Need help :What type of bike would be best for me

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Need help :What type of bike would be best for me
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flag boreddome
Posted: May 13, 2015 at 17:32 Quote
hello all i have ridden bmx for many years and now i am looking to switch ways and get into mountain biking. i am looking for something that i could take on casual rides up and down my local hiking areas with my girlfriend to something that could be thrown around very easily into corners at speed and withstand some drops (10ft or so ) and jumps when i go out by myself or with friends . i am a complete noob i guess you could say when it comes to components and suspension on mountain bikes so any advice would be greatly appreciated. i have done some research and still cant figure out what bike would be best freeride, xc or trail or maybe there is something else out there that you guys would know about that would fit my needs.

thank you
flag desman75
Posted: May 20, 2015 at 5:45 Quote
boreddome wrote:
hello all i have ridden bmx for many years and now i am looking to switch ways and get into mountain biking. i am looking for something that i could take on casual rides up and down my local hiking areas with my girlfriend to something that could be thrown around very easily into corners at speed and withstand some drops (10ft or so ) and jumps when i go out by myself or with friends . i am a complete noob i guess you could say when it comes to components and suspension on mountain bikes so any advice would be greatly appreciated. i have done some research and still cant figure out what bike would be best freeride, xc or trail or maybe there is something else out there that you guys would know about that would fit my needs.

thank you

Are you looking to buy new or used? And also importantly, what level of budget are you looking for? You can do most things on most bikes but there are always drawbacks:
- I wouldn't advise trying to pedal singletrack on a DH rig!
- heavy use of a 120mm XC bike on the big stuff may wear down your components quicker
- the more suspension the less arm pump at bike parks and therefore more runs per day
- but on the flip side big suspension and aggressive geometry is heavy and cumbersome at slower speeds

What you describe makes me think of that term "enduro".... something like a YT capra would suit all those needs and is a very pretty very capable bike, but doesn't come cheap.
flag Thenorcoguy224
Posted: Jun 8, 2015 at 3:12 Quote
If i were in your situation i would get a (depending on your budget) an all-mountain soft tail with a fair amount travel 140....150...160 mls . This means that you can ride xc and just casual rides but do fairly large jumps and some downhill trails. I'd try a giant trance/reign, trek remedy/slash/fuel a norco sight/aurum or if you have a lean budget a specialized, santa cruz or even a yeti. getting a full on downhill rig would kill you on flat single trails and plus they don't come cheap.
-Most of the components on your bike will range greatly depending on your price range.
-If you are going to get a soft tail then you will need to get the rear suspension serviced at least once a year... this does not come cheap
- you could always start on a cheap hard tail or a dirt jump bike and ruin it whilst learning before then getting a better bike (that's what i did)
- remember that the bike is only as good as the person riding it...
- keep an eye out on the regional second hand bike sales... never hurts getting a second hand bike.
- be prepared to fork out a couple of hundred bucks for a standard riding kit... helmet...gloves...knee pads... jersey and above all make sure it fits.
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