If you were to buy a bike...

[gopherhockey]

Ok, lets get something started.

If you were to buy your perfect new bike right now, what would it be? (and why)

Do you buy all the magazine hype surrounding various bikes and brands? If so, which ones do you listen too?

Recently it seems Santa Cruz has been able to do no wrong with their bikes, even though the 2 most hyped bikes this year are basically brand new and unproven.

I was tempted to start looking at the SC Blur this year.. but I'm just not sure it can be an all-mountain bike, and I don't know if it is a good thing to buy a bike in its infancy like that.

[KleinCrazy]

Well, I'll put my .02 in.

I have always waited until the second model year to buy any of my bikes.

Now, it has not always worked the best as my Mantra was a great bike and for what it is, is still a good design. It just was not the best bike for me.

My Adept is an almost perfect bike for me and I have yet to really find any downsides to it for what it is. I do know that Trek had a number of problems with their take on it but seem to have worked it out this year.

I would love to ride the new Blur and even try and Epic with a brain shock both front and rear but do I think they are perfect for everyone? No.

All bikes will be rider specific. One persons perfect Race bike might be a 20# hardtail, anothers a 25# XC/FS and yet anothers might be a <18# 32-20 singlespeed. Freeride? heck I have seen people loving 8" travel front and rear at 45#'s and others No Travel either end, 1 Gear and bigass tires. Heck Some freeriders only use 1 wheel.

No bike will be perfect for everyone in it's target market. Is what I ride the best out there? Probably Not, but They are the best for me.

L8er

[SickBoy]

Hmm.... I'd probably build a Salsa Caballero Full Suspension with a SID World Cup fork, Avid front and rear discs, XTR everything else, carbon bits here and there.... oh, wait... I -am- building that bike.... lol.

[asdfasdf]

One problem I have (hopefully not taking this conversation too off track) is bike shops. I can't speak for them all, and I won't name names.. but I have had more than one clash with a few local (very large chain) stores. Often I'm treated as though my opinion doesn't matter, and the turn-around time on bikes (especially if parts are needed) is totally unacceptable.

I had to get warranty work on one of my C-Dales last fall and they told me it would be a month before they would even get a rep in town to approve a new part, let alone special ordering one. I ended up contacting a dealer out in Colorado who shipped me a new part before he even saw the broken one and took back the other one no question. I also ended up buying a 2003 Jekyll from them at the same time as they were able to quote me a good deal rather than list prices off a computer.

That, and you simply cannot find very many top of the line bikes. I know there isn't a huge market for that... but still.

I guess what I'm saying is that local dealer(s) have forced me to re-think what bike I get in the future as well, not just the bike itself... and if I have to go outside the state to test ride a bike, I'll buy it outside the state.

Wish someone could make a go at a higher-end bike shop with express service (and coffee too hehe) Near the Lebanon parking lot would be nice, if anyone is looking for something to do this year... :cheesy:


Disclaimer: this is just my personal opinion and does not reflect the entire board's or any group I'm affiated with - aside from my few issues I know local shops are very supportive of biking in the area, and I'd give them my business if they really wanted it. :hit:

[jjrsds]

As far as I am concerned there is no perfect bike. Even if you did find and buy the "Perfect Bike" the powers to be would change it and the bike would be gone forever. Enough on having to have the Next best thing.

I am still resisting the fad of having a full suspension x/c bicycle. Maybe I'm not old enough yet, and ridding a hardtail has yet to motivate me to spend more money for a "Luxury Ride". When I was younger a single speed Bmx bike by Mongoose was called a crusier(precursor to a mountain Bike?). The perfect bike is the one that you and only you may decide. As I tend to take the Magazines point of view with a biased (Money talks Bull**** walks) perspective towards ceartain makes, the only way is to ride and try. Ok, ok I'll stop.

PERFECT BIKE
S-works Epic
XTR disc brakes
XT Disc brake levers
XTR rapid fire shifters
Cross Max UST with Chris King Hubs
XT Cranks
XT Cassette
Easton Carbon Handlebar
Easton Carbon Seatpost
Time ATAC pedals
XTR Front and Rear Der.
Fox Forx

We're running a little late tonight folks Good night.

:laugh:

[martini]

I'd like to think that I've got mine. I've had planty of bikes over the years. Cannondales(uhg!), Bontragers (!), Bridgestones, Gunnars, and WTB's(the best...26"). I've moved on though. One could say that I fell for the marketing of it, but there's been little to no marketing of these things. And I think that they're the best thing since Fermented water and hopps!

Last march I got my Hunter 29" custom. The fit is perfect, the ride is super comfy and nimble. Plus it's light, at about 23lbs, all SS'ed out with Avids, 7"front, 6" rear and XTR 180 cranks. It's all rigid for now, but I'm looking at getting a squishy fork for it soon.

If you're tall, you really owe it to yourself to try out one of these bikes. I'll be more than happy to let some one rip around on mine. I've found it to be quite entertaining at Lebanon. Have a porportional bike to your body is quite neat. I know that I'll not be riding a 26" bike again.

[jaybird]

The perfect bike I believe is something we will always be chasing after - just the like trying to find the perfect mate, dog, cup of coffee, etc. BUT, a near perfect bike is already available and made locally here in the mid-west - the Trek '03 Fuel 100. This has been the best riding machine I've owned yet! :p

Carbon fiber frame
Rock Shox SID WC w/remote LO
XTR Shifters w/Dual Control Levers

The next phase would be to make a few things lighter and tighter:

Easton EC-70 seatpost
Niteride Blowtorch HID
Egg Beater Pedals
Conti Tires (Explorer Pro F/Vert Pro R)
Mavic CrossMax



P.S. - It's killing me that this winter has been either too cold to get decent rides in OR not enough snow to get any x-country skiing in. It's going to be a long spring to get back in shape. :embarass:

[gopherhockey]

Originally posted by martini
I'd like to think that I've got mine. I've had planty of bikes over the years. Cannondales(uhg!),

I'm interested in this. I too have really bought what was readily available in the past (at first..) which was Cannondale... I liked my first SuperV, but had nothing to compare it with. (admittedly I bought it for its looks more than anything way back when)

When that bike finally broke I got a Jekyll, not because I *had* to stay with Cannondale or that it was my dream bike, but because it was offered to me at an unbeatable price (and I have a house full of C-dale jerseys, wheels, parts etc.)

I like the Jekyll just fine.. but again, I have very little to compare it with. It runs circles around the old SV, and I have spoken to many a rider who love them.

This is the year I look outside at all brands, makes, models and hopefully come up with something new. However - I have recently started to think of my new 2k3 Jekyll as more than just a permanent solution and question why I feel the need to start looking to ditch it so quickly. I think it is that many seem to snub their noses at C-dales so quickly - a real love hate thing on other message boards. I admit I'm nowhere near an expert rider, but I've ridden with people who made fun of the thing in the parking lot (too shiny bla bla) but certainly didn't impress me with their choice out on the trail.

I have formed my own opinions enough about their strategy of non-standard parts etc. so I have no huge loyalty to the company itself... however, I like the (new) lefty and the bike seems to do well in an "all mountain" kind of way.

Thus, my original question... trash a bike because the industry is pushing people toward bikes like Santa Cruz.. or stick with what works for me until something comes along. I definitely have to find a place to ride some of these other bikes - and not just around a parking lot somewhere outside a dealership...

[elecknight]

I think the perfect bike is different for everyone. It all depends on the style of riding you like to do and what you think the perfect trail is.

For me, I have been using a 96 Rocky Mountain Hammer Race. It is a great bike and it has been through a lot, but was showing its age several years ago. I have been looking for a new bike for two years know, but I could not find one that I liked enough to actually buy it. After trying many bikes I finally found the one I liked which was a Rocky Mountain ETS X-50. I don't buy a bike very often (hammer lasted six years), so I wanted a dual suspension bike that was built to last. I am not a very technical rider right now, but I am trying to get better (anybody want to teach me?). So I wanted a bike I could grow into. I love going on those long epic rides and needed a bike that was built for this. I really liked to build quality of my hammer so that keep leading me back to Rocky. When the ETS bikes came out last year, I started to really like them. After looking the a Santa Cruz Blur, Trek Fuels, Specialize Epic, (among others) I decided the X-50 was the bike for me.

They were all great bikes, but none of them fit my style of riding or my personality. Mountain Biking would get boring if we all rode the same bike. It was hard to make my decision because I have not seen a bike I didn't like (Including Cannondales :D ).

[legoshoe]

With my age, 17, and little money i have, a Trek Fuel would be a great bike for me. Right now I have a 2001 Gary Fisher Sugar 4 which I bought for a price I couldn't resist when I bought it in Feb. 2002. It's a great bike for me now, but in a few years I would love to move to a Fuel or a Jekyll.

[smeulebroe]

I am in the market for a new ride. I am planning on pulling the trigger this fall. Right now I ride a Klein Adroit. Now I am looking for full suspension. I am leaning towards the Trek Fuel 98 but I am also thinking about the Gary Fisher Sugar 292. I am a taller rider about 6'3 -4". I have heard if your a taller rider that the 29ers maybe for me. Does anybody know or have any advice? Searching for my perfect bike.

[Burke]

A couple thoughts...

First, a lot of people have negative thoughts about Cannondale. Some don't like aluminum, some don't like their lack of conformity with industry 'standards'. Whatever. Cannondale generally makes a good bike at a reasonable price. I've ridden Cannondale, I've ridden steel, carbon, titanium... To a point they're all the same. They all get you out on two wheels. If you've got a problem with the company, that's your problem.

29ers... I have heard the same thing about them being better for bigger guys. I'm 6'2", and a 20" frame 26" wheel bike works great for me. If you go to a 29" wheel, your wheelbase gets longer, which means you will have more trouble negotiating tight singletrack. However, if you're ungodly huge to begin with, you will have trouble in the tight stuff regardless of your wheelbase.

If you're thinking of a 29er, but don't want to go all or nothing, check out the Surly Karate Monkey. This is a good steel 29er at a very reasonable price. Local shops should be getting them shortly. Surly was telling me that they just got their first shipment in.

As for my favorite mountain bike? Hard to say. It depends on the day. I've got a Surly 1x1 that is a lot of fun (if you've got the right gear). I've also got a Salsa Ala Carte that tears up the singletrack.

[martini]

There seems to be some miss givings about 29"er's. Which is understandable. :laugh: The CS on mine are marginally longer than a 26". last I checked, they came out a meager ¼" longer. Not enough to show a glaring ride difference. The only trail I've noticed this bike being harder to ride is at Theo Wirth, where its already so tight that you're crawling along anyways. The KM's stays are actually almost the same as a 26" bike, so the WB on them is going to be even closer. I agree that the best bet for getting into a 29"er would be to try a KM. Roughly 350 bills for frame fork? Great price! Gotta love the Surly ethic.

About FS 29"er's, I'm not so sure that they're all that neccessary. The big wheels in the first place smooth out the ride tremendously. I rode CFTF 40 last year fully rigid with out a wimper. I was noticably NOT getting as tossed around as 26" bikes were. If you're using the bike for racing, the weight is going to be wasted, you're best off getting a HT and using a suspension post if you need a little cush. 4" of travel on a 29"er is a TON of travel. I rode one of the 292's last fall, and while it was fun, I just couldn't see racing on it. The stays(see above) on it are long. Noticably longer than on a HT. This you WILL notice on nearly every trail. I see the 292 and 293 as more epic/all day rigs than racers.

http://fox302.com/userdata/martini/files/Photoes/fixxedlowfront.jpg

By the way, I'm 6'5", if any one wants to try out my 29"er, lemme know and we'll set something up! There's not many out there, and I'm more than willing to let the curious try it out.

[gopherhockey]

Originally posted by Burke
A couple thoughts...

First, a lot of people have negative thoughts about Cannondale. Some don't like aluminum, some don't like their lack of conformity with industry 'standards'. Whatever. Cannondale generally makes a good bike at a reasonable price. I've ridden Cannondale, I've ridden steel, carbon, titanium... To a point they're all the same. They all get you out on two wheels. If you've got a problem with the company, that's your problem.



I just wanted to quote that because I like the way it reads.

I loved C-Dale as I have "grown up" in the sport. I hate the whole attitude people have about it (and other brands for that matter) but honestly why would I care? Hmmm.. not sure. For now I'll keep riding my 03 Jekyll and enjoy it... if I find something better along the way I'll at least keep an open mind and not trap myself into the brand "just because" Maybe I'll have to get Tinker out here to put some people's comments to rest once and for all :shocked:

I'm interested in going with some kind of single speed though this year... nice review in mountain bike magazine about how a single speed can help mix things up a bit and avoid getting burned out (not that I think I could...)

[syntaxjunkie]

i turned my bianchi hardtail into a single speed hoss last year. didn't get too much saddle time in for a variety of reasons, but i think it's going to be the biggest boost to my technique. it's probably obvious to the more experienced singlespeeders out there, but it's amazing how many bad lines and dumb angles your shifters get you out of. take away that security blanket and you have to pick better lines, pedal with more power, and basically think a lot more in the saddle. in other words, do it. you'll be a better rider for it.

[SickBoy]

Originally posted by syntaxjunkie
i turned my bianchi hardtail into a single speed hoss last year. didn't get too much saddle time in for a variety of reasons, but i think it's going to be the biggest boost to my technique. it's probably obvious to the more experienced singlespeeders out there, but it's amazing how many bad lines and dumb angles your shifters get you out of. take away that security blanket and you have to pick better lines, pedal with more power, and basically think a lot more in the saddle. in other words, do it. you'll be a better rider for it.

I wholly agree... I converted my SS to a rigid fork last year as well and did a couple rides at Wirth and Lebanon and Battle Creek.... SS in general really forces you to take lines that will allow you to carry your speed and the rigid fork makes you either find the smoothest line or finesse the front end over obstacles. I figure if I do one off road ride a week on that bike next spring I will be a lot faster in technical stuff with my full suspension bike during races.