Any Mountain Bikers?

[southtj]

It's time to move on from my hybrid bike and I've pretty much decided on the Specialized Rockhopper. I considered a Trek 4500 but for some reason I like the Specialized better.

Thoughts? Opinions? Indifference?

[mingez]

That's a good bike. Are you getting a fixed tail bike? Uphill, rear shocks can be a pain.

Don't know much about the trek..

[OutOfStep]

I'd definately take the Specialized over the Trek. I personally prefer hard tails. I've got a modified '97 GT Aggressor, I like the frame and ride of it more than any other bike at any price that I've ridden (though I ditched a lot of the factory installed components).

[dingus]

good call on the specialized, i used to own a rockhopper pro myself... great bike. i worked at a bike shop for 4 years so if u have specific questions certainly hit me up and i'll give u the straight-up... i own a Giant STP2 now but i've been through 2 cannondales, and 1 specialized (all mountain bikes). the way i see it, most bike frames are aluminum, made in taiwan or china, and spec'd with similar SHIMANO or SRAM components (be it trek, specialized, giant, gary fisher, haro, jamis, raleigh, etc...) what you're shopping for is a SHOP - ask around for recommendations and choose the shop with the best reputation for service.

[mingez]

Originally Posted by dingus

the way i see it, most bike frames are aluminum, made in taiwan or china, and spec'd with similar SHIMANO or SRAM components (be it trek, specialized, giant, gary fisher, haro, jamis, raleigh, etc...) what you're shopping for is a SHOP - ask around for recommendations and choose the shop with the best reputation for service.

Wow, that's awesome advice!!

[dingus]

Originally Posted by mingez

Wow, that's awesome advice!!

muchas gracias.

a side note, the shop i worked for (which was known for being very meticulous mechanically) offered 1 year of free adjustments with every new bike. we found that shops offering "lifetime free tuneups" or whatever they want to call it aren't really doing much good. after about 1 year (average break-in time for a bike), you're just replacing wear-and-tear parts (which wouldn't be covered by the "lifetime free tuneups" deal.)

also, if you've been riding a hybrid, keep in mind that your back is going to have to lean over more to reach the bars, consider bars with a rise to them and/or changing out the stem to bring the bars a little closer to you if your back doesn't like the new position.

[judge09]

I have a 2-3 year old Specialized Rockhopper. I have no complaints.

[southtj]

Wow, thanks guys. I half expected to get railed for not buying the Trek. They are the big bike around here but from what I've read and what you guys have said the Specialized is just as good. I'm definately going for the hard tail partially because of what I've heard about going uphill and mostly because I don't want to spend that kind of green on a full suspension.

Dingus, I agree with you on the shop. Where I'm buying this one has been around Memphis for a long time and really know what they are doing. Good tip on the bars as I'm 6'6" and will probably need to raise them.

I decided to get the Rockhopper Comp because they have a really good price on them and it also has better equipment than the basic Rockhopper. I couldn't even find it cheaper online not that I'd order a bike over the internet.

I'm going to get it at lunch.

Dang, I just realized I'm going to need new pedals, computer, water bottle......

[Saurian]

Wow, all this expensive bike talk...

I've got an, umm... probably '98 Royce Union, suits my needs for a ride 'round the city, particularly when some fatal tragedy has befallen the Jeep... You guys are dropping names I've not even heard of

[southtj]

Originally Posted by Saurian

Wow, all this expensive bike talk...

I've got an, umm... probably '98 Royce Union, suits my needs for a ride 'round the city, particularly when some fatal tragedy has befallen the Jeep... You guys are dropping names I've not even heard of

I'd never heard of a Royce Union. I had to google it to see what it is. Is this what you're ridin' Saurian? http://tinyurl.com/p5dcy

[TwistedCopper]

I think Royce Union is a department store line.

I have a Mongoose Pro Switchback - their bike-shop line as opposed to their Mongoose Wal-mart line. It's a hybrid and not high end but a nice bike. My last bike was a Cignal mountain bike and shocks were just getting popular after I bought it. Yeah, I'm getting old...

SO!

What Mingez said about hills and rear shocks... X2

[dingus]

you guys are correct, royce union IS a cheapie brand...

as for the "rear shocks make hills difficult to climb" argument, i think its all in the rider. With a full-suspension bike, you can't stand up and hammer up a hill because the bike will "bob" and much of your energy put into climbing will be put into "bobbing" instead... i've ridden both off road and think climbs are certainly easier with a hardtail, but SITTING DOWN on a full-suspension bike makes a world of difference. advantage of the full suspension bike then, is that you don't need to unweight the rear wheel a ton to get it up over smaller obstacles.

[judge09]

If I had to do it all over again I would probably go with full suspension. The hard tail was cheaper (although not by much) and that was why I got it. But seeing how well my buddy's full suspension handled the roots and annoying little bumps I wish I would have got it. There was nothing I couldnt do in my hard tail that he did in his full suspension (and we did some very difficult trails) but I am sure he was more comfortable doing it.

I remember seeing one guy do 15 foot drops on a dual suspension with probably 12+ inches of front suspension. I can see a dual suspension being benefitial there. of course I wouldnt be doing that drop no matter what bike I was on.

[TwistedCopper]

I'll take having a tougher workout over small obstacles for an easier trek up an incline anyday. My first mountain bike didn't even have front shox and I never missed them until I had them. Full Suspension bikes are more of a creatur comfort than a performance enhancement in my book and are designed for people who sit down to pee.

[judge09]

Originally Posted by TwistedCopper

I'll take having a tougher workout over small obstacles for an easier trek up an incline anyday. My first mountain bike didn't even have front shox and I never missed them until I had them. Full Suspension bikes are more of a creatur comfort than a performance enhancement in my book and are designed for people who sit down to pee.

I don't know about a dual suspension being just for creature comforts. After a 25-30 mile ride my back f-ing kills riding my hard tail and my buddy says his back never really hurts since he got the dual suspension bike. I guess if your just puttering around a dirt road it doesnt really matter. But, if your on any decent trails the suspesion will help.

[dingus]

keep in mind, also, that a dual suspension bike compared to a hardtail (with the same components) will weigh about 2 pounds more. I've heard from riders who have ridden both kinds that the dual suspension bikes RIDE LIGHTER than the hardtails. Food for thought...

[TwistedCopper]

My back has never bothered me while riding, and I used to do some pretty hardcore riding. Admittedly in the last several years I have been limited to easy, young-kid friendly trails.