Mountain Biking - Best FS bike for XC around $1000 + or -

I'd like to get a full suss bike that will be good for all kinds of riding. I'd call my riding style leisure with an occasional wild hair. I've looked at the Specialized FSR XC and the Kona Kikapu. I liked the FSR better of these 2. I know an HT might fill the bill here, but I really want the FS. Any other suggestions would be very welcome. - Thanks

I think your best bet would be the specialized fsr XC if you want to go fs in that pricerange. But almost all bike brands make low end fs bikes. Just try to test ride as much as possible and purchase the one that feels right.

Dude, listen up, I saw a 2004 Jamis Dakar XC Comp for $1000 the other day. The bike retails at $1500 and comes with a component package that is second to none for that price range. Rather than looking for bikes that MSRP at $1000, go to all the shops and look for closeouts that are marked down to the $1000 range. This takes some patience and compromise, but you will get a much better bike for your hard earned money. I took my time, looked arouns, kept myself from getting stuck on 1 company and ended up with a $2300 bike for $1400. Good luck.

I like Specialized as well, but chose a HARO because I couldn't mailorder a Specialized to undercut what ridiculous prices my LBS wanted for them. HARO makes a good bike for the price, trust me.

I bought my girlfriend the FSR XC last Xmas, she loves it. Great componants for the price and love that lockout fork.

FSR

tourist, do whatever you can do to test a dw-link suspension, then locate an Iron Horse Hollowpoint Sport. I've seen the 2004 closeouts as low as $900 pricepoint, and the pedaling and responsiveness characteristics of the Sport are every bit as good as the better-spec'd Expert and Team models.

I stumbled upon Iron Horse and the dw-link about two years ago, when it was a little known company -- especially out here on the west coast. Their bikes are still difficult to find locally, but they have spread the dw-link suspension across the entire lineup this year, from their XC machine to their DH rig. Dave Weagle is a certified genius and has some ideas about suspension theory that just haven't been attempted in the bike world previously.

Pay a visit to the Iron Horse Forums on MTBR (http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?f=40) to read up.

tourist, do whatever you can do to test a dw-link suspension, then locate an Iron Horse Hollowpoint Sport. I've seen the 2004 closeouts as low as $900 pricepoint, and the pedaling and responsiveness characteristics of the Sport are every bit as good as the better-spec'd Expert and Team models.

I stumbled upon Iron Horse and the dw-link about two years ago, when it was a little known company -- especially out here on the west coast. Their bikes are still difficult to find locally, but they have spread the dw-link suspension across the entire lineup this year, from their XC machine to their DH rig. Dave Weagle is a certified genius and has some ideas about suspension theory that just haven't been attempted in the bike world previously.

Pay a visit to the Iron Horse Forums on MTBR (http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?f=40) to read up.

Wohoo, another DW fan. Yeah his stuff is amazing, I would never discount an ironhorse. :)

OT: DW-link
Check it out even Independent Fabrications is starting to use the DW-link
http://www.ifbikes.com/frames2/tungsten-electrode.shtml
a little over priced though.

Just a little...holy crap thats expensive.

4 Grand for the Frame and shock? Umm I'll just go build an S-works thanks

4 Grand for the Frame and shock?
That sounds more like tandem territory to me...

4 Grand for the Frame and shock?

No joke. Indy Fab's build quality has always impressed me, but that's just too dang much scratch. I can't see past the numbers. I don't imagine those frames will be flying out of the shop in any quantity.

On the other hand, the Iron Horse frame quality, while no match for IF, is pretty nice this year (especially for the price). The welds are consistant and they're getting into some detail work that I haven't seen in Taiwanese-made mass produced frames in the past. Especially impressive is the elevated chainstay on the MkIII, (http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=84431), as well as the detail around the frame's forged yoke. Not as impressive as some smaller US shops are turning out using slim & sexy machined brackets & linkages, but those frames tend to cost a bit more money and no dw-link :(

http://gallery.consumerreview.com/webcrossing/images/hpm3(3).jpg

Hey! I've got a custom frame that uses that same design. I was told the frame would have cost about $3,500 to manufacture (in 2000 I think) but the actual cost was quite a bit more, as it was part of a now defunct bike company's racing program, and built by their R&D guys. Horst links weren't quite as big then I think.