Peek the Geek

I'm thinking about making the switch to Full Suspension and am wondering if I should go for 4" or 5" of travel. I live in Wisconsin, so long descents and climbs are not really an issue, just a lot of short, steep rollers. I'm more concerned with finding a mix of efficiency and comfort on the tight, twisty singletrack I typically ride. No drops or jumps.

I'll participate in a couple citizen class races, and I'd like to keep up with the hardtails in group rides, but I'm tired of getting jarred into submission riding root-covered trails or through rock gardens.

Would a 4" bike be too racy? Would a 5" bike be overkill? Just looking for some opinions here.

Maelstrom 

A well designed 5 in could beat out a poorly designed 4 in. In general through from what you describe, 4 will feel like butter and still be good for something a bit racey.

Once you hit 5in travel the geometry starts to slacken up which becomes more freeriderish. It really depends on your existing geometry.

Peek the Geek

Current geometry on my hardtail is a 71 degree head angle and 73.5 seat angle. As for suspension design, my budget would be around $2500. Some brands I'm looking at are Rocky Mountain, Specialized, Jamis, Santa Cruz and Trek, though I'm open to other suggestions (and I'd go for a Titus if I came into a sudden windfall ).

LowCel 

Have you considered an Ellsworth Truth? Cambria Bike has the 2005 model frame extremely cheap. It normally retails for $1,995. They have it for $1,199. The only catch is that they come with a coil shock so it is a bit heavier. The only other problem is that they only have 16" and 20" frames. There is always the possibility of a price match from somewhere else though.

dminor 

For nontechnical riding with a 'racishness' (I know, it's not a word ) character, I'd go 4". Sounds like you're looking for just enough suspension to soak up the technical and make your riding smoother and more efficient. RM Element (3") or ETSX (4"+) or a Jamis Dakar might be just about right?

Pheard

Well, I don't have much experience. But from reviews I've read, and people I've talked too. The stumpy fsr line is great, and smooths out trails amazingly. It also, has rear and front lockout to keep up with hardtails on long xc rides.

You could easily find, a stumpjumper comp, or expert marked down and within your price range.


Msrp: 2000


Msrp: 2200


Msrp: 2800

I've found both bikes at multiple shops, for 1999$ and 2500$. Im sure if you looked around and really wanted the experts specs you could find it for 2500. Otherwise I'd suggest the comp.

Peek the Geek

Sure, I'd like to go with an Ellsworth, but I don't want to cheap out on parts, so I'd have to cannibalize my hardtail to keep things within budget. I'm not sure if I want to give up the hardtail yet, though. As for looking for closeout deals, I'm not gonna knock myself out trying to find a great bargain this time around. I'll probably pay close to full retail just to get the latest suspension and my choice of sizes and colors.

Peek the Geek

The more reviews I read in magazines, the more I think I'm leaning toward 4". The ETSX is one I was considering, though I don't have a Rocky dealer here in town.

LowCel 

Completely understandable. When spending this kind of money it is important to get exactly what you want.

ed 

It sounds like you want just enough suspension to smooth out the trail. If you don't do any drops, jumps, or fun descents...there's not much reason for a Stumpjumper. I would recommend the Specialized Epic, Giant Anthem, or Gary Fisher Raceday bikes.

The Epic has the "brain fade" rear shock that everyone is raving about. I'm not a fan of platform, but since you're coming from a hardtail...you'd probably love it. The Giant Anthem has been killing everyone with the new Maestro suspension design. (sure Santacruz has been doing it for a while, but who can afford one of those? Not me.) I kinda have a soft spot for Gary Fisher bicycles. He get's away with the more "Wild Card" stuff like 29'ers and Genesis Geometry and mass produces it so the blue collar guy's can have a good time with it. The Genesis Geometry is great. It puts more weight over the rear tire so you get better climbing traction and descending control. Manuals are a breeze.

I would LOVE to get one of those Gary Fisher Supercaliber Raceday 29'ers. Full suspension 29'er spec'd well for a list price of $2299. (cheaper at the shops, I'm sure) That would be perfect for what you're describing.

Go to fisherbikes.com and look under "race". Check out the Supercaliber and Supercaliber 29.

Peek the Geek

The Epic is a possibility, especially since I have two Specialized dealers in town. I know I definitely want more travel than the Anthem and Raceday bikes, though.

iamlucky13

I tend to think of the Epic (and that gorgeous Truth like Lowcel keeps pushing ) as more race-oriented bikes. Not that it sounds like they would hold you back any, but I think the Stumpy will be pretty close on efficiency but offer a little more relief on rougher trails.

Also, I think the same applies to the Giant Anthem compared to the Trance. And as long as we're mentioning Maestro suspension, we'd better not forget VPP with the spendy but beautiful Santa Cruz Blur and the Intense Spyder. I don't think many people realize how similar VPP and Maestro really are.

dminor 

The only ones who know for sure are probably the patent attorneys

Peek the Geek

It seems like a 4" bike generally costs more than a 5" bike with similar components? Is this usually true? Is it because of the lighter, more efficient frames on the 4" bikes?

iamthetas

my Canadian Devinci Guzzler is both. it has an on the fly travel adjustment for 3.5, 4.5 or 5.5 travel. mix in a 130mm TALAS fork and you've got the best of all worlds. it can be done for under $2500 easily but there are not a lot of dealers, though being closer to Canada than here in Va. there may be more than 1 dealer

Peek the Geek

Hey, I was kind of wondering about bikes with the adjustable travel. Sounds good, but there must be a drawback, right?

mtnbiker66

Just go with 7", you know you want to.

Pheard

No reason for the stumpy? Its not even a fr bikes it's classified on the specialized site as "xc trail", the op said he wanted something that could hang with the hardtails and handle some rockgardens, and roots. This bike would be perfect. Btw, it has 5 inches of rear travel. You can't go wrong with this bike

Peek the Geek

Which also happens to be one of my favorite pick-up lines.

BoSoxYacht

If you are looking at Jamis , you would be better off getting a 2003 or earlier model. in 2004 they changed designs(no longer a Horst Link) , But if you find a Dakar Expert or Pro frame it would make a great project bike. I love my Dakar, but wish the frame weighed less than 8 pounds.

vw addict

Peek, the Rocky ETSX would be the perfect bike. It has adjustable from and rear travel which not only allows you to tune the travel to the efficency you want, but also tune the geometry to make the bike act the way you want. I have one and love it, but mine is always in long travel mode and I have a taller 5" travel fork on it to slack it out more. It still rips singletrack, even with the slacker geometry.

iamthetas

yes there is. you will NOT be like the rest of the crowd. you will stand alone and have to tolerate the flak for not riding whatever everyone else is riding.
pedal bob on climbs, almost 0. weight penalty, 0. looks penalty, 0. others on the trail riding a Guzzler,0.
it does take a little getting used to having the options but its well worth it, like going from flats to clipless only a LOT less painful or time consuming.
I used to have trouble reaching down and changing travel but, just like gears, learned to adjust ahead of time

svendsenjoel

I would vote for 4 inch travel. I have one 5 inch travel bike (A Stumpjumper FSR) and think that unless you are riding on real hills (not something we have in Florida), or doing some light jumps/drops it will feel like overkill. It is by no means a bad bike, but the jump from 4 inches to 5 inches is a bigger one that I expected...yes it is much plusher, but at the cost of feeling a lot more distant. In a high speed descent, the slower steering and plusher feel would be a huge asset, but on a tight, reasonably smooth trail, I feel quite "overbiked" with 5 inches of travel. A shorter travel bike is going to feel a lot faster, lighter, and just generally more fun.

a2psyklnut

Hey Svend... where in FL?

Anyways, I think that with the current crop of bikes and designs. Manf. are thinking that 4" is a FSXC bike. Whereas the 5" is more All Mountain.

For what you've described of your riding, I'd stick with a more XC oriented bike. You can modify it to be more "leisurly". i.e. longer travel fork will slacken up the steering, shorter stem....etc.

Where you might find the weight penalty of an AM bike too much to bear.

If you do want to stick with an AM bike, I was on JensonUSA the other day and they had a great deal on a Yeti.https://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...Bike+2006.aspx

Might be right up your alley.

scrublover

You could always just go to as fat a tire on the back as your current frame will take, and run a bit lower pressure....

Or, test ride as many 4" and 5" bikes that you can. Buy the setup that feels best/fits best/fits your budget best.