[scottys3]

so I took a good long winter ride the other day in the city, lots of piled up snow and ice through out the whole ride. Live in Albany and we got quite a bit of precip. it was rough going and tough but I liked it. Got home at like 930 went to bed next morning woke up and could not get out of bed. my right shoulder was so tweaked I had to roll out on the other side. I could barely put my shirt let alone my socks. I have never had this happen!?!?! I was thinking of all the variables... First time riding the bike in rough conditions, or im just getting old.

I have been riding front susp bikes since I was in middle school. Is the rigid front fork the problem? I dont see alot of ppl with the monocog 29er with susp forks is there a reason for that? mostly wieght?

Any ways I was wondering what you guys thought about these?
https://www.bikewagon.com/Rock-Shox...63.html?sms_ss=email&at_xt=4d7534b96b490fd9,0

they are fairly cheap. I dont need anything real fancy just looking for a bit more comfort.

 

[scottys3]

Pic of my bike for Fun!

 

[mattchuck2]

You get that bad boy at Plaine's? I live in Clifton Park, and I'm thinking of getting a Redline too (as a 2nd bike/backup ride), and I'm probably going to go to Plaine's.

Anyway, to answer your question, the Dart3 is probably okay, if all you want is a little bit of shock absorption. It locks out, which is nice. Some of the people on this site will probably call it a pogo stick and say that you at least need to go up to a Tora (and probably even a Reba), but for just tooling around town, the Dart is probably fine.

The other options are learning to use your body as suspension (less straight arms, more bent elbows) or letting a bunch of air out of your tires to get more suspension that way. Oh, or you can just wait until after tomorrow, and it should start getting warmer around here. I just got my first mtb last year, so I'm still kind of learning this stuff too. Good luck!

 

[scottys3]

I actually found this on craigslist after my fuji panic pro got stolen off my porch the first day i moved to albany.

And to be honest about the forks I have a hard time buying and accesory that cost twice as much as i paid for the bike. I dont really race or take biking that seriously I just like riding!

I hear ya about the learning to use my body thing, like i said I have been riding soft front ends forever! it def was a big change for me. I am ready for the snow to go! You know of any good trails in the area? I just moved here a few months ago. I heard there was really good trails by skidmore college. and i read up on some between albany and schnectady.

 

[mattchuck2]

I think the SMBA trails up near Skidmore are the best, but there are also trails in Central Park in Schenectady and Pine Bush Preserve in Albany (if you're looking for something closer to home). Luther Forest up near Malta is good for faster, less technical singletrack. Also, look at Grafton, John Boyd Thatcher and Moreau State Parks for a bunch of different experiences.