MTB Advice

29ers get more traction than 26 or 27.5. More rubber on the ground. I've spoken with a person who has a lot of experience on all tire sizes and asked the question. His response was 29 climbs best. I did not ask which bike he thought was best. The only negative I can see about 29 is you give up some travel and that is a pretty big negative if you take hits.

I<3ADK wrote

"Shit components, shit fork (a rigid fork would probably be better) and shit brakes."

Would you mind elaborating on this a bit more?  Not that I'm questioning your comment, but I just want to learn more about the different levels of components, what to stay away from, why, etc.  I'm new to buying "real" mountain bikes, only had the usual basic ones as a young kid.

More power to Matt if he cares to elaborate for you.  Instead, you should probably start by looking at the mtbr.com and singletracks.com forums.

As mentioned earlier in this thread, your LBS is the best place to look at bikes that meet the criteria of your price range and intended use.  Ask the salesperson what you will be getting by stepping up a model or two.  Ultimately only you can answer whether the better components are "worth it."

Adk Jeff wrote

Ultimately only you can answer whether the better components are "worth it."

Yep. I'm not going to tell you that XT is (some number)% better than Deore which is (some number)% better than what you're looking at, because there's no number and there is no real comparison that works for everyone and every component that bike companies make.

It's like buying anything. There are cheap things that work, but a lot of cheap things are crap (I didn't want to pay for razor blades the other day, so I bought CVS brand disposable razors, 10 for $10, and then I went through 2 of them in one shaving session).

Specific problems you might encounter? Your shifting won't be crisp or precise, the shifters or derailleurs might break because they use a lot of plastic instead of metal, your fork will be a pogo stick and will bounce off of roots and rocks instead of absorbing them, and you'll generally have a shittier time on the bike. If you don't think these things are problems or you think I'm exaggerating, go ahead and go cheap. It's your money, do what you want with it.

mattchuck2 wrote

Yep. I'm not going to tell you that XT is (some number)% better than Deore which is (some number)% better than what you're looking at, because there's no number and there is no real comparison that works for everyone and every component that bike companies make.

It's like buying anything. There are cheap things that work, but a lot of cheap things are crap (I didn't want to pay for razor blades the other day, so I bought CVS brand disposable razors, 10 for $10, and then I went through 2 of them in one shaving session).

Specific problems you might encounter? Your shifting won't be crisp or precise, the shifters or derailleurs might break because they use a lot of plastic instead of metal, your fork will be a pogo stick and will bounce off of roots and rocks instead of absorbing them, and you'll generally have a shittier time on the bike. If you don't think these things are problems or you think I'm exaggerating, go ahead and go cheap. It's your money, do what you want with it.

People are funny with bikes. The price of bikes has gone through the roof. The gear heads are always trading for the next new thing. Take advantage of this. A really good shop may have a good inventory of used bikes or even just a good frame that they will build (add the components) for you. Don't go top of the line, in my experience the most expensive line of components have reduced weight at the expense of durability so dropping down one or two levels is better. However, shifting precision and ride comfort will make or break your experience.

As an example, I have picked up top of the line used frames and added a new group and done quite well. Although most of my experience has been with road bikes.

PeeTex wrote

As an example, I have picked up top of the line used frames and added a new group and done quite well. Although most of my experience has been with road bikes.

This works with mtb, too.

And the general rule for bike components is: Cheap, Light, Good - You can choose 2. If it's cheap and light, it ain't gonna be good. If it's cheap and good, it ain't gonna be light (which is fine as a beginning biker).

tjf1967 wrote

29ers get more traction than 26 or 27.5. More rubber on the ground. I've spoken with a person who has a lot of experience on all tire sizes and asked the question. His response was 29 climbs best. I did not ask which bike he thought was best. The only negative I can see about 29 is you give up some travel and that is a pretty big negative if you take hits.

I find the key with climbing on a 9'r is maintaining rolling momentum - a few quick pedal strokes before a grade or obstacle go a long way