *fun*! They're worth it.
This is why I ask you all, my lazyweb friends. I have much to think on, and bikes to test ride. I'm still gonna take out a 29er or two, just because, but I was definitely going to avoid shocks, and you've made me reconsider. I do have a road bike (or two!) so why not a softy MTB?
Eric_s
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 9:51 pm
Joined: 07 Mar 2007Posts: 1691Location: the dirty south
jeff wrote:
True, but he said he's going to be riding it in the city. And all those shocks will do is be squishy on pavement.
true, but it would be riding it somewhere to fuck around off road/over bumps/ belltown. if I need transportation from hither to yon I havea couple of decent 700c road-y bikes.
Alex
Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 8:18 am
Joined: 18 May 2006Posts: 3128Location: Roosevelt
Eric_s wrote:
true, but it would be riding it somewhere to fuck around off road/over bumps/ belltown. if I need transportation from hither to yon I havea couple of decent 700c road-y bikes.
Honestly I think that a nice touring or cyclocross bike with good semi-knobby tires like the WTB AllTerrainasaurus are ideal for this kind of stuff. Bikes setup that way are great on twisty and rooty single track. They aren't so good on big drops or fast downhills, but they aren't that bad either.
I sold my mountain bike a couple of years ago and don't miss it at all. I just put ~40mm knobbies on my touring bike instead.
alex
Eric_s
Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:52 pm
Joined: 07 Mar 2007Posts: 1691Location: the dirty south
So, this weekend I finally got out to go ride some sweet mountain bikes. I rode a cannondale with a single shock steerer (?!?!) and a diamond back with front shocks. Ironically, I talked some kid into buying a masi fixed gear (while I was out "test" riding) because he told me he wanted to be a fashion victim, but I digress.
Shocks and big floppy tires are really fun. Kerb jumping and pothole bashing went from something to do with care and delicacy to something to seek out, and knobbly tires are easy to skid out! There's a pretty clean used DB hardtail bike at Recycled I wouldn't mind adding to the quiver...
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