Newbie

tatty123

Hi all, I am getting back into mountain biking, ( currently road riding) and would like some advice on weather to buy a hardtail or full suspension , budget around £ 1000 -1200, I am in my fourties and am fit for my age. Most of my riding will be at Swinley Forest as it is on my doorstep. Do I need a full sus for Swinley? I don't like the fact of extra weight.
bike will only be used off road as I have another bike for road use, thanks.

supersonic

Nobody needs a full suss for any riding, but it may (or may not) add performance and comfort for you. Will almost certainly be heavier and lower specced than a hardtail though.

Can you test any bikes out?

cooldad

Swinley is my backyard, and people ride anything from rigids (because they are idiots) to DH bikes (because they are idiots).
Hardtail or FS will be fine, anything around 100mm to 120mm of travel. Quite a few of the guys I ride with have a lot more travel, but we also do trail centres, Surrey Hills and the odd DHish run (I don't do the DH bits because I'm an old coward.)
I switched to a FS a few years ago because I found by the end of a ride I was hurting - too tired to stand up over stuff, too battered to sit down (generally just cruising back to base by then).
Probably a bit older than you - fifty in a few months, but I'm a convert.
But as SS says, it's a personal thing.
Don't know if you've heard, but they're planning on turning it into a trail centre type place (horrible idea IMO, I prefer a bit of natural stuff) http://thecrownestate.co.uk/news-media/ ... or-estate/

I'm sure some of the guys will let you have a go on various bikes if you ask.
Try the London Calling facebook thingy below, or the Swinley one http://www.facebook.com/groups/SwinleyforestMTB/

But a decent spec hardtail is more than sufficient.

cooldad

Excuse if that's a bit of a ramble. I'm sick and medicated.