Mountain bike disdain?

[big shanty]

I'm wondering why I detect disdain (maybe an overly strong word)..uh, distaste...for mountain bikes among some on this forum? This is just a general sense that I get, I cannot cite particular examples...but I am sure I am not imagining it. My feeling is that mountain bikes, like any other specialty bike, are simply instruments best suited to a particular type of riding. Is it because "the industry" duped America into buying mountain bikes in the 90s? It seems silly to me, to scoff at the notion of riding a mountain bike and close oneself off to that whole distinct style of riding (you cannot ride where I mountain bike on a cross bike!!). Again, no particular examples...my "spider senses" are just tingling with anti-mountain bike vibes.

FWIW, I sold mine and put the money in my bike fund.

[davids]

I occasionally sense that here, too.

And I don't really get it - I love riding on the road, and I really like riding in the woods. When it's cold and windy, I actually prefer mountain biking. I spent 4 hours this weekend deep in the woods of the Blue Hills, and I had a lot of fun riding my mountain bike with my friends.

Someday, I'm even going to buy a new mountain bike, with more than 2-3" of suspension.

[sellsworth]

I've never sensed that same vibe. Clearly most people here are road cyclists, that doesn't mean that they are anti-mountain biking. The mountain bike wave seemed to crest years ago and so I think that there is less discussion of it in most biking circles.

I am totally split in my affection for my Serotta road bike and my Ellsworth mtb. I really don't know what I would do if I had to give up one.

[J.Greene]

I'm wondering why I detect disdain (maybe an overly strong word)..uh, distaste...for mountain bikes among some on this forum? This is just a general sense that I get, I cannot cite particular examples...but I am sure I am not imagining it.

do you know the difference between an mtb and a vacum cleaner..........it's the way the dirtbag attaches. :beer:
JG

ps: I love my ellsworth truth

[big shanty]

do you know the difference between an mtb and a vacum cleaner..........it's the way the dirtbag attaches. :beer:
JG

ps: I love my ellsworth truth

I love it!

[spiderlake]

I would hesitate to call it disdain for mountain biking. There just happens to be more road and cross people than MTB'ers in this forum. A few mountain bike (myself included) but most are roadies/cross junkies. There is sporadic discussion on mountain bikes so when you see it, take full advantage of the thread!

[PanTerra]

I'm wondering why I detect disdain (maybe an overly strong word)..uh, distaste...for mountain bikes among some on this forum?

You think there is disdain for mtbs on this forum? Well, it doesn't even hold a candle to the disdain for 'bents. :butt:

[Bill Bove]

I've never been big on mountain biking. I don't know why but it's just not for me. Maybe it's the stop and go aspect of it all, you go along a nice trail until you come upon some obstacle that you either have to dismount to get around or over or you have to push your bike. i much prefer the zen like continuous ride on the road. I also like the feeling of freedom I get on my road bike.I can go anywhere I want, Canada? Turn left. Mexico?(don't drink the water). Turn right.California? Just keep on heading west young man. On a mountain bike I know that there are the boundries of the park/forrest that I am riding in. If I lived out in colorado or Montana(that is still a state?) It might be different.

[big shanty]

Recumbents are only permissible with a doctor's note!

[Bill Bove]

Recumbents are God's way of saying "Dude! Take up bowling."

[atmo]

i thought mtb was what dave was called on sat nite atmo.
hey - just messin' witya.

[iml]

I sense a bit of it here, too. MTBs can be ridden on pavement, by the way, even with knobbies. They're no more - and I'd say less - limiting than any other bike. I spent Saturday riding an MTB on the road, knobbies and all. Why not?

The continuous zen of riding a trail is sublime, especially when you're good enough to transcend the stop-and-go phase.

Most folks I know and ride with (mostly racers) spend time on road and off. I can't imagine having only one or the other.

Edit - recumbents suck.

[gdw]

I've noticed the disdain as well although it seems less apparent lately than in the past. Last year threads used to get hijacked pretty quickly by the usual suspects.

[gt6267a]

i have posted on mtn bike topics and received good, though less replies than if it had been a road post, feedback. it seems fitting to me ... while i am sure they make a fine mtn bike, serotta really is focused on the road as is the forum. to answer the question, i think it less disdain and more focus.

[chuckred]

But for those who "disdain" mountain biking, I can only say: "tough s***, you don't know what you're missing" and "it's your loss, our gain"! (I can understand and sympathize with those who don't have good mountain biking out their garage door, but that's different than "disdain"...)

I've noticed in other forums that the old stereotype of roadie eliteism still seems to hold true - not sure here yet...

I'd say I ride roughly 50/50 on/off road. Off road, everyone says "hi", chats, etc. On road, getting a wave, nod or smile from a "serious" roadie seems rare.

Not sure why that is - any ideas?

[obtuse]

i'm going mountain biking tomorrow. i'm very, very bad at it. i'm a pretty ok bike handler and i'm able to ride a road bike pretty much anywhere. nonetheless i can't get my head around one thing; if i can't physically do something on a road bike i can't mentally do it on any other type of bike regardless of how much travel it has.....so yeah, if i really had too i could ride a road bike off a two foot drop-but i wouldn't ever do a six footer so no way i'm doing it on a mountain bike.

obtuse

[GoJavs]

Maybe you are on to something, but me for one, am a convert. I bought an old GT steel hardtail a few months ago and I love it. For a change of pace ride around the construction roads out here in the outer fringes of Miami, it's fantastic... :)

[beerwillie]

Promote all people to get out and ride, BMX, Bents, tandems, comfort, all bikes. Take over the road. Whats a roady do hits the brakes. Whats a mtber do swerve after looking over his shoulder. Both good.

[stevep]

i love a mt bike. great fun.
i generally only reach for it if:
its below 32 degrees
its night
the seasons over but i want to get out for awhile to get some fresh air

those of youse who are in soft climates havent done anything until you ride a mt bike on frozen trails.
the ultimate in traction. super fine.

but the first pick is the road bike still.

[Ray]

I started out on a mountain bike back in '96. Had a blast, got bloody on every ride. Didn't care. Made me feel like a kid again. Over time, I got more and more into road riding and less and less into mountain biking. In the past few years, I find that I've turned into such a wimp that mountain biking isn't as much fun as it should be. I never used to mind wiping out. Now I mind. It used to be fun to try all sorts of tough moves and try to clear obstacles and such. Now I tend to get off and carry the bike through the really tough stuff because I don't like crashing, particularly slow speed falling over crashes into rocks and roots.

I still ride a rigid bike every now and then. But suspension bikes have two problems. First, they allow you to go waaaay too fast over stuff that you used to have to just about stop for. So if you do crash, it can be BAAAAD. Second, there's just too much going on technically for me to wrap my head around. I never understood how to adjust all of the various shocks for bounce, rebound, damping, etc, etc, etc. I'd luck into the right settings every now and then and it would be be sublime but most of the time it didn't feel right at all. And I'm a reasonably good home mechanic on most stuff, but all of those suspension parts and pivots and such is just too much to want to deal with, so mtb's are a maintenance hassle or I take 'em to the shop, which gets expensive.

Over all, they're fun, but I'm getting too wimpy to really enjoy them and they're too much trouble for the level of enjoyment I get from it these days. Dirt roads on a road bike can be fun though.

No disdain though.

-Ray

[davids]

I've never been big on mountain biking. I don't know why but it's just not for me. Maybe it's the stop and go aspect of it all, you go along a nice trail until you come upon some obstacle that you either have to dismount to get around or over or you have to push your bike. i much prefer the zen like continuous ride on the road...
Bill,

Two different zens (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=255695&postcount=53).

Really, riding on the road and riding on a rocky, root-strewn trail are two totally different disciplines. atmo.

[toaster]

There's nothing like a mountain bike ride where you see absolutely nobody on the trail and instead you see some wildlife like bobcats, coyotes, deer, hawks and maybe a snake or two.

I need the mountain bike to get away from the insanity of motor vehicles and city life. I don't find selfishness, impatience, ignorance and stupidity among God's creatures and her natural wonder.

[coylifut]

i've been hanging out here a couple of years and perceive no disdain for mountain biking. I'd ride the mountain bike much more, but all of the trails close to the house are pedestrian only. Fun stuff that mountain bikin.

[aLexis]

I only have a disdain for mountain bikes with little 26" wheels. :)

[pdxmech13]

I love you mtb, but why must you make me drive you everywhere !

[jcmuellner]

From about 1981 I spent most of my time mountain biking in CO and WA until my daughter was born in 1996. Glorious is all I can say. Had a tendency to get somewhat righteous about being in the dirt doing 8-10 hour solo singletrack rides while most roadies thought a big day was 4-6 hours on the road.

Now I do both but definitely more road riding. Part of that is now living where the better trails are a drive away and something that I'd rather not do when I can spend that time just riding from my house. When I lived in Crested Butte I could hit incredible trails in minutes. Here in PT I have incredible roads right out my door.

I've found that both are wonderful, and both help the other in some way. I'll never give up my 1987 MB-1 but I've actually had a great deal of fun riding my road bikes on the trails and rough roads too (don't really need a cyclocross bike, any bike will do, including the MXL). It's hard to beat the solitude of being in the woods.

As an aside, I also have spent time on recumbents. My Dad builds his own and has ridden across the country nearly 6 times with them. Arthritis in his hands make it uncomfortable to ride an upright, but he rides like hell on his 'bent. Not my main passion, but I still like to tool around on one. I would never give up riding for bowling if I could still tour on a recumbent...

It's all good...even that dang unicycle I have but haven't quite gotten the hang of...

[05Fierte TI]

I do not mt bike that much any more for two reasons. First, I do not bounce as well as I used to and tend to get hurt more. (Part of that getting older thing) The other reason is that to ride off road normally takes driving the car first. I really prefer to ride from the front door and not have to use a motor vehicle.

I have two small children and the time to drive somewhere is generally too much. I would rather spend the time riding - thus I road bike most of the time.

I did take the mountain bike out yesterday. A little bit of snow on the ground, rain falling (sometimes sleet), and no one was around. It was great!

[Lifelover]

A MTB with semi slicks or Hard pack tires and platforms is bar none the best bike for any urban environment. If you were to stay strictly on the road there is no question that you would not be as fast as on a road bike. However if you stay on the road you are missing about 75% of the fun. Sidewalks, parking lots, muts, schools are all just play grounds when I ride one of my MTBs.

If you ride at night, on any surface, mtb's are the way to go.

[d_douglas]

They are lame. I know - I am being judgemental and I should appreciate anyone pedalling a bike rather that driving, but they make me snicker just a bit whenever I see them.

I just saw two seemingly expensive ones parked outside an apartment building here in Geneva yesterday and they were so low to the ground, it was ridiculous (don't know what kind, but htey were literally 6 inches off the ground). I would NEVER ride those in any traffic.

I had a crazy room mate (weirdo 50 year old science genius) who commuted on a highway on this thing. He is a world renowned oceanographer that would do himself a favour and get rid of his 'bent with the dreamcatcher/feather covered safety flag and giant inflatable headrest. Tee hee.

Sadly, he was hit by a car on his nice old Marinoni with Superbe pro and Campy parts and elected to use the insurance money to move on to something that clearly marked him as socially awkward. (He was fine - I wouldn't have bashed him if he was hurt!)

Enough ranting. All people are good - some just have bad taste.

[BURCH]

I love you mtb, but why must you make me drive you everywhere !

I hope that everybody caught this quote, because it gave me a good chuckle!

I don't find a disdain for mountain biking here, but I didn’t come here expect a love for it either since I came here thinking this was a roadie forum.

I ride mtn and rd bikes equally and love them both. They each provide me something that the other can not. I get way more of an adrenaline rush from Mtn biking due to the immediate danger that you can put yourself into over and over, but the rd bike gives you that sense of freedom or power and efficiency on a really fast climb or descent.

For anybody that says you can’t get a Zen like or constant ride in on a mtn bike, you just haven't given it enough time. Once you build up your skills (which could takes years), you can hit the correct trail for an epic 3 hour ride and never have to stop except for the occasion foot dab. Plus, you usually never hit a distraction like traffic lights, construction…etc.

I go to the road for joy
I go to the trails to get away

[Ginger]

Disdain: no.

Enthusiasm: no. not really. And I wouldn't expect it.

It's a Serotta forum, not a mountain bike forum. So I don't really think it's a disdain, just a lesser involvement...sort of in proportion to how many mountain bikes Serotta sells. People here who have mountain bikes and ride them, except obtuse (xc mountain bikes weren't really meant to go off 6' drops...neither am I, so it's ok) are enthusiastic about them in the right venue.

[crossjunkee]

most are roadies/cross junkies.

You rang? ;)

No feeling of disdain here.

I feel that the crowd riding Serotta these days tend to be a little older. I also feel older guys, unless you're Ned Overend, usually stay away from mountain biking.

Although, i did get my clocked cleaned on a regular basis by an old guy on a mountain bike. This ride was also on the road, and consisted of a solid group of Cat. 1/2's. He wasn't riding slicks either. So they're out there, but they don't frequent forums.

[PanTerra]

Actually no disdain here. After going on a mtb/camping trip to Palo Duro Canyon and riding single track with some adventure racing friends (who are nuts) I said about mtbs, "I gotta get me one of these!" it was like getting on the bike for the first time again. It was a blast. Here is a photo of one of the trails around Sedona, AZ. I get over there about once a year.

http://panterragroup.home.mindspring.com/misc/sedona%202.jpg

[Ginger]

Sedona is so much fun!

It's entertaining when you drive through town and see the kids in full armor and big hit bikes and try to figure out where they're playing...Shops won't tell you, or they send you out to never never land...but you know those kids didn't ride 10 miles on that bike just for one drop. Then you ride the trails around town you'll see where a little side shoot goes off and you see the tire marks on the top of the drop. Oh, lookie there!
Fun stuff

[Tom]

But really only if they're out in the woods. Or if they're on the road they're like the guy mentioned earlier, the sort that makes you work hard if you;re going to keep up. People with shiny mountain bikes that never leave the bike path make me think they should have tried a different kind of bike.

It took me two rides before my instinct for self-preservation kicked in and I said 'not for me.' I kept flipping over or falling down. It's hard. It's also no fun to ride in such a way that you don't have a really good chance of flipping over or falling down so it's one or the other. No fun or rack yourself up pretty good. I decided I better stay on the road.

[spiderlake]

: ) Has the 29'er craze hit Texas too?? Any love for the single speeders (the big thing in MI right now)?? Thanks for the laugh!!

I only have a disdain for mountain bikes with little 26" wheels. :)

[gt6267a]

Actually no disdain here. After going on a mtb/camping trip to Palo Duro Canyon and riding single track with some adventure racing friends (who are nuts) I said about mtbs, "I gotta get me one of these!" it was like getting on the bike for the first time again. It was a blast. Here is a photo of one of the trails around Sedona, AZ. I get over there about once a year.

http://panterragroup.home.mindspring.com/misc/sedona%202.jpg

i've never seen trails that smooth. everything here is rooty and rocky. at least a few leaves on the flatish sections. that looks like very fast terrain.

[gt6267a]

not a mountain bike forum.

out of curiousity, do you know a good mtn bike forum? i am interested in reading a bit more about what people are doing ...

[jckid]

When I started frequenting this forum I figured out right away that most of the people here are not into mountain biking. I'm into both road and mountain biking, although I do not currently have a mountain bike. I get a lot of great information on road bikes from this forum, but I pretty much look elsewhere for information on mountain bikes.

[BoulderGeek]

I'm 60/40 road and mountain.

Where I live, one would be missing so very much by not getting off road when the spirit hits. :banana:

Moab, Fruita, Aspen, Buffalo Creek...too much goodness to ignore.

Plus, it feels so good to get away from the pickup and SUV driving rednecks.

The trials riding aspect,too, is great cross training for road. It all goes together.

[Steelhead]

I hope that you wear a helmet out there as opposed to this past post. Rocks are hard. :D

[obtuse]

i kicked the crap out of myself mountain biking today in a system of trails called "vietnam". lots and lots of rocks; and i only ate it once. there wasn't thirty seconds except for blasting down a hill for a mile or two through babyheads and knee deep rocks that i wasn't having to get off the bike.....i also forgot to bring mountain bike pedals so i did the whole ride in my rocket 7s and a pair of of old look 247s that kept releasing my right foot. nonetheless it was a lot of fun and i was riding this bike:

obtuse

[gasman]

i kicked the crap out of myself mountain biking today in a system of trails called "vietnam". lots and lots of rocks; and i only ate it once. there wasn't thirty seconds except for blasting down a hill for a mile or two through babyheads and knee deep rocks that i wasn't having to get off the bike.....i also forgot to bring mountain bike pedals so i did the whole ride in my rocket 7s and a pair of of old look 247s that kept releasing my right foot. nonetheless it was a lot of fun and i was riding this bike:

obtuse



No wonder you had a hard time-there's no pedals !!!!


I like Mtn biking but the good/great biking requires a car trip.The good/great road riding here is out my driveway.

[BURCH]

i kicked the crap out of myself mountain biking today in a system of trails called "vietnam". lots and lots of rocks
obtuse


I have read about that place and my buddies and I almost went, but opted for a trip to the Berkshires in Western Mass instead for some torturous hill climbing. I miss the big rocky singletrack of the Northeast. Here is Louisville there are trails, but I have yet to find anything as great as NINHM in NY or Trumbull in CT.

[dirtdigger88]

Ive said it before- Im a roadie only because I had to drive to ride my MTB-

maybe thats why I ride my road bike like a MTB still today-

Jason

[theprep]

i kicked the crap out of myself mountain biking today in a system of trails called "vietnam". lots and lots of rocks; and i only ate it once. there wasn't thirty seconds except for blasting down a hill for a mile or two through babyheads and knee deep rocks that i wasn't having to get off the bike.....i also forgot to bring mountain bike pedals so i did the whole ride in my rocket 7s and a pair of of old look 247s that kept releasing my right foot. nonetheless it was a lot of fun and i was riding this bike:

obtuse


Obtuse - what were your impressions of the 970 XTR stuff?

[toaster]

In my view, mountain biking lost it's core constituency long ago. Guys started training on road bikes and the mountain bike became a hassle. It was easier to ride the road and pick your workout. NORBA was also not run very well and sandbagging in the popular Beginner and Sport classes was pretty rampant.

Lot's of innovation early on for mountain bikes was great, then road bikes started to get alot of new technology and were in many ways revived. Cyclocross is sort of the new mountain biking and has grown alot recently.

Now, the problem with mountain biking is the extreme side of it. The big jumps, the big suspension and the very technical, rocky downhill portion of the sport has taken the fitness out of riding and made superstars out of daredevils and stunt specialists.

If you can look through a typical mountain bike magazine and not be turned off by motorcycle helmets, full armour, and motocross pants and jerseys then you are the new demographic. To me it would be like looking at a roadie mag and seeing articles and tests on bikes like hybrids with electric motors on the rear wheel.

[crossjunkee]

Good points toaster!

[DonH]

I guess im in the minority here, but I am more of a mountain biker. Mountain biking for me is NOT about big air or long travel suspension....its about being in the woods on a nice day riding trails that are tight and technical, and even having to walk at times because of my lack of skill or fitness. There is nothing that makes me happier and more centered. I still love road bikes and road riding though and would not want to give up the road riding!

[BURCH]

Now, the problem with mountain biking is the extreme side of it. The big jumps, the big suspension and the very technical, rocky downhill portion of the sport has taken the fitness out of riding and made superstars out of daredevils and stunt specialists.


I have seen this trend too and it makes me shake my head when I bike past a kid pushing his 40lb big air bike up the hill. Big air mtn biking is its own beast and I would hate to have that same kid represent all mtn bikers. XC still lives and is nowhere near the sport of downhill or trial riding.

You don't hold snowboarding in a halfpipe against XC skiers, right?

[BoulderGeek]

Obtuse, how is that Trek for suspension? It looks like the 4-bar clone of Rocky Mountain's ETS-X series, which I have had my eye on for a long time.

I got a smoking deal last season on a Giant with their "maestro" version of the rear 4-bar. I do enjoy it. But, I really, really liked the Rocky Mountain ETS-X70, and still wish I had ponied up to their price point. I'm wondering if the Trek would deliver that feel for a lower price point.

My bike is 29.5lbs, which is a fair bit chunkier than my old Klein hard tail. But, it is a good all-arounder for the kinds of semi-rocky terrain we have in CO.

And, yes, Steelhead, I do wear a helmet. I think that was just a rest spot photo op. :D

[crossjunkee]

My bike is 29.5lbs, which is a fair bit chunkier than my old Klein hard tail. But, it is a good all-arounder for the kinds of semi-rocky terrain we have in CO.

WHOA, 29.5lbs!!! My YBB comes in a tick under 23lbs, and I struggle on the long climbs we have here! I'm a XC singletrack guy, I don't even have disc brakes.

[shoe]

i don't have a problem with mountain biking...well except the ones on full suspension bikes, ones with gears, and those small 26" wheels..,i do really like all kinds of bikes though.. i would like to get a unicycle for x-mas are they liked even less then mtb bikes...dave

[victoryfactory]

Am I alone here?
What appeals to me about road riding is the silent, smooth motion.
It's like flying.
MTB is a lot of bashing and crashing. When I'm out in the woods or the
mountains or the desert, I like silence. I like to walk.
Although I have enjoyed riding off road too, I just can't completely come to
terms with ramming through the woods on my MTB. It's sort of like having a
rock concert in a church... Something is wrong (my personal opinion only,
if you're not sensitive to this POV, go for it, dudes)
Just because it's on a bike, people assume it's the same sport as road riding, but
IMHO it's really a different sport altogether.

VF, too sensitive, maybe

[BoulderGeek]

WHOA, 29.5lbs!!! My YBB comes in a tick under 23lbs, and I struggle on the long climbs we have here! I'm a XC singletrack guy, I don't even have disc brakes.

Yeah, my old Klein Pulse II hardtail was 24lbs. It climbed like a banshee, but was way too tight and noncompliant on the descents, and my full suspension friends were just walking away.

Sure, a YBB is an awesome bike. It's also 2.5x the cost and only has 1/4 of the suspension give that my new burly heavy full suspension bike has.

210lb me needs to drop ten or 15, and the bike won't make any difference anymore.

I was in the same frame of mind as you. Then, I desired a change. I waited five years for a full suspension design that rode well and didn't make me pay more than a 5lb weight penalty.

The climbs are a bit more of a burden. But the descents are a blast. And I have to focus on controlling and babying the back end a lot less.

I just want something fun and durable to ride Walker Ranch, Hall Ranch, Moab and Fruita. For everything else, there's road. ;)

[ejh]

I just upgraded my Giant NSR to XTR and so far I like it alot. I put rapid fire shifters and derailleurs and XT cranks. Works great. And guy's dont forget two wheels good four wheels bad.

[pdonk]

I love the silience and whirr of my bike as I glide smoothly through the woods and rocks. Yes, everyonce in awhile I grunt or have to bash through or over something, but it is really all about the flow, and flow creates amazing music regardless of the instrument.



Am I alone here?
What appeals to me about road riding is the silent, smooth motion.
It's like flying.
MTB is a lot of bashing and crashing. When I'm out in the woods or the
mountains or the desert, I like silence. I like to walk.
Although I have enjoyed riding off road too, I just can't completely come to
terms with ramming through the woods on my MTB. It's sort of like having a
rock concert in a church... Something is wrong (my personal opinion only,
if you're not sensitive to this POV, go for it, dudes)
Just because it's on a bike, people assume it's the same sport as road riding, but
IMHO it's really a different sport altogether.

VF, too sensitive, maybe

[nobrakes]

I've read through most of these posts, and had to add my $00.02. I've heard from mt. bikers how they thought 'roadies' were self-centered Tour de France wanabes. I've heard how mountain bike riders were self-destructive maniacs with no social conscious from some roadies. Mostly, I remember reading these attitudes in a lot of the magazines, and, unfortunately, the majority of the bad vibes at roadies came from the mt. bike publications. I don't think I've ever read much negativity directed at mt. bikers from road oriented magazines. In real life, I've never had 'attitude' or disdain shown to me from either group. It shouldn't matter what you pedal, and those that make a big deal out of what 'type' you are are stereotyping for some unknown reason. I just have to deal with it on a one on one scale. The flip side is that in general, drivers seem to give me more 'space' when I'm road-riding my mt. bike, and seem more hostile to me when I'm on my road bike...go figure.

[PanTerra]

I ride my Fisher-Price, er Gary Fisher, predominately during standard time as opposed to daylight saving time, at night. We have a club ride at night twice a week that takes us down a multi-use trail to the lake and around. It is a little easier on the rims when you run over pot-holes. How is this picture, it includes the pedals. :D Of course I have it set up with Mavic Crossride wheelset with bladed spokes and specialized Fatboy 100psi slicks. It is a pretty fast mtb.

[Ray]

...from selling my Rivendell recently, I decided it would be nice to have an MTB to bash around on again. I've owned fully rigid, hardtail, and full-boing mountain bikes in the past. I *KNOW* from plenty of experience that I'm not all that into this sport and that any bike I got would get ridden a bunch for the first couple of months and then would take its place in my basement and only come out maybe 5-10 times per year. I also don't like the bad habits full suspension bikes tend to encourage and don't like maintaining them or trying to dial in all of the shock settings, so I figured that a hardtail was probably the way to go. And I didn't want to spend more than $6-700. For the amount I'll ride I figured a relatively cheap hardtail would be adequate since the low end parts would probably hold up fine under the occasional use they'd see. But instead of running down to the LBS and getting the best hardtail at the el-cheapo pricepoint, I went out to my favorite bike shop in the middle of nowhere, where they have an attic full of used bikes.

For well under $700 I found a carbon Trek soft-tail with mostly XT parts, a SID fork, and Rolf wheels. It felt fine on a short test ride - I'm not even remotely as picky about fit and position on an MTB as I am on road bikes, because you move around and are in and out of the saddle so much on a mountain bike - I can be happy on almost anything that's about the right size. And this one felt like a winner.

This bike was north of $4000 when they stopped making them back in 2003-2004. And it's in great shape. Brought it home, dialed it in a bit, put my own saddle, pedals, and bar-ends on it and went out to the local trails for a couple of hours. Having been more than a year since I'd had a functional mtb, I had a blast. Light, quick, well balanced for technical climbing, and it handles pretty well in the really tight twisties. This may inadvertently be the best mountain bike I've ever owned. Big fun - infrequent fun, but BIG!

Nope, no disdain over in this corner of the forum.

-Ray

[gt6267a]

I went out to my favorite bike shop in the middle of nowhere, where they have an attic full of used bikes.


sometime this spring, i will stop in on my mom in narberth. where is this place with great used bikes? i will stop by. might bring one home with me!

[chuckred]

I learned to mtn bike on the fully rigid versions, moved up through hard tail to dual susp. The only bad habits I think I've learned is how to go faster than I could before... and with less effort.

But, I've been riding a 8 year old or so Cannondale with fatty headshock in CA as a "travel bike". Has all of an inch or so of travel! But it's LIGHT! I've had a blast on it on single track climbs and fire road night rides. Less fun on the single track descents, but it does make the dualie seem easier when I get home!

Best thing - it really improves the skill and confidence when you get back on the roadbike as well!

Have fun, sounds like a great ride!

[chuckred]

on my mom in narberth.

Moved from Lower Merion about 4 years ago - lived right next to the Narberth border... nice road riding in the area! Limited mountain biking though...

[Ray]

sometime this spring, i will stop in on my mom in narberth. where is this place with great used bikes? i will stop by. might bring one home with me!
Its out in Lancaster County, near Churchtown, which is near Honeybrook, which is near.... it isn't near anything. Its about a half hour northwest of my place in West Chester, which is already sort of on the edge of the exurbs. Narberth is about a half hour east of us, so the bike shop (Shirks, btw) is probably a solid hour from Narberth. The stock of used stuff in the attic wasn't as impressive today as it sometimes is, but I got lucky and found the right bike at the right price in the right size.

And Chuckred, I don't consider a softail a double boinger at all. I've had a true full suspension and it felt very very different from a hardtail. This softail feels very much like a hardtail, but when you lock out the rear shock, you realize that when it was engaged it was definitely taking the edge off the little hits. But you can't even really tell its engaged until you lock it out and then you can feel the difference. Very direct feeling. Makes me a little nervous, to be honest - carbon stays flexing enough to provide an inch or so of movement up at the rear shock, but if anyone's not going to break it, though, I probably won't - I tend to be pretty easy on equipment and I don't ride at all like a maniac anymore. But still, that seems like a fair amount of flex for having no pivots.

-Ray

[Fixed]

WHOA, 29.5lbs!!! My YBB comes in a tick under 23lbs, and I struggle on the long climbs we have here! I'm a XC singletrack guy, I don't even have disc brakes.
my mt.bike weighs less than my road bikes
it;s a s.s. fixed gear alum.with a kona steel fork 19 pounds with run of the mill parts
cheers

[gt6267a]

Moved from Lower Merion about 4 years ago - lived right next to the Narberth border... nice road riding in the area! Limited mountain biking though...

yeah, the ability to ride right out the door is what i miss about philly. the bike path from manayunk to VF rocked. i met some great guys on the run down there. two guys i made friends with named chris and hamid. i probably didn't pull once biking with those guys and still got a great workout. not that i would not have tried to pull, keyword tried, but they were the next level up for me. it was great riding with people above my level. great chats, great biking.