hardtail mountain bikes

[Kinchy]

Also, pics of your bike would help. Karate monkeys are perfectly capable trail bikes, maybe a tweak in set up would help

[master]

If you have access to any kind of industry pricing or pro deals, buying used is worthless IMO.

[jonathan]

I'd probably go for gt out of the brands you listed

Any specific GT you like? I have been unimpressed with their hardtails. Zaskar Elite perhaps.

[G]

My only concern with any used fs bike is availability of hardware. If the bike is past it's prime, it might be impossible or at least very difficult to find replacement hardware. Maybe a used 26er ht with a slack HA and a long fork would work, but at that point I might as well get something more modern, which means 650. With my (limited) industry discount, there is usually no point in getting a used bike.

Usually just pivot bearings and shock bushings which are generic anyway. Anything else you should be able to inspect before buying. Normally I would agree about second hand not being worth it, but 26" prices seem seriously depressed right now. A mate has picked up a few FS 26" bikes for silly money on ebay just because there was no other interest, I bet craigslist is bulging with them. If you get something for half your budget then you can spend the rest on bearings, a new drive train and tyres etc to freshen it up.


G.

[Hank Chinaski]

Post that youre looking in STORM and Alamo Bike bay on facebook. There seems to be tons of older dudes selling their old bikes for the latest and greatest. Most of them don't look very harshly ridden. I'm hopefully about to pick up a hardtail for silly cheap if it fits my fiance.

[jonathan]

current bike w/ 100mm fork, 60mm stem, set-back post.



hard to see anything from that. the seatpost is long and it's almost maxed out.

[master]

Looks good, but holy short top tube (unless you're a midget).

You could always replace your frame with a longer frame.

[Scunny]

I've always wanted a Diamondback Mason, can't get em in the UK though.

[jonathan]

I've been through this same cycle and thought process, the smaller frame is hurting your off road ability. The bmxer in you wants a tight feeling bike but for true MTB rocks and steeps you need a big enough bike to move around on.

this nugget is pure gold. thank you. I had my wife take a photo of me sitting on the bike in a neutral position and I look like a circus bear on a tricycle.

This is what I get for going to the internet for advice and following trends- everyone is on the "short stem, wide bars" bandwagon, so I bought a 60mm stem and 760mm bars. I think that could work if the frame fit me in the first place, but I was willing to settle for a bandaid fix.I have a longer stem that I will put on for now and look into swapping this frame for something a little longer.

[MEAT]

High front end helps with technical stuff on a hardtail, all the riding round my way is fairly hairy and i almost exclusively ride one. 5'11, med frame, 130mm fork, 65mm stem, couple of spacers, 40mm rise bars, forks pretty hard to keep the ride height up. Mines at the more extreme end, but it still climbs fine and is perfectly comfortable for me anyway.

[Kinchy]

I'd probably go for gt out of the brands you listed

Any specific GT you like? I have been unimpressed with their hardtails. Zaskar Elite perhaps.

It was more that Cannondales are a bit meh and haven't seen Diamondback in ages. My friends in Whistler had been riding GT Furys and enjoying them.

Your bike definitely looks short, maybe a longer stem and flat bars would help. But at the same time, if you want something more flickable then moving away from 29 is probably the best bet

[joelite44]

look into buying a niner frame. those look hella comfortable for a hardtail 29 and they also make full suspension.



http://www.jensonusa.com/Sale/Mountain-Bike-Frames/Niner-Air-9-Frame-2013

as the guys might say you are missing out with used stuff, its cheap and good just like mcdondalds. But buying peak industry geo to me is a full trend right now. It's not about how you ride, it's about the bike and making it justice in the trails. A lot of people following the new trend yeah but there is no one tying their hands down for them to excel. So might as well buy a bike adequate for your trail riding and enjoy it as much as you would any given day.

[cmc4130]

I've been through this same cycle and thought process, the smaller frame is hurting your off road ability. The bmxer in you wants a tight feeling bike but for true MTB rocks and steeps you need a big enough bike to move around on.

As for wheel size, I love 29" on a hardtail. 27.5" is just marketing and is effectively the new 26". Unless you're on your game already, moving from 26" to 27.5" with all else constant won't change much of anything for you.

Find a complete for sure. $1500-$2000 will get you a nice new bike like a Kona Honzo or Explosif. You can probably still find a leftover 2014 of most brands for a discount. A slacker HT angle and lower BB will also help you feel better in the rough stuff.

Good luck!

I got into DJ mtb's in 2006, then singlespeed hardtail, then various borrowed and rented XC and AM bikes (FS and hardtail). Also have a Transition Double 4x/slope with 1X9.   

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying by "For true MTB rocks and steeps you need a big enough bike to move around on."

If anything, I find that the many people in the mtb world are STILL stuck in the dirt roadie mentality.  When you are stretched out over a long frame with a long stem, 29 wheels, a high seat and ultra low bb, that is the most dirt roadie position you can be in.   And is NOT a help for technical riding in the sense of getting over rocks and definitely not on steep descents.  The only thing it is great for is climbing, which many dirt roadies are obsessed with. 

I think 29"s are sluggish.  And I think 27.5 is a great compromise.

I rode two 27.5" demo bikes at Winter Park this past summer.  The 27.5" DH bike felt big/awkward/non-nimble.  But the 27.5" Specialized Enduro Carbon felt great.






i crank around regular xc trails on a 4x/slope bike pretty regularly (Transition Double with 1X9 gearing), and i keep up with geared-up 29'er dudes pretty well.  i realize that full leg extension setup does make for more efficient riding... but i also don't like giving up some of the 4x/bmx style handling for hitting the berms rollers jumps that i have built out here, mixed in to the regular mtb trails.  or even just the feeling of being able to bunnyhop a log in the way that i'm used to etc. etc.  i may actually buy a true xc/am mtb soon, but i will definitely ride a size a little smaller and set it up a little more bmx/DJ-ish. probably with a 60-70mm stem, bmx platform pedals, etc.

(i know i failed to do an impressive trick here but it's one of my few riding shots on this bike)

[master]

I've been through this same cycle and thought process, the smaller frame is hurting your off road ability. The bmxer in you wants a tight feeling bike but for true MTB rocks and steeps you need a big enough bike to move around on.

As for wheel size, I love 29" on a hardtail. 27.5" is just marketing and is effectively the new 26". Unless you're on your game already, moving from 26" to 27.5" with all else constant won't change much of anything for you.

Find a complete for sure. $1500-$2000 will get you a nice new bike like a Kona Honzo or Explosif. You can probably still find a leftover 2014 of most brands for a discount. A slacker HT angle and lower BB will also help you feel better in the rough stuff.

Good luck!

I got into DJ mtb's in 2006, then singlespeed hardtail, then various borrowed and rented XC and AM bikes (FS and hardtail). Also have a Transition Double 4x/slope with 1X9.   

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying by "For true MTB rocks and steeps you need a big enough bike to move around on."

If anything, I find that the many people in the mtb world are STILL stuck in the dirt roadie mentality.  When you are stretched out over a long frame with a long stem, 29 wheels, a high seat and ultra low bb, that is the most dirt roadie position you can be in.   And is NOT a help for technical riding in the sense of getting over rocks and definitely not on steep descents.  The only thing it is great for is climbing, which many dirt roadies are obsessed with. 

I think 29"s are sluggish.  And I think 27.5 is a great compromise.

I rode two 27.5" demo bikes at Winter Park this past summer.  The 27.5" DH bike felt big/awkward/non-nimble.  But the 27.5" Specialized Enduro Carbon felt great.



i crank around regular xc trails on a 4x/slope bike pretty regularly (Transition Double with 1X9 gearing), and i keep up with geared-up 29'er dudes pretty well.  i realize that full leg extension setup does make for more efficient riding... but i also don't like giving up some of the 4x/bmx style handling for hitting the berms rollers jumps that i have built out here, mixed in to the regular mtb trails.  or even just the feeling of being able to bunnyhop a log in the way that i'm used to etc. etc.  i may actually buy a true xc/am mtb soon, but i will definitely ride a size a little smaller and set it up a little more bmx/DJ-ish. probably with a 60-70mm stem, bmx platform pedals, etc.

29er tires typically measure ~29.25" tall inflated. "26" tires typically measure ~26.25" tall inflated.

650b tires ("27.5" is absolutely a marketing term and nothing more) typically measure ~27"-27.25" tall when inflated. The wheel size change is minimal and makes very little difference when riding, most of the "improvements" on the new breed of 650b enduro bikes are due to changes in geometry, setup (including wide bars + short stem), and refined suspension technology.

For me, actually riding a MTB in the woods is 50% climbing and 50% descending. For that, I need a bike with enough room to get my weight forward while climbing, and then be stable while descending. Coming from bmx I used to think that a short TT was good so I can throw the bike around but that seriously hurt my MTB riding. I hated every Medium sized frame I owned due to the cramped climbing geometry, and now that I am on Larges my riding has improved as well.

DH racers, who ride 100% downhill at mach chicken speed, are even going as long as possible on their top tubes. The school of thought is progressing and geometry is changing to reflect that.

This is all my 2 cents and should not be taken as anything more than that.

[jonathan]

I think all of this talk of what constitutes the ideal type of bike for anyone is highly dependent on the rider's style and terrain. most of the stuff I ride around here has absolutely no "flow" and lots of slow, grinding, twisty, rock-crawling gnar. there is one trail that is aptly named "Cheese Grater." a lot of the trail I would like to ride seem like they would be better suited for a trials bike than a trail bike. but that's my style- slowly cherry-picking my way through the rocks, taking time to enjoy the woods.

I can see how either of the newer tire sizes and bike styles might suit me better. I have found that a short chainstay length is important to me. otherwise, I might just have to get whatever is available to me in the industry, which seems to be shrinking all the time.