Let's talk mountain bikes

[Diesel]

Who really knows their stuff?

Curious on the difference between a full suspension mtb vs a hard tail with a suspension seatpost

which is better for a bad back

do the full suspension bikes truly eat up alot of energy and take more effort?

What mountain bike do you feel offer the best bang for the buck and is the lightest for the money?

[Dawg Fan]

I like a hard tail mtb because a full suspension does eat up some power with the flexing when powering uphill.

When it comes to weight, right now there's not a lot you can do because carbon fiber hasn't taken over the mtb arena like it has the road bike arena. But they are coming. Also don't get hung up on weight because most people need to lose body weight before they start tryingto trim a few grams here or there off a bike. It always made me laugh when a buddy of mine who weighed 210 lbs always bragged about shaving off 50 grams here or there by buying the newest most expensive components for his road bike. I used to always tell him to just lose some weight and it would help more. lol Also try to get disc brakes because they're a lot more reliable when wet.

I've had back problems since my rodeo days and when I stay in shape and keep my core in shape riding a bike never bothers me. But let me go a couple months as a slug and I start getting back pains again.

As far as brands go... there are a lot of good bikes out there. Go to a real bike shop and not wally world or the sporting goods store. Ask questions and test ride some. You'll find what you like. Then look on ebay and craigslist etc and get a used bike. You'll get more bang for your buck.

Just my opinion. I'm not an expert but I do put in quite a few thousand miles a year on a bike.

[kaz]

i have a older Fuji mountain bike .it was one of the first all aluminum bikes as far as mountain bikes go. i like it. it was cheap.20 bucks at a yard sale. it is light.i rigged it up to carry alot .if i need to i can walk the bike with a handle attached to the handle bars and a handle attached to the seat post. the seat is one of those quick detach ones.i was inspired from photos of v.c. bikes during the vietnam war. those things were mac trucks on 2 wheels.i even made a trailer for it in case i need to carry alot but still want to ride.its my plan b transportation if plan a transportation is not usable for some reason { truck and car} it beats carrying stuff on your back.

[Diesel]

Nice job Kaz thanks for sharing!

[PrairieRat]

I don't worry too much about weight, that's what all those gears are for.
I like the full suspension Y frames, less likely to break a weld like I've done with rigid frame bikes. It can be a long assed walk out, carrying a bike.
EDIT: How does that bike handle with the front rack loaded? I had to take mine off, the balance & steering was just too dangerous.

[kaz]

the trick is to hang stuff low on the front.it helps. but its not the perfect spot for a lot of weight.you wouldnt want to go off roading {jumping, going fast, quickly turning} with a load on the bike. its purpose is to get ya wherever faster than walking

[Bajarider]

I have always liked the folding MTB that Montague makes, I had a knock off version while I was living in China, and I thought it was very handy.

I like the folding bikes because they can be easily stowed in the trunk, or someplace in the pickup. I have a smaller folding bike that I was able to bring back with me, and it works really good as a quick mode of transport. Even if you look a little foolish riding it, it beats walking if your car/truck breaks down. Yeah, whats the chances of that happening, lol.

[kaz]

it handles o.k. if you get the weight on the front low over the wheels. if i have a lot of stuff the lighter stuff goes up there.when its loaded i wouldnt think of it too much as a mountain bike, more or less just a cargo bike with big tires to get you off road. but i wouldnt try any jumping or anything like that.