Originally Posted by
BassistBiker
Now, I know that's all marketing designed to sell bikes,
Yes. That's exactly what it is.
but it most definitely doesn't say "Not suitable for singletrack usage" or "for road use only" anywhere.
Then they wouldn't sell the bike. The reality is it will do those things (ride single track) but not very well for very long.
My plan was to buy the bike, then waste some money over the first year or two upgrading some components, starting with the fork, and ending with a proper driveline...I figured it would be a fun & great way to learn about my bike...yes, I could have just saved up and bought a higher quality bike in the first place, but being an ex auto technician (20+ years), I like to tinker, and this would be a fun project.
That's what most think, but in the long run you save more money buying a bike with the higher end components in the first place. Mostly due to the volume pricing the bike manufacturer gets on the components that is then passed onto the consumer.
What you thought would be a fun project has now turned into a headache for you.