All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

Sandbagging level: unashamed

 

hahahah!

 

Started a new hand build line over Thanksgiving holiday. The goal is a double-black steep line buried deep in the trail system likely only ridden by in-the-know locals. Obviously pictures don't exemplify the steepness but below screenshot is the angle I measured with my phone. Should be good for the next TW visit

 

let the brake dragging commence

 

the whoopdy is for sale! ive got a Santa Cruz Bronson X01 CC size Large up for sale. asking 5k

new wheels tires and dropper post
lightly used drivetrain as i had AXS shifter and dropper for most of the time ive owned the bike. minor paint chips from rocks and shuttles. it wasnt ridden a full season because of some injuries i had to tend too... brakes were bleed not long ago, dropper was just done because it was new. shifting is on point of course. holler at me if you are interested or have questions! (sorry about the photo i cant get it right side up)

 

Anyone have recommendations on a bike for the lady? She hopped on my Bronson and liked how comfortable it is but isn’t looking to spend a ton of money. I’m thinking a hard tail would be a good fit, but of course that won’t be as comfortable as a full squish.

She was looking at the Specialized Rockhopper. I don’t know much about it, but the Specialized Fuse seems like a better option without the cost being a ton more.

 

maybe a marin rift zone? a 3kish full squish would really be the least id spend.

does she ride already or just starting out?

my gf has a road bike and likes it. ive been trying to convince her to get a mtb so (selfishly) we could do mtb trips. id start her on a hard tail and upgrade from there if she likes to go fast (which i doubt she would, she doesnt go fast on a road bike or use the drops)

 

She has an old Italian road bike that is not very fun to ride in it’s current state. But basically yes, she is just starting out. More or less wants something she can ride comfortably on some of the easier trails around here. $3k would be a tough sell for her. She’d like to keep it under $2k. Another reason I think a hard tail would be good for her. I’ve been keeping my eyes open for used options as well.

I’ll take a look at that Marin. Maybe she’ll like it enough to spend the extra cash haha.

 

take a look at all the different brands around that price point. my gf would prefer a pretty color over nicer components

 

That Spesh Fuse is a good bike. Trek just redesigned their Roscoe, which would be their comparable hardtail offering.

Both are solid options that aren’t terribly costly while still being something that can be ridden for while without ‘outgrowing’ the bike.

 

Haha yea color is also one of the most important factors for my gf

Thanks I’ll check out that Trek too! My town has a Specialized Experience shop so hopefully she can get out on a test ride.

 

My wife has a 2016(?) Specialized Ruze, which was the women's version of the Fuse back when they were still doing the whole "paint it purple and call it a women's bike" thing. We picked that one because I stumbled across a really good closeout deal on it and I'd been wanting to get her a mountain bike so she could start riding singletrack with me. For what we spent on it, I'm happy that it gets her off pavement with me.

If your lady isn't a highly-skilled trail rider already, definitely get her on a hardtail. There are fewer moving parts to be confused by, it'll teach her better bike-handling skills, and she'll get much better component spec for her money.

As for specific bikes... are you pretty set on Specialized? They definitely don't make objectively bad bikes, but I think (opinion, not fact) you can do better with other brands. Personally I'd look at similar options like the Salsa Rangefinder and Timberjack (or if you really want to stretch the budget, Santa Cruz Chameleon) if they're available from a good shop in your area.

*edit* Just saw your follow-up post saying that she might be able to test ride some options from Specialized. In the current bike economy, being able to ride a bike before you order it blindly is priceless. That's a huge differentiator in favor of Specialized, in your case.

 

I got compliments from all the ladies on my old RM Altitude

 

Good info, thank you! That all makes a lot of sense. She doesn’t worry as much about the specs as I do. I guess my main concern for her is being able to upgrade the bike. The Rockhopper seems pretty limited in what you can do, as far as forks go anyway.

She’s definitely not stuck on Specialized, she just happened to see one at the LBS that caught her eye. I honestly don’t know much about them as a company. I’m sure their stuff is fine, but like you said I’ve always been under the impression that you can get more bang for the buck from another company. I actually did show her the chameleon because I’d love one of those myself haha. But it is a little more than she wants to spend.

Haven’t checked Salsa yet so I’ll definitely show her this options as well!

 

nice ride dude!

 

Nice. Thats my favorite RM paint job.

I've got the baby brother.

 

I sold it and picked up a Transition Scout. I'm not sure what RM did with their paint jobs for a bit there on the newer altitude. I think they are getting much better now....that green on green model is sick!

 

RM really phones it in sometimes on paint.

We're only bringing in one of those green/green Altitudes. I think it will look great. I'm curious to see the green/blue Instinct. I think it will look cool too but I'm worried it may actually look like crap too. Ha.

 

Take a look at the Polygon Full Squish bikes. From what i see, they hold up to abuse very well (not saying that she will abuse it). But they are a cheaper option and still are a pretty good bike for the price.

 

my girl was the SAME! lol safe to say it irked me when looking for a bike for her.