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Must have features

Old 07-20-21, 08:29 AM
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BikingViking793 
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Must have features

I’m looking at upgrading and making a list of the features I want. This is the list so far:
thru axles
tubeless ready
27.5” tires (I’m shorter)
1x drivetrain
disc brakes

I have a 2010 Raleigh talus 3.0. So all that would be new to me. On the fence for full suspension. Also interested is the best budget options with all the above. Did I miss anything good? Any of the above you wouldn’t recommend?

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Old 07-20-21, 11:50 AM
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Dropper post.

Of course, it would help if you said what kind of conditions 6ou plan to ride in. There is a world of difference between a basic trail bike and a full on technical downhill bike. Both are mountain bikes.
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Old 07-20-21, 12:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Happy Feet
Dropper post.

Of course, it would help if you said what kind of conditions 6ou plan to ride in. There is a world of difference between a basic trail bike and a full on technical downhill bike. Both are mountain bikes.
just a modern trail bike.
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Old 07-20-21, 12:34 PM
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Clutch rear derailleur
Slacker headtube - depending on what you ride
Airspring Fork
More than 2 bottle cage mount bolts (if you don't plan on carrying additional water on you)
Threaded BB if you're not a fan of banging on your frame for maintenance
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Old 07-20-21, 03:20 PM
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You never stated what your budget is. Most modern bikes from the reputable manufacturers will have what is in your wish list.

However 27.5 tire size is starting to die off. Little by little the bike manufacturers have been eliminating the 27.5 tire size from their offerings. And your height is not related to which wheel size you should choose. Wheel size is based riding style more than anything else.

For instance...This is a section of my local trail. 29" tires do way better riding over this feature vs. 27.5" tires.



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Old 07-20-21, 03:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Pactin
More than 2 bottle cage mount bolts (if you don't plan on carrying additional water on you)
It's been rare for full suspension frames to have 2 mounts within the triangle. They are fighting for space with the shock. You can find a few, Salsa for example. It's getting rarer, on hardtails too, because the seat tubes are getting shorter to allow longer droppers. Sometimes they have one in the triangle and one below, sometimes only below.

Without picking on any model in particular, I think that the hard tails in the $1500 range and full sus in the $2400 range are fully functional. A lot of the things I'd like to improve about them are piecemeal, taking every component three steps higher for double the price does not seem like a good deal.
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Old 07-20-21, 03:39 PM
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Originally Posted by prj71
You never stated what your budget is. Most modern bikes from the reputable manufacturers will have what is in your wish list.

However 27.5 tire size is starting to die off. Little by little the bike manufacturers have been eliminating the 27.5 tire size from their offerings. And your height is not related to which wheel size you should choose. Wheel size is based riding style more than anything else.

For instance...This is a section of my local trail. 29" tires do way better riding over this feature vs. 27.5" tires.


trek and other brands I have seen offer 27.5” in my size and 29” for larger sizes.

budget is as little as I can pay and still get all the things I want.
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Old 07-20-21, 03:46 PM
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What's the top dollar in your budget? It helps to know that so you can be pointed in the right direction. Current bike shortage may limit your choices if you are planning to buy something soon.

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Old 07-20-21, 03:55 PM
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Originally Posted by prj71
What's the top dollar in your budget? It helps to know that so you can be pointed in the right direction. Current bike shortage may limit your choices if you are planning to buy something soon.
well the Trek x-caliper 8 looks to be around $1300 and I think has everything I’d want. But I’m still determining what all I should want. Are the things mentioned in the OP all good? Would I be happy with less? I’m not in a rush.
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Old 07-20-21, 04:41 PM
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I'm hoping to not buy a bike I feel I need to upgrade right away. All the things I listed seem like good options, but I could be talked into more or less. I'm deep in my 40s so I am gonna try to avoid doing anything too crazy, but I enjoy riding the trails. So I'd like a more capable ride that might help me out if I do get stupid.
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Old 07-20-21, 04:52 PM
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Originally Posted by BikingViking793
well the Trek x-caliper 8 looks to be around $1300 and I think has everything I’d want. But I’m still determining what all I should want. Are the things mentioned in the OP all good? Would I be happy with less? I’m not in a rush
It needs a dropper, which you can get for a hundred bucks. The Roscoe is the same frame with a slightly more shaggy build. These two bikes have quick release rear wheels which are not as sturdy as thru axles, but the frames can mount things like standard racks, trailer hitches, and kid seats without modification if that's important to you, and besides that they are otherwise mostly compatible with any upgrades you'd like to do in the future. The fork is adequate. The tires aren't tubeless, technically, but will probably seat up with Orange Seal, and in a thousand miles you can get something better.

I wanted to try a Roscoe but none were available in 2018 when I was shopping. The shop had an X-Caliber but it felt old fashioned that year, still having a narrower bar with no rise, longer stem, and 2x transmission. I got a Salsa Timberjack which in 2018 had a cheaper build much like this or the current Salsa Rangefinder. And I've been pretty happy with it since, upgrading the fork, adding a dropper, and much nicer tires when they were worn out.
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Old 07-20-21, 05:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Darth Lefty
It needs a dropper, which you can get for a hundred bucks. The Roscoe is the same frame with a slightly more shaggy build. These two bikes have quick release rear wheels which are not as sturdy as thru axles, but the frames can mount things like standard racks, trailer hitches, and kid seats without modification if that's important to you, and besides that they are otherwise mostly compatible with any upgrades you'd like to do in the future. The fork is adequate. The tires aren't tubeless, technically, but will probably seat up with Orange Seal, and in a thousand miles you can get something better.

I wanted to try a Roscoe but none were available in 2018 when I was shopping. The shop had an X-Caliber but it felt old fashioned that year, still having a narrower bar with no rise, longer stem, and 2x transmission. I got a Salsa Timberjack which in 2018 had a cheaper build much like this or the current Salsa Rangefinder. And I've been pretty happy with it since, upgrading the fork, adding a dropper, and much nicer tires when they were worn out.
Yeah it looks like a Roscoe 6 is a little cheaper and also has all the options I'd be looking for. Little surprised by the QR rear and Thru Axle front, but I guess it would be ok. Looks like it comes with a dropper too.
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Old 07-21-21, 07:23 AM
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Originally Posted by BikingViking793
well the Trek x-caliper 8 looks to be around $1300 and I think has everything I’d want. But I’m still determining what all I should want. Are the things mentioned in the OP all good? Would I be happy with less? I’m not in a rush.
That Trek doesn't have a thru axle rear hub. It's a hybrid of sorts...Boost 148 hub with a different end cap that reduces spacing to 141mm and makes it QR.

This has thru axle both front and rear if a hard tail is what you are looking for and ~$1500 is your budget

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/xtc-slr-29-2-2021
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Old 07-21-21, 08:35 AM
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Originally Posted by prj71
That Trek doesn't have a thru axle rear hub. It's a hybrid of sorts...Boost 148 hub with a different end cap that reduces spacing to 141mm and makes it QR.
The X-Caliber and Roscoe, and my cheaper 2018 build of the Timberjack, and a lot of other bikes in that price bracket are full 141mm wide dedicated cup and cone hubs. The one on my bike does look a bit more serious than a hybrid hub, having bigger flanges and rubber dust seals. But definitely not the kind of thing you get with a thru axle. The most expensive version of the Roscoe, the one that somehow has a Microspline SLX cassette, might have something different.

Photos: my TJ, with trailer hitch. This version is convertible to thru axle with different Alternator but hasn’t been, yet, maybe someday… and, wife's hybrid



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Old 07-21-21, 08:43 AM
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Originally Posted by Darth Lefty
...and a lot of other bikes in that price bracket are full 141mm wide dedicated cup and cone hubs.
That would be reason enough for me to avoid those bikes. Especially cup and cone on a mountain bike.
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