Hello all,
I've been riding for a long time now on my 1998 fully rigid Giant Yukon, which I bought new. I love this bike, but it's time to move up in the world and into 29" wheels. As I've been shopping for something new I've gotten it into my head that I'd like to try my hand at long distance endurance racing.
I made the mistake of reading Jill Homer's books about racing the GDMBR and along the Iditarod trail and recently watched Ride the Divide again (for the 3rd time). Such epic rides are out of scope for me in the near future, but I'd love to try some local (Michigan) 12-24 hour, or 100 mile mtb races.
I've more or less settled on a short travel full suspension XC bike. I haven't ruled out a hard tail, but am leaning towards FS. I've already been looking at the new Salsa Spearfish with the split pivot rear suspension. I test rode one around a parking lot and it felt great.
My question is this, of the major brands that are readily available, which models of bikes should I be looking at? I don't have many illusions about winning any races, just finishing is my first goal. Along the way I want to have a bike that's fast & fun.
Some important info: I'm 44 years old, 250 lbs. My max budget is about 3K, but I'd really like to keep it closer to $2,500 so I can afford to also buy some equipment (Shoes, saddle, lights, etc.). If I kept it at $2,000 my wife would also be happy. I absolutely can't go over $3,000. I live in SE Michigan. A FS bike isn't necessary around here, but I also hope to travel around up north and out west whenever possible.
I've been considering:
Salsa: Spearfish ($2,750 for the Spearfish 3; $3,300 for the Spearfish 2. I like the 2 more and may be able to get a deal which would bring it down within my budget range) It's marketed for big, all day rides and people speak highly of it. It's at the top of my list right now, but the 2 would totally break my budget and I might be sleeping on the couch for a week or two. 2014 Spearfish 2 | Bikes | Salsa Cycles
Giant: Anthem X 29er 1 ($2,800) This bike also seems suitable for all day riding. It seems about as well spec'd as the Spearfish 2, but for the price of the Spearfish 3. The Maestro suspension is well reviewed, but the chainstay is a bit over 18" which might take some of the "fun" factor out of it. I think the Spearfish is about an inch shorter. The angle of the rear suspension also seems weird to me. I'm sure it's fine as far as functionality, but the rear shock looks inefficient and a bit ugly. Still, it seems a good price for the specs and What Mountain Bike rated it #2 on their "Trail Bike of the Year" award in 2013. Anthem X 29er 1 (2014) - Bikes | Giant Bicycles | United States
Video at:
Trek: Superfly FS (FS 6 is $2,080 or FS 8 is $2,840) My initial impression of the Superfly was that it was more designed for short races. But, I have heard that the newer geometry makes it more apt for longer rides as well. Is this true? Is there another Trek model I should be looking at for endurance racing? From what I can tell the new split pivot Spearfishes have become very similar to the Superfly FS. In the money game, the Superfly wins.
Specialized or Cannondale: ???
The Salsa, Giant, and Trek models are the one's I've considered the most. Which bikes from Specialized or Cannondale should I look at for endurance riding? I'm less familiar with these. I have an LBS nearby which sells Giant and Specialized. I'm planning to get over there this weekend to test ride the Anthem and talk to them about Specialized as well.
As it stands right now, I really like the Spearfish 2 or possibly the 3, but they seem a bit over priced when compared to Anthem X 29er 1 or to the Superfly FS. I've only test ridden the Spearfish at this point. I need to get on the Giant and the Trek also. The trouble is, any test ride around a parking lot is a far cry from riding for 12 hours + so a test ride will only tell me part of the story.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts and opinions.
I've been riding for a long time now on my 1998 fully rigid Giant Yukon, which I bought new. I love this bike, but it's time to move up in the world and into 29" wheels. As I've been shopping for something new I've gotten it into my head that I'd like to try my hand at long distance endurance racing.
I made the mistake of reading Jill Homer's books about racing the GDMBR and along the Iditarod trail and recently watched Ride the Divide again (for the 3rd time). Such epic rides are out of scope for me in the near future, but I'd love to try some local (Michigan) 12-24 hour, or 100 mile mtb races.
I've more or less settled on a short travel full suspension XC bike. I haven't ruled out a hard tail, but am leaning towards FS. I've already been looking at the new Salsa Spearfish with the split pivot rear suspension. I test rode one around a parking lot and it felt great.
My question is this, of the major brands that are readily available, which models of bikes should I be looking at? I don't have many illusions about winning any races, just finishing is my first goal. Along the way I want to have a bike that's fast & fun.
Some important info: I'm 44 years old, 250 lbs. My max budget is about 3K, but I'd really like to keep it closer to $2,500 so I can afford to also buy some equipment (Shoes, saddle, lights, etc.). If I kept it at $2,000 my wife would also be happy. I absolutely can't go over $3,000. I live in SE Michigan. A FS bike isn't necessary around here, but I also hope to travel around up north and out west whenever possible.
I've been considering:
Salsa: Spearfish ($2,750 for the Spearfish 3; $3,300 for the Spearfish 2. I like the 2 more and may be able to get a deal which would bring it down within my budget range) It's marketed for big, all day rides and people speak highly of it. It's at the top of my list right now, but the 2 would totally break my budget and I might be sleeping on the couch for a week or two. 2014 Spearfish 2 | Bikes | Salsa Cycles
Giant: Anthem X 29er 1 ($2,800) This bike also seems suitable for all day riding. It seems about as well spec'd as the Spearfish 2, but for the price of the Spearfish 3. The Maestro suspension is well reviewed, but the chainstay is a bit over 18" which might take some of the "fun" factor out of it. I think the Spearfish is about an inch shorter. The angle of the rear suspension also seems weird to me. I'm sure it's fine as far as functionality, but the rear shock looks inefficient and a bit ugly. Still, it seems a good price for the specs and What Mountain Bike rated it #2 on their "Trail Bike of the Year" award in 2013. Anthem X 29er 1 (2014) - Bikes | Giant Bicycles | United States
Video at:
Trek: Superfly FS (FS 6 is $2,080 or FS 8 is $2,840) My initial impression of the Superfly was that it was more designed for short races. But, I have heard that the newer geometry makes it more apt for longer rides as well. Is this true? Is there another Trek model I should be looking at for endurance racing? From what I can tell the new split pivot Spearfishes have become very similar to the Superfly FS. In the money game, the Superfly wins.
Specialized or Cannondale: ???
The Salsa, Giant, and Trek models are the one's I've considered the most. Which bikes from Specialized or Cannondale should I look at for endurance riding? I'm less familiar with these. I have an LBS nearby which sells Giant and Specialized. I'm planning to get over there this weekend to test ride the Anthem and talk to them about Specialized as well.
As it stands right now, I really like the Spearfish 2 or possibly the 3, but they seem a bit over priced when compared to Anthem X 29er 1 or to the Superfly FS. I've only test ridden the Spearfish at this point. I need to get on the Giant and the Trek also. The trouble is, any test ride around a parking lot is a far cry from riding for 12 hours + so a test ride will only tell me part of the story.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts and opinions.