[Shed]

Okay boys and girls. Need your help.
New to this forum. Wife has said no more motorcycles due to recent highspeed off road wipe out with injuries. Wants me to go back to mountain biking. (like that's any less dangerous)
I haven't had a new bike in 10 years. Need help getting pointed in the right direction for a new frame and set up.
Looking into all mountain catagory. Will be used for single track in the pacific Northwet
A few charity rides and I have signed up for two 24 hour races. Not really competitions just for fun

I would like a dual suspension bike. I have about 2 grand to spend on the bike
Is it possible anymore to get a set up anymore for this that will take some punishment.
Keep in mind... I am 6 foot 240lbs. Still in pretty decent shape due to weight lifting but I am not a sevelte 170 pound rider.

Can anyone with a lot more experience get me started in the right direction.

Thanks in advance.:thumbsup:

Shed

 

[borregokid]

Everyone has their own opinions but I would start at the local bike shop and check out what they have. If you stay with the mainstream bikes the big three that come to mind are the Specialized Stumpjumper FS, Giant Trance, and Trek EX-8. I would probably start with those three. Even though you are a big guy I would stay with a lighter bike. There are of course a lot of other bikes out there and fit is going to be very important. A steep discount on any of the three mentioned would be nice. The Specialized Stumpjumper would be a nice place to start looking. You cant go wrong with a Stumpjumper.

 

[xocomaox]

It's hard to go wrong with two thousand dollars, unless you don't test out the bike first!

 

[dr.mediocre]

If you have the patience, I would build it up from scratch. That way you could pick a framset and outfit it any way you like.

At 240lbs, you should probably look at some all mountain components where weight and power are a factor. I'm at 225lbs so I went with slightly heavier All Mountain components such as FSA Gravity crankset and some FatMax wheels, Kore 3-bolt stem, Manitou Nixon fork and a Fox Vanilla rear shock (spring loaded) rather than an air shock. I also made sure I didn't skimp on the brakes and went with some BB7s to stop my big rear end quickly and safely. An All-Mountain frameset with 4-5" of rear travel is ideal for a heavier rider as well.

 

[Shed]

GT force 1.0 questions

Test rode the
GT force 1.0
Trek Fuel EX8
Will try the stumpjumper FSR this week.

Loved the GT. A bit out of my price range by only a few hundred bucks.
Is the Shimano XT gear worth the extra price?

Curious... Does anyone know how long the force 1.0 has been around? Is there a chance I might find a used one?

I can't believe the number of bikes and equipment available as compared to ten years ago:madman:

Thanks for the help

 

[Shed]

Everyone has their own opinions but I would start at the local bike shop and check out what they have. If you stay with the mainstream bikes the big three that come to mind are the Specialized Stumpjumper FS, Giant Trance, and Trek EX-8. I would probably start with those three. Even though you are a big guy I would stay with a lighter bike. There are of course a lot of other bikes out there and fit is going to be very important. A steep discount on any of the three mentioned would be nice. The Specialized Stumpjumper would be a nice place to start looking. You cant go wrong with a Stumpjumper.

When I look at the Stumpjumper lines I see one model called the FSR.
Didn't find the FS. Where you refering to the FSR? Assuming yes.... Looks nice. It brings me to my question above. Is all XT shimano gear ( on the GT force 1.0) better to have over SRAM componenets assuming I like the fit of both bikes?

I spoke with two sales reps who seemed to think this. Just a sales pitch or some truth in advertising?

 

[b4 stealth]

Somebody correct me if I am wrong, but Shimano XT is basically equal to Sram X.9, if it is a choice bettween those two, it is all personal preference. I would take Sram, just because I have ridden bikes with Sram shifters/derailleurs, and the 1:1 ratio feels great. I also like Sram because of the lack of Dual Control levers/shifters. but I am not sure if your bike has them...