What type of mountain bike do you own

kakee

Here is what I am after buying http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_759113_langId_-1_categoryId_212589

zil

I'm currently on a second hand Rockhopper Comp but I'm consdering upgrading.

From what I've read the most common advice people give is get a decent second hand hardtail and ride it into the ground. Riding a hardtail will teach you good technical and handling skills whereas riding a full sus will cushion out any mistakes you make and then when you come to riding something really knarly you're screwed.

As it stands I'm unsure if I've reached the level where I've got all the basics down but the weight of bike is starting to annoy me (it's a coil fork so all in the whole bike weighs about 30lb's - the same weight as mid priced full sus). I'm in three minds as to whether I should stick it out for a bit longer, get an all mountain full sus and slowly upgrade the hardtail to make it into a race bike or canibalise the hard tail for parts and build up a full sus trail bike.

kakee

Ive only ridden mine once in Ballyhoura. It is certainly lot lighter than anything Ive had before and the hydraulic disc brakes are hard to get used to at first.
The first time we went I used a rear suspension bike which weighed a ton. I couldnt cycle up any hills but going down the bike was unreal.

Repolho

I bought a Merlin Malt 1 based on a couple of reviews from others on here who had them.

So far so good, although I haven't been using it as much as I would have intended when buying it. Hmmm, might head out this week for a spin!

Repolho

kakee wrote: »

Here is what I am after buying http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_759113_langId_-1_categoryId_212589

I'm no expert, but that looks like a real bargain; rock shox fork & hydraulic disc brakes for €380:)

Alkers

I have a Santa Cruz bullet, basically a freeride bike with a tripple on the front. Weighs a tonne but can handle everything. It can climb well on gnarly terrain but it kills me on long ascents as it's so heavy and anything uphill that's steep is very hard because of the geometry.

I wouldn't agree with that about riding a hardtail first as even if it were to make you a better rider, as soon as you pick up a full suss you'll forget everything you knew about riding a hardtail.

kakee

From what I've read the most common advice people give is get a decent second hand hardtail and ride it into the ground.

The guys in Ballyhoura sell these ex-rentals for about €450 http://www.cube-bikes.de/xist4c/web/acid-rot_id_36142_.htm

kakee

I'm no expert, but that looks like a real bargain; rock shox fork & hydraulic disc brakes for €380

Not bad, until april they were asking over €600 for it. For the spec on it I couldn't get better really.

zil

Simona1986 wrote: »

I have a Santa Cruz bullet, basically a freeride bike with a tripple on the front. Weighs a tonne but can handle everything. It can climb well on gnarly terrain but it kills me on long ascents as it's so heavy and anything uphill that's steep is very hard because of the geometry.

I wouldn't agree with that about riding a hardtail first as even if it were to make you a better rider, as soon as you pick up a full suss you'll forget everything you knew about riding a hardtail.

Well I believe the point is that certain things that transfer over to both bikes, body position, line choice etc. would be forced to develop on a hard tail and then make you an overall better rider whereas on a full sus it can be harder to learn those sort of things as you only start to require them when you reach really tricky areas that the suspension stops been able to compensate for your poor form. Sure you can learn these things on a full sus, but your only going to need them in very tricky technical areas which aren't the best place for learning new things.

I know one person in particular who learned to ride on a full sus and really struggles when it comes to technical descents. They are rigid and upright on the bike and really struggle on steeper terrain. Now perhaps that's just a coincidence but it's certainly something that sticsk out in my mind.

kakee

I have a Santa Cruz bullet

Nice bike. Is it heavy

kakee

Hmmm, might head out this week for a spin!

The forecast is good for the next few days. No excuses not to go!!!!!

Alkers

kakee wrote: »

Nice bike. Is it heavy

It's very heavy and also the weight is to the front a lot. It's great fun to be out on just hard to keep up with people on lighter bikes.

@Zil
I know plenty of people who learnt to ride on hardtails and still struggle with technical descents. My advice is if you can afford it, buy a full suss, no point in limiting yourself from the get go. This works for my kind of riding, (long spins with several uphills and downhills but not too worried about the pace), if you're looking to become a really good XC racer I could well be wrong.

kakee

I am no expert by any means but what Ive been told and what Ive read is to learn on a hardtail bike. Using a hardtail will train you to use your body position and legs rather than letting the rear suspension on a bike take the impact of the terrain.

Morgan

I've got several mtbs, but I guess this would be my main one:

http://www.cotic.co.uk/product/soul

It's a 2004 frame - on it's 5th fork, 2nd set of wheels, 4th saddle, 2nd set of brakes - you get the idea.

If anything was to happen to it I'd buy a new one straight away.

On the hardail/full-suss topic: If I was to own only one bike it's be a hardtail. I have a light full-sus which I use for racing (bit easier on the back when hammering) but for pure fun the hardtail is where it's at - really snappy and lively. There are several excellent mtbers in MAD who have been down the full-sus route but are now all switching over to hardtails again - usually of the long travel variety like Ragley or Cotic.

Vélo

My baby's in here

kakee

@ Velo, That kona is a nice looking bike. Were the tubeless tyres with the bike or did you buy them seperate

Vélo

kakee wrote: »

@ Velo, That kona is a nice looking bike. Were the tubeless tyres with the bike or did you buy them seperate

I bought the bike bit by bit, mostly from e-bay. I got the parts together over approx 8 months and then brought it to cyclesuperstore for the Groupset, which they put on also as I wouldn't have had a clue what to do.

kakee

Morgan, nice bike. I was just looking at the spec there on the website Weight - 4.4lbs for the 17.5". Thats a fair light bike

kevvhayes

Lapiere Tecnic 500. love it.

Itsfixed

I have an on-one inbred with newish shimano alfine gears, disc brakes and rear wheel and rockshox reba fork. Great bike, solid and reliable and the chain never comes off.

However, I've only been out on it three times in the last year. I live so far away from any half decent trails I'm half thinking of selling it and building up a cyclo-cross bike.

kakee

I live so far away from any half decent trails

In Ireland we are never too far from trails, forests or mountains. You just have to get out there.:):)

Itsfixed

kakee wrote: »

In Ireland we are never too far from trails, forests or mountains. You just have to get out there.:):)

Yeah, you're right, of course. :-) But its also more difficult when you have kids and wife who is spending nearly all of her spare time doing part-time study. Can only afford short spins no more than 1-3 hours door to door, which is why the cyclo-cross idea appeals. I can just get on the bike, do a quick blast down to a canal trail (i live in flat kildare) and return without having to get in a car etc.

Lumen

Itsfixed wrote: »

Yeah, you're right, of course. :-) But its also more difficult when you have kids and wife who is spending nearly all of her spare time doing part-time study. Can only afford short spins no more than 1-3 hours door to door, which is why the cyclo-cross idea appeals. I can just get on the bike, do a quick blast down to a canal trail (i live in flat kildare) and return without having to get in a car etc.

Cyclocross bikes can be a very flexible, practical choice. The problem is that they're quite expensive and much more compromised than owning two distinct bikes.

Bluefoam

Itsfixed wrote: »

I have an on-one inbred with newish shimano alfine gears, disc brakes and rear wheel and rockshox reba fork. Great bike, solid and reliable and the chain never comes off.

Sounds like a great bike. I like the idea of a hub gear on an MTB - it'll be the next big thing when the alfine 11 speed is released this autumn

kakee

(i live in flat kildare)

You my friend are one of the few souls who don't live near trails or near the mountains in this country:(:(

at1withmyself

Specialized S-works, had it touring with me recently:

kakee

Specialized S-works, had it touring with me recently:

Serious looking bike, what part of the world were you touring in.

at1withmyself

kakee wrote: »

Serious looking bike, what part of the world were you touring in.

Was in Tibet and Nepal, the Mountain in the Back ground is the peak of Everest from the North side. Some great Technical sections up to Everest base camp and back but the majority (@80%) of it was done on smooth tarmac.

Morgan

at1withmyself wrote: »

Specialized S-works, had it touring with me recently:

Interesting build - rigid forks and V-brakes. Is that your regular setup or just for remote parts of the world?

kakee

Was in Tibet and Nepal, the Mountain in the Back ground is the peak of Everest from the North side

Fair play to ye, I thought I was doing well with the ballyhouras and the galtees

at1withmyself

Morgan wrote: »

Interesting build - rigid forks and V-brakes. Is that your regular setup or just for remote parts of the world?

Remote parts of the world but I do get lazy and leave it set up that way when going off-road as well but prefer to have the front suspension!

I have v-brakes though as disc's are a lot of trouble when abroad on trips like this. The amount of trouble I see with disc brakes when on trips like this is unbelievable but in fairness to the disc brakes it's usually the owners not bringing sufficient spares with them.

I am thinking of trying some Avid mechanical disc's next time, although it means new wheels as well (both items in my CRC wishlist for a while now!)

fenris

Giant Trance X4 (2009) with KS 900i seatpost

Gavin

Work in progress, not much time at the moment to sort it out.



Fox 140s, On One Summer 456, SLX chainset/deraillers/XTR shifters/XT disc brakes/xc717 with stans tubeless strips. Oh and charge spoon saddle of course. Never used a fork larger than 100mm before, eager to roll down some hills with it. Strange angle on it as well, feels like I'm sitting on a chopper bike, the front wheel is so far out in front with the slack headtube angle.

ednwireland

orange aluminium 'o'
recently resprayed and sram x5 (or x7 cant remember installed but gears jump)



no 99 of the 1st 100

old school

just read that these first batch were actually made in halifax not taiwan, well i can beleive

Itsfixed

Lumen wrote: »

Cyclocross bikes can be a very flexible, practical choice. The problem is that they're quite expensive and much more compromised than owning two distinct bikes.

I take your point, but I think I am, at heart, a bit of retro biker in that i like simplicity. In addition, I like the idea that i can have more fun at slower speeds with a simple SS bike that doesn't have all the gears and suspension bells and whistles (and on which you need to be going a breakneck speeds to have fun), not to mention a useful way to improve your overall bike handling skills.

It does mean i'll be left behind in an MTB spin, but its all about the ride,... man.

spurscormac

I own the a 2005 Fuji Nevada. Lovely starter MTB, and for the small amount I use it, its perfect.
Nevada

Have had plenty of fun in Derroura, Ross Woods and some smaller trails around Moycullen.
I don't have the time to take it seriously, so I'm happy with a low-end, no frills, does the job, sturdy bike.

Lumen

Itsfixed wrote: »

It does mean i'll be left behind in an MTB spin, but its all about the ride,... man.

Yeah, well my experience of cyclocrossing on MTB trails was not so much about being left behind and more about crashing and bleeding a lot.

But I'm sure you have the mad skillz to pull it off.

Zascar

I'm picking up a Giant Trance X2 in the next few days:



Can't wait, never had a decent full suspension before - got a fantastic deal on this, delighted.

Rein-in

I got this earlier in the year, RX model. I haven't had time to do too many miles on it bar club spins/races. Hopefully that'll start to change this week...starting today!!

http://www.cube-bikes.de/xist4c/web/reaction-red_id_36137_.htm

:pac:

kakee

Hi Rein-in, that link doesn't seem to be working

Repolho

kakee wrote: »

Fair play to ye, I thought I was doing well with the ballyhouras and the galtees

Where do you go in the Galtees?

zil

Zascar wrote: »

I'm picking up a Giant Trance X2 in the next few days:



Can't wait, never had a decent full suspension before - got a fantastic deal on this, delighted.

Probably a stupid question to ask considering I might buy it if turns out to be too my liking, but whereabouts did you buy it and how good a deal did you manage to get?

Zascar

Well, its second hand and its the 2008 model so I got it for about half what it would have been new. It’s in mint condition though – I was very lucky to find it.

kakee

Where do you go in the Galtees

Just mainly on the fireroads/forestry roads on the way up to galtee mor from the aherlow side. Also the areas around by the water works. We also came across a trail on the opposite hills that could be interesting. The hill is called sliabhnamuc.

rp

Gavin wrote: »

Nice one. I've an On-One Inbred, the bogs dollox...

Haldir

Bought one of these last Christmas for mainly winter use...
https://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=1802

Repolho

kakee wrote: »

We also came across a trail on the opposite hills that could be interesting. The hill is called sliabhnamuc.

Is that near the statue of "Christ the King"? I've heard there are some decent trails around there. A lot of walkers in that area though.

kakee

Is that near the statue of "Christ the King"? I've heard there are some decent trails around there. A lot of walkers in that area though.

Yeah just up the road from it. The trail we saw would be no good for walkers. I am not sure if it would even be good enough for bikes.
Most of the areas up around there are suitable for everyone, there are no signs to say you can't cycle.

triggermortis

I have a 2004 Giant VT 2 and I love it.
Upgraded the wheels for tubeless tyres and got better brakes and apart from 3 bottom brackets that I've worn out I've had no problems with it

at1withmyself

rp wrote: »

Nice one. I've an On-One Inbred, the bogs dollox...

I'm pretty sure its Chas Roberts who makes the BOGSDOLX and not on-one

Beautiful steel frame, upgraded now with carbon wishbone seat stays:

http://www.robertscycles.com/p_mtb.html

TestTransmission

I've one of these,first bike in 3/4 years.Last bike I bought got robbed after a week

Trek 4300 disc btw