Mountain Bike Suggestions on a 6K budget
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Mountain Bike Suggestions on a 6K budget
Hi mountain bike guys. I am more of a road bike guy but am needing a quality mountain bike. Years ago I bough a Giant Rainier w/mechanical disk brakes. I rebuilt it a few winters ago with old XTR components and a trick carbon car. It does OK but is obviously old tech/geometry and I have greatly expanded my bike abilities and budget.
I am leaning towards a titanium hardtail from Lynskey or Lightspeed. I am not against Carbon bikes or dual suspension I just think a hardtail trail bike is probably more my style these days. I also am a bit infatuated with Titanium and think it would be my "forever" mountain bike. I'm 51 and have had a host of pretty significant orthopedic injuries. Sending big jumps or hitting big drops is not gonna be something I am looking to do a lot of. I am more looking for a fast light bike for zipping around the local trails, intermediate type rock gardens and the occasional bike park.
Please suggest any and all cool bikes to me. If you think dual suspension carbon is the way to go suggest it and tell me why please. About my only deal breaker is a threaded bottom bracket, must be threaded. I am not a fan of pressed fit. Call me dumb or old school or whatever. I tend to work on my own stuff and have the tools to do it. I do not want to mess with a pressed fit BB. If I really start doing a lot of mountain biking I will probably need to service it more often than my road bikes.
I plan on getting/ordering this bike in February so I hope ordering times are in the 10-12 week range. Not really wanting to spend big at the end of the rising season. Some companies are posting 20+ week wait times and some do not. Lynskey has a pro 29 with SRAM wireless electronic shifting and about everything I want at my price point. If anyone has a line on coupons or specials etc. I would appreciate it. I could order now but want more research, opinions and to get the holidays out of the way. Shelling out a big stack of cash for a mountain bike (after I just did the same thing on a road bike) requires some shiny golden objects for the wife first !!
So please ..... suggest away !!
I am leaning towards a titanium hardtail from Lynskey or Lightspeed. I am not against Carbon bikes or dual suspension I just think a hardtail trail bike is probably more my style these days. I also am a bit infatuated with Titanium and think it would be my "forever" mountain bike. I'm 51 and have had a host of pretty significant orthopedic injuries. Sending big jumps or hitting big drops is not gonna be something I am looking to do a lot of. I am more looking for a fast light bike for zipping around the local trails, intermediate type rock gardens and the occasional bike park.
Please suggest any and all cool bikes to me. If you think dual suspension carbon is the way to go suggest it and tell me why please. About my only deal breaker is a threaded bottom bracket, must be threaded. I am not a fan of pressed fit. Call me dumb or old school or whatever. I tend to work on my own stuff and have the tools to do it. I do not want to mess with a pressed fit BB. If I really start doing a lot of mountain biking I will probably need to service it more often than my road bikes.
I plan on getting/ordering this bike in February so I hope ordering times are in the 10-12 week range. Not really wanting to spend big at the end of the rising season. Some companies are posting 20+ week wait times and some do not. Lynskey has a pro 29 with SRAM wireless electronic shifting and about everything I want at my price point. If anyone has a line on coupons or specials etc. I would appreciate it. I could order now but want more research, opinions and to get the holidays out of the way. Shelling out a big stack of cash for a mountain bike (after I just did the same thing on a road bike) requires some shiny golden objects for the wife first !!
So please ..... suggest away !!
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https://turnerbikes.com
Turner has changed from a company that made only full suspension mountain bikes out of American made aluminum to a company that only sells hard tails - and from Titanium.
Turner is still one of the greatest companies and when you call them - you will often get Dave (Dave Turner).
You can get a complete bike for your price - right now.
Turner has changed from a company that made only full suspension mountain bikes out of American made aluminum to a company that only sells hard tails - and from Titanium.
Turner is still one of the greatest companies and when you call them - you will often get Dave (Dave Turner).
You can get a complete bike for your price - right now.
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https://spotbikes.com/products/mayhe...32140454690850
https://spotbikes.com/collections/bi.../rocker-geared
To be honest...with rock gardens in the mix I would go full suspension.
https://spotbikes.com/collections/bi.../rocker-geared
To be honest...with rock gardens in the mix I would go full suspension.
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https://spotbikes.com/products/mayhe...32140454690850
https://spotbikes.com/collections/bi.../rocker-geared
To be honest...with rock gardens in the mix I would go full suspension.
https://spotbikes.com/collections/bi.../rocker-geared
To be honest...with rock gardens in the mix I would go full suspension.
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I would also add that contrary to popular opinion, you are generally no slower on a FS bike as compared to a HT - even on smooth surfaces. And a FS bike is much more comfortable then a HT.
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https://turnerbikes.com
Turner has changed from a company that made only full suspension mountain bikes out of American made aluminum to a company that only sells hard tails - and from Titanium.
Turner is still one of the greatest companies and when you call them - you will often get Dave (Dave Turner).
You can get a complete bike for your price - right now.
Turner has changed from a company that made only full suspension mountain bikes out of American made aluminum to a company that only sells hard tails - and from Titanium.
Turner is still one of the greatest companies and when you call them - you will often get Dave (Dave Turner).
You can get a complete bike for your price - right now.
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https://spotbikes.com/products/mayhe...32140454690850
https://spotbikes.com/collections/bi.../rocker-geared
To be honest...with rock gardens in the mix I would go full suspension.
https://spotbikes.com/collections/bi.../rocker-geared
To be honest...with rock gardens in the mix I would go full suspension.
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Call that number and you will most likely get Dave or Christina. He is incredibly cool and friendly and always helping. I have a 10 year old 26 inch 5-spot and he has helped me with parts and pieces to keep it running. That guy and his company are a dying breed...
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I believe you I just want Ti (cuz it should last forever and ever) and can save up for a full suspension in a year or so.....or a dirt bike..... or another streetbike. ....... I don't care !! If it has 2 wheels TAKE MY MONEY !!!
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Main reason for purchasing is their patented living link suspension which makes their bike climb like a hard tail. My home trail involves a lot of hill climbs.
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I’d get a Canfield Lithium but only because that’s the bike I want.
I have a hard tail. Bought it due to budget and family duties (kid seats, towing). I don’t want a bike that climbs like a hard tail any more. They spin out on hard climbs and on long climbs pretty much all current 1x MTB’s have the anti squat to “climb like a hard tail”. The kids got bigger and next bike will be FS
I have a hard tail. Bought it due to budget and family duties (kid seats, towing). I don’t want a bike that climbs like a hard tail any more. They spin out on hard climbs and on long climbs pretty much all current 1x MTB’s have the anti squat to “climb like a hard tail”. The kids got bigger and next bike will be FS
Last edited by Darth Lefty; 10-16-21 at 01:54 PM.
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You really need to decide on FS vs HT before wasting time on specific recommendations.
As far as a Ti HT: were I interested in such a thing, I would be tempted by one of Turners new offerings, mainly because I am such a fan of his old bike (I still ride a 2012 5-Spot) and I have a ton of respect for the cantankerous dude. It is not unusual to have Dave himself answer the phone when you call.
As far as a Ti HT: were I interested in such a thing, I would be tempted by one of Turners new offerings, mainly because I am such a fan of his old bike (I still ride a 2012 5-Spot) and I have a ton of respect for the cantankerous dude. It is not unusual to have Dave himself answer the phone when you call.
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[QUOTE=Kapusta;22272304]You really need to decide on FS vs HT before wasting time on specific recommendations.
/QUOTE]
Not a waste of time at all. I have a certain ride in mind but peoples suggestions help to spark new ideas. I really doubt I need a full suspension bike but like to see what people recommend that I've never heard of. So far I've been suggested a few brands I haven't heard of and I've had fun checking them out.
/QUOTE]
Not a waste of time at all. I have a certain ride in mind but peoples suggestions help to spark new ideas. I really doubt I need a full suspension bike but like to see what people recommend that I've never heard of. So far I've been suggested a few brands I haven't heard of and I've had fun checking them out.
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You already have experience riding a hard tail. There are quite a few bike shops now days who will rent you a bike for a day. Rent a full suspension bike for a day. Take it on a good long ride on the terrain that you're planning to ride. At the end of the day you will have a much better idea of whether you want hard tail or full suspension.
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This guy analyzes the rear suspensions of new bikes. If you click through his blog for the last few years you can make a pretty good list of things to look at, but also really get bogged down in details.
https://linkagedesign.blogspot.com/
He has tags for different categories, usually sub-120 mm is XC race bikes, 12-140 is xc to trail, 140-16 is trail to enduro, 160+ is enduro to DH, and most recent bikes are 29ers
https://linkagedesign.blogspot.com/s...27%20100-120mm and so on
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I have a gravel and road bike and I also was thinking Ti hard tail mnt bike. I am faster than my mnt bike friends up to about 10 to 12%. 15% + their steeper gears, better traction fatter tires help a lot. Down hill forgot about it. They are 2 to 3 times faster than me. ha-ha
I have no interest in bombing the down hills to get top strava times but it would be nice to at least keep up with mnt bikers. My gravel bike is painful on the down hills.
Who makes a good full suspension bike that goes uphill and you don't bounce like a pogo stick just riding on flat ground? I only rode my friends bike for a few minutes in front of his house. All I could remember was it felt like dirt bike. Wide handle bars, cushy ride, and pogo while pedaling on flat smooth road.
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https://turnerbikes.com
Turner has changed from a company that made only full suspension mountain bikes out of American made aluminum to a company that only sells hard tails - and from Titanium.
Turner is still one of the greatest companies and when you call them - you will often get Dave (Dave Turner).
You can get a complete bike for your price - right now.
Turner has changed from a company that made only full suspension mountain bikes out of American made aluminum to a company that only sells hard tails - and from Titanium.
Turner is still one of the greatest companies and when you call them - you will often get Dave (Dave Turner).
You can get a complete bike for your price - right now.
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Really?
I have a gravel and road bike and I also was thinking Ti hard tail mnt bike. I am faster than my mnt bike friends up to about 10 to 12%. 15% + their steeper gears, better traction fatter tires help a lot. Down hill forgot about it. They are 2 to 3 times faster than me. ha-ha
I have no interest in bombing the down hills to get top strava times but it would be nice to at least keep up with mnt bikers. My gravel bike is painful on the down hills.
Who makes a good full suspension bike that goes uphill and you don't bounce like a pogo stick just riding on flat ground? I only rode my friends bike for a few minutes in front of his house. All I could remember was it felt like dirt bike. Wide handle bars, cushy ride, and pogo while pedaling on flat smooth road.
I have a gravel and road bike and I also was thinking Ti hard tail mnt bike. I am faster than my mnt bike friends up to about 10 to 12%. 15% + their steeper gears, better traction fatter tires help a lot. Down hill forgot about it. They are 2 to 3 times faster than me. ha-ha
I have no interest in bombing the down hills to get top strava times but it would be nice to at least keep up with mnt bikers. My gravel bike is painful on the down hills.
Who makes a good full suspension bike that goes uphill and you don't bounce like a pogo stick just riding on flat ground? I only rode my friends bike for a few minutes in front of his house. All I could remember was it felt like dirt bike. Wide handle bars, cushy ride, and pogo while pedaling on flat smooth road.
If you rode an older MTB, which had triple or double chainrings, the suspension would have very different characteristics in the different front chain rings. You would have the best pedaling performance (most anti-squat) in the small chainring and little or no anti-squat in the large chainring. This is why MTB have gone to a single chainring. Has more to do with suspension design than anything else.
And the shocking thing is that the wide, cushy ride - even with a slight up and down motion - it often just as fast or faster than a stiff HT ride. Have to find that paper that showed that...
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So you might be faster just because you are faster and fitter. As for a good bike, I am a big fan of the dw link but many modern bikes will pedal well (neutral anti-squat).
If you rode an older MTB, which had triple or double chainrings, the suspension would have very different characteristics in the different front chain rings. You would have the best pedaling performance (most anti-squat) in the small chainring and little or no anti-squat in the large chainring. This is why MTB have gone to a single chainring. Has more to do with suspension design than anything else.
And the shocking thing is that the wide, cushy ride - even with a slight up and down motion - it often just as fast or faster than a stiff HT ride. Have to find that paper that showed that...
If you rode an older MTB, which had triple or double chainrings, the suspension would have very different characteristics in the different front chain rings. You would have the best pedaling performance (most anti-squat) in the small chainring and little or no anti-squat in the large chainring. This is why MTB have gone to a single chainring. Has more to do with suspension design than anything else.
And the shocking thing is that the wide, cushy ride - even with a slight up and down motion - it often just as fast or faster than a stiff HT ride. Have to find that paper that showed that...
so take away is just get used to the slight pogo effect it's not slowing you down at all/much.
do you have a recommendation for a 2020/2021 bike with dw link?
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IBIS or Pivot are the two brands that sell bikes with the dw link. The Ripley or 429 are both fantastic bikes. Fast and fast!
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