fthomas

I have been looking at the GT Peace. A 29'r with no suspension at all. It comes in a fixy and geared.

The nicest mountain bike I have ever had the chance to ride was a buddy's Specialized M something. A 21 lb hardtail. It was awesome. I don't believe that many here in S. California can actually take full advantage of a full suspension bike and I think it takes a great deal of the flying by the seat of your pants learning experience out of the equation. One of my mountain bike hero's is Ned Overend. When he was racing there were no suspensions.

I had a mid level Marin hard tail and was more than capable of holding my own on ruts, sand, rock gardens, baby heads and big downhill runs. A comparably equipped full suspension bike would run
$ 2,500 to $ 3,000.00. I really liked the Specialized Epic, but could never afford one.

I will caution you - from experience - that learning to shift weight between the front and rear is a skill that is often overlooked and can have significant repercussions if done improperly whether you are headed up a steep trail or screaming down some single track. In or out of the saddle!!!! I blew it going less than 3 mph up a very steep incline when I ran into some sand and tried to slide back a bit to weight the rear wheel for traction. Some how I ended up horizontal in the air with the bike about ten feet below me. The end of the handle bar left a shattered sternum and a 1 x 3 inch hole through the abdominal muscles. Surgery was required to put it all back together.

Full suspension bikes are neat. I just don't think I would ever really take advantage of the extra money and weight. Reading the OP made me realize how much I miss my mountain bike!

Here is a list of good to know Mountain Bike Lingo:


Learn to talk the talk while you're raging down the mountain. Useful terms that every rider should know. cologo
Cycling Home Mountain Bike Lingo*

* anchor (n.): A spouse or significant other who prevents you from riding with impunity. (Best not used within earshot of said anchor.)
* astro boy (n.): A rider launched into unexpected flight.
* baby heads (n.): Rocks the size of a newborn's cranium. Often results in bacon.
* bacon (n.): Long, nasty scabs caused by falls. Also, trail jerky.
* bolt-on (n.): A woman with a surgically enhanced front end . Derives from aftermarket bike parts that are bolted on.
* butt ruff (n.): Terrain that isn't tough enough to ride out of the saddle but is excruciatingly painful to ride seated.
* dipped (v.): To be happy. "I'll be dipped in doo."
* e-ticket (adj.): A great, major hairball ride. Derives from the old ticket system at Disneyland.
* half-track (n.): An overgrown trail that doesn't meet even the minimum definition of singletrack.
* JRA: Bike shop slang for "just riding around". How cyclists invariably describe to a clerk the mysterious sequence of events that led to a folded-up fork or some other warranty claim.
* pimp (n.): A bike-shop employee who has a bad habit of trying to sell product on the trail. Also a know-it-all who's constantly bragging about his new rig or latest gadget.
* POW (n. or v.): A strong rider who gets stuck on a lame group ride.
* prune (v.): To use your bike or helmet to unintentionally remove shrubbery from a trail.
* soil sample (n.): An update on the more traditional face plant.
* tea party (n.) When a group of riders stops to chitchat and nobody is in a rush to get going again.
* three-hour tour (n.): A Sunday spin that mutates into a death march. Derives from the neoclassic Gilligan's Island theme song.
* wang chung (n.): What a male rider risks if he stops his bike suddenly and his stem has no padding (a.k.a. nard guard).
* winky (n.): A reflector, typically frowned upon by serious riders. "Stylin' winky set, Spankster!"

*An excerpt from the "Men's Journal", March 1998