Ideas for best full suspension commuter under $2k - must be tough
 

What is the best rugged f/s mtn bike under $2k?

I currently have a hard tail Fisher Wahoo that I commute 35 miles round trip daily. I'm looking to find a bike that I can jump on and off curbs with. I am 210 pds and ride like a beast so the bike must be tough. I would like to be more like a ballerina but I am 53 yrs old and chances are I'm not going to change now...so learning to bunny hop is out of the question. I am hard on wheels and have broken spokes in the past. The f/s bike should prevent some of this. Do any of you commute on a f/s bike and can give me some ideas? Weight is not a problem.

I also posted this under the commuting thread so my apologies if you have already seen it.

Many thanks in advance and ride safe!

Jeff

Why do you want a full suspension commuter again?

are you sure the weight of the bike is no problem for you? I would assume a bike equipped with full suspension would be heavier than a hardtail, and even if the difference is small, on your 35 mile trek, I think you might feel a difference in weight

You can taco the wheels on a full-suspension too. You're more likely to trash the wheels on an FS with Crossmaxes than a hardtail with Deemaxes. Put the money towards a tougher wheelset instead. With a $2000 budget, you could put on a set of Industry Nine downhill wheels and have money to spare. More practically, you could get a decent set of all mountain wheels for far less than that and save yourself some cash.

IMO, hardtails are better for curb hopping than full-suspension bikes too.

I'd stick with a hardtail for commuting, a full suspension is overkill with your commute distance. Instead, get a handbuilt wheelset like Zephyr11 suggests although I think an I9 wheelset is overkill, IMHO, for a commuter bike. A handbuilt wheelset with XT hubs, DT rims and straight gauge spokes from a reputable wheelbuilder will last you better than what came stock on you bike. In my experience the stock wheels on bikes always need tensioning and truing after a couple miles. A handbuilt wheel is way better than a machine built wheel.

So do I. I meant to comment on what you *could* get for less than the price of a full-suspension bike. "Decent set of all mountain wheels for far less than that" meant far less money than the Industry Nines. For curb hopping, I'd think the set commo_soulja suggested would be more than adequate.