[afox]

Ive found looking for a new bike to be very aggrevating and could use some advice. There are so many designs out there and when spending so much money you want to be sure you're buying the best bike and not spending more money than necessary.

My previous bike was a Trek Y. Main problem was that i was having a really hard time descending, i would get endoed over the handlebars all the time, also had problems with pedal bob, and uncomfortable riding position. So now im looking for a new bike and could use some advice. Here are my requirements:

The bike must have durable wheels and components. Must be able to ride pretty hard and still have straight wheels the next day. One of the reasons im buying a new never been used before bike is becasue i want to spend more time riding and less time fixing.

Must be well suited to the type of riding I will use it for. This is mostly front range Colorado, steep and very rocky, long climbs of 2,000 feet or more, and technical descents. Drops of upto 3 feet. Occasional trips to other areas of Colorado (winter park, steamboat) and desert trips (fruita, moab). If you are familiar with Lory State Park in Fort Collins, CO I want a bike will enable me to ride the Timber trail to the top and down without ever putting my feet down. I think this puts me in the "all mountain" or "xc" category?

I tried a Trek Fuel at a demo and liked its geometry. I have a maximum of $2,000 to spend but would rather spend around $1,500 so I can afford a new town bike which i spend at least 1 hour per day on. Any suggestions for a new bike would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much,
Andrew Fox
Ft. Collins, CO
[email protected]

 

[Debaser]

Ive found looking for a new bike to be very aggrevating and could use some advice. There are so many designs out there and when spending so much money you want to be sure you're buying the best bike and not spending more money than necessary.

My previous bike was a Trek Y. Main problem was that i was having a really hard time descending, i would get endoed over the handlebars all the time, also had problems with pedal bob, and uncomfortable riding position. So now im looking for a new bike and could use some advice. Here are my requirements:

The bike must have durable wheels and components. Must be able to ride pretty hard and still have straight wheels the next day. One of the reasons im buying a new never been used before bike is becasue i want to spend more time riding and less time fixing.

Must be well suited to the type of riding I will use it for. This is mostly front range Colorado, steep and very rocky, long climbs of 2,000 feet or more, and technical descents. Drops of upto 3 feet. Occasional trips to other areas of Colorado (winter park, steamboat) and desert trips (fruita, moab). If you are familiar with Lory State Park in Fort Collins, CO I want a bike will enable me to ride the Timber trail to the top and down without ever putting my feet down. I think this puts me in the "all mountain" or "xc" category?

I tried a Trek Fuel at a demo and liked its geometry. I have a maximum of $2,000 to spend but would rather spend around $1,500 so I can afford a new town bike which i spend at least 1 hour per day on. Any suggestions for a new bike would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much,
Andrew Fox
Ft. Collins, CO
[email protected]

Pretty much any modern suspension bike would spin circles around a 10 year old suspension design - especially in that price range. Find a good shop, find a bike that fits you well, etc etc.

 

[Steve71]

I'd have to agree that fit is the number one concern when buying a new bike. It'll be pretty hard to get an off road test of a bike in the under $2000 range, so it will be difficult to gauge the quality of the suspension design.

Have a look into Giant's Maestro suspension and/or Iron Horses DW-link. They really do work well climbing and descending over all the square edge stuff we have here in CO. If you don't like what you see there check out Specialized, but I'd agree It's pretty hard to go wrong now-a-days.

Whatever bike you get, make sure it can clear big tires (real 2.4+). Lots of info on Front Range tires if you do a search. Tires make a massive difference in performance, so make sure you get something that will work for the local conditions. An 8" rotor is also a plus, so is a quality fork. If you don't like what comes with the bike, you can always ask the shop to swap stuff out when you buy it.