Mountain Bike Advice?

[kav Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close kav]

I've found my cheap ass trek has been good and bad . Initial purchase price was $400 , that saved me a lot of cab fares . But the front shocks did let me down very badly on one Occassion . i.e. over and 8 inch gutter super man style face first into the bitumen . Cheap shocks and fat drunken bastard plus 8 inch gutter = 3 broken ribs , torn rib cartilage head damage , missing skin , and smashed scaphoid = 2 months off work , loss of 40 k . Get good front shocks . Oh sorry did I forget to mention that my bike only goes to the pub and back .

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Thorn proof tubes are good but heavy. Standard tubes will be about the same thickness as tissue though. I am running tubeless on everything except the fatbike. Tubeless lets me run the low front pressures you need to ride Glorious and Nebo. Strangely tubes in the fatbike are better at 5 or 6 psi which isn't what I expected but the tyres move on the rims at those pressures when I run tubeless. We should do a run to Bribie and I will bring the fatbike. Give Craig a challenge, he has to mono for 100m to get his Prado keys back!

Not much difference between frames until you are spending thousands on the frame alone so look for Deore drivetrain or better, Deore hydraulic brakes if you can and Rockshox or Fox forks. Entry level Rockshox or Fox are waaaay better than RST etc. i have a preference for Shimano gear but at the same level SRAM is good too, I have a mix which is mostly what I could get at what price. I don't like Shimano wheels though. Shimano still insist on running cup and cone bearings which is a bit of a joke, yes they can be more efficient but at the expense of ease of maintenance. I got some sand in the rear of the fatbike when we were camping. Not bad but it cost me $14 for bearings and about 30 minutes to swap the bearings out. Have the cups wear in a Shimano wheel and it is new hub time.

Don't worry too much about shy shorts or Lycra, with a good seat you don't need it. I did about 100km on the Bronson over Australia Day with no sore bum syndrome.

[gumboot Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close gumboot]

Thanks for all the feedback boys.
I had to look up what a 'hardtail' was, here's me thinking it was someone with a solid arse....
I'll talk to a few shops this week and suss them out. Sounds like a mid range last year giant bike may be the go then, something like a XTC 27.5 from my browsing
Depends on the deal I can get, your insane to pay rrp on these things by the looks
Unbelievable profit margin.
Thanks again
Cheers
Robert

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

You won't go wrong with an XTC. I bought my Bronson just before Christmas and had two shops undercutting each other for the sale. Some crazy discounting going on.

[AussieAndy Find all posts View Profile Close AussieAndy]

XTC is a sweet ride, for the riders is great for giant pricing wise, and the guy in Ipswich will match almost any price. Haven't tried the new Giant shop at Marooka yet, it with the Honda motorbike shop I think. You could always buy me a new Trance and I'll kindly give you my XTC

[juc33_prado Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close juc33_prado]

I got my Giant XTC Zero 29er Hardtail off a guy 2 years old then, now 4 years old, and I've had to do almost nothing to it over the few years I've owned it.
I use it prob once every month / sometime 2 and it is great couple hours when I've needed it!

Basic stuff first, if you intend to get off track and go down hills fairly often, go for a dual shock bike.
If you intend to tour across country side and do a fair bit of uphill and down dale riding, a 26 or 29er hardtail is probably the way to go.

SAM

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

Pffftttt.
Here you go Robert.... (Who remembers these????)

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

No tassels from the grips? No spokie dokies? Really?

[disco Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close disco]

Xtc is a great bike but I garantee you will up grade to a dual suspension bike sooner rather than later. I ride a giant anthem and love it, if you consider a second hand bike you can pick up year old anthem or trance for cheap on the Qld mountain bike buy sell or swap facebook page.

[juc33_prado Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close juc33_prado]

Xtc is a great bike but I garantee you will up grade to a dual suspension bike sooner rather than later. I ride a giant anthem and love it, if you consider a second hand bike you can pick up year old anthem or trance for cheap on the Qld mountain bike buy sell or swap facebook page.

ooh I'll be checking out that page

[AussieAndy Find all posts View Profile Close AussieAndy]

I hope that's yours craig, I want to see monos at the next steak night, then we can all do the longest skid like we did as kids......

[wsp Member Find all posts View Profile Close wsp]

Xtc is a great bike but I garantee you will up grade to a dual suspension bike sooner rather than later. I ride a giant anthem and love it, if you consider a second hand bike you can pick up year old anthem or trance for cheap on the Qld mountain bike buy sell or swap facebook page.

I started with a hard tail it was the worst decision I've ever made I couldn't get rid of it quick enough. I moved up to a Anthem 29er great bike and easy on the body being a duely. It all depends what your into the 29er was great as a XC bike but in the tight stuff it wouldn't turn as well at my mates 26er I've moved more into Enduro so when I got my new bike I went 27.5 wheels very happy with it great in the tight stuff and good roll on on the hills

[AussieAndy Find all posts View Profile Close AussieAndy]

I personally ride and in a lot of cases prefer a hard tail, so I guess it depends on how you ride and where. I think a hard tail teaches you to be a better rider, makes you do the work that your rear suspension would when you are just starting out of getting back into the sport. Then when you get on a dually you will be that much better. For rides with the kids I doubt the extra money for an equivalent dually would be worth while.

Do I want a dually, yes, but I would also keep my XTC, light, fun and cheap!

[r4ndll Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close r4ndll]

Pffftttt.
Here you go Robert.... (Who remembers these????)

I had the Tomahawk. (Chopper with no gears). Was awesome until one too many jumps following my cousin's Grifter cracked the front forks.