KimPossible

I've been road riding since March and just upgraded a few weeks ago from a hyrbrid/comfort bike to a Dolce Elite. LOVE IT. Any of you ladies looking for a WSD road bike? Try this one!

Anyways, on to the MTB. I'm really enjoying the road riding but even at 42, I'm just one of girls that likes to get dirty. I have a hard tail that is really old, no front shock and is actually too small so I'm looking to purchase. I went to my LBS and test rode the Myka HT Expert and Myka FSR Comp. My intention was 100% to get a hard tail but I liked the full suspension. However, there's quite a price difference and I don't want to do what I did in March and get a bike that I will out grow too quickly. Here are my concerns/questions.

1. First off, I'm 5'9 and 250lbs. That's rapidly decreasing, I've averaging a 6-8lb lose per month but will I kill the full suspension? The LBS says the shock is adjustable to weight but I want hear about someone's personal experience.
2. Is full suspension only for the benefit of downhill riding? How much will I lose climbing? With my road bike I've greatly improved with my uphill riding but uphill on dirt is different.
3. In getting myself reacquainted with MTB riding, will the full suspension softness hinder me?

I don't mind spending the extra $$ but mostly I want feel secure and in control while relearning. Also, one other thing I'd like to mention is, here in Ft. Worth there are several gravel path sections to the Trinty Trails. I'd like to use this bike for the gravel paths as well.

Thank you in advance!

Tom Stormcrowe

You might look at this bike


https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=35468

or one of the higher end bikes.

txvintage

Welcome KimPossible! Nice to see a local, well, somewhat local anyway! Love the screen name, and I confess I watch the cartoon too

I can't offer much advice on a MTB for actual off road use. I'm just not that informed. My general impressions are that the suspension adds a significant amount of weight and if you are not racing, may have some diminishing returns. It also adds another level of upkeep in air and oil levels.

I just learned that the lake I live close too (about 2 miles) has some off road trails in place and will be adding more. I'll be following the thread to see what the responses are, since my MTB experience was using one with slicks for riding on the road when I first started back in the Spring.

I wish I lived closer to the Trinity Trail system. I have a buddy in Grand Prairie that rides it all the time and he raves about the rides.

txvintage

https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=34181

Holy Disposable Dollars Batman!

Fern53

I have been testing road bikes for a few weeks now and keep going back to the Dolce Elite, myself. I'm 55 and had been apprehensive about dropped handlebars, but every time I ride the Dolce it miraculously feels "right" to me. Wonderful bike.

c_m_shooter

If you are going to be riding in Fort Worth you will be riding Sansom Park, Northshore and Knob hill I guess? You don't need full suspension for any of the those trails, I ride them on a single speed full rigid, but I need a day or two to recover and I'm only 30. I would go for the full suspension if you can afford it just to save you from the beatings from all the rock gardens. The rear shock should have a lockout, learn where it is because you will be doing some climbing at Sansom. Also check out the Fort Worth Mountain Bike Association, they have a seperate group of women riders who meet for there own rides and clinics.

KimPossible

I don't mind spending $$ but not $$$$$$$. But I'd love to.

I will probably be riding Samson and Knob Hill. I'm currently trying to reach the Dust Bunnies at FWMTB and see who I might could hook with to ride. My husband is really good MTB rider but I'd like ride to with their group as well and learn from them.

I think I'll go with the hard tail and keep the other money for an Edge 305. Thanks for the advise!

Richard_Rides

Nice! I have a Full Suspension MTB and keep the rear shocked locked out. I would never by another FSR, it's just way too much for the trail plonking I do. Riding an FSR on the street with the rear shock activated is like running in quicksand, it sucks about 30% of your power. Next MTB will be a hard tail.

It's great to have a road bike *and* an MTB. Really makes you a well rounded cyclist. Party on, Kim!

EDIT: The 305 is great for mountain biking. I like to view my rides on Goggle Earth and look for hidden fun trails I couldn't see at ground level.

Wogster

One issue with mountain bikes, and this is something to watch for the heavier rider, most shocks are designed for riders under about 175lbs or so, exceptions are some of the very expensive air shocks. Light weight oil and spring shocks will bounce too much with a heavy rider, and they get softer with age. Light weigh air shocks will tend to lose air too quickly, so you need to keep re-inflating them.

Bikes with rear shocks, suck big time on up hills, because the shock absorbs a lot of the energy, so you need to spend more time in the granny. Compared to you Dolce, any mountain bike is going to suck, suspensions suck up a lot of energy, and add a lot of weight to the bike....

KimPossible

When I rode in my 20's I started with a MTB then moved to a road bike. I guess I'm going backwards now! I got back in to riding for two purposes, one was health, but the other was so I could commute to work. I am so fortunate that I live 1 mile from the Trinity Trail system here and I can take that trail for over half of my 12 mile commute.

I did stop commuting towards the end of July because of the extreme heat in the afternoon and the fact that the ride home is straight in to the sun. Also, on top of that, I was still riding my hybrid during that time and geometry of those bikes make it tough to get any "pedal power". They're heavy, don't have the best components but, it got back in to riding so I'm glad I got it.

Right now I'm riding 20 miles each morning and then I usually ride once over the weekend. I'd like to change the weekend ride to be in the dirt and I hope to get back to commuting by the end of September. Hopefully next year I'll be in better shape and will have the chance to better acclimate myself to the weather so I don't have to give up the commuting.

I'm the type of person that's get bored doing the same thing all the time so having both bikes will be great. I think my next quest will be a long bike. https://www.surlybikes.com/bigdummy.html With where I live, I could do most everything I need to do with a bike 90% of the year. But I'm saving that for 2009. I need to deal with what I got going now.

Missbumble 

I have the Dolce Elite too - Great bike, easy to shift - and very pretty! Can i say that here? or am I supposed to be all about the ride...heck I like that it is pretty!

OK g-luck with the mountain bike - I betcha I will be on one soon, too!

KimPossible

I understand drop bar concern. My daughter has the Dolce and it comes with in-line brake levers at the top of the bars. The Dolce Elite does not. I got this bike to ride in the Hotter'N Hell Hundred and got it exactly one week before the ride. I wanted to add the in-line levers prior to the ride but the all LBS were slammed trying to get bikes ready for the HHH. I'm finally getting them added this Tuesday and after that, I think it will be perfect. Again, I love this bike. Highly, highly recommend it to anyone.