OnyxTiger

Hey all,

Thanks in advance for any and all feedback.

I started riding last year in May, and since have 2,400 mi on the road. Just last week, a buddy of mine invited me to hit the trails with him and I had an absolute blast. So now it seems my next +1 will be a mountain bike. Here's where I'm at right now:

- Current weight 270 lbs... would like my ideal riding weight to be 200-210 (muscle mass from football ain't going nowhere, would put me in the 11-15% bf region).
- Being a clyde, I definitely want to make sure I can climb. Used a FS... and the pedals kept hitting rocks and stopped my climbs. That's frustrating.
- Budget would like to keep as low as possible... so looking for best bang for the buck. Don't want cheap, especially because I anticipate banging it up, and don't want to have to worry about broken frames or parts I have to replace every couple months. I'd be hard-pressed to hit near $1K, so hoping there's some good prospects out there.
- Said MTB may also be the family joyride rig, sitting the little one on a wee-ride between myself and the cockpit on the top tube.
- Would probably end up mixing up MTB with road, so maybe doing about 20-30 mi/week on the MTB.


Where do I start? So far I know there's XC, Enduro, Hardtails, Rigid, and Full Suspension, and Fatty but not sure which one would benefit me the most. Would love a fatty, but not sure what kind of range I could cover on it, as they seem heavy and I wonder about its climbing abilities. I'm also wondering if some of these bikes (XC, Enduro) are way past my current skillset and budget.


Any recommendations for my situation? Thanks

osco53

Pedal strikes happen ... If this FS was set up for you oh well..if not you were too deep in the travel...normal sag settings are 25% for most.. More for faster more aggressive rides..to 30-35%..
Try that bike again at 20% sag front and rear. The strikes may be bad climbing technic ..
Grab a hard tail from your local bike shop..just follow their good advise..270lbs plus ride gear..you should be safe..just ride light..that's a technical skill BTW....keep an eye on your wheels and drop some fat..
Get to it.....

osco53

Pass on the fat tire bikes...heavy wheels no thanks

Pendergast

That's a tough one. Heavy rider, rocky Phoenix area trails, and a low budget. A full-suspension bike would be nice, but you can forget new and would need to be pretty lucky to find something suitable used.

I second the advice to see what the local shops would recommend for you.

osco53

Yeah true, I want to add this,
I truly believe that a hard tail Is a great teacher for new riders, They tend to smack you In the beehind end when you screw up. Zah !
They make you do it right, like 'Riding light', that is a very Important skill....

Riding light is learning to use your legs and arms as shock absorber's and this helps protect the bike, (Mainly the wheels) from severe Impacts.
This Intern Improves balance and power and this is the ticket to the 'Flow' and That is what we seek

And that brings you to the oldest of lessons,, You get what you pay for, and that leads to one constant many of us have learned...

A good Hard tail for a guy your size will set you back $800-$1,000
A Good Full Suspension for a guy your size or any one for that matter starts at about $3,000

I started lower on both types,,upgraded the HT to the thou level from $700....
Started on a $2,000 Full squish and got $2,700 In It now.....

Besides, crashing on a 1k hard tail is far far better than bashing up a 3 grand full squish,,

We all fall but less as we progress~~~

OnyxTiger

Will try that setting on sag. TBH I didn't even know about settings on this. I do have a good amount of blub to trim off too you're right.

Thanks for the advice. Will check the shops out.

Great info again, thanks for that insight.

Wingsprint

Rear suspension is overrated for someone in your situation- too much cost and complexity. To get started, get a 29er hardtail that can run larger tires. Aluminum or steel frame with a 140mm to 150mm fork will be perfect. I am sure you can find many excellent used hardtails in the Valley area for under a grand.

wvridgerider

I weigh 290, and the Karate Monkey has been a great

osco53

For me the right bike vanishes from under me when I reach the 'Flow'~~
When things go right and I am In the Zone the bike has little to do with it.

When your new at this you focus on the bike, After some time passes you focus more on the ride.

Sort out the bike,,,basically ride what you got or pick what you can afford because this bike will not be your last and
when you're ready for your second you will know what you want and actually need..

Focus on yourself,
Get loose, stay loose,
Get Stronger, get Into the hurt locker and learn to love it,
Learn how to fuel up and hydrate,
Learn how to look down the trail and NOT down at your front tire,
The farther down the trail you look the slower time moves and that means you are going faster,,yeah ponder that one
on your next ride....
You can do far more than you think even on a lesser bike...

Less is often better

cave12man

I'm 6'1" and 225-235 depending on how much I ate at lunch. Was in the same situation as you, loved road biking, buddy got me on the trail, and I was hooked. If you can stomach BikesDirect, I'd go that route. Do your research, find your fit, and you can't go wrong. Especially with your budget. I have a Motobecane Fantom29 Elite (which used to be around $700) and absolutely love it. Since modified it quite a bit, but who doesn't?

Looks like they've switched around they're pricing though. Other than the Elite (which is now $999), these would be comparable which are both at $799.

Fantom 29 X7
Save up to 60% off new Mountain Bikes - MTB - Motobecane Fantom 29 X7 Rockshox SRAM 3x10SP, WTB TCS Tubeless Compatible, 29er Mountain Bikes

Fantom 29 Comp
Save up to 60% off new Mountain Bikes - MTB - Motobecane Fantom 29Elite