Mountain Bike - Hard tail

Fellow BBS'ers

My mountain bike is garbage! I was looking to upgrade...

I'm looking at either a Trek Fuel EX 8 Used, or a hard tail... but i haven't been able to find any good reviews for hard tail bikes.

What do ya'll recommend? Also the option to 'lock' the shock on the full suspension bike, is it worth getting a hard tail?

Looking to spend around 1k on the bike, obviously buying used..

 

What type of riding? If lightness counts I'd go hardtail with a suspension seat post.

 

I ride a Scott Aspect 40, hard tail, lockout fork, decent components, around 700 brand new. You can get a higher grade like a 45 or 50 within your budget. The only thing I have done is a Stan's tubeless conversion. I'm not super hardcore about it so I don't know how it stacks up but I have been happy with it.

 

What kind of riding are you trying to do/what are the trails like where you'll be riding? Will you need a DS frame or will a hardtail get you by? I live in central Ohio, so a hard tail is more than sufficient, but I've also run single tail in Cali on it w/ no problems. I def wouldn't want to lug around the extra weight of a rear shock if I don't need it/aren't competing with it.

What don't you like about your current set up, the components, the frame, fork, wheels? I might be biased because I used to work at a bike shop, but I personally like building my bike up as I find things that need improvement.

If you do end up going with new hard tail frame, look at steel. I have a Jamis Dragon with Reynolds 853 tubing and love the lively/forgiving ride steel gives. It isn't noticeably heavier and doesn't beat you up like Al and won't break the bank like CF/Ti.

 

My bud just got an ex8 and its pretty awesome! Its so plush and handles braking downhill is incredible... it puts my fuel 80 to shame, however it is heavy... its heavier than my 80 even though its 8 years newer!

 

How does a hardtail handle trails with lots of roots? Can you run them seated or do you have to stand on the pegs to stay on line? Curious because I'm faced rebuilding my tired FS bike or getting something new.

 

get the ex youll love it if you ride on ruff or rooted up trails its very plush just a tad on the heavy side but that doesn't bother me at all

 

I was warned not to buy a used ex8, mainly because of some frame issues. New and you're ok, they'll replace it for free, but used and you're SOL. I liked the bike, but ended up buying a cannondale.

 

I just picked up a new 2008 Fuel EX8 and it's AMAZING!! I also only paid $1632.00 before tax.

Coming from a older Fisher X1 with TONS of upgrades, the EX makes the X1 feel like a Walmart POS.

 

I'm leery of buying from another small manufacturer since they seem to have a bad habit of
a. Going out of business or
b. Selling out to someone who won't support the older models.

 

So as an uber hardtail hold out I can honestly say that the hardtail will do antthing you throw at it. But that being said I will only ride a steel framed hardtail. With roots and rough stuff you end up out of the saddle more but it will teach you more than a full boinger ever will.

I can't really comment on what brand to buy I have a Cove handjob
That i built up from a frame but if you can find a good redline/kona/jamis they are a good bet. A lot of the bigger names abandoned steel long time ago .

Th nice thing about steel again is the longevity of the frame, keep it from rusting it will last a lifetime, aluminum actually has a expected life expectency of about 3 years.

 

DON'T GET A HARD-TAIL!!! I have a Gary Fisher Excalibur with over-sized wheels (which is supposed to compensate for the lack of a rear shock). quite frankly, i hate it. climbing through rock gardens is a nightmare. climbing steep hills (especially ones with uneven grades, ruts, or roots) is a balancing act just trying to weight the rear enough not spin your rear wheel and lose momentum while also not looping it. plus for me, because of my knee problems, its very hard on them and difficult to ride for long distances. bottom line, i only use my fully-suspended cannondale now. its probably worth half as much as the gary fisher but i won't ride anything else.

 

Which is a good thing when you own a Trek since the frames have a lifetime warranty and they seem to replace your broken frame with the current frame.:up:

 

FS with shock lockouts. I have a Giant Trance and the thing is crazy. Pedaling up bumpy hills is ridiculous (good) and if the trail is smooth (or on pavement), I lock the shocks with quick flicks of the levers. Thing weighs like 29lb with 5" of travel. My first DH race bike had 5" of travel and weighed 35lb with a single front chainring. I've ridden all sorts, raced DH for a while, and can't figure out any reason to subject myself to a hardtail unless you would wear the hardtail label like a badge of honor (ultimate badge is a full rigid single speed!). FS lets you tackle harder terrain all things considered so it opens more terrain for enjoyment. Huck some jumps, climb some hills, sit while you pedal through fields of rocks. But for smooth trails with rollers, hardtails rock. Actually get one of each if you can swing it, or a FS with lockout if you only get 1.

 

:Off: question... why would you ever want to lock the suspension even on a smooth trail?

 

www.mtbr.com has all kinds of bike reviews.

http://www.mtbr.com/cat/bikes/xc-hardtail/pls_1527crx.aspx

 

The bike would be used in south fl trails. A full suspension bike might be over kill, but it would sure be nice. Anyone got one they want to sell?

The one I have now is a walmart pos with bent rims, popping chain and bad brakes. Not worth fixing.

 

Sad to say I have to agree thus far. Just under a year. Not a cheap bike . I am going to try tubeless in the rear to see if it helps. Definitely suffers traction problems with tubes inflated enough not to get pinch flats...on real terrain.

 

ha ha. Just saw you're in south FL... you've got no worries with a hardtail.

 

More efficient pedalling putting the power the wheel. Would you want your motorcycle to bounce like a dirtbike while turning and going over crest if it doesn't need to? My specialized has the three position and I rarely take it off the pro pedal position unless I'm doing a mile climb with no rock gardens.