The dreaded "What bike is best for me" question

steve57353

Hi. I’ve got a query I’m hoping you folks can help me with. It boils down to: Am I riding the right bike – for me and my riding, that is?

I’ve been mountain biking since the early 90’s, when I bought a GT Talera bike (fully rigid, steep angles, 6-inch stem, bar-ends…. you get the picture). Quite some bike, in that it survived 14 years (I think) on a routine of total abuse and neglect, and kept coming back for more. With the exception of tubes and tyres I never replaced a single component. However, one clipped-in endo too many saw me completely trash my shifters and brake levers (and ribs - ouch), and faced with finally having to shell out some hard-earned I did the treacherous thing and started contemplating a new bike (fine reward for such loyal service, I know!).

I umm-ed and ahhh-ed over lots of machines I couldn’t afford, before finally settling on what I thought was the pragmatic choice – an ‘07 Stumpjumper Comp. This choice was based on the twin considerations of my cycling “style”, and the nature of my regular riding.

I’m a bit of a slow-motion speed merchant, in that I’m impatient and not mentally inclined to pace myself at anything less than 100%, whilst being too old (and broken) to go looning down the drops in a manly and devil-may-care way. The maximum speed I’ve seen off road is under 30mph – and throw in anything rough and that drops right down. I also don’t have the ability / cajones for any of your jumping / bunny-hopping out of trouble. And of course, I can be relied on to pick the worst possible line in any situation. However, I’ll always be the one standing out of the saddle in too high a gear on the big climbs, just to get up them faster.

As for my regular riding, I live on the coast in Cornwall, so any route from home starts with a few miles of (partly tarmac) climbing to claw my way up from the harbour onto the moors. From there it’s a mix of flat-ish single track (smooth in summer, 18 inches of peat-y hell the other 11 months of the year) and evilly rocky climbs and descents which will try to break your bike as soon as look at it. Slow-ish going down, tech-y going up..

So basically I wanted a bike that would be a decent climber, fast and fun on the level / smooth-ish stuff, a right laugh through the twisties, but would take care of me in the rough – and I mean rough. In the end it was the urge for ample suspension travel which swung me to the Stumpy in favour of the Giant Anthem which was the other final contender.

But now I find myself looking at the Stumpy and just feeling that there’s something missing. What’s worse, this feeling intensifies any time I go out on my old (bodged up) GT. OK, for 50% of an average ride the stumpy is just sooooo much faster, and I would never want to be without it’s ability to soak up my crap riding while making me giggle at what I’ve just negotiated / survived, but I guess I miss the immediacy of the GT. I love the way it climbs (as long as you can keep traction), and the acceleration on the flat is different too.

I guess what this boils down to is: is this just an inevitable trade off for riding full-suss? Even in Pro-pedal, the Spesh seems somehow lazier. Do I want a hardtail? (I enjoy being able to go faster than the coast-path walkers when the going is rough). Is there such a thing as a full-susser that genuinely pedals like a hard-tail? Should I have gone for the Giant Anthem after all and made do with 3.5” of travel – would it be man enough for the job? Or should I keep lusting after those dream-bikes I can’t afford (though my credit card company probably could…. bad thought). Titus Moto Lite, anyone? Last year’s Rocky Mountain ETSX50? Yeti 575? And is it daft even thinking along those lines as I’d only be able to afford the frame and would be transferring all the components over from the Stumpy (Fox Float RL, Avid Juicy 5s, etc)?

Would love to hear your thoughts, both on the general question of should I just get on and learn to love my Stumpy (maybe spend the money on getting some instruction to improve my riding instead), and also on the alternatives mentioned (or any others you think I should be considering).

Thanks in advance for your help. Maybe see you out on the moors, next time your down my neck-of-the-woods (I’ll be the mud-covered, scratched idiot climbing back onto his bike and wobbling off into the distance)!

Splasher

The crux of your dilema seems to me to be that you don't get the same thrill at the same speed on your Stumpy, that you used to get on your GT.

That's understandable since the Stumpy is isolating you from the trail, and doing it very effectively because it's a pretty sorted bike. Now it's supposed to do that, so you can go faster whilst still being in control. So your choice is, get your confidence up on the Stumpy and start hitting the ground faster/start riding gnarlier terrain in which case the sensation of mild risk that creates the thrill will return. Or, go back to a hardtail and feel the ground under you.

Remember though that a hardtail would still isolate you more than your old GT since it would have a decent fork on it.

You could sell the Stumpy frame second hand, get a frame something like the XC>120 in the link below, and have some money left over if that was the way you wanted to go. All the other ideas about boutique full suss frames would suffer the same issue as the Stumpy.

The Spiderman

My riding style sounds similar to yours,good on climbing,likes to go fast when my stamina allows but crap when it comes to the technical stuff.My local riding is a mix of woodland singletrack,bridle paths,all joined up by roads.

I ride a Giant XTC hardtail,and keep having thoughts of buying a full susser to save my poor old back.Every time I get these feelings I jump on my my riding buddy's Specialized Enduro,and whilst I like its bump swallowing plushness,I always miss the immediacy of my hardtail.

A go on a Trek Fuel EX8 and a Stumpy,makes me realise that a even a 5" travel bike might be as much or more than I need.

So,realising that maybe its the rider not the bike,I have booked myself on a skills course in February.

Hopefully I will learn at last how to bunny hop and wheel lift myself out of trouble,but I am sure,it won't stop me looking at Giant Anthems and Santa Cruz superlights,which on paper at least sound as though they might offer the right balance for my riding.

supersonic

I think a hardcore hardtail, or long travel trail bike with travel adjustable, lockable forks would be worth contemplating. Something like a Santa Cruz chameleon IV, Kinesis Pha5e or with a little less travel the XC120 like splasher suggested. These are light and will pedal well, but still give you some leeway at the front and damage limitation for the rough stuff.

Splasher

Just a note about the XC>120, it's quite happy with a 140mm fork.

steve57353

Thanks guys.

Definitely like the idea of going on a skills course. Suspect that'll be the first step. Not sure whether I'm missing on the sensation of speed downhill, though. To be honest, it's on the level and uphill when I like the stumpy least. That's when I really want something with a bit of kick. That's why I nearly bought the Anthem - all the reviews (and my too brief test ride) put it across as a really fast bike. Just didn't know whether it would stand up to rough treatment the same.

On the downhills, specially the faster ones, I just LOOOOVE the stumpy. I get to the bottom thinking I've got the perfect bike for me.I'm getting so much more out of my riding now - mainly cos I trust it not to throw me off if I pick a bad line, or overcook it.

I guess I just want the impossible... a slack-angled full susser downhill, which magically becomes an XC hard-tail on the level!

supersonic

I'm not just saying this cos I like GTs (they pay me well ;-)), but its worth trying an I Drive out. They pedal very well for a full susser.

Chaka Ping

Hi Steve - I think I understand where you're coming from - and I wonder whether it's more to do with the relatively neutral handling of the Stumpy when compared to the more old fashioned XC geometry you're used to.

I had the same experience when I was still on my old Team Marin and riding the occasional borrowed FS bike.

I did buy an Anthem when I decided to go to FS - and I suspect it might have suited your riding style/preferences more than the Stumpy.

It's a very fast bike, the 3.5" of travel is enough for most circumstances and it feels anything but lazy. It just makes you ride it as fast as you can. Best fitness machine I've ever been on.

I'm not recommending the bike simply because I have one - it's certainly not ideal if you want to do freeride stunts or even if jumps and drops are a big part of your trail riding - but do try to get a go on one as it really is a remarkable bike and might be just what you hoped an FS bike was going to be.

The frames can be picked up reasonably cheaply, but I'm not sure if you could just move your fork over as the Anthem's designed for 80mm or 100mm - and I suspect your stumpy's fork is longer travel?

Chaka Ping

Hi Steve - I think I understand where you're coming from - and I wonder whether it's more to do with the relatively neutral handling of the Stumpy when compared to the more old fashioned XC geometry you're used to.

I had the same experience when I was still on my old Team Marin and riding the occasional borrowed FS bike.

I did buy an Anthem when I decided to go to FS - and I suspect it might have suited your riding style/preferences more than the Stumpy.

It's a very fast bike, the 3.5" of travel is enough for most circumstances and it feels anything but lazy. It just makes you ride it as fast as you can. Best fitness machine I've ever been on.

I'm not recommending the bike simply because I have one - it's certainly not ideal if you want to do freeride stunts or even if jumps and drops are a big part of your trail riding - but do try to get a go on one as it really is a remarkable bike and might be just what you hoped an FS bike was going to be.

The frames can be picked up reasonably cheaply, but I'm not sure if you could just move your fork over as the Anthem's designed for 80mm or 100mm - and I suspect your stumpy's fork is longer travel?

glen4

I have been a committed HT man for many years, and recently upgraded my old Kona Explosif to a Specialized Stumpjumper expert HT, 07 model. A superb lightweight HT and I'm very pleased with it. However when a mate was considering replacing his HT Orange he demo'd an Epic. When I rode the epic I felt it was awesome, climbed pretty well as good as my stumpy, and such a SMOOOOTH ride. It felt like a HT well pedalling, probably due to the brain shock and is more akin to the Anthem tham the stumpy FSR. If you want FS that rides like a HT, then give the Epic a try, has 100mm travel.