Anyone ride trails when the surf is flat? (2024)

Screw this booshie 12 grand MTB sh*t. Riding an MTB was cool when no one knew what we were doing and the bikes were all rigid. I'm going hard core. Cutting edge. Dirt cheap. High risk. The next great pastime is...

Sharky said:

I walked into the Trek shop, checked the price tag on a full suspension model and it was like 11 grand plus taxes.

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It better come with some sucky sucky for that price.

Sharkbiscuit said:

Yeah it's crazy to see what a nice MTB costs compared to motorcycles. Like, if you're buying one of the big-name Japanese mfrs vs the Trek/Giant/Specialized etc. it's profound.

When I bought my hardtail the LBS people were trying to talk me into full suspension on account of infinity roots where I ride, and cutting my knees and ankles some slack. I watch people on full suspension and they seem to motor straight over sh*t where I'd anticipate losing some back wheel grip, etc.

The Cliff's Notes is the motorcycle is mass-produced for street use and the MTB is basically an exact replica of what racers are using. Like the motorcycle equivalent is a 'base' 911 and the MTB is the exact same as what just ran LeMans.

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Tons of good deals on Mtb's right now. No need to spend more than 2k on a hardtail or 3500 on a full suspension.

grg said:

Look at YT. Consumer direct and great prices.

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The only thing with that is I ain't a bike mechanic.

Sharky said:

The only thing with that is I ain't a bike mechanic.

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Ive built more than one bike from a box, ain’t that hard bro and is a wicked satisfying and invaluable learning experience as a bike owner when it comes to basic maintenance stuff down the line that you’re reallyyy gonna want to be able to do yourself

LarryTate said:

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Hoofah. izzat behind San Clemente?

LarryTate said:

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That looks like two broken wrists material.

Worst one I ever did was clipped in. New tires. They would let go in a high speed turn with no preamble. You couldn’t feel it start to happen. I went down on my side and stayed in the toe clips. I was hamburger on one side. Went home and was picking little rocks out of the meat with tweezers. Good times.

oneworlded said:

Hoofah. izzat behind San Clemente?

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Random picture from the internet.

Sharky said:

That looks like two broken wrists material.

Worst one I ever did was clipped in. New tires. They would let go in a high speed turn with no preamble. You couldn’t feel it start to happen. I went down on my side and stayed in the toe clips. I was hamburger on one side. Went home and was picking little rocks out of the meat with tweezers. Good times.

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I hit a root when my front tire slide sideways into it while clipped in. Bike stopped cold and I got catapulted over the bars still attached to the bike. Broke two ribs. Thought I was bleeding internally. Still a few miles from my car out solo. It was bad. No more clips for me.

Sharky said:

The only thing with that is I ain't a bike mechanic.

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not sure what that means to my post

grg said:

not sure what that means to my post

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Reads like the expectation is there will be some assembly and double-checking required vs getting a perfectly torqued, ready-to-ride toy with a year of free wrenching?

Pedals and MTB tires on quick-release were easy. Ditching my 24s and slapping 30s on the Fred Sled was not fun. Getting the bar tape into the empty end with the cap staying put....not f---king up a bar tape gap on the inside approaching the hood....little things I'm glad I know now, but if I was selling sailing yachts and sh*t I'd be all too happy to delegate to the pros.

The Park Tool hipsterstache guy and the Lancer in the Breaking Away montage make it look easy.

grg said:

not sure what that means to my post

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I feel weird taking a bike in for work that I bought direct on line, to a bike shop that is trying to sell what they stock.

Sharkbiscuit said:

Reads like the expectation is there will be some assembly and double-checking required vs getting a perfectly torqued, ready-to-ride toy with a year of free wrenching?

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seems worth spending half the money. Put front wheel, pedals, saddle and bars on and ready to get dirty. If you cant do that pay someone with the $3-$5K savings.

Sharky said:

I feel weird taking a bike in for work that I bought direct on line, to a bike shop that is trying to sell what they stock.

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I have faith you could do it as it's not challenging at all. Bike shops make money off of labor and parts. I would feel more weird because you couldn't do something basic.

My shops dont mind when I bring my bike in for service. $$$$

grg said:

seems worth spending half the money. Put front wheel, pedals, saddle and bars on and ready to get dirty. If you cant do that pay someone with the $3-$5K savings.

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FWIW, I believe Canyon and maybe YT include a torque wrench and everything else you might need to assemble the bike.
Bike assembly/maintenance can be overwhelming but with time, patience, and Youtube you can do quite a lot.
My local shops suck, so I'm typically inclined to figure bike stuff out myself. Not sure that I'd feel the same way if my shops were quality.

grg said:

seems worth spending half the money. Put front wheel, pedals, saddle and bars on and ready to get dirty. If you cant do that pay someone with the $3-$5K savings.

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My choice for @Sharky new bike, the geometry is slack the shocks legit the price dank $2,099

I ain’t gonna pretend I probably didn’t learn this from the YouTuber, HardTail Party and in our opinions geometry (slack) is where it’s at and why I’d recommend a Spectral (64 deg HTA). That and the only components that really matter are shocks everything else works just good but is heavier

“the Spectral is built around a progressive geometry. The slack head tube angle, extended reach, and reduced-offset forks all unite to offer riders a blend of excellent high-speed stability and low-speed handling and agility. Plus, a steep seat tube angle shifts your centre of mass forward for more efficient climbing performance.”

The companies size charts are dead on, you only run into trouble when you’re right bw sizes

For anyone that hasn’t ridden in a while this is the best explanation of why slack is different

Didn't make any difference to me (slack geo).

Archer is 90% and once you lose the risk appetite for it- doesn't matter what you are riding.

Dumbest, most expensive sport ever- only good for gear nerd tech bros with too much money to spend.

Yeah, I could still get down steep, tech trails but the juice was in no way worth the squeeze.