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Welcome to BikeShoppingForums! The OFFICIAL What Should I Buy? thread

Old 09-24-11, 01:08 PM
  #76  
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Originally Posted by rat fink
Do any of you have experience with running a road saddle on a bike that sees mostly trail/AM
I've run a Flite on a number of my mtbs over the years (including dh) and never had any problems. On the other hand I have bent rails on supposed freeride/dh saddles.

Ti rails are the only type I've never bent, so I would be inclined to trust a ti railed road saddle over a cromo railed mtb saddle.
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Old 09-25-11, 01:32 PM
  #77  
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update on new frame selection

well as much as i hate to say i have nixed the possibility of a yeti for my new frame. I think the BB is just too low for the techy rock gardens around here. So now its between the 11' Ibis Mojo HD or the 12' Trek Slash. LBS carries both brands and will cut me a deal on either frame. Wouldnt be able to pick up the Slash till mid November but at this point its what im leaning towards due to the lack of ISCG tabs on Mojo and my concerns about the durability of carbon fiber. Anybody have any experience with carbon frames? The weight savings would be nice, but like i said I ride rocky terrain and crash frequently so I'm not sure if that would mix well with carbon.
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Old 09-25-11, 02:09 PM
  #78  
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Originally Posted by YamiRider1316
I ride rocky terrain and crash frequently so I'm not sure if that would mix well with carbon.
It seems to me that any impact that would destroy a carbon frame would likely destroy an aluminum one as well.
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Old 09-25-11, 11:43 PM
  #79  
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^^ Isn't Sam's Club just an oversized Wal-Mart where you can get your pork rinds or NASCAR ball caps in 55-gallon-drum quantities?
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Old 09-26-11, 03:11 AM
  #80  
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Sams Club is klassier and more exklusive. Not just anyone can become a member.
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Old 09-26-11, 08:00 AM
  #81  
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Bikes sold at department/big box stores aren't built with the intention of riding off-road. You would be far better off buying a 80's mtb for $100 off of Craigslist. If it wasn't originally sold at a bike shop, it's not going to be worth your time.
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Old 09-26-11, 08:39 AM
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I actually just bought a Camber, recently (like this weekend) for 1500. It's a great time to buy! I like it a lot. I have ridden specialized with Shimano and others with SRAM and personally as of right now, I do like SRAM. It transitions a lot smoother. My camber has shimano and it's good. But SRAM i did try out were x9 vs the XT shimano so it is not a fair comparison.

What your brother needs to do is to ride all of the bikes and see how he likes it. If all he is doing is trail riding with no drops or no crazy uphill, I suggest a Rock Hopper for about 900 or even a Hard rock for cheaper. They will both be HT of course.
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Old 09-26-11, 08:40 AM
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Originally Posted by cryptid01
Sams Club is klassier and more exklusive. Not just anyone can become a member.
Haha! wasn't that in a movie?
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Old 09-26-11, 09:57 AM
  #84  
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Originally Posted by Bike or Dye
. . . with no drops or no crazy uphill, . . . .
+ rep for the adjective 'crazy' being attached to the uphill instead of the drop.
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Old 09-26-11, 01:48 PM
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Originally Posted by dminor
+ rep for the adjective 'crazy' being attached to the uphill instead of the drop.
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Old 09-26-11, 03:37 PM
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lol@the crazy uphill video.
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Old 09-26-11, 03:42 PM
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Whoa . . . don't think I've ever seen one with that much vertical lip at the top. Holy cow.
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Old 09-26-11, 04:10 PM
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Will you be doing any crazy uphills with it?
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Old 09-26-11, 04:28 PM
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CaptainSlow, if you're in Black Mountain, you're really close to some sweet DJ's, so I would definitely get something that could handle those.

Seriously, you are lucky because there are a number of excellent bike shops in your area, especially Sycamore Cycles down in Pisgah Forest.[/shameless plug]

I advise you to go to all of them and ride as many different bikes as possible.
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Old 09-27-11, 07:15 AM
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I recently received a free 1995 Gary Fisher Paragon. I don't currently have a mountain bike. If it fits me, is it worth dropping ~$150 on? It has an RS Quadra 21 suspension fork. Is that any good? Will it need any sort of rebuilding? The bike also needs needs new cables/housing, chain, brake pads, tubes and tires.
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Old 09-27-11, 07:35 AM
  #91  
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Originally Posted by CaptainSlow
DJ's?? What does that mean? I'm new to this and don't have all of the acronyms down yet.
DJ = dirt jumper. Basically a mountain bike with a really slack geometry so you can whip it around more easily, similar to a BMX bike.

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Old 09-27-11, 07:47 AM
  #92  
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Originally Posted by otismedina
I recently received a free 1995 Gary Fisher Paragon. I don't currently have a mountain bike. If it fits me, is it worth dropping ~$150 on? It has an RS Quadra 21 suspension fork. Is that any good? Will it need any sort of rebuilding? The bike also needs needs new cables/housing, chain, brake pads, tubes and tires.
Check the frame for any hairline fractures/dents (not dings, bit legitimate dents). If it has any, toss the frame. If the frame's okay & the components seem to work alright, I'd say go for it.

I would start with replacing the brake cable/housing so you can check & make sure the brakes function properly, then the pads to see how well they grip the wheels. That way if the brakes don't work well & you decide it's not worth it to invest in new ones, you're only out ~$35. If the brakes work & there doesn't seems to be anything hindering the crankset & wheels from turning, then go ahead & finish it up with tubes & tires & head to the nearest trail
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Old 09-27-11, 07:52 AM
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The bike has been sitting outside for about six months. How will I know if the fork needs repair or refurbishing? Is this something I can do myself?
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Old 09-27-11, 08:01 AM
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Hm...fork repair is a bit beyond my pay grade, so for a detailed explanation we may need to wait for someone with more experience.

But as far as checking to see if the fork still works properly, just sit the bike upright & see how the fork compresses when you push down on the handlebars. It should feel like there's enough cushion to make the fork useful, but there should also be enough resistance that you can't bottom out the fork just by pushing down on it.
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Old 09-27-11, 08:12 AM
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Great! Thanks for your help.
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Old 09-27-11, 10:00 AM
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Originally Posted by samburger
DJ = dirt jumper. Basically a mountain bike with a really slack geometry so you can whip it around more easily, similar to a BMX bike.
Not necessarily slack. This guy's pretty steep actually:


Burly, short travel, often (but not always) hardtail, short seat tube so the saddle stays out of the way, often a short chainstay to make manuals a little easier, often singlespeed (though some of them are 1x9 or whatever), 24" or 26" wheels, generally aluminum or chromoly (though there was just a carbon DJ posted up here a couple days ago).
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Old 09-27-11, 10:09 AM
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Originally Posted by CaptainSlow
So it appears that there are very few bikes in my price range. Right now, I'm debating between the Gary Fisher Mako and the Trek 820. Since Trek owns Gary Fisher, would it be safe to assume these two bikes are on the same level in performance?
No, those bikes are not the same. Fork and components are similar, but the Mako is aluminum and the 820 is steel. I'd ride them both and see which one's geometry fits you better. If they both feel exactly the same, I'd probably take the aluminum one, but that's just my personal preference as far as frame materials go, and there will be people who disagree with me. If the 820 was full-chromoly, I'd give it the nod, but it's not. If you can get yourself one step up in the price bracket, do so, because you'll get a bike with geometry built around a 100mm travel fork, which will set you up better for upgrades in the future. Or start checking Craigslist looking for used bikes.
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Old 09-27-11, 11:09 AM
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^^Riser handlebars high enough to require a cross brace & a DH stem, & you wouldn't call that slack? What am I not noticing about that setup that gives it a steep geometry?
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Old 09-27-11, 11:12 AM
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You're digging a hole, Sam. Time to learn something new today.
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Old 09-27-11, 11:15 AM
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Haha I'm not trying to challenge her, that would be like jumping into the ocean & telling a shark how to swim. I'm honestly just curious, maybe I'm misunderstanding the meaning of "slack geometry", maybe it only looks slack to the untrained eye, I really don't know

So please Zephyr, teach me something today
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