Originally Posted by
celerystalksme
what would you guys suggest? i want to bike around town...bike on singletracks...dirt roads...unpaved paths (dirt, rock, wooded, whatever)...take it out in the winter...stuff like that. no extreme jumping...no flying down sheef cliff like hills at breakneck speeds...no stunts. maybe small jumps...modest downhill speeds, on modest grades...some climbing for sure...and just rough terrain.
can anyone suggest models?
i really liked that gunnar rockhound...even if it was ugly and might have been a tiny bit too big...should have snatched it up. should i go hardtail or full suspension?
right now i'm looking at a 2004 santa cruz blur...a salsa el santo...a deal on a 2008 santa cruz blur lt...a titus racer-x...and a 2007 specialized epic.
but maybe all those bikes are too much bike for my needs? help please!
In reality, for the use your describing, all the mentioned bikes above are way overkill and for more serious riding. Not to mention the price. For what your gonna use it, I would just get a $350-$400 hardtail, any of the big brand names Trek, Giant, Specialized, etc. They can take more punishment then you can dish out provided you are not a super heavy person. Before I got my $4K Blur, I once raced a $350 hardtail, 45 miles, with 8,000 feet of climbing and some semi-technical descents, a 6+ hour ride, and it lived through it. And I still own it. Now it serves as my winter training bike. Save your money for when you really get serious and you know what you want.