depends where in michigan. I've lived and ridden there in a number of places in the LP and some trails are very sandy. skinny gravel bike tires are going to ruin your day on stuff like that.

you'll be better off on a hardtail mtb unless the trails you want to ride are just linear sand pits, in which case maybe a fatbike would be a better choice. just depends on where you are and what you have in mind to ride. when I was in southern MI, the trails were mostly well packed with spotty loose sand (mostly at the bottom of hills) and a hardtail mtb would serve you well. in the northern LP, there got to be a lot more loose sand around in some spots and even a regular mtb could be hard to enjoy.

well-packed dirt roads are going to be better environments for a gravel bike, but if that sand is loose for any notable amount, you'll want wider tires to float on top of it.

as for which one, knowing your budget is probably going to be the most important thing to know. otherwise, folks don't know if they should be recommending $300 hardtails or $3,000 hardtails.

 

Thank you. I'll have to do more research. I'd love a $300 hard tail but suppose i'd be willing to spend triple that if the difference is worth. Lower peninsula, so mostly packed with loose sandy spots as noted; what i could tell from hiking anyway

would this bike be suitable for road use would you say? ultimately i suppose trail is main goal. JW versatility

 

A regular MTB is the most versatile type of bike you can buy.
Fat/gravel/road bikes are all more specialized machines.

 

like slappy said, a regular mtb will the the most versatile bike you can get. I've ridden a lot of pavement miles on a mtb. mostly on greenway paths. I really don't like actual roads. you'll be able to go faster on a road or gravel bike, but those are going to limit offroad stuff a lot. a skilled rider can ride a lot of off-road stuff on a gravel bike, but it's not going to be fun without the skill.

as for what you get for the money, below $1,000, a little bit can make quite a difference. probably from around $700-$1000, you get some really respectable trail-capable hardtails that are going to hold up well and include things like adjustable air suspension and maybe even a dropper post. Closer to $300 and those are really intended for primary pavement use and only occasional and light off-road use. they won't hold up well if you put down lots of miles, especially if those are very rough miles. once you start getting above $1,000 for a hardtail, the money-spent vs. benefit-gained gap gets larger. There are still benefits to be had, but you've gotta spend a lot more to get them. $100 difference on a less expensive bike can be a big deal. $100 on a more expensive bike will probably not be noticeable at all.

 

Features I would look for in order of importance

• bike fit
• hardtail
• 1x drive train
• hydraulic brakes
• air forks
• Dropper post
• tubeless ready wheels and tires
• thru axle
• tapered head tube

 

Here you go:

https://www.mtbr.com/threads/new-rocky-mountain-growler-ht-750.1235544/

Start with that. A great deal on an entry level bike.

 

From Pink Bike: The Internet's Most Common MTB Tech Questions Answered

 

thank you. i guess i'll have to figure out my size first. im 5ft 11. 180lb

 

You'll most likely be in the Large range for most bikes.

 

Definitely go with a hard tail over a gravel bike at first, if there's lots of roots and rocks where you want to go. As others have said, it really is the most versatile and is like the Swiss Army knife of bikes.

Every bike is going to have specs, showing what size frame fits someone your height.

Truth be told, if you have a local bike shop, I think it's worth a visit and see if the can help set you up with something that fits. I spent a lot of money starting out, just trying to get things to my liking.

 

As to fit ,nothing beats riding a bike. And depending on the bike and your body you might ride a medium ,large or ex large . I'm right at 6' with maybe a longer torso vs legs . I own and ride both medium and large mountain bikes. My road bike is a Trek 60 cm ,When I test rode a Specialized ,I was on a 56 cm.

 

There are used hardtails for sale for $300 or below. Make sure the bearings are good, the brakes lock up, and it shifts and rides smooth.

My old bike (db overdrive) has mechanical disc brakes, no dropper, an 80mm suntour fork, 3x8 drivetrain. It was $350 brand new in 2017. I've only put tires, brake pads, walmart seat, and a derailleur on it. It got me on the trail and it's been fun. It helped me see what type of trails I actually want to ride.

I realized I don't want to ride in sand, snow, or mud. And with a mtb, you can still ride gravel, probably even more comfortable than with gravel bike. But a gravel bike probably won't be much fun on a trail.

You could always switch to slick tires and ride paved Greenways. Try hiking your local trails and see what they look like, and envision yourself riding them. Most of all, have fun.

 

does tire size go into fit? or is it determined base on S/M/L bikes?

 

It is based on preference. Pros and cons to each. The argument is mostly sheer unfounded bias. 29ers for more general purpose. 27.5 for trail twisties. Some say. 29ers can be plenty nimble. Some 27.5 drive like dump trucks.

 

Really, just starting out, you're likely to have a great time on either wheel size. Get usage appropriate tires. Even if that usage is jack of all trades. Plenty of 29x2.5 or 2.8 or even 3.0 tires that won't feel draggy.

....until a certain speed threshold. Then they start to hold you back versus narrower tires. Same with tread design. Some tires won't drain you, as long as you stay around 7 mph.

The biking world is a wide and varied place where you can hone your usage to a razor's edge. And there is equipment for it.

You got a ways to go before nuance matters all that much.

 

Get a 29er.

 

As much as I personally agree with the above^, I also think tires are more important than wheel size. A good XC tire will roll for days on the road and keep you on your toes on the trail. If you really want to go fast on the trail, more aggressive tread seems appealing to most. But some of us think high grip tires lead to skills degradation. We view suspension the same way. What a sus bro views as sleepy, for us rigid riders on our Xc tires is actually a bit challenging.

2 advantages to the above philosophy:

1) We don't get bored on greens.

2) We can often ride more challenging trails than our usuals with just a tire (and marshmallow, if needed) upgrade.

The only downside to rigid riding is being dismissed by sus bros because they assume your rigid is a gravel bike.

......

Huh.

Nevermind.

There really is no downside to riding rigid, now that I'm typing it out.

 

Wonder If i should take advantage of the black friday sale and buy a bike now even though it is about to be winter and wont be using it.

 

Absolutely.

 

Could go either way.

 

Treat yourself! lots of deals to be had.