[KtecR]

I have been thinking about getting a MTB because I want to do a lot of urban/light trail riding. I currently own a road bike which isnt too great for innercity riding. How much can cross bikes handle? small jumps/bunny hops? If I were to get an MTB it would prob be hardtail because full suspension seems a bit overkill for my purpose but I like the style of cross bikes better since theyre more road oriented in geometry.

Another question, where do yall buy your bikes? I dont think I have seen that many if any at LBS in my city.

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[amahana1]

A cross bike will handle small jumps and bunny hops with no problem. I have ridden many a single track and fire foad on mine and it does great.

Where to buy them can be tricky. Not many LBS carry cross bikes and if they do they are usually one or two models.

[ehammarlund]

A surprising # iof LBS in my area carry Redline. You may find the same. And of course, a shop that is Lemond or Cannondale (or Trek) can get you a cross bike. I think that the 'standard' Redline Conquest, Poprad, or Cannondales run about $1000 (conquest) to maybe $1200-1300. Or you can build one (I just did) which will cost a tad more but get you just what you want, for example a non-compact crank, lighter or more durable wheels, or a triple if that's your thing.

If you're going to build, you might look into some of the mailorder offerings like the Douglas and the Motobecane cross bikes. With a lot of the bikesdirect stuff the frame is essentially free. So long as you're willing to replace it if you hate the frame, and so long as the components are satisfactory, that's a functional albeit riskier bet.

[cyclintom]

It's all in the tires. A cyclocross bike can mount huge tires (caution - come CAN'T) which makes it seem bulletproof. But be careful - the frame really isn't much stronger than a street frame.

Of course this also implies that a Touring bike with 35 mm tires would work well in the environment you're discussing. Or an older road bike (or a new Rivendell) for that matter with sufficient clearance.