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Any mountain bikers??

#81
macaroni tony said:
Ah, that makes sense! So that's why Steve rode his hard tail on the street, rather than the mountain. As a total newb, will I die if I take a hard tail out in the terrain for the first time?

And I will be getting a bike, mark my words. Will take some time though; this is quite the investment! :(
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Dying is always a possibility but the key is to 1) ride at mellow places and 2) walk what you're not comfortable riding. There are TONS of mellow local places to ride.

I'd say around $500 would get you a decent new hardtail that won't fall apart on the first ride.
 
#82
Oh really? That's pretty cheap....I was thinking at least a couple thousand, based on the $3800 used bike posted earlier. Cool man!

BTW I knew dying was a possibility, but I was being facetious. Thank you for reminding me, captain bringdown :crying:

There is a trail I see a lot of people jogging & riding at the hills 10 miles or so up from my house. I figured there would be a decent place to start...if it was too hardcore, I wouldn't see so much of everybody going there, I imagine
 
#83
*Hardtail* does not mean *front suspension only*, it means *no rear suspension* :D I have a couple of fully-rigid :eek: bikes.
On that note, hardtails were the norm for the first what- 20+ years of MTB's existence? Starting on one will not kill you. THAT said, do a LOT of homework before getting a bike, to ensure you get what's going to work for you.
3 major points: Get the right size, even if it means waiting or passing up a *deal; buy from a reputable dealer, w/good followup/service- these things require maintenence if you ride them; get and WEAR a decent helmet. Don't wantcha posting an epic crash story from the ER. :cool:

Edit: Agreed on $500 buys a pretty decent MTB these days, although I would budget at the least $750 or so for a full suspension rig.
 
#85
macaroni tony said:
Oh really? That's pretty cheap....I was thinking at least a couple thousand, based on the $3800 used bike posted earlier. Cool man!

BTW I knew dying was a possibility, but I was being facetious. Thank you for reminding me, captain bringdown :crying:

There is a trail I see a lot of people jogging & riding at the hills 10 miles or so up from my house. I figured there would be a decent place to start...if it was too hardcore, I wouldn't see so much of everybody going there, I imagine
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I wouldn't recommend dropping that kind of scratch on a mountain bike unless you were ABSOLUTELY SURE you were gonna stick with it or had that kind of extra cash kicking around.

That place sounds like Peter's Canyon. It does indeed have mellow riding but there are so many people there, I kind of avoid the place....and yes, a helmet is mandatory!
My first bike was a hardtail and it taught me the importance of line selection. After riding it for a few years, I spend much more on my full suspension bike and now line selection is completely irrelevant! :D
 
#87
elgecko said:
I wouldn't recommend dropping that kind of scratch on a mountain bike unless you were ABSOLUTELY SURE you were gonna stick with it or had that kind of extra cash kicking around.

That place sounds like Peter's Canyon. It does indeed have mellow riding but there are so many people there, I kind of avoid the place....and yes, a helmet is mandatory!
My first bike was a hardtail and it taught me the importance of line selection. After riding it for a few years, I spend much more on my full suspension bike and now line selection is completely irrelevant! :D
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Is Peter's Canyon right off of the surface street?

And what is this "line selection" of which you speak?
 
#94
What I like about the hardtail compared to full sus is the positivity feel but especially the weight difference, that gets better between them the further up the range you go of course. I would keep the weight in mind though, it does make quite a difference.
 
#95
Skitch it! said:
What I like about the hardtail compared to full sus is the positivity feel but especially the weight difference, that gets better between them the further up the range you go of course. I would keep the weight in mind though, it does make quite a difference.
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I like the snappy handling on flowy single track and the ability to stomp with authority on climbs. I just try to avoid long, rocky descents on my hardtail.

And yeah, cyclists, especially roadies, are the weeniest of all weight weenies! :p
 
#96
I think everyone should learn to ride MTB trails on a hardtail. It's harder when the terrain is rough but it helps hone bike handlng skills and that's important. Once you're comfortable riding trails on a hardtail, then make the switch. Developing bike handling skills on a hardtail will really pay off when you move to a FS bike.

And don't listen to people who say "this or that trail can't be ridden on a hardtail." I've seen enough guys bomb down Goat's Gully at Whistler or any number of super gnarly trails in North Vancouver on hardtails to know that isn't true.
 
#97
macaroni tony said:
Oh really? That's pretty cheap....I was thinking at least a couple thousand, based on the $3800 used bike posted earlier. Cool man!
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Macaroni Tony,

The used bike listed earlier has a hand built custom frame from a local artisan, the frame alone costs $2375

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Add the top of the line fork ($800), the expensive wheel set ($600), the gruppo (+/- $500) and you can see I got a great deal for what I paid for it.

It would be like finding a used Fodera, in perfect condition, for sale in the classifieds section of this site for only $2000.

The $500 to $750 price point gets you a great entry level bike, albeit mass produced, that will stand up to actual trail use and be fun to ride. (like buying a new Squire!)
 

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