Advice on buying a mountain bike

[JohnnyB]

I've only really been riding for about a year, and I've currently got a Merida mountain bike that I think would be about $800 in Canada, but I've gotten really interested in riding and am starting to feel that it's not quite up for everything I'm trying to do with it. I really like going up and down steep trails and also like having a lot of fun in the city going down large flights of stairs and generally riding around on the ridiculous streets here in China. I like to be able to do about 60Km trail rides on the weekend with really mixed terrain and would like to be able to go up to about 80Kms. Ultimately, I'd like something that I can develop on for a long time and could potentially also race on should I develop that interest.

I'd like to be spending around 9,000元 though I could go as high as about 16,000元. With the value I can get in China and comparing prices in other countries I would figure that would equate to a range of about $2,000 to $3,800 Canadian. I'm not sure if it's worth it to invest in a full suspension bike that would be around my upper price limit (something like this) or if it would be better to stick with a hard tail that would be around my lower or mid range for spending like this (might need to use google translator).

I'm not really sure what I can expect in terms of differences in longevity for higher and lower quality components as well as the potential versatility of a full suspension bike for touring (how would it work with a rack on the back?).

Anyone have advice on picking a bike that would be something I could no doubt grow into over numerous coming years, work well on long distance trails and doing stupid things in the city as well as having potential for racing down the line? I'll basically only invest in the one really good bike and keep another cheap errand running bike for around town. Am I thinking straight in being willing to invest this much now, or should I invest incrementally while looking at individual component upgrades over time? Guidance would be appreciated.

[HalifaxDrunk]

I wish I had that kinda coin to drop on a new bike. Since I don't, my opinion is out of your price range.

I'd do some serious researching here.

Especially the Best of 2010 section

[Northendzone]

i would think at that price point you'd be able to get a bike with mostly XT/XTR level stuff.

hard tail of FS - likely a question of preference. Obviously a FS will be heavier, but they apparently can be easier to handle as your tires are on the ground more......

it is always nice to be able to have this kind of choice.

[Kybosh]

If you're considering full suspension, make sure you test ride a lot of them. Depending on the type of riding you end up doing the most, you might find that you lose a lot of pedaling power to the suspension in the back.

[Redliner]

What is your riding style and what are you going to be doing on the bike? You mentioned racing, so are you into cross-country trail riding or are you more the big hit freerider type? You mentioned stairs - are you going to be doing urban assault stuff, going off jumps, riding stunts, and taking big drops on this thing? Or are you just looking for one bike that will do everything reasonably well? There are so many bikes available that narrowing down this criteria will be a big part of your selection process.

Full suspension bikes have progressed to the point that many people will argue that they have made hardtails obsolete. Bikes like the Rocky Mountain Element or Trek Fuel will give you an XC race-capable bike with just enough squish on the back end to take the edge off the bumps, and the weight penalty is not as noticeable as you might think. Stepping up to a bike with more travel (around 5 or 6 inches) will give you a heavier bike but more versatility in the really rough terrain. Keep in mind though, unless you're a ski hill bomber you're going to have to ride this thing uphill as well, so watch the bike weight and look for something that's a good balance. Unless you're really into the hardcore stuff, I'd stay right away from downhill and big hit bikes.

I may just be a sucker for punishment, but I still think that for a pure riding experience you can't beat the responsiveness of a high end steel hardtail. I've had a Rocky Mountain Blizzard for about ten years now and it's far and away my favourite bike out of the dozens I have owned.

[macker]

^
Buy locally......when I bought my last bike a couple years ago I compared pricing in the States and it was basically only a 5% savings. The local shop I bought through gave me an unlimited free tuneups package with the bike, which has been great. It includes blown tires which happens 2-3 times per year. Even if I could have saved 25% in the States/elsewhere I think having a local shop to maintain the bike is worth it.


Somewhat OT : what are some good trails to ride this time of year. Last year I did Big Elbow/Little Elbow loop, Powder face, Diamond loop etc....looking for similar rides close to the city. OP : If you want an easy/paved but long city ride try to 100K + Tour De Calgary. For some of the best technical riding in the city the far West side of Fish Creek Park is the best riding I have found. I still use a hardtail mountain bike and it is all I have ever needed.