Part 2: How to Pick the Right Mountain Bike for You
Because it takes two newsletters to drop all the knowledge I'm going to share.
Robbe Smith
July 31, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
In today’s send I’m going to continue sharing how to pick the right bike for you. If you read last weeks issue you, know there is a lot of info to digest when making this decision. I will talk about which type(hardtail vs. full suspension) and how much travel for either bike to help you narrow down your choice.
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I'll also be sharing
Hardtail Vs. Full Suspension
Most mountain bikes can be broken down to two main categories, hardtail and full suspension. A lot of the info below are more guidelines than hard rule. A hardtail has a rigid frame where the front and rear triangles are welded together, and it has a suspension fork. There is a sub category of hardtail that’s called rigid. A rigid bike will have a rigid frame and fork. A full suspension bike has separate front and rear triangles held together by a rocker linkage, and a shock.
Honestly, budget might have a big impact on your decision. Hardtails (that you actually want to ride in the woods) will generally start around $1000 and go up from there. Full suspension bikes will generally start around $3000, and go up from there.
Where you ride or intend to ride will also play a part in your choice. You can ride any bike on any trail. I am sure you have heard the expression that there’s a correct tool for each job. In this case it’s more about which bike you will have more fun on rather then the “correct” choice. I always pick the bike that I think will be the most fun for that day.
A hardtail is a solid choice if your local trails are fairly smooth and flowy. By the nature of a hardtail you will have a little more trouble keeping the back wheel on the ground. That is a key for traction and forward momentum. Every time you hit a root or rock you back wheel can lose traction. There are things you can do as a rider to help keep the wheel on the ground, but those skills take some time to develop. The more rocks and roots there are on the trail the more difficult this is.
A full suspension bike will generally be a better choice if your trails are rockier. The nature of full suspension helps keep the back wheel on the ground. When you hit something in the trail with the back wheels the rear triangle will move with the rocker links and shocks to keep the wheel glued to the ground.
Comfort is also a factor here. A full suspension bike will beat you up less than a hardtail.
Bike I’m Eyeing: Transition Spire
Here’s why…..this bike is on the short list for my next enduro bike. This is a 170/170 bike. A bike like this is as comfortable at the local enduro race, or all day laps at the downhill park. I demoed an older version of this bike a few years ago at Thunder Mountain, and I really enjoyed this bike. It was a free day at the park on Transition. Over the course of the summer they went to bike parks all over the country and rented them out of the day. If you were lucky enough to get a pass you got a free day at the park. They had their full demo fleet which was awesome. After I rode this bike I really wanted on for my next bike. For various reasons it didn’t happen. Now that I have the opportunity again it may be too hard to resist. For a 170mm bike these pedal really well, and they can be built in the low 30lb range without a crazy expensive build. My only nit pick about this bike is that neither carbon build has carbon wheels.
Transition Spire Carbon XO Build
How much suspension travel do you need?
This is another one of those questions that doesn’t have any easy one size fits all answer. There are many factors to consider when it comes to travel.
For those who aren’t familiar with the term, travel is the amount that your fork and frame move up and down as you ride. The notes below will apply to full suspension and hardtails. That said, there aren’t that many hardtails out there that have more than 160mm of travel.
The amount of travel a bike has will affect how it will ride on different types of trails. Bikes with travel in the 100 to 130 mm range are generally XC bikes. Bikes in the 140 to 160 mm range are generally trail bike. Bikes in the 160 to 180 mm range are enduro bikes. Bikes in the 200 mm range are downhill bikes. All of these are general guidelines, and not a hard rule. One of the nice things about the modern trail and enduro bikes is that they are all capable at the local downhill parks.
XC bikes are usually lower travel option with a little sharper geometry. Shorter travel bikes are usually a little lighter. Forks, wheels etc designed for XC riding are lighter which usually leads to a lighter bike. Some of the modern XC bikes are starting to blur the lines between XC and trail. My Trek Top Fuel has geometry very similar to my enduro bike, but it’s just a shorter travel package. It rides down hills like a much longer travel bike, but they still climb great.
Trail bikes are the next in the line, and arguably the most capable. They fall in the middle of the travel ranges above in the 140 to 160mm travel. This is the last category where hardtails will live. The trail bikes are meant to be the jack of all trades, good at everything. From what the advertising says these bikes are, they should be at home on the local XC trails or at the downhill park. They are some concessions with these bikes. You won’t be able to build a sub 30 lb. bike without spending a lot of money. While they are super capable, so bigger stuff will push them to the limit. My personal bike that fall into this category is a hardtail.
Enduro bikes are next on the list. The enduro category comes from a race dicipline. In enduro racing, you have untimed climbs/transfers, and time downhill sections. There are usually between 4-6 downhill sections. All the downhill times are combined for your overall time. For a bike to excel here it needs to be a good climber, and equally good at going down hill at speed. Most of the bikes that fall into this category are in the 160 to 180 mm travel. One of my bikes is a 170/160 enduro bike, and they are pretty much like advertised. They will be north of 30lbs, but still solid climbers. They really excel when pointed down the hill.
Final are the downhill bikes. They are in the 190 to 200 mm travel range. These bikes are truly only good for going downhill. They have large dual crown forks to keep the front end stiff helping the bike track through the really chunky stuff. They don’t climb well at all. That is largely be design. These bikes are a ton of fun at the downhill park, or shuttling if you’re not pedaling much on the runs. I have had the opportunity to spend about 5 days or so riding one on downhill days, and they are a ton of fun. That much travel allows you to do stupid fun things. You can straight line tech, big hits with questionable landings etc.
After you have had a chance to digest the info above, you will need to decide which direction to go. You can pick a bike that can handle everything you want to ride, or pick one that will excel where you will ride the most. You can ride any bike anywhere. You can ride an XC bike at the downhill park. It will likely be fun, and you will survive. Is it the best tool of the job? Not really, but it will still be a fun day on the bike.
Where are you on your mountain biking journey |
What I’m reading this week
My favorite trail tools
The recommendations below include affiliate links, if you make a purchase I’ll receive a very small commission.
It’s a great little patch kit to repair tire punctures that are too large for sealant to fix.  | This is a great hydration pack for long days in the woods. You can carry 3 liters on water, and all the tools, tubes etc you will need.  | Trailside snacks for a little burst of energy. In the woods you want to eat about every hour to keep your body fueled.  |
Video of the week
Eastern States Cup Showdown #7 - Burke, VT
ESC puts on a great race. I have done a number of their downhill and enduro races, and they are always well run and fun. It’s nice to see they finally are having some mud free racing
Check out the ESC recap.
