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Clutchflme

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I’ve been riding a hardtail trek Roscoe 8 since November last year. I want to buy a full suspension bike now and not sure which one to buy. So many different brands to choose from. To ride on trails like 6 mile, dickens mine, cedar grove, and Allaire, which bike would you prefer to ride? Which brand is a favorite for you? Trek, Orbea, Santa Cruz, etc?
 
What's your budget? Most people on this forum believe 130 rear/ 140 front is good for NJ.

If I was going to get one, I'd go with pivot or giant.

Others here love Santa Cruz.
 
knobbyhead said:
What's your budget? Most people on this forum believe 130 rear/ 140 front is good for NJ.

If I was going to get one, I'd go with pivot or giant.

Others here love Santa Cruz.
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$6,000 is my limit. But really hoping not to go that high. Is there a such thing as overkill when buying a bike that exceeds your skill set? If I go to a bike shop I’m worried they would ask the same question of my budget and would push me into buying $6,000 bike. Just curious on which brand I should be looking at. I never thought about pivot or giant. I’ll start looking at those as well.
 
go to demos... try a bunch out. rent a bike for the day. borrow a friend's bike to test out. hell, sometimes people on group rides will even let you ride their bike for a little bit if you're asking them questions about their bike.

one of my bikes is a 5010 and i tried a few very similar bikes at the time but the 5010 just felt right. a bunch of people will have a bunch of different answers. you gotta feel bikes out for yourself... ESPECIALLY if you're dropping that kind of money on a bike.

Also-- never tell them your real budget.... tell them $4k -ish... there's always things you'll want to buy anyway for the bike: pedals, lighter wheels, new grips, etc etc
 
Joy has some excellent points.

Or you can follow my lead
buy a bike
ride it
hate it
sell it.
Buy another bike
ride it
hate it
Sell it.

Ride all the bike. You'll find something that you like.
120/130 travel is pretty much a do all bike for the parks you listed.
100mm XC bike can also be fun.
 
MissJR said:
go to demos... try a bunch out. rent a bike for the day. borrow a friend's bike to test out. hell, sometimes people on group rides will even let you ride their bike for a little bit if you're asking them questions about their bike.

one of my bikes is a 5010 and i tried a few very similar bikes at the time but the 5010 just felt right. a bunch of people will have a bunch of different answers. you gotta feel bikes out for yourself... ESPECIALLY if you're dropping that kind of money on a bike.

Also-- never tell them your real budget.... tell them $4k -ish... there's always things you'll want to buy anyway for the bike: pedals, lighter wheels, new grips, etc etc
Click to expand...

This is spot on. Go to an event like Outerbike where you can just try tons of bikes in a weekend. Different styles, different geometries, different brands.
 
For the parks you have discussed, I would do the deep dive on the Pivot trail 429. I ride this in the 120 /140mm version. I have had the same frame for a number of years and although we sell most of the brands you have listed, I keep on riding this bike. Come pedal a few around the lot when you have a chance.
 
2nd for the pivot 429. I rode an older version out west. The rear is a dw link rear (look it up) and really is amazing.

I can't really describe how it rode. It was like the rear suspension disappeared. Like I knew it was working but I felt really connected to the ground.
Downhills were amazing and climbing felt like a hardtail.

But like others said, try riding a bunch. But keep the Roscoe, it's a great hardtail.
 
knobbyhead said:
2nd for the pivot 429. I rode an older version out west. The rear is a dw link rear (look it up) and really is amazing.

I can't really describe how it rode. It was like the rear suspension disappeared. Like I knew it was working but I felt really connected to the ground.
Downhills were amazing and climbing felt like a hardtail.

But like others said, try riding a bunch. But keep the Roscoe, it's a great hardtail.
Click to expand...
I am happy with my Ibis Ripley, but don't have any real bikes to compare it to. It also has DW
 
Don't get hung up on the brands, demoing on trails, not parking lot, will give you the feed back you're looking for. Yes, you can tweak things like the bars and stem, but sometimes the geo and suspension are very personal. 120mm rear travel will be fine for the parks you've mentioned, but if you're looking to ride at Northern parks, I'd consider more travel. Your price point is good for carbon frames so I'd start demoing 120-135 travel bikes with GX or XT builds in that range. Also try 29 and 27+ tire options. I ride a 429 and Banshee Prime, and would take the 429 to 6mile, but never the Banshee, which it currently mullet. Though 90% of the time I'm on a hard tail. Keep us posted what you've been riding and your impressions.
 
I went from a trek x-caliber 8 to an Ibis Ripley AF and could not be happier. The Ibis climbs really well. The 3000 price leaves money for upgrades down the line.
 
Without hijacking the thread too much into a solicitation, I'm near the Cedar Grove trails and have a Stumpjumper Comp S4 (sorta like a large in sizing) that fits the bill of an all-around NJ bike (140 front/130 rear) I'm looking at selling due to some personal reasons but climbs well, plenty of travel without feeling bogged down on less demanding trails and good weight. Even if you're not interested in a used bike it's worth checking out the Stumpy or the Epic Evo that is a little more XC and less Trail. I know of a few Cedar Grove locals who are on Yetis in the SB115/120 variety as well as 5010 and Tallboy from Santa Cruz. If you want to check out the Stumpy send me a PM and I can let you check it out at Cedar Grove if you're in the area.
 
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