The cost of a great full susp mtb?

[bluesea]

One that climbs well.Do you have to pay?

- $3500 or...
- $4500

[gdw]

We need more info.
What type of trails do you ride....technical singletrack, fireroads...?
Preference....26, 650b, 29er?
New or used?

The Santa Cruz Blur family are pretty popular in Colorado. They're proven performers and come in all three wheel sizes with a variety of travel options. Prices start around $800 for a used 26" model and new Bronsons, 5010's, and Tallboy can be picked up with decent builds for around $3000.

[crownjewelwl]

Ibis special blend will get you between those price points for a pretty sweet rig

[bewheels]

"The cost of a great full susp mtb?"

This really isn't any different than asking "The cost of a great road bike?".
The snarky answer is - as much as you are willing to pay.
But it really comes down to what you want to do with it and where you live.

[bluesea]

Singletrack, doubletrack. No jumping, just fast trail riding with good climbing technology.

Haven't taken a FS offroad yet. Is a FS XC the wrong bike?

[gomango]

I bought a 1 year old Giant Anthem X off our local CL last spring for a song.

I liked it so much I traded away an El Mariachi that was sitting here with a sad look on its face, as no one was riding it.

Great all around bike for the $$$, but I also would check out a Niner Jet 9 with XT.

I've ridden a buddies quite a bit and I would buy one straight away if I hadn't found the Anthem.

[crownjewelwl]

Singletrack, doubletrack. No jumping, just fast trail riding with good climbing technology.

Haven't taken a FS offroad yet. Is a FS XC the wrong bike?

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/ibis-ripley-special-blend-complete-bike

This is what you want...climbs like a champ i.e. no bob...not really set up for bucking but will get through anything

If you really get into it, you can start swapping parts...my ripley is 25lbs with a dropper post

[gomango]

One that climbs well.Do you have to pay?

- $3500 or...
- $4500

@op

Let me ask a question, please.

Have you ridden a hard tail set up properly?

Most of us in our group ride those 75% of the time, including the last trip to Moab.

If you don't need full squishy, I wouldn't pay for it.

[markie]

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/ibis-ripley-special-blend-complete-bike



I rode one of those last weekend and I did not love it... ...I guess I am a rigid single speed kind of guy.

It is nice to ride a few bikes, borrow a friends ride, before committing a pile of cash.

[crownjewelwl]

I rode one of those last weekend and I did not love it... ...I guess I am a rigid single speed kind of guy.

It is nice to ride a few bikes, borrow a friends ride, before committing a pile of cash.

Op asked for full suss options...

[bewheels]

Singletrack, doubletrack. No jumping, just fast trail riding with good climbing technology.

Haven't taken a FS offroad yet. Is a FS XC the wrong bike?

I will state up front that I am bias towards XC set ups. Like you, I do not have any interest jumping/hucking outside of getting through the woods quickly...I do not seek opportunities to leave the ground. Somewhere along the line XC became a negative thing...bikes that did not weight 35 pounds, bikes you could ride up a hill efficiently, and ride with a group that goes for more than 15 minutes without stopping, etc.

There are some great XC dualies out there. Nearly every big box brand makes a good one. The good news is that it is hard to go wrong nowadays. Being able to test ride a couple would be ideal. While many focus on the suspension type, the actual bike fit plays a big role and is commonly over looked.

[BryanE]

What bewheels said.
Every company makes a great full suspension bike.
My LBS handles Specialized so I went with the Epic WC Expert model.
The second Epic I've owned.
Very happy.

[texbike]

One that climbs well.Do you have to pay?

- $3500 or...
- $4500

Singletrack, doubletrack. No jumping, just fast trail riding with good climbing technology.

Haven't taken a FS offroad yet. Is a FS XC the wrong bike?

Given your intended use, is there a specific reason that you're interested in a FS? Are you open to 26" wheels, hardtails and used bikes? If so, there isn't any reason that one would have to spend nearly the amount mentioned.

There are a TON of inexpensive, low-mileage, high-end used 26" MTBs floating around out there. I started out on hardtails and moved to FS with discs. However the maintenance on the FS got a bit old after a few years and I decided to simplify by going back to a 26" hardtail with rim brakes. I maximized the tire size and employed a tubeless set up to help reduce tire pressures (increase traction and improve ride quality). It's a really low-fuss set up and seems to work fine for my needs. It comes in at roughly 23 lbs and was less than a grand. Perhaps if I was racing I would need something better.

Texbike

[lonoeightysix]

$2500 could get you into a great, if lightly used 26" aluminum FS, 120-150mm of travel. I'd stick with a mini link suspension.

[CunegoFan]

Giant Anthem or Trance. Choose the version number to fit your budget.

[bluesea]

Interesting. I'm riding rigid now, and just the hot set up was FS. Guess I'm really pulled in by the marketing--especially the climb technology.

P.S. I dig the alu Epic.

[rcnute]

One that climbs well.Do you have to pay?

- $3500 or...
- $4500

My friend got this from Bikes Direct and really likes it.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantom_29_fs_x9.htm

Ryan

[bewheels]

Interesting. I'm riding rigid now, and just the hot set up was FS. Guess I'm really pulled in by the marketing--especially the climb technology.

P.S. I dig the alu Epic.

It is not all marketing. A lot depends on riding conditions/geography and several other factors. But make no mistake, a dualie can aid in climbing as well as help in other areas depending on your terrain.
This can quickly become a debate similar to off road tires...semi slicks on certain terrain are awesome but in terrain like the north east you are asking for some stitches somewhere on your body.
MTB disc brakes are another one...I just got back from being in the Colorado front range where good ol' cantis work great. But discs in other geographies/conditions were a god send.

As far as maintainance, most modern XC dualies require very little. Check shock pressure every once and a while and go ride. Of course "your mileage may vary" applies but the is really is not much to it.

Other poster's advise about picking up a good 26" is a great idea.