Show off your Mountain Bike!!!

I have the original trek marlin. It served me well. But like the others have said, you get what you pay for. If you can push your budget closer to $1000 you can get a very nice used bike or a pretty nice new bike.

 

He was actually shooting his buddies and i ended up going before them and he liked my shot more haha. I wish i had my own photographer

 

You need to wear the #1 bmx shoe ever. Vans!!!!
Guaranteed to make you pedal faster and launch higher. Most comfortable shoes with platforms.

 

5.10s provide superior grip. i've been wearing them for 5 years and wouldn't even consider anything else for serious riding.

 

Stoked to see this thread!
Here's me riding my Soma Juice 29er... in Vans

 

I always rode 5.10 but the quality has gone downhill. been using the specialized 2fo shoes and am VERY happy with them.

 

the vxi freeriders are pretty durable. i'm just now replacing a pair that i've had for 3 years that i have a couple of thousand miles on. the sole has worn out from the pins on my pedals. the uppers are still in really good condition. i almost feel bad just throwing them away. they might go to the goodwill instead.

 

Dang, I can't get a a pair to last more than a season. sole always starts wearing through and peeling away from the shoe. 5.10 warrantied a few pairs of my impacts as well and finally gave me a pair of the new Sam Hills which I usever when I ride my dh bike

 

Does anyone ride clipped?

 

I do, questions?

 

I do too. Just wondering if many did. I see a lot of people on flats in here and thought maybe that was the new trend.

 

I've done both but I feel comfortable enough in the air clipped in now, to ride mostly clipped in. If I do a really jump-y trail, I'll consider putting platforms on for the day, but that's about it. I feel like my over all pedal stroke while being clipped in is so much more clean and efficient, especially on climbs.

I'm looking at a new bike to add, a 180 travel front and rear, and will likely run platforms on that because it'll be a bike to throw around. I don't take any serious jumps or drops on my current 140 front/125 rear because that's not what it's made for, so clipped it will remain

 

Trek Fuel EX8. Here it is in VT:


Thinking about making the switch to a hardtail soon and getting a Santa Cruz.

 

Why not to another full suspension?

 

clipped in on road or gravel bike - no clips offroad for me. Half the rides I do offroad would be OK and half no way so not gonna be swappin pedals around on 8 possible bikes that I might ride offroad so flats stay for offroad. Pedal gain not worth possible crashing pain for me. No sponsors to keep happy, no bills go unpaid because of it & no trophy case to fill. I do have fun and get great exercise which is what it's about for me at this point.

 

i ride my mountain bike clips on my road bike now. i broke a couple of ribs about 6 months after i put them on my mountain bike. the only way i could convince my wife to not sell my bike was to switch back to flats. i'm as fast or faster that many other riders that ride clips. really if you are riding recreationally, there isn't much reason to ride clips. the minimal performance gains just aren't worth it to me. they make more sense on a road bike where you are spinning constantly.

 

I rode a SC Highball recently and loved how quickly it climbs and accelerates. I didn't miss the rear suspension at all. I went to Moab in April, on some of the big stuff out there, it would be nice but for most of what I ride I think it is unnecessary.

 

I always am clipped. I prefer to climb more than anything and am not much a a big air or DH guy. Also I ride a SS so any help climbing is welcome

 

I ride clipped in too. With Shimanos you can adjust the tension so I've gotten mine dialed in to a point where I'm comfortable (as comfortable as I can be haha) on almost anything clipped in. Riding flats adds one more thing I have to pay attention to while riding imo.

I've also been considering an HT. I moved away from the mountains and rocks so a hard tail would bring some more excitement to more trails where I live now haha

 

Here's my SB5 in Iceland.
I've been bucked from my bike while clipped in enough to only ride flats on my trail bike these days. Road/Gravel/XC I'm pro clipless. Trail, I like a nice sticky set of flats and 5.10s
It can be easy to get lazy in your skills by riding clipless on mountain.