rosefarts

The last mountain bike I had was in 1997, it was GT xziang (spelling? Zizang!), full XTR and I think a Palmer Manitou Fork (or was it a Manitou 4 and I just lusted after the Palmer?). I loved that bike when I rode it. I rarely rode it, got into triathlon, then road racing, and sold it. Do y'all remember when we knew how nice a bike was relative to 100GS - 500LX -Deore LX, DX, XT, and XTR? Good times, reminds me of homeroom conversations with the other bike nerds.

I'm older and slower now, though no fatter. I live next to fantastic system of trails that would be awesome to take the dog on. I've ran all these trails. It's not technical. It's almost something I'd try on a cross bike but I think a hardtail MTB would be the best. I think it's unlikely I'll do more than stuff around Pueblo Res and Colo Springs on this bike. I won't be racing anyone.

What am I looking for? How important is wheel size? I'm pretty sure I'd like a very low maintenance fork. I remember fighting with a Rock SHox Mag 21 in High School. I think I ended up smoking weed out of the pump.

Seems like bikes are actually heavier now? My Proflex 855 I had when I was 16 weighed 26 lbs. Rode like crap though.

I've never adjusted a disc brake unless you count automotive. My V-brakes were an upgrade from my Avid Tri-align 3's. Seems like I'd hardly ever have to adjust them, I like this idea.

So brands, fork type, wheel size, price range, and what the Eff is a tubeless tire? Stupid questions I'm sure but it'll help me shop.

Mountain Mitch

Welcome to riding for fun! Throw the Strava away. I ride FSR so am of limited help in the hard tail department. Lots of what you are asking about is so broad and subjective there is no real answer. But I'll take a shot.

Most brands are fine. They all compete at various price points. You'll have to throw a leg over them to see how they fit/feel. Giant, Trek, Specialized all work. 'Designer' brands are good too but get a bit more complicated in assessing. Aluminum should be fine.

Forks are better than 'the good old days'. You may want to get about 120 travel (based on the trails you say you will ride). Go for air/hydraulics.

No idea on price really. Get what you can afford.

Wheel size depends on intended use. I think you'd be fine with a 27.5 or 29er.

You need disc brakes. I like Avid.

Tubeless tires are the flavour of the month. I've ridden tubeless now for six months. I can't detect any difference. It may help with resale though. (This will likely be followed by pages of guys repeating the marketing pitches they've read in their cycling magazines. Just remember, magazines were designed to make you feel inferior so you go out and buy things.)

Lazyass

I'm a 90's generation moutain biker. I raced all through the decade. Bikes are heavier. The bigger wheels everyone runs today don't help. I do not like 29ers, I don't like the way they handle, they turn slower and I don't like the geometry they need to have to fit 29 inch wheels. 27.5 are a little better but I still prefer 26. Never ran tubeless and have little interest. Most new bikes have only one or two chainrings but I still prefer 3. The whole MTB scene is weird now, they can't even settle on a wheel size. The early disc brakes were horrible but modern ones seem to be okay.

Unfortunately, if you want a higher end 26, well, you won't fine many new. I am in the market for a new MTB, and I believe I will get a Sundeal M7-SL. An unknown brand, but probably made in the same factory as bigger brands. They're only $430 but I have a discount code for Random Bike Parts and will get it for @$360. They're spec'd pretty good for the price.

https://www.randombikeparts.com/coll...lx-3-x-10s-new

Darth Lefty 

Head tube angles are slacker, frames are longer and stems are shorter, bars are wider and bar-ends are gone, wheels are larger in all dimensions. Travel is longer than it used to be, it's pretty common for a hardtail to have 125mm. It's pretty common to see 1x11 drivetrains. There are a few new ones at 1x12 and a few frankenbike ones at 1x10.

The current Shimano hierarchy is Tourney, Altus, Acera, Alivio, Deore, SLX (formerly Deore LX), XT, XTR. Saint and Zee are special heavy duty variants for downhill biking at about XT and Deore level. The SRAM hierarchy goes NX, GX, 2Xpensive

There's basically two kinds of forks now - damping ones with air springs and cheap ones with no damping. There are a few in between with coils and oil but they don't seem popular. "Elastomer" forks that actually used rubber to make both spring and damping are long gone like the dodo. The most seen brands for nice forks are Rock Shox and Fox, there's a bunch of others but not so popular. Most cheapies are Suntour, and they usually are just springs with bump stops, no damping. Suntour does make nice ones but you don't see them very often because their proliferation at the low level makes them seem uncool at the high level.

$1000 is plenty to get you an aluminum frame hardtail with an air fork.

Canker

Just like always if you want to spend the money you can get a lightweight bike. That proflex had what 80mm of travel and as you said rode like crap? Now you can get a 26lb bike that has 160mm of travel and is a very efficient peddler but you gots to pay.

If you want an easy to service fork think RIGID or in other words no suspension. If you think you could ride a cross bike a rigid shouldn't be a problem. If you want a little more squish you can get a 27.5+ bike which just means a bike with 2.8 to 3.0 wide tires something like
https://www.performancebike.com/weba...hoCZs8QAvD_BwE

stockae92

I did my "first MTB in 20 years" like a year ago. My conclusion, for my riding style, is carbon fiber hardtail 29er, 2.25" to 2.3" tires, SLX or XT 1X drivetrain with 32T front 42T back, 100mm - 120mm fork up front.

I actually run my tires with tube because I don't have time to keep the tubeless tires inflated. And if they lose enough air over a few weeks, then the sealant inside may dry up and you have to fill them up again.

Most XC and all mountain forks are air now. They seems to be relatively reliable, the damping may need rebuilding before the air spring does (or so it seems).

Disc brake is a normal now. I don't miss V brakes.

For me, I tried to look for a HT frame with through axle, but I ended up with a QR drop out because the price was right. No problem with it, except for a WTB QR skewer that's impossible to use (which will get replaced soon).

I went with 1x11 drivetrain because of weight and simplicity. there is a little cadence gap on some of longer climbs (I am a roadie after all, haha). But it doesn't simplify the shifting so I can concentrate more on keeping the rubber side down.

FrozenK

Counterpoint: tubeless is worth it, lower rolling resistance is noticeable. 29rs are worth it if you ride rooty trails, specially for hardtails. As travel increases, wheelisize makes less of a difference.

Bikes aren't heavier if you compare apples to apples (my Yeti weighs 25 lbs with a 120mm fork, 29inch wheels and four piston brakes)

And 1x11 drive trains are actually pretty nice. Triples are really not worth it unless you ride your bike on the road. Even then, a 2x11 will give you all the range you need.

stockae92

True that on tubeless. It is better. It's lighter, it will "heal itself" (with the sealant inside), you can run lower pressure for more traction. If I have the time to do it, I would definitely go that route. But I picked tube for low maintenance. (sad but I have faced reality that I have no time to take care of it)

I actually went from a 26" Giant Anthem XC FS bike to a 29er carbon HT and couldn't be happier, and that suits my riding style better (for me). The 29er wheel rolls over rocks and stuff better.

FrozenK

I haven't had to do more maintenance than with tubes. The tires don't seem to loose air at a much higher rate than tubes. And once they have sealed, you don't have to add sealant.

If you don't, it will just dry up and not be available when you need it for a puncture. But the tires will still hold air if no punctures happen. UST, the first tubeless system, didn't even use sealant.

grubetown

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/fathom-29-1-2018

IMHO, this has all the new tech from the last 20 years and from your description of intended use should be a great match.

prj71

WTF?

The 29ers and 27.5 and 27.5+ bikes are light years ahead of what you rode back then. Holy crap!!

prj71

^^^This

Lazyass

So you're telling me what I should have thought when I rode a 27.5 and 29er? I have an independent mind and think for myself.

bikeme

I've always been a XC guy (fun ride and race XC) so when I bought my first bike in 20 years--literally 20--I went with a short travel 100mm full suspension as I felt it'd take the edge off rougher trails on my 50-something body (I was on a rigid steel Fisher hardtail before). I went with a carbon 29er (Kona Hei Hei Supreme). It's a 1 x 11 (32 x 46 11 spd) with a remote dropper post. FWIW, I like Shimano brakes over Avids, way easier to service/bleed and they're mineral oil vs brake fluid, the latter can be affected by heat. Tubeless is awesome--supple ride, no flats.

prj71

No. I'm telling you your statements about bikes being heavier and 29 wheels don't help are absolutely wrong.

That and 3x chain ring is no longer necessary on mountain bikes these days because of wide range cassettes.

rosefarts

Full rigid is so far my favorite idea that's come up on this thread. Other than that Marin, can you folks point me towards some other fully rigid ideas.

I also really like the idea of a single chainring up from and a giant range on the cassette in the back. Is this awesome or a gimmick?

Why are all the good deals on ebay for single speeds?

Finally, I got some expensive probiotics last night and my GI seems far more settled. Maybe I'll change my user name.

70sSanO

Bike Forums is a great place, but you may also want to pose this question on mtbr.

Nothing wrong with advice you'll get here, but more info is always better.

John

Tokwan

Well, I think, it depends on YOU yourself. Go to a LBS, and check out what you like and try for a fit. If the pricetag is a concern, then tell them your budget. I like 27.5". Some like 29" Some like 26". If I am going for technical ..I like 26".
Whether its a hardtail or a full sus, you need to try them out.
Cheap forks? Well I know one which I like, SUNTOUR EPICON XC which comes with a remote lockout. Its good enough for me as I do not race. My rear shock is still a 9 year Rock Shox Bar, which is still performing great for my kinda ride. My frame is either 17" or 18", depending on the geometry.
I love Selle Italia or WTB Rocket V saddles. My rims are only WTB and I ride with tubes. All my bikes are tubed.
So, go to the nearest LBS, that is the best that you know, and tell them your budget and what kind of ride you do.

Crashola

I am in the market for a new bike as well. I'm not 20 years out, but I rode a rigid Cannondale 25 years ago. My current bike is a 29er that I have always been on the fence about. The bike that currently has my eye is the Surly Karate Monkey. It's a 27.5+ STEEL bike that comes with a rigid fork if you order a complete bike. The mid-fat tires are supposed to take some of the thump out of a rigid fork. I guess if I get tired with the rigid fork, I can always swap in a suspension fork. In any event, I have yet to ride one but plan to get a test drive soon.

Kapusta

I would second the suggestion to also ask over at mtbr.

For a XC hardtail for the riding you are describing, I think a 100-120mm 29er hardtail is pretty much the standard go-to.

Unless you are going really high end, I think you will be equally well served by most major brands.

Tubeless is really nice now that so many tubeless-ready tires and rims play nice together. You don't need to add air any more than with tubes, IMO.

MTBs have come a LONG way in the last 20 years. Not only are suspension forks leaps and bounds better (and even more so for rear suspension), but the evolution of MTB frame geometry has been a huge improvement as well. Slacker head angles, longer top tubes, shorter stems, wider bars... it's all good, IMO.

Kapusta

Double post

rosefarts

Thanks for all the advice. It has been useful to help me figure out what I wanted. I never did sign up over on MTBR but I did a ton of lurking. Thanks for pointing out that option.

After weighing what I want, what I plan to ride, and how I ride (I'm a roadie deep down), I decided that I wanted a fully rigid 29er. Funny thing about fully rigid, most manufacturers seem to think that if you don't want suspension that you don't want gears. Or they think that if you don't want suspension that you want crazy high end pricey everything. There is no entry level rigid and geared mountain bike market except me I suppose.

I came across the Nashbar 29er fully rigid single speed for $350. They threw a 30% off coupon at me and I got it for $272 including shipping. Almost the exact low end bucket of bolts I was looking for, minus the gears of course. It should show up on Wednesday.

I intend to ride it a lot as it is, even though I'm pretty sure a want to make it a 1x10 or at least 1x8. It comes with 135mm axle spacing and a cassette rear wheel (per the description, it's a cassette wheel whose cog is in the proper place through the use of spacers). So if I do decide to get gears, my only real hurdle will be finding an appropriate derailleur hanger (or new frame, considering the price).

Kinda psyched to ride a trail, I haven't done that since I was 20 (I did take a pedicab with passengers on some of the trails on South Table Mountain in Golden, does that count?) I'm sure I'll be back in a few months asking about motorized full suspension or some damn thing.

Crashola

Sounds like a cool choice. Have fun!!

Kapusta

If you get a single speed with thoughts of having the option to convert to gears, make sure it has a derailleur hanger, or the option to add one.

FrozenK

That Nashbar frame has horizontal dropouts (track fork ends). Adding a hanger is possible with the Problem Solvers chain tensioner w/ hanger. They will have to use full housing zip-tied to the frame. But it is doable.