Bikes!!!! (MTB, Road, etc... just no motors)

[jrotax101]

Got to enjoy a lovely 90min run this morning..
Pic came out really nice too down by the lake

 

[webby]

Care to explain the advantage of that front setup? From an engineering standpoint, it seems like it'd never be as stable...or the weakest link? All the force on the one side seems like a poor design, but I don't design bikes...sooo

 

[FooBird]

Agreed with the hardtail. You can't get a decent FS for that price. You end up with a sub-par bike to a HT of similar price, with poor shocks and components.

If you're not in a rush, a lot of the '14s are coming out in the next month or two.. that's when they'll drop the price of the '13s and any extra '12s left over even further.

P.S Nix have you ridden a 650b?

That's how I got my road bike. Got it as Specialized was rolling out the '12 models and I nabbed it for 40% off.

 

[Nix]

I have ridden the 650B. It felt fast and not strange the way the 29ers feel to me. The only issue I have with 650b is the availability of tubes, tires, wheels, and replacement forks in the future. I've gotten burned by the "passing fad" in cycling more than once in the past.

Also im a guy who fits right in between a Small and a Medium frame size. Manufacturers who tend to run a little small and with compact geometry, Specialized, fit me best since I can actually get on a medium. Smalls are always too cramped but mediums are often too big. The upsizing on wheels to 650B and the new 29" just compound the problem further for me even though frames are supposedly adjusted correctly.

webby :Quite honestly the Lefty was a marketing gimmick that happened to work really really well. I can't knock it. Initially everyone could call it out as being a joke but it performs very well. It addressed some issues like flex and tracking. It also solved problems associated with small oil volumes in the confines of a normal two leg telescopic fork.Things like cavitation, foaming, and heat. Physics wise it was a good solution with the one larger leg. It's tricky if companies don't support products after their initial release. Cannondale hasn't done too bad with it. It attaches the same way the wheels on your car are only held on by the one side outboard of the suspension.

 

[KennyGS]

Years ago I used to ride an all aluminum frame road bike about 20 miles every morning before work - barring nasty weather. I remember looking forward to coming down this long steep hill, where I could go over 50 mph. I would tuck down on the front bar extenders, and be watching my forks flexing several inches at a time to absorb bumps dips. It was disturbing to watch, but I just told myself it would stay intact, and it did. :gulp:

I would be a little nervous about this front single sided fork.

 

[webby]

It was disturbing to watch, but I just told myself it would stay intact, and it did. :gulp: I would be a little nervous about this front single sided fork.

about 40+ secs in ...

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfLN_AQYB60

 

[FooBird]

Used to use the lefty hubs our college human powered vehicle project. Worked splendidly for a recumbent trike.

I'm the short guy in the red hat. Guess that was 8 years ago now. Damn, how time flies.

Just how well did we do? We won, of course.

 

[KennyGS]

That's exactly what was going through my mind. Reminds me of this.

 

[Nomar06]

Finally got around to buying a hitch mount rack for the car. Got the Kuat Beta with free shipping and should be here next week. Time to dust off the mtn bike and hit up some trails!

Also.....there is a craiglist ad (http://charlotte.craigslist.org/bik/3836807582.html) for a 2011 Giant Yukon FX or XC? full susp bike that is selling for $725 which is 20 mins from me. After some online reading it is an ok/decent 1st full-susp bike, bit on the heavy side, ok shifting parts, shocks could use an upgrade down the road.

Kinda thinking about it but not sure. Advise?

 

[Nix]

Nice rack! The bike... meh design, meh parts. Parts are all at about what you'd find on a say... if entry level hard tail was $400 the parts on this are what would come on the $600 version. They aren't the bottom end but I'd say they are just below midrange. Fork is probably no better than what you have now. Same with the brakes. The cable discs look to be some sort of low-end tektro or hayes. I don't think the price is bad but I do think that you would grow tired of the bike quickly and be looking for a better full sus bike shortly. I bet thats what happened to the guy who bought this.

That's just me nitpickin though. If you're looking to move into a decent fully, this is not a bad deal. I think for $750 it's decent. Swapping fork, handlebar, stem, brakes, rear derailleur, and a few other odds and ends it would probably be great. But then again after all that you're into the $12-1500 range and could be into a whole new bike.


What's your budget? Are you looking for something new?

 

[Nomar06]

Meh, eh? Guess I should of figured that out on my own. I kinda been wanting to get into a full susp bike to see what it's about. Just happened to be browsing through craigslist and the ad just happened to catch my eye. Don't have the money (or the full desire) to put a bunch of money into a new $1000+ bike. I think I like road biking a bit more that mtn biking but the difference between them makes me want to do both.

If I were to get that bike I think I might eventually buy a new front shock, brakes and maybe shifters....all depending how much I would ride it. I could sell the old bike for a bit of upgrade money. Guess I can browse around some more.....

 

[jrotax101]

The FS at that price will be heavier than your current HT with worse components. Ride the HT, it'll be faster!

 

[Nix]

Usually full sus bikes under $1000 are a huge compromise on weight/performance to hit that price point and get you the suspension frame. Sometimes they are a score if it's a great design and rear shock since the rest can be upgraded down the line. That one is sort of in the middle. $750 ain't bad and if you can knock that down by getting $150-200 or more for your other bike it might not be too bad.

The weight and less than sporty feel of the low end componentry might be a bit of a drag though. There used to be lots of bikes in the 1200 range that were fantastic but the market has shifted up quite a bit. I have trouble recommending a bike to people that is around $1500 now. It's almost like the manufacturers are pricing their own bikes out of most peoples range. Even serious riders.

 

[squiggy]

 

[Nomar06]

Where can I purchase this blue stallion? Must have!

 

[Nomar06]

Boooooooo! Kuat is back ordered on the Beta rack. Cancelled the order.

There is a 2" Kuat Alpha on eBay for the sale price I paid for the Beta. Too bad I don't have a 2" hitch....

 

[jrotax101]

My LBS has in stock.. how much were you paying?

 

[Nomar06]

$180, free shipping.

 

[jrotax101]

Damn.. that's cheap. I was $240..

 

[Nomar06]

Yeah, my LbS has it around the same price. I'm seeing the Alpha for $280 online.