Pableras
Thank you for your reply.
Yes, I had mistakenly been told that an All Mountain bike was what I was looking for, however, between yourself and some other riders, it does appear that a XC bike would be far better for Oman - however I would like to start going into river-beds and over more techincal terrain....a typical rocky descent here is only about 100 feet down but think "loose shale" - Oman has loads of that.
I'm keen to start moving off trails and into the mountains a bit more though.
Have a look at some of these photos for the type of riding I do here:
I know that the dual-sus could give a softer ride, albeit with a weight penalty.
I'm heading off on vacation in a couple of weeks so will be round France and Germany where I will probably buy a bike.
Can you believe that there is ONE BIKE SHOP in Oman!
He's a Focus dealer but his prices are grossly inflated due to customs and transport costs so I will not be buying another bike from him.
There are a few dealers in Dubai - but having priced Cannondale and Specialized models a few weeks ago, they are still way over-priced.
I am lucky enough to have a good budget, however as a recreational rider I can't really justify spending massive amounts on a second bike.
At a stretch, I could be forced to part with about $3,000.
I will be converting my existing hard-tail to a more "tarmac" friendly - slicker tires and SPDs - then taking NoahColorado's advice and trying Straitline Flats and 5.10s on the new bike.
Thanks again for your input.
Maybe a mod could move this to a more appropriate section for me, please? - now that I know that XC is preferred over AM. Thank you
Farrell
