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

The Stumpjumper ST is a nice bike!

 

Hello. First post here. I’ve got a few bikes.

Getting Shreddy on the Whole Enchilada a few weeks ago.


Some time fat bikes are fun year round. -



And the Gravel Rig-

 

Coming from dirt bikes, get a full suspension for sure.

 

Agreed. Its just a personal fit and preference. Some brands run large or small too, just like tennis shoes. I routinely have to ride a size up on Specialized frames to get close to how my SC fits. Demo days is a great way to find your right bike.

 

I was in the same boat as you 6 months ago with the same background, but I live in the middle of nowhere and the nearest bike shop is an hour away and the next is two hours away. I as well was looking at "enduro-ish/cross country" as well. At 5'9" you are usually right on the cusp at either end of a M or a L depending on the manufacturer. Reach and standover are going to change between manufacturer and sizing. You need to try i.e. ride multiple bikes

I was torn between the two and I didn't want to buy hardtail and then regret not getting full suspension, For me 29 was out due to my inseam and having ridden a 29er before. 29ers are going to allow you to roll over obstacles like rocks and tree roots with more ease than a 27, but their a bit more cumbersome, not as "flickable" IMO. In switchbacks climbing and descending, I feel the 27 performs better for me. Coming from a BMX and BMX freestyle background 20+ years ago I still want the BMX feel and the 27 does it for me.

You're going to get more bang for your buck going hardtail with your budget all around. It will be a better frame and components. If you go full suspension, the frame may be the same as the higher priced version, but the components will be cheaper. This is all dependent on who you buy from, which "manufacturer".

I ultimately went with full suspension. It was too much bike for me at first at spooked me a bit, but I grew into it and am loving it. I went 150mm, which was a bit overkill at first, but as I said I grew into and am hitting gnarlier stuff now. What you're talking about you could probably get away with 130mm. I think I would've ended up with regrets had I gone hardtail, especially the terrain I am riding now that I've progressed.


@Bajaxr201 as Jeff b stated

I didn't have the opportunity to do these in my area before I bought. After I bought I have been to several of them and they can save you a lot of heartache, time and money. Demo day provide the opportunity to ride multiple manufacturers and multiple sizes in one day. Around here they are usually in the spring and summer, but you can find single manufacturer demo days at your LBS as well. Don't be in a hurry, test rise, test ride, test ride. If you find that your heart wants the full suspension, push purchase out six months and build that budget of $1500-$2200 up to $3000-3500.

If you can't find any Demo Days you could always go to the "manufacturer" as well, especially in CA if you don't mind making the drive. Santa Cruz, Intense both have the option of going to their facilities and checking out bikes and riding them on trails around their facility, but they are further North. I went with YT, which is direct to consumer and they are within an hour drive of you. They offer the same option as Santa Cruz and Intense. https://us.yt-industries.com/campaign/index/emotionId/397 If you did decide to go with YT, you'll have to wait until Spring as their bikes sell out every year pretty much , which gives you an opportunity to build up the budget a bit anyways.

 

44 trails a couple weeks ago.

 

I put my Kuat Transfer 1 on today and realized I can’t open my tailgate without contact even when it’s tilted down! Bummer.

 

If I got another mountain bike tomorrow it would be a Surly Karate Monkey. .

Or maybe the Ibis DV9

 

Solution

 

More Money, but I suppose it will be worth it!

 

Phew, long read. Here’s the deal man. Your bike shop was right, there’s no perfect bike or right answer. They’re trying to help you understand that there’s pros and cons to every bike choice. And we should all be stoked about that.
Good news is that it’s actually pretty hard to screw it up. Most bikes from quality manufacturers are awesome.
Of course, try before you buy is the best thing you can do. Barring that, go for any of the well supported brands that offer something in the 130-150 range. Shorter if you want the fitness/adventure, longer if you’re in it for the speed/thrill. 27.5 vs 29 is a stupid debate. No rules hold true to any of the sizes. It’s how the bike is made to handle the size that matters. I’ve ridden both extensively, often in the same bike make and model. The flickable or rollable “attributes” of 29 vs 27.5 simply are BS.
Budget; spend everything you can. Get the best build you can afford. Save some money for maintenance and pedals. If you buy from your local shop, ask them to get the right fit. The right saddle, handlebar width, stem length, and grips will make life better.
Then, go ride. Lots. Everything will fit into place as needed.

Ugh. Screw that’s shit. We’re buried under feet of snow. Hoping some warm weather will start the melt.
The DST change is often the day biking goes from a few times a week, to maaaaybe one a week.
Boo. I guess it’s time to clean and overhaul the fleet.

Yep, that looks like here..

 

Yup, the 1up rack is the goods.

 

Wait until you try Ridgeline

 

Finally finished getting my new to me Santa Cruz Nomad set up and the weather was nice enough to hit the trails. Such a fun bike to ride

 

Dear E-bikers that smugly motor by or past folks with little to no acknowledgment of others existence with your Bluetooth speaker/or phone blasting your tunes. Thank you for solidifying my general sentiment towards E-bikes on trails.

Kindly f$@k off.

 

As do I. I’ll be the first to admit that it only takes a couple bad apples to spoil something. Just seems the only d-bags I’ve encountered that are too good to even say hello are on e-bikes.

 

The few ebikers I've ran into have been normal encounters... Courteous, friendly and chatty.

The few I've seen have also been in better shape than me

I haven't experienced the "fat", "out of shape", "inexperienced" rider that social media arguments portray.

Also, it was 82 degrees yesterday:

 

I’d never contaminate my XC or gravel rides with an ebike; but as bikepacking looks to absorb an additional hobby slot for me, i can see an ebike fitting there jusssssst right