Originally Posted by
caloso
Whoa. That's hot.
What's amazing is how much saddle to bar drop he runs, the bar is actually below the top of the headset. And he still doesn't use a dropper seatpost, doesn't want the extra 200 grams. With 7 world championships I guess he knows what he's doing.
I would recommend a full suspension bike if you're going anywhere with rough terrain, rocks, roots, or braking bumps. Hardtails can go fast and I still see people going fast on bumpy stuff but the rear suspension gives you more control and makes the rear brake work better. You also don't have to be so careful with your line choice.
There are so many choices now it's mind boggling. Wheel size, suspension travel, geometry/fit, and money. I bought a new mtb in 2018 and I agonized over all the variables. Ended up with an enduro style bike with 27.5x 2.8 tires, 150mm rear travel and a 160mm Fox fork. It's about 32 pounds and has most of the recent geometry changes which started coming to mtb in 2017. Long wheel base, slack head angle, but a shorter reach than most others. You wouldn't want to use it for XC racing but it can go through a pile of rocks better than anything I have ridden short of a motorcycle.
If you start looking at bikes be sure to look at the geometry charts. The reach can vary by inches for 2 same sized bikes. There is less standard than there is for road bikes when it comes to fit.
