Hit up local bike shops and even make some calls out of town to inquire about the previous years demo bikes. I picked up a Fuel ex8 for $1500 that had only been taken out one time. That being said, even the bikes that have been well used will generally be in great mechanical shape.
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MTB options
- Thread starter OTHGbronco82
- Start date
Id probably skip the GT not knowing their current state in the pacific cycles ring. Hope someone on here has dealt with the newer GTs and can input. I had an old iDrive 3.0 and loved it but that was pre-pacific cycle buyout.
Trek like to go with thin frames for light weight. I rode a 150mm scott a little while back. It felt great. Im not a fan of Giant but have to admit their stuff works and lasts. My job's rental fleet is 9 Giant Boulders, some crappy $400 bikes and they have not let us down in 4 years of getting the snot beat out of them. We have only done brake pads, a couple axles and a warranty fork.
What about a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR? I know they start around $3000 new but someone around you must have a couple 2012s that didnt sell or maybe changing out a rental fleet.
Im assuming the Giant isnt a Terra X but a Trance X, correct? Very solid bikes. I know a few people that ride them and love them.
jsowens
RCC Addict
The bikes you listed are all pretty different from one another. Here are my thoughts:
Trek Fuel EX 5 - good bike all around, pretty good component spec for the price, good suspension, would be good for an all-around trail bike.
Scott Sparks 960 - best drivetrain component spec of the group, but it's also the only one with 29" wheels, and it only has 100mm of suspension travel. The suspension isn't that great. Coil sprung up front and an ok shock on the rear. It's an XC bike, not so much something that would be more at home on rough terrain.
GT Sensor 4.0 - Pretty much the same suspension setup as the Scott, but with 120mm of travel. Drivetrain components are practically bottom tier Shimano. Not bad, not great. A few local guys around me have owned GT full suspensions and don't favor them because of the high center of gravity they have.
Out of these...I would pick the Trek. It's the best bang for the buck. However, there are a lot of things to consider. Do you want a 29er? Do you want a longer travel trail bike, or a short travel XC machine? If you're looking for an all-around bike that you could do a little of everything on, you should look for something with 120-150mm travel, at least mid-level components (Shimano Deore or SLX or SRAM x.5 or above), Thru axles if available on the particular bike, and a good set of wheels.
If you're referring to a Giant Trance...that would be my pick over the Trek.
That said, a Stumpjumper fits that bill pretty well if you could find one in your price range. Decently light, strong, good components/suspension, etc... I love mine. Santa Cruz is another option to consider and those are usually found reasonably inexpensive. Browse for the Heckler, Nomad, and Blur models.
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RiceBurner
Quarry Creeper
Thanks for input guys"thumbsup" Yeah I meant trance not terra. I'll go 29 no problem if I can get a good bike within my range. Ok question on long travel vs.
short. Some trails I run are super rough but no big air jumps, some log jumps and small drop offs. Say I'm going down hill slow on the brakes snaking through boulders, ruts and wash outs, would the long travel be more likely to endo me should I hit a big hole? And I want a CLIMBER:twisted:
Oh yeah, thoughts on a Kona Hei Hei?
short. Some trails I run are super rough but no big air jumps, some log jumps and small drop offs. Say I'm going down hill slow on the brakes snaking through boulders, ruts and wash outs, would the long travel be more likely to endo me should I hit a big hole? And I want a CLIMBER:twisted:
Oh yeah, thoughts on a Kona Hei Hei?
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Long travel is probably more likely to soak it all up but you have to get that wheel out of the hole. The bigger 29er wheels do better at not falling in the holes 26 wheels do. Im a fan of long travel and 26 wheels because of how they feel.
A long travel bike does not climb well. Im running 160mm Devinci Hectik and that thing climbs like crap. You can make it climb but it will wear you down quick.
Sent from my Transformer using Tapatalk 2
A long travel bike does not climb well. Im running 160mm Devinci Hectik and that thing climbs like crap. You can make it climb but it will wear you down quick.
Sent from my Transformer using Tapatalk 2
RiceBurner
Quarry Creeper
Where does a 29 not shine? Tight twisty stuff? The stump jumper and blur look good. Love to be end up on fox suspension. Haven't hit local shops yet to see what year old/or used bikes are available and costing. Trying to do all the research I can. Gonna get with local trail association and see what their riding and bother them with all my newb questions too.
Skeeno
RCC Addict
Don't forget to ask your lbs for recommendations for your local trails. They will know which bikes for what you are looking for. Pick from their recommendations.
mark reel
Rock Crawler
I Have some sidi clip in shoes and Nitelight 700 lums in the for sale section
great options
great options
OTHGbronco82
RCC Addict
Giant Trance series and Specialized Camber 29 two more to look at. The Fezarri Alta Peak is right at $2000 if you can save up a little extra.
jsowens
RCC Addict
There's more to a long travel bike than simply smoothing out the rough stuff. The frame geometry is a lot different than it is on a short travel bike. Most long travel bikes will have more slack angles, especially in the head tube area to make the bike more stable on descents and technical terrain. Short travel bikes have steeper angles, more twitchy handling, and aren't as stable on descents and technical terrain. Not all long travel bikes suck at climbing either. At 140mm of travel my Stumpjumper climbs extremely well and I ride with quite a few guys with bikes in the 140-160mm range who have no trouble with their bikes on the climbs here in Southwest VA.
I wouldn't be too worked up about hitting holes and endoing. After all, unless your trail is completely covered with holes, chances are you'll be able to avoid them. I also recommend checking out some local shops and asking local riders what they prefer for the trails in your area. You'll get lots of scattered opinions, but my biggest recommendation is to test ride a 26" and 29" bike. Personally, the instant I got on a 29er, I felt uncomfortable and didn't like the way it rode. The bike was my size and perfectly set up for me, but it never did quite click. On a 26" bike I'm perfectly comfortable and love how snappy and responsive they are.
As for where a 29er doesn't shine. Anything tight and twisty they will handle more sluggishly. Not to mention if you get a low-end 29er, they typically have a heavy set of wheels, which doesn't live up to carrying speed like 29ers are usually praised for.
I wouldn't be too worked up about hitting holes and endoing. After all, unless your trail is completely covered with holes, chances are you'll be able to avoid them. I also recommend checking out some local shops and asking local riders what they prefer for the trails in your area. You'll get lots of scattered opinions, but my biggest recommendation is to test ride a 26" and 29" bike. Personally, the instant I got on a 29er, I felt uncomfortable and didn't like the way it rode. The bike was my size and perfectly set up for me, but it never did quite click. On a 26" bike I'm perfectly comfortable and love how snappy and responsive they are.
As for where a 29er doesn't shine. Anything tight and twisty they will handle more sluggishly. Not to mention if you get a low-end 29er, they typically have a heavy set of wheels, which doesn't live up to carrying speed like 29ers are usually praised for.
