[ninjabirdman]

Howdy all. Looking for some local wisdom, I'm moving out to Bozeman this spring and buying a new bike as well. I've lived and ridden in the Lake Tahoe area for the last several years on a 5" full suspension rig, all-mountain geometry. Favorite trails are hole-in-the-ground, rim trail, downieville, etc. Will I be happy on a similar setup or is the riding more buffed and I will prefer a more XC oriented bike (hardtail even?). I'm not interested in Big Sky lift served, but anything within an hour of town will hopefully be in the regular rotation. What are most folks riding in the area? Thanks!

 

[OpenLight]

We tend to stick to a regular rotation of Leverich, Sypes Canyon, Truman Gulch and South Cottonwood trails as they are closest to town. We will also do longer rides like the Bangtail divide trail, Emerald Lake and Indian Ridge trail once or twice a year. Our group prefers all mountain setups similar to the one that you had in Tahoe with 140-160mm of travel front and back. We still have a fair amount of snow on the trails though and it will probably be mid-late May or early June before most of the trails are in great riding condition.

 

[mtbdl]

A 5" full sus bike will work good here. I'm on a RIP9. The trails tend to be steep (granny gear) sustained singletrack climbs/descents. Most are out and back rides with a few loops. Longer options can connect multiple trails with a shuttle or ride on the road back to the start.
The biking season is short so bring your skis or a fatty for the winter.