Originally Posted by
JonathanGennick
I sort of agree with this. Don't rule suspension out too quickly. Do you see most other riders on full-suspension bikes? What other riders are on sometimes gives an indication as to what sort of bike is suitable for local conditions. Also, suspension helps with climbing by keeping your rear tire planted. And suspension helps with going down even if you are not ripping it. OTOH, it is more costly and time-consuming to maintain.
Are there any rental places near you? Would be worth renting a hardtail for a day, and then a suspension bike for the day. See how you felt about them. Might help you to decide.
I'm in this boat. While I'm a couple decades younger than you, I am 12 years into a rugby career. And although I won't say we have as many rocks as Arizona, my local trail is a bumpy beast (and we have this nonsense obstacle called a 'root'). Combine that with the fact that the best riding season is rugby season, and my back, knees, and feet reeeeally wish I had the cash available to go full suspension with my last purchase. Even if my lungs are for some reason not about to explode, sometimes it just wears me out on that hardtail.
I will be looking seriously into a Transition Scout or Smuggler when the time comes. It's got enough rear suspension to seemingly reduce the abuse on my back, but not so much that I'll be losing a bunch of energy to the bounce. And plenty up front. This is, of course, all theory...
Also, definitely check out what other local people are riding. For me, it's about 85%-15% on full suspension to hardtails around here.
I'm with you. I just don't fully trust salespeople at shops. Purely because they're salespeople and their opinions and interests may not align properly with mine. Not that they aren't invaluable, but you should be educated going in. But that's my approach when purchasing pretty much everything. No offense to you folks working in sales
