Mountain Biking - which bike should i buy?

im 15 and i have a specialized fsr xc with discs right now and i did a ton of riding this summer. but, most of my riding was on the road. i have full right now and its a pain to do road with a rear shock. yes u can pump it up, but its still not lockout. i want a rear lockout bike and maybe a front. right now im thinking about 2 different bikes.......im thinking EITHER cannondale jekyll 600 (http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/cusa/model-4VN6D.html) disc or specialized stumpjumper elite disc (http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=6785). i havent test ridden them yet, but i want to know what your guys' opinion is on them. and, if there is anything else i should check out in the $1800-2200 range. thanks a lot.

-matt

why dont you just get a hardtail?

why dont you just get a hardtail?

because i still go offroad. i want versatility and a good bike. i do some serious single track so dont doubt me about offroading.

keep the fsr for trails and get a hardtail for street

oh and if it's the lockout feature you really want why buy a whole new bike??? that's stupid crazy. just buy a shock with a lockout.

If you really REALLY want a new bike, get a hardtail for the road. If you don't want a hardtail, get a new rear shock with a lockout as montlake said.

Good luck!!

-Garrett

getting a new rear shock is a whole lot cheaper than buying a new bike.

Or, if you are riding on the road for just riding on the road (not jumping around, etc) you could buy a *GASP* road bike. Or, if you want a trail bike and "street" bike (ERRRBUN) then getting a hardtail and throwing some slicks on it would be a good choice.

If you just hate the bob on the road, just get a new fork and shock with lockout...You don't need a new bike.

heres part 2. my FSR is pretty crappy. i hate to call it crappy, but i am. its got a JUDY fork which is in need of replacing and overall, the frame isnt that good. plus, its getting too small for me. it was 900 bucks new base. then i put on discs and eggbeaters and a speedo and bag and stuff to crank it up to about 1200 or 1300. so, basically i am need of a new bike. i really like riding offroad so i still want full, but with lockout for the road. i dont really want a road bike because then its strictly road AND i need a new trail bike then too. so with lockout, i can have the best of both worlds. in addition to rear lockout, what do you guys think of front lockout? is it really necessary for riding on the road? thanks.

A bike cannont do everything well. you said that you did MOST of your riding on the road...that means that a bike that is good on the ROAD is what you need, and that is not a full suspension with a lockout, it is a ROAD bike or at the very least, a hardtail. Why don't you keep your FSR, and buy a another bike that is better for the road, you wont get anything for your FSR anyway.

I really don't think the front lockout is neccessary for road riding but I guess it does help if you want every little bit of your energy to go into your pedaling.


since youhave $1800-2200 then I would get new shocks for the specialized and then buy a nice road bike with the leftover money. There ya go, nowyouhave a mountain bike with lockout and a nice road bike.

I Cannot Keep The Fsr Because It Is Too Small.

For $800.00 bucks you can get a new Surly Crosscheck, a cyclocross bike that would be good on the road and on mild trails. The components are entry level, but the bike is a solid deal. Take the rest of the money and get a frame and fork to mount the rest of your MTB components on. MTBs just don't compare to road geometry bikes on pavement.

Buy an EPIC!

Or any of the new XC bikes with inertia valve technology for the suspension.

Then, get some semi-slicks or full-slicks when you hit the pavement.

L8R

I would have to say the Epic does seem a good choice for you its a fast FS bike for the trail but it should not be to uncomfortable on road either. If your not that serious a road rider and just want to commute a decent FS bike with lockout is fine for the road. As you seem to know ;)

make that an epic s-works..hehe

That was $2000, not $4500!

L8R