Give me your opinion - the good the bad and the ugly

jdgang

Well-Known Member
I enjoyed the kvsp ride that @bonefishjake is referring to.... Ask anyone who is there how he was sliding all over the place

I was behind him when he went over the bars. The rocks where sweating that day and there was no traction to be had. As to the question at hand, I currently ride steel HT 29ers'. ROS9 (geared) and a SIR9(SS). For me right now that is all I need. Each bike has its own feel. I dont know if I would get a fat bike as a N+1. I would love to try out a 27.5+. Good luck with your adventure
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I was behind him when he went over the bars. The rocks where sweating that day and there was no traction to be had.

No need to make excuses for Jake. He gets out of bed and crashes into the wall most days.
 

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
Ok in between all the chatter here ....[lots of stuff] But I would encourage you to see what you can do and try a bunch of different bikes at these places and try to form an opinion that way.

Oh and buy a bike with gears for the road.

as @stb222 said - i actually did buy a bike with gears! and its a welcome change. i have stopped the SS'ing. because i had to. my body finally gave in. i have some nice hip and knee issues - and my left knee is currently blown up - officially. do i blame SS'ing entirely on this? no way. i have been "overusing" my body (according to science i guess - i call it having fun) since i was a pre-teen. between track (including high and long jump and hurdles), football, bmx bikes, trail running, absurdly long hikes, skiing, rock climbing, mountain biking and road biking, and never stretching besides the times i took up yoga or did PT because things got so bad, my joints have been through the ringer. add my height, and the straw on the camel's back could have been SS'ing, but it wasn't the reason.

anyway - i actually haven't made up my mind - which is definitely rare thing for the board on the "what bike should i get" topic. the FS XXL fat bike thing has crossed the mind. so has a simple bike that maintenance will be a chain and gears (like a rigid fatty)... plus cost, plus a million other things. ask gary - i think it took me three, maybe four years walking into his store asking about road bikes again and again before i finally pulled the trigger.

i wish i could demo a bike, get on it and say "hey this is the one". only time that ever happened was when i demo'd a bike years ago from marty's. a gary fisher sugar i think. other than that, i have always had to buy a bike blind. i'm not made of money, so that kind of spend is a scary proposition - especially at current bike prices. the one i have now worked for years, from 6MR to mountain creek. i don't think any bike is "the" bike, and i try not to think of a "sourlands" bike and a "6MR" bike. i have always only had one ride, and managed to live through it.

anyway - you're right about fitting and bike size... and i have seen the fat bike hate on here, which i find completely absurd. so i figured i would ask in hopes to get something other than the crap on mtbr.
 

Matt_

I Get Jokes
Just keep in mind all the fatbike hate is really coming from roadies who like to mountain bike in their spare time and therefore take mountain biking waaaay too seriously.... so it's not really "hate", more so a lack of perspective.

Bikes are toys, not tools. We're grown ups who play in the woods.... so I think the best possible advice given in this thread was buy what makes you ride.
 

J-Dro

Well-Known Member
Dave, after knowing you for a bunch of years and riding at Sourlands together occasionally, I have a few observations...

* You're getting older. Knees, hips, what's next? Don't you think your lower back would benefit from some rear suspension?
* Riding style. On the rides we have done together at SL, no one has ever accused you of being, umm, fast. (Did I really say that?) Not meant as any kind of insult, but look at how Luke describes how his fat bike feels without snow (like a slug). Yes yes I know there are fast fat bike riders out there, but are you genetically programmed to be one of them?
* Bike turnover. You seem to be the type that holds on to your bikes for a really long time. That's admirable. So spending a bit more $$ on a full suspension bike that you'll keep for many years as your body continues to age seems like a worthwhile investment, no?
* Short travel slack 29er. This to me seems like the "one bike" that fits your needs. Shorter chainstays on the newer bikes makes them handle so much better than the 29ers of old. It would be a blast carving tight turns at 6mr, and would be able to slay the rock gardens at SL, and everything in between including occasional trips to Creek. Something along the lines of a Transition Smuggler or Evil Following. Outfitted with a wide-ish rim and tire, you'll get most of the traction advantages of a plus tire without the weight penalty.

My two pence.
 

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
* You're getting older. Knees, hips, what's next? Don't you think your lower back would benefit from some rear suspension?
* Riding style. On the rides we have done together at SL, no one has ever accused you of being, umm, fast. (Did I really say that?) Not meant as any kind of insult, .

you can say it - doesn't hurt at all - i'm slow!

i rode a 29er for a few years - it was the bike that i got rid of the fastest of all the bikes i have owned... but that was a loooong time ago. only issue i had was the fork felt like a freakin' diving board. the vibration fore/aft was unbelievable, especially when braking. dunno if it was because i had a lightweight fork, or if it was just the extra length that made it that way.

i do like the short chainstay feel - that's what i have now. not a bad idea as long as the forks don't feel like wet noodles still...
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I think he was running more than that, maybe 70 psi.

i've never run more than 8 psi ever. of course i've also lost about 15lbs since i was doing that so i can probably run less now. but i don't check my tire pressure ever so...
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
only issue i had was the fork felt like a freakin' diving board. the vibration fore/aft was unbelievable, especially when braking. dunno if it was because i had a lightweight fork, or if it was just the extra length that made it that way.

nope, wasn't the lightweightness. the early 29er forks were garbage. i went through Rock Shox and Fox forks on my Niner and Superfly before finally getting a lefty. the lefty was hands down the best fork i've owned. i'm sure the tech is better now but damn did those two suck then.
 

Supermoto

Well-Known Member
i do like the short chainstay feel - that's what i have now. not a bad idea as long as the forks don't feel like wet noodles still...

Devinci Marshall might be a good bike for you. 27.5+, enough suspension to take off the edge, stout front fork. short CS. The XL is pretty stretched out, so it might help with fit
 

Johnny Utah

Well-Known Member
Just keep in mind all the fatbike hate is really coming from roadies who like to mountain bike in their spare time and therefore take mountain biking waaaay too seriously.... so it's not really "hate", more so a lack of perspective.

Kevin.gif
 

Pearl

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
can never have a discussion with people that own a fat bike, as soon as someone disagrees

STOP HATING ON ME WTF
 

Matt_

I Get Jokes
You guys are 3 hours late with the good stuff, now I'm almost home and had nothing to amuse myself with during this ride
 
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