Mountain Bike Opinions

So, I sold my 10 year old Cannondale Scalpel last fall. It was in near perfect shape. Now I want a MTB again. Thinking hardtail. Want light weight and I live in MN where is is flat. Some little hills, but no mountains.

Looking to spend around $1000-1200 or so max. I have not ridden any 29" bike, nor have I ridden one the the 650 bikes. I am thinking of being resistant to change and staying with 26" wheels. What say you?

I will hit the local shops and ride whatever they have - including 29's.

Opinions on wheel sizes, brands, stepping up to full suspension (I don't want the extra weight or expense, but again I'll consider whatever).

That's solid Kona territory i believe... take a gander at the "Stuff" model.

Minnesota? Surly Karate Monkey!

I'm more into road bikes these days, so my mtn knowledge is limited.

I 29'ers are supposed to roll over stuff easier. Since I've always ridden 26", I'm more prone to stick with it (plus I have no intention of replacing my current bike).

Full suspension is fantastic for XC riding. It helps massively on technical climbs. The first time I rode one instead of my old hardtail, it felt like I was cheating in the climbs.

The Scalpel I had replaced a Trek Hardtail. It only had a little travel in the rear, but it was nice. When I bought it in 2001 or 2002 it set me back about $2k. Now they are much more. I sold my perfectly good one for $500 because I hadn't ridden in 5 years.

I used to ride all the time (road and mountain), but it's been about 10 years since I was serious about it. I don't want single speed, but I always love the idea of a Surly.

There are no big climbs here. Just rolling hills. I miss WA state when it comes to biking. If I wouldn't have moved away from there I doubt I ever would've stopped riding. I used to put in 80-100 miles a week. Rode to work in the rain and snow. Rode some centuries, rode to Portland, OR, etc.

That was about 45 pounds ago.

Now I'm a little over 200 lbs of out of shape old dude. I don't even know what the trails are really like here. There are several close to my house, I guess I should head out there and hike them to see them.

I've only ridden 26" as well, though the 29ers intrigue me. I do mostly XC, fire roads, that sort of thing; nothing really technical. I like my hardtail Cannondale, but I've really grown to enjoy the full rigid Giant I built last year (early 90s steel frame). The rigid is lighter and feels way more nimble than the hardtail. I'm seriously considering making the Cannondale into a rigid 96er (29 in front, 26 in the back) when the shock dies.

In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac:

Kona Cinder Cone seems more to my liking. One of the semi-local (40 mins away) LBSs is having a Kona MTB demo day next Saturday at one of the local trails. I'll be there. The only Kona I've ever ridden was a Jake the Snake and that was a while back.

Surly Troll also has potential.

I'm looking as well... and in similar price range. I'm in Michigan, so no "real" mountains. Most of the guys I ride with have gone to hardtail 29ers. I am going that route as well, and over the last few years the price on good 29ers has dropped quite a bit to where you can find some good bikes in that range.

I've ridden a 26 forever, but I really like the way the 29's take on downhills and tree roots and such.

Full suspension seems silly, unnecessary complexity and cost if your trails aren't crazy drops and jumps and such like hardcore mountain biking. You could probably even ride a rigid fork, but I find the suspension forks mean I'm beat up less at the end of a ride... I'm getting old.

Anybody ride a 650? I didn't know they existing until today when I spent some time looking at bike websites.

650's seem to geared towards folks who want a 29er but don't fit them well due to height.

I would also suggest a 29er hardtail with a short travel fork. Maybe with a lockout. You could probably get away with a 1x9 or 10 drive train as well.

In your price range I'd probably look at Giant.

Used Rocky Mountain

Oh... If used, possibilities are Damn near endless depending on age, spec and how badly the seller needs cash.

I'd go 29er. 26" is still worthwhile if you want lots of travel, if you don't, then a 29er is a logical choice.

I ride a 29er and love it, and the only time I'd ever want a 26" is if I needed 140mm+ travel, which I do occasionally.

Specialized Epic. The dig-in power of a hard-tail, but with full suspension when you need it. Get one that's a few years old and well taken care of.

29ers are a gimmick... There's no real appreciable difference in their ability to clear larger obstacles.

DustoffDave wrote: 29ers are a gimmick... There's no real appreciable difference in their ability to clear larger obstacles.

nope they can clear large obstacles all the same... but you'll end up doing it in a lot more comfort and not notice a lot of the chatter and smaller stuff that you did on your HT/rigid 26er...

also the lower center of gravity is nice... as is the grip and larger volume tires (i'm 300# and run about 30psi without ever a thought of pinch flats)

also put my 6'4ish self on a 26er and I feel and look like i'm riding a kiddie bike at a circus.

29ers have their place... which is why even Specialized who was one of the biggest haters of 29ers (saying they'd never last, just a fad, they'd never win races, and that kind of stuff) now has a complete line of em...

akamcfly wrote: Minnesota? Surly Karate Monkey!

the karate monkey is still my fav bike of all time... I had an old traditional diamond frame with gears and a 100mm fisher g2 suspension fork...

it was about the most versitle bike you could buy... now for the racks, v-brakes/cantis and such you have to go with the Ogre... but for most people the KM is about perfect... I hope to own another one day...

that being said if you like the way it handles... for the price take a look at the on-one inbred... if the US distributor had them when I was buying I prob would have ended up with one... and at $200 I may still buy one of their frames down the road if that price holds out (I think I've about everything I need to build a SS lol)

donalson wrote:

DustoffDave wrote: 29ers are a gimmick... There's no real appreciable difference in their ability to clear larger obstacles.

nope they can clear large obstacles all the same... but you'll end up doing it in a lot more comfort and not notice a lot of the chatter and smaller stuff that you did on your HT/rigid 26er... also the lower center of gravity is nice... as is the grip and larger volume tires (i'm 300# and run about 30psi without ever a thought of pinch flats) also put my 6'4ish self on a 26er and I feel and look like i'm riding a kiddie bike at a circus. 29ers have their place... which is why even Specialized who was one of the biggest haters of 29ers (saying they'd never last, just a fad, they'd never win races, and that kind of stuff) now has a complete line of em...

OK, I'll concede a few of those points. They are helpful for the bigger guys -- my 5'11" puts me in a place where the 29 feels just a tad too unwieldy. And the larger width tires can help in certain situations as well.

I actually worked for Specialized when the 29ers first came out and I remember the chatter about them being a fad. I also remember when they made the decision to come out with their own line of them -- it was purely a market push (read, a way to make more $$), not a nod to the technology actually being much better.

I ride 650b, but most of the time it's on paved roads. The reason I went to 650b is I really like the plush road tire options - small tire makers like Pacenti, Grand Bois, and others make some very supple, high-volume, fast tires for the size in both mountain and road varieties. I built up a Rawland Sogn, both the current and previous generation frame, which is a kind of retro rigid steel unit with tons of fat tire clearance and canti brakes. I love it, but certainly not for everyone. If you got a more "modern" MTB frame, I think 650b really is the sweet spot for wheel and tire size - it's fast, light, and much better at tackling roots and obstacles quickly than 26ers.

But I also had for a short time a Novara (REI brand) 29er, which I got as closeout two years ago. It was a great bike, the 29er would go anywhere I had the legs for - it just rolled over plenty of obstacles I had previously not had the balls to attempt. Very smooth, and I think rigid is actually a great way to go in the midwest with a 29er to try to eliminate some weight.

Look at your local mountain biking association for a secondhand bike, I would suggest. You can get a great deal, as a lot of these guys try out different stuff and sell it the next year when it doesn't work for them.

Okay, I've skimmed the other opinions, and now I'll offer mine. Background: I've been riding MTB for a little over 10 years in the Southeast - lots of roots, short-steep climbs, loose conditions, and a fair amount of technical-twisty terrain. Also manage to ride the North GA mountains some with bigger climbs / descents.

My main ride is a full suspension cross country bike - dual suspension but with only 3" travel - and 26" wheels. 2 years back I built a Niner One9 single speed - super light, 29" wheels, racey geometry.

This season I'm back to riding my 26 almost exclusively. Why you might ask? Because the 29 has some geometry-imposed limitations that I find bothersome.

the 29" GOOD - it does roll better and handle bumps better. Seriously. My 29" hardtail feels about the same over roots, rocks, logs as my 26" with 3" travel. No exaggeration. It carries speed better through sand and over stutter bumps and roots. I REALLY like the way it smooths out a trail. Alao, as a big guy (6'1", 250lbs) it feels a little less like a clown bike.

the 29" BAD - because of the larger rear wheel diameter, almost all 29s ( mine included) end up with a chainstay length (the length from the center of the pedal crank to the rear axle) above 17 1/4" - this mean it is VERY hard to wheelie the bike, or to loft the front end, or to carry the front end level off small drops or logs. Over all the bike doesn't feel "playful" and you can't toss it around and body-english it through obstacles. It goes like a rocket as long as you want to be GLUED to the ground. I enjoy catching a little air and throwing the bike around, so this has become a deal breaker for me. I've also injured myself a couple times when the front end planted coming off an obstacle when I would have easily carried it on the 26" bike. Also, as a heavy rider, I can feel 29" wheels flex more than 26s, but that may be the individual wheels I've been on

There are a companies that are starting to radically rethink frame design to build 29ers with chainstays in the 16 1/2" range (Canfield, Kona, By:Stickel) so I'm hoping to test ride one. Maybe it will combine the trail-paving ride with some playfulness. Someday in a perfect world, I think my perfect bike would be a 29" hardtail that rides like a bmx bike, has a 1x10 drivetrain and weighs about 22 lbs. I'd park it next to my V8 Ariel Atom and my Duesenberg.

So, my recommendation? If most of your rides are really rolling hills, a 29" hardtail will suit you well unless you are small, then go 650B. If you are an ex-bmx er or generally like bunny hops, wheelies and riding like a 7 year old, stay with a 26 - maybe a short travel dual suspension bike. In either case, buy as light as you can afford, it makes a huge difference.

ultraclyde wrote: Someday in a perfect world, I think my perfect bike would be a 29" hardtail that rides like a bmx bike, has a 1x10 drivetrain and weighs about 22 lbs. I'd park it next to my V8 Ariel Atom and my Duesenberg.

Kona Honzo?

Interesting. I had similar concerns about riding a 29er since I come from a BMX background and often like to jump over stuff rather than ride through it. I'm also a retired Expert-level DH racer (I don't race anymore, but still do lift-serve riding occasionally).

My 29er is a 2010 Niner Jet-9 full-suspension bike and I'm also in the process of assembling a Niner EMD hardtail with XT/XTR 2x10. Personally, I don't have a problem wheeling the Jet 9 or jumping it. There is a network of trails near work where I ride where the builders have added some mild doubles and jumps on the trails. It took a few attempts, but I can hit these on the Jet 9 farily consistantly.

I will admit however, that the Jet 9 has a similar "feel" to my DH bikes with regard to length and the slow steering - I really have to lean the SOB over to get it to turn - so I tend to ride it like a DH bike. I don't really care for the suspension feel of the Niner design either. It works well enough, but my current DH/FR bike is an old Yeti Lawwill-6. Despite being a 15 year old design with a primitive shock, the Lawwill suspension works better. One of my complaints is the BB on the Jet 9 is too high for my tastes - I'd really like it to be a 1/2" to an 1" lower.

Right now, one of my "retirement dreams" is to get the Lawwill license from Rotec and start building new Lawwill frames for XC and DH.

I think the only valid complain I hear about 29ers is the short chainstay issue and those having to do with travel length. You cant have big wheels, short stays, and 160mm travel...geometry just doesn't work.

However, plenty of FR/DH bikes have long stays, but its the slack geometry and head tube angles that allow for the bike to wheelie, manual, and feel weighted toward the rear of the bike.

The problem with 29ers is that up until recently no-one has embraced the slack angles and 66 degree hta's. Those that do get knocked for making monster trucks.

Having spent 25 miles on a Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon, I can tell you that a 160mm travel 26" wheel bike feel awesome, but there are definitely times when I missed having that momentum of the bigger wheel.

akamcfly wrote: Minnesota? Surly Karate Monkey!

This.

akamcfly wrote:

ultraclyde wrote: Someday in a perfect world, I think my perfect bike would be a 29" hardtail that rides like a bmx bike, has a 1x10 drivetrain and weighs about 22 lbs. I'd park it next to my V8 Ariel Atom and my Duesenberg.

Kona Honzo?

If it wasn't 30+ lbs, yes. Closer is the Canfield Yelli Screamy or even better, a By:Stickel custom build. But even those come off heavier than I'd like. Riding a 22lb single speed will spoil ya.

Hotlink of the Canfield:

Mountain Bike.