Originally Posted by
jsigone
sorry just cuz the 8spd is cheaper, its not better and more then a decade old, old design, old weights, old reliablity. MTB is all about gear range, new bikes should come w/ modern parts.
Agree — after going from and old Shimano Deore LX to an 8 or 9 speed it's amazing how much quicker and smoother the Deore shifts — if you plan to ride it a lot in challenging up and down, rooty singletrack the extra cost is worth it, IMO.
Also the extra range in gears matters more to me on an MTB than on a road bike sometimes.
That said, I have a Kona Blast hardtail (26) in the quiver and it's a fun bike, good frame, although the shock (low end Marzocchi) adjustment dials jammed, grrr. Tyres were barely so-so, so that's something you want to factor in to cost - are they up to snuff for you, or will you want to replace soon?
These days, my old and cranky back insists on full boing (Rockhopper FSR which was full boing back in 2000 ish, and has been a delight for a decade), so I only borrow my son's Kona (BTW he's 6'3" -- 230+) when the Rockhopper's in the shop.
I've worn through or replaced plenty of parts of the rockhopper -- tyres, fork, rear shock, front rim, saddle, post, one shifter, cranks, pedals, of the Rockhopper over time--sometimes I wonder if that's just the way it goes unless you buy high-end to begin with, and even then, some things are only going to last so long.