Originally Posted by
chelboed
JRDEMASI:
I've been saying this for a while to people, it seems.
Don't upgrade the Giant. Just replace what breaks with something that will get you by for now. When you go on a MTB ride...try to decide what you like best about riding mountain bikes. Did you like "the scenery"...lap times and cranking hard up that hill to the point of vomit...shredding the gnarly sections and doing jumps and drops?
This will help you determine what type of bike will suit you. Then you can decide whether or not to upgrade the Giant. The Boulder would make a fair "Trail Bike" frame for riding trails at a social pace enjoying the outdoors. The Giant would not be well suited to GnarCore downhill riding, freeriding, dirt jumping, hardcore cross country racing / weight weenie'ing.
If any aspect begins to stick out for you...then you've got a plan.
Don't forget to take into consideration your terrain.
I started out on a rigid geared bike. Moved over to front suspension. Traded up to dual suspension. Took a hiatus. Got back into front suspension. Moved up to dual suspension again. Then I built a Freeride Hardtail. Downsized to a 5" front suspended trail bike. Now I find that I'm having more fun on the dadgum rigid singlespeed than anything right now.
Sure...my favorite type of riding would be choking on Dminor's dust on a Transition Blindside with a Fox 40, ballin' down A-Line or doing some CraZ fun shuttle or lift assist runs in Colorado or WA.
But I live in KS, man. My trails are far from A-Line and my friends are XC friends. I must try to keep up to have fun. Thus...the downsize.
Well - I started off just enjoying the scenery, but the more I got out lately I have been enjoying ripping the trails up. The trails around here are mostly overgrown with tree roots and brush. They aren't necesarily hard to ride, but you have to have a bike that isn't going to bottom out at all going over a giant root or a small jump. That's what I believe happened with my Boulder. I think I went down a small hill and over a root and I bottomed out somewhere in that time. So - Really I want to be prepared for anything. I'm a bit of a wrecker, and I like to go "my own way." Even if there isn't much of a trail, you'll find me riding.