View Single Post
Old 09-11-14, 01:28 PM
  #32  
cyccommute 
Mad bike riding scientist
 
cyccommute's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,274

Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones

Mentioned: 150 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6147 Post(s)
Liked 4,093 Times in 2,325 Posts
Originally Posted by Bacciagalupe
I should've known that "suspension vs rigid" was yet another flame-war in the bike communities

I think the only way to know if I need suspension is to put some low-pressure tires on my cross bike, and do a trail. If I can't hack it, I'll benefit from suspension.

That said, I'm still not clear on one point. What is the likely difference between the steel cross bike, and something like the Fargo or other tour-oriented MTB?
It's not a so much a flame-war as a disagreement about some minor points. I'm of the mind that you, Bacciagalupe, might be better off to start with suspension than arrive at it after some painful hours in the saddle.

Also, don't get hung up on the steel/aluminum thing. Aluminum mountain bikes are every bit as capable and every bit as rugged as steel. A steel mountain bike doesn't ride like a steel road bike. The frame is usually stronger so it's stiffer. And the terrain that you are riding makes any slight differences in the ride basically unnoticeable.

That said:

Originally Posted by vik
Tire clearance, BB height and steering geometry are some important differences. The other thing I'd look at is compatibility with a suspension fork if you think you might want one.

The MTB I tour on has nothing in common with a cross bike and I wouldn't take my cross bike anywhere near the trails I tour with it.

However, I find it works well for easier dirt/gravel touring and since I want to do both types of rides that style of bike made sense for me.

The Fargo is a bit of a cross between the two. I wouldn't buy one for technical MTB touring, but for dirt road touring and less demanding singletrack it would be a good choice.

You'll need to look at the geo charts and frame specs for the bikes you are interested in and compare them to highlight all the differences. As boring as it sounds [and it is boring] put all the key info in a spreadsheet for your top 3-5 bikes for easy comparison.
I agree with pretty much everything you have to say here. About the only difference is that I probably wouldn't buy a Fargo for any purpose. A good hardtail mountain bike (or softtail like the YBB) will do everything that the Fargo does in all conditions so I don't really see the point of the Fargo. The adjustable dropouts are interesting but they're just another thing to worry about coming loose out in the middle of nowhere.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!



cyccommute is offline