suspension depends on the type of riding you're going to do. If you do all day rides, a hardtail can be tough on your back. Depends on you. Hardtails will climb better and will be lighter. New technology in rear suspension has bridged the gap quite a bit. You do pay more though for a decent full suspension bike obviously. And there are different kinds of full suspension. I'm a santa cruz fan, and love the ride of the vpp. Not a fan of specialized and the Brain. It's a good bike, but It's just not my preference.
I'd stick with Disc brakes. More powerful, better modulation/feel. You can get mechanical avids, which aren't that bad. I prefer hydraulic, but of course, more $$$.
Trigger shifters, I have both xtr on one bike and sram x0 on another...love them both, and honestly don't have a preference.
Frame...hmm, my mountain bikes are aluminum. It's light and strong. If you go hardtail, aluminum is more rigid, and will have more vibration, but with full suspension, your bike takes care of that. Most steel bikes are low end, unless you go with a good quality steel, which can be light, and has a nice ride too it. Rocky Mountain makes a nice steel bike called the hammer. Comes in both a 26 and 29 frame. Carbon is light, and rigid, and is expensive...I have dreams of the new santa cruz carbon blur, but am not allowed to buy it.
As far as components go, it comes down to price again. Do you need xtr? not at all...most people could lose the 10 lbs first before worrying about the 100 grams in weight savings on a bike. Me included.
I personally wouldn't go below deore lx...Just shifts better, and requires less maintenance.
As far as hubs and headsets go, it depends on what you're looking to spend again. I like chris king. My headset has lasted years without issue, and i just got the new chris king bottom bracket. It has a 5 year warranty. my xtr bb lasted 2.5 years.
Also, you forgot about 29er's. I have a couple of friends who love them. A 29er can make up for a hardtail to some degree. The bigger wheels will smooth out the trail somewhat, and roll over rocks, roots and logs easier than a 26 inch wheel.
I love riding in Moab and Fruita (1.5 hrs from Moab). Bend Oregon, and Sun Valley Idaho are also good places to go for a road trip. Within 3.5 hours, Fernie is awesome. Lots of good riding there.
|