Little Miss WRX

I have the option of buying a second hand bike (brand new $2000 with $2000 of modded parts on it) for $300.
I haven't got the full spec, but will endeavour to at some point for opinions.
It has front suspension only and disc brakes.

Now, as well as using it for variation in training (jogging all of the time is boring) I will be taking it to places where I can go on some rough terrain and play.

Would I be better to go for a bike with rear suspension and front suspension or is front sufficient enough?
The reason I ask is because I don't want to jolt my back too much when sitting and cause my knees too much stress when standing.

Thanks.

Michelle.

Mark Miwurdz

You've got to try one to be sure. I actually don't like softail (rear suspension) bikes and it's not something I realised until I tried one.

Cheers
Kav

pugoetru

my kids have rear suspension and i dont like it either

just get a nice soft saddle

the chosen one

try it with rear suspension because its alot more smoother on the rougher terrains than front suspension, if you don't like the rear suspension then you could always adjust so it feels like its not there.

PG

I have a full sus bike and downhill it is ace but it soaks up all effort on the flat and up hill !!
Hard tail is the way to go for what you are looking to use it for.

Brendan Hughes

Chelle, am also looking (in case you hadn't noticed) and I see it's possible to buy a seat post with some sort of suspension also. So if you want it a bit softer, then it won't cost too much just to change that bit..

flat4

go hardtail and get a comfy seat if it gets a bit rough


kev

Little Miss WRX

The bike that I am looking at is pretty darn good, the seller is in Melbourne at the moment, so I am waiting for him to return. He has receipts for all of the work done and it is still under warranty AFAIK. I stand corrected on amount, it total's $5000.

The bike shop have valued it at $500 re-sell, but I am getting it at a reduced price as usual.

THe soft seat option sounds good - I have back trouble, so I don't want to irritate it anymore.
Also altering the suspension on a rear sus bike sounds good, but are they all adjustable or am I looking at forking (good pun eh? Yeah I know it was crap ) out a lot for the pleasure of fiddling with it?

Thanks for the replies so far!

ozzy

'chelle,

I've had my GT Karakoram hard tail for 6 yrs now and it's seen me through just about anything. You do feel every bump if you leave any lightweight seat post or racing seat on the bike.

I fitted a suspension seat post and a nice fat padded seat so I can use it on long bumpy rides

If I'm riding over really rough bumy ground, I'm usually standing off the seat anyway so I've never felt the need to replace it with a full-suspension bike.

Stefan

Little Miss WRX

Considering I am not going seriously into MB'ing, I think the best option for me is to test ride this bike and if I like it, purchase it and look to replace the seat with a suspension seat thingy.

I will also go test ride a full suspension bike for comparison purposes, at the moment one of the bike shops has a good sale on and there is a bike with full suspension that has caught my eye, but is more than the bike above.

stuckhere

It costs 5K to buy new and your getting it for $500, whats wrong with it, how old is it?
Post the spec as soon as you have it and I'll get you an honest answer.
My buddies a manager for a large bike shop chain darn sarth and knows his stuff.
Depending on your needs for the added weight of a full sus bike I'd stick with a hartail frame personally and you can get a girlie specific saddle to suit you and be nice and comfy.
Get a HT with a suspension seatpost!

[Edited by stuckhere - 18/07/2003 20:20:32]

[Edited by stuckhere - 18/07/2003 20:42:57]

mkyboy

I have a good quality (Klein) ful-sus bike and its a joy to ride, it not a downhill bike so you don't loose all your power going up hill. But you can buy rear shocks with a lockout function so you have the best of both worlds, if you want.

MarkO

Can't wait for unclebuck to stumble onto this one.

'Chelle, what most people have said here is sensible. Unless you're seriously into downhill, or will be riding XC over a lot of extreme terrain (like big boulders, etc) then you really won't need full-sus.

If you're just planning to get out and ride some fire-tracks and maybe forest paths, a hardtail would be most sensible as a starting bike to get some skills with. Then when you've been riding for a bit, and have learnt how to handle the bike on the technical stuff, move your weight about, etc, you'll be in a position to decide whether you want full-sus.

I, personally, don't like the idea of full-suspension, 'cos I prefer lighter bikes, but it's down to personal preference and riding style. Some people say that during steep (and slippy) climbs the rear suspension allows you to get the power down more consistently. Others say it doesn't, so recommend bikes where you can lock out the rear shock. It's very subjective.

Where I ride, we regularly see chaps out there with full-face helmets, body armour, and 40lb full-on full-suspension downhill bikes. We quite often overtake them on the downhills too, 'cos they've clearly got all the gear but no idea.

Basically, if you don't know whether you need full-suspension, then you probably won't need it. Get a hardtail, learn some skills, and then if you're still into it in a year's time (and your back isn't giving you grief, which may be a problem) then you can always sell the bike and buy a full-susser if you want one.

What make/model is the bike you're looking at? What's the groupset? Considering the exchange rate, if the shop's saying the bikes worth AUD$2000 (about £800?) then it's a middle-range bike, and you wouldn't really get a particularly good full-sus bike for that price anyway.

Unless you come to Safeway in the UK, where they're selling hardtails for £49.99, or Halfords who are selling full-suspension bikes for £79.99. Wonder how long they'd last on the trails I ride?

MarkO

Oh, and Michelle - check out this Beginner's guide to buying a bike. It's a superbly written site, funny in places, but makes a lot of good points. Worth a read before you dive in. The MTB Beginner's FAQ is also very good.

Little Miss WRX

Mark/Stuckhere - I'll get the full specs and stuff from the guy when he returns from working in Melbourne which will be in a couple of weeks. From a good source I hear he doesn't buy cheap, crappy bits, nor he doesn't buy the full whack expensive modifications, but more middle of the road/over-average parts which do the job.

I used to do lots of mountain biking along the Downs Banks and Cannock Chase over the trails. Sometimes up to the Lakes or Peak Districts. I have just got rusty and need to get back into it.

Thank you all for the advice. I'll take a look at the sites you've listed there Mark.