Originally Posted by
Gambutrol
I recently got into mountain biking and I've been riding a hardtail on some of the great southwestern Ohio singletrack trails. Last weekend I was able to demo a $5000 fancy carbon fiber full suspension rig for a few hours and I was instantly hooked. However, I always read stories about the shocks on old mountain bikes being "shot" or losing their amount of travel after several years of riding. Is this true even for the higher-end models?
I weigh 120 lbs and would like to get a full suspension mountainbike, but I'd just like to know how long I should expect it to last before dropping $2000 or so.
...Or maybe I should just suck it up and stick with the hardtail.
I have a Cannondale Super V 700. I have never rebuilt the suspension. So far so good. I have stored it inside all of its life. Just getting back into some serious singletrack with a friend who has 2009 Giant, we came off the trail last time we rode together and his front fork was weeping oil and mine was fine. Same trails!
@ 120lbs I am think you are not going to work a suspension near as hard as I do at 200lbs.