Mountain bikes

[The Rossness]

Is anyone here into mountainbiking? Freeride, XC, downhill, racing? I've been riding a Gold Kona Stinky for the past 8 years and think I want a lighter more XC oriented full suspension. Freeriding is fun, but it sucks big sweaty balls to pedal a 50 LBS bike uphill. I'm thinking of either getting a specalized enduro or a Santa Cruz Superlight. Can anyone guide me?

Also, If you live near CT, we should go riding on day.

[QuantumRider]

I race on a Klein Pulse (Easton bar, Thomson seatpost, Suntour Shifters, XT drivetrain, Manitou Mars fork), and ride a Specialized FSR/XC (Easton bar, XT hydraulic disc brakes, XT shifters, XT drivetrain, Risse Racing Link mod, FOX Air Vanilla fork) on the trails around my town.

If you're going to swap out/upgrade the components anyway, it may be cheaper for you to buy a frame and build a bike up with the parts that you want.

[DonP]

I have a Trek I built in 1990.

[Grandturk]

I've got a fisher 29er

[Endrik]

I ride a lot of tracks in the summer with my Bianchi but have competed very little and only in "every man" races. Pretty much everyone has a mountain bike over here but most of them only ride on tarmac

[missionguitars1]

Yeah, have a Marin Bear Valley I bought about 10 years ago, but the thing's center of gravity is too high (ie, like a road bike, not a BMX bike)...if I'm off-road, I like the idea of being able to plant a foot down at any second if things get too squirrelly, the idea of having my feet bolted to the pedals a foot off the ground is a recipe for disaster in my book...

What I'd LOVE would be a mountain bike made to 24" BMX-bike specs, with like 3 gears on it that's bullet-proof...I may be 43, but I beat the he11 out of my bikes still!

[The Rossness]

Yeah, have a Marin Bear Valley I bought about 10 years ago, but the thing's center of gravity is too high (ie, like a road bike, not a BMX bike)...if I'm off-road, I like the idea of being able to plant a foot down at any second if things get too squirrelly, the idea of having my feet bolted to the pedals a foot off the ground is a recipe for disaster in my book...

What I'd LOVE would be a mountain bike made to 24" BMX-bike specs, with like 3 gears on it that's bullet-proof...I may be 43, but I beat the he11 out of my bikes still!

I think there is a bike like that. There are special mountain bikes that are made for biker cross and dirt jumps.

[audiophile]

Grew up with BMX but that was eons ago. I've been researchin for months what I want as a first real MB since I have a buddy who has one and can ride with.
Mostly trail use, some downhill, prob some air, parkway/greenway/road can't be ruled out either. Prob need at least 2 bikes to ideally cover what I want to do.

It's insane how many variants you can go with
hardtail, full-shock, 3/4/5/6/7/8" of travel, spring assisted. old rim braking or now disc brakes, hydraulic, and component weight/alloy/carbon fiber etc.

Test drove a Giant Anthem X1 and was so impressed, especially by the weight. Could lift this big bike with one finger. Well, wasn't too impressed with the 3k retail price. Ouch, not for a first.

But the more I step down to lesser models, the more common it has something I prefer not to have and would likely want to upgrade.

To build one from the frame would be best, but again, shopping for which component to use would drive me nuts.

Originally liked Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, but now leaning toward Giant.
Trance, Reign, or Anthem.

But ain't gettin a bike with no job, so just researchin/learning/debatin/justifyin.

[The Rossness]

Grew up with BMX but that was eons ago. I've been researchin for months what I want as a first real MB since I have a buddy who has one and can ride with.
Mostly trail use, some downhill, prob some air, parkway/greenway/road can't be ruled out either. Prob need at least 2 bikes to ideally cover what I want to do.

It's insane how many variants you can go with
hardtail, full-shock, 3/4/5/6/7/8" of travel, spring assisted. old rim braking or now disc brakes, hydraulic, and component weight/alloy/carbon fiber etc.

Test drove a Giant Anthem X1 and was so impressed, especially by the weight. Could lift this big bike with one finger. Well, wasn't too impressed with the 3k retail price. Ouch, not for a first.

But the more I step down to lesser models, the more common it has something I prefer not to have and would likely want to upgrade.

To build one from the frame would be best, but again, shopping for which component to use would drive me nuts.

Originally liked Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, but now leaning toward Giant.
Trance, Reign, or Anthem.

But ain't gettin a bike with no job, so just researchin/learning/debatin/justifyin.

I hear you one the $3k bike thing. Actually, I rode the Stumpjumper FSR today. It is in the ballpark for what I want- a good full suspension that's light weight. Its 2 grand, but maybe I can talk the shop down a little. I'm also taking a look at the santa cruz superlight.

I rode some less expensive bikes, but they felt like hardtails. I'm a big guy (250 LBS) and some of the bikes I've looked at seem like brittle toys. I've put my Kona through so much crap. Dropped it off roofs, submerged it and done stuff you really shouldn't do to a bike and besides some normal wear and tear, the bike is still running strong.

I need to find those features in a light weight, less expensive package.

[Jason1212]

In regards to quality I will give a vote for Specialized. I have had mine for 4 years and aside from toasting pedals and a bottom bracket it has held up nicely.

[Infernal Death]

Right now i am riding two mtb's.
The first one is a Morewood Mbuzi. Goes by the category Enduro/Light Freerider. Great thing is that weight is still managable, it has 3 chainrings (so up and downhill drivable) and has a Fox 36 fork switchable from 6.3" to 4" travel so it's easier to go uphill. You can have fun driving downhill and jumping but it still gets you up the hill and over big distances.

The other one is a downhill bike. It's a Commencal Supreme DH. Great bike and comes with everything a real DH is supposed to be (expensive, killing you uphill, real heavy, only 9 gears hehe). But it's extreme fun to drive. Here is a pretty bad pic (only one i have).

[scaz]

I love MTB'ing. I started out XC but have really enjoyed a bit more "chunk" lately. I have Turner RFX. A bigger hit bike (6" suspension) and not TOO heavy to climb with. Good times!

Here's a little stoke from a local trail...http://vimeo.com/9985077

[The Rossness]

I love MTB'ing. I started out XC but have really enjoyed a bit more "chunk" lately. I have Turner RFX. A bigger hit bike (6" suspension) and not TOO heavy to climb with. Good times!

Here's a little stoke from a local trail...http://vimeo.com/9985077

Cool video. I've been looking at some grad schools in AZ. It's nice to know there would be good riding if I was living there.

[Burn]

I've been riding for a long time, mostly XC though, I just recently put together this KHS for my move to California: