Mountain Biking - Buying a new Freeride/ Long Distance Bike

Does anyone have any suggestions for a bike that can take 10 feet drops as well as do 1000 miles on a gravel road in Alaska? Also I'm looking to spend about 1000 -2600 dollars. I know Specialized makes lower priced bikes specifically I was looking at the Enduro Comp FS. Any thoughts?

10ft? Get a bighit

Enduro is a possibility.It can handle big drops (I have witness it throughout the summer on the mountain) however you had better be smooth. It is still just a trail bike and isn't built to take that kind of abuse. I actually use an old bighit comp for everything you describe.

Ironhorse sgs pro (Ithink it is pro...the one with the sherman single crown for 2000 cdn)

Kona coiler - it is speced poorly though, you might want a different fork

You're funny, a freeride/long distance bike......what do you think this is! BK?!

Listen to maelstrom, and get something like a kona coiler. Your gonna have a tough time with this one, 10ft drops and cross country don't mingle well at all. but it would be better to get a strong bike and punish yourself that 1000 miles, than to get paralyzed when the frame of an all mountain bike snaps on a drop. 10ft is big. Get a good helmet too.

1000 miles is a long way to lug a big FR bike. I don't know how much drop the 04 kona dj bikes can take, but they aren't hard to pedal at all. The site even says trails are also what it's suited for. But it also says that it's suited to ANYTHING. Which is what I do.

You're funny, a freeride/long distance bike......what do you think this is! BK?!

Depending on how big the freeride riding is (10ft to tranny is not signifigant to damage a bike) and how strong the rider is, this is totally feasible. I know of several riders who ride various bikes going further and bigger than 10ft. However they have made sacrifices on speed on the xc aspect.

Heck wade simmons pedals (or used to) up fromme on his rm7...

With all of the spv valving available now this type of bike is completely feastible. Although companies are calling them big mountain bikes and making them 6 and 6 front and back with spv valved forks and shocks.

This isn't a completely unrealistic request. Heck, at he didn't sayhe was looking for a bike under 100...that would have been nutty

Also, Check out what trek has to offer after interbike. The new models coming out seem very very promising for what you are looking for. (the session is the bike name)

In fact I betcha I am close to 1000miles ridden trails and xc plus doing a signifigant amount of dh and fr (I am not quite dropping 10 ft though)...too bad I don't use a computer on my bighit.

That new enduro would suit you nicely.

:eek: Have you thought about the new Specilized SX trail. They say it's a 6 in. travel trail bike that will take some big hits. Malestrom may have seem them testing it on the shore.

Yeah, the new specialized enduros are tight. They're an all mountain bike so you could do your xc stuff and still hit the drops.

I saw a couple in whistler. ummm....nice bike but signifigantly out of his price range. Specialized has left the poor people in their dust.

For me personally, if and when I need a new bike, specialized and ironhorse aren't on my wish lists any more.

Ah yes, theres always that nasty price tag. The same reason i'm not on a bullit

Ironically the bullit (never a fan anyways I don't like single pivots...but damn strong bike) and even v10 and vpfree are cheaper than what ironhorse and specialized have to offer...sad days indeed.

I see that the bighit and the Kona coiler would do what i'm asking but the Ironhorse SGS that's a DH bike?The Kona coiler looks like a good tough bike I would just purchase a new fork.

SGS is everything. They had a light freeride bike all the way to a dh pro bike. The light freeride bike is what I am talkign about

Your speaking of this bike: http://www.ironhorsebikes.com/products/freeride/sgs_pro.shtml
I seem to like it a little better from looking at the specs than the bighit although I still like the Kona coiler. I really have to go to my local bike shop and try these bikes out.

The kona Coiler might be the best of all these bikes for what you described. It can handle your 10ft. drops, and its light, and Ive been told its a good peddaler. The fork is not that big of a deal. Pop it off while it's still new, sell it for about $500, then see if you can get a marzocchi 66 or something.

Kona. Nothing left to be said. Well maybe Coiler or Stinky. I am biased but I have done 75mi rides (yes in one day and all in the back country) on mine and it was no problem. I would suggest the Coiler over the Stinky since they changed the Stinky a bit but I find them to be one of the best all around rigs out there.

:beer:

What did they change on the stinky?

More travel. A lot closer to the stab then before. The coiler I believe is 6in now which is what the stinkies used to be.

i would recomend any full suspension mtb from...go for the new 2005 specialized bighit or demo 8/9

Demo 9 would be too hard to push 1000 miles, and on 10ft drops there is no advantage it has over the bighit or a kona coiler.

check out a santa cruz heckler to i think it's a great 5" and 5" travel all mtn bike. it is really light especially compared to the coiler, so it is still a good climber and xc, but burly enough to handle some bit hits. also there is something to be said about the beauty and simplicity of the single pivot design and santa cruz have mastered it.
recently my bro picked up the '04 coiler dee-lux and i got the 04 heckler and we are both completely stoked, they each have their own advantages. ride as many bikes as you can and see what feels right.