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Only $10 for all 2024 SX, MX, and SMX series (regularly $30).
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My bad I guess.
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2076963/
The Shop
Just kidding... hahahaa
As for those links to pinkbike above.. 1 bike is old 2x10 setup and the other is a "poorman's 1x10" conversion. Try to stick with modern 1x11 Sram or Shimano as they work so much better than the old stuff and give you the range you need if you ever go on hills.
First you gotta decide how you want to ride, pound xc laps and get stamina, or downhill and hit berms and jumps and rock gardens, or do both. For 1 do it all bike i would get a 140-160mm 29er, but that is what i like and suites how i ride. That would be a specialized stumpjumper/enduro, santa cruz hightower, yeti sb5.5c, etc. etc. Hardtail 29 will be the fastest xc bike, theres no question, however thats not the funnest bike to ride, doesnt like to go down hills fast. So the next step above that would be 100-130mm full suspension "trail bike". Then above that is your 140-170mm bikes which will be your do it all bike. Downhill bikes only like to go downhill as they are 8" of suspension. Another thing you will want to decide is what wheel size. New bikes now a days are 27.5" or 29". 29ers are faster in the straights where as 27.5s are better in tight technical stuff because of the smaller wheel. Ive moved to a santa cruz hightower for my xc/enduro bike, dont want a 27.5 because i am faster on a 29er. That was proven by strava on a trail ive done 100s of times, going up and down. Ive raced my hightower in 2 dh races and have won the race and gotten 3rd (after dropping my chain and putting it back on mid run) in CAT 1 (class under pro). Some people prefer 27.5, others 29, thats something you need to figure out. Picture below is on a Snata Cruz Hightower 29er
Frame size for 5' 8" with ~30" inseam?
Shimano 1x10 or SRAM 1x11. Don't get Shimano's 1x11. It's not that good in comparison to their 1x10.
It's basically for 100pct michigan rec area trails. I can't believe they are all that crazy. A 29 hardtail seems best bang for buck. Unless I found a crazy sale on a full suspension.
Pit Row
But first a little lead up to what I did.
I was laid off on 2/1/17 & started to gain weight, so I got the old Wall-Mart "MTB" down off the hanger on the wall.
I started using it because the Bike Trails\ Green belts around here are really beaten up by all the tree roots & having had broken back, I can't seem to run.
The Wall-Mart "MTB is a heavy old POS, So I stated looking for a better bike & was told by a few bike shops that I needed a "Comfort" type of bike because of my bad back.
I ask a about a entry level full suspension bike & was advised that it would be too rough on my back.
I thought that's what I'm riding now & it's not to bad, just the wrong sized frame ( I'm 6' with a 31 inch inseam) so I started looking at all the different bike in my price range, about $500 max the wife would shit If I spent more while I'm not working.
Keep checking Craig's list for weeks & then I found a Diamond Back 29er Recoil that was brand new in the box! Retail is between $600 to $650.
I got it for $450 with a extra set of WBT Bronson Comp tire's & it works great for me.
Ride it 11 miles about every day & I've lost about 15 pounds, I can now run about 5 medium hard laps around the MX track where before I was pulling off after 3 slow laps & was outta breath.
Go check out the local bike shops & see what they have & then find a local MTB group & ask what they ride & way.
You might even get to try out a few different MTB"s!
Good luck
Last Summer I found a 29" hard tail Diamondback $550 retail bike for $212.00, as an Amazon return. I read up on it, and found one review said that it was the best $500 you could buy.
The first time out without really trying I broke 2 of my 3 all time records at a place I frequent. I know most of you wouldn't be caught dead on a sub $2K bike, but I love it!
The forks suck and I plan to upgrade when I find a decent pair of used ones.
IMO I would be faster on a hard tail 29er but the full suspension is just so damn nice on the down hills.
The last time I rode my Husky was back in January. Cycling is just as much fun and way cheaper. It's nice living within 30 minutes of 8 really good trail systems.
Dropper posts are awesome. Well worth the money.
Where you will be riding/ what kind of trails is the most important factor in deciding what equipment will be best. Let me give you a quick rundown on mountain biking as there is a ton of bikes that are meant for very different things and may better help you understand the marketing buzzwords and what to look for in a bike. The main "disciplines" or types of trail you will hear and see different bikes marketed towards (although there is some overlap) are loosely grouped as "XC/Trail", "All-Mountain/Enduro", and "Downhill".
XC comes from cross country racing, and full blown xc bikes are usually 100ish mm hardtails or >100ish mm F+R full suspension mountain bikes that are made for climbing fast, They have a very steep headtube (less rake with the fork, if you will), so they are not very comfortable or fun going downhill or when things get rowdy. Note that many entry level hardtails may be "XC oriented", but that does not mean they are as steep as actual race bikes and are usually fine for beginners. This is sort of where trail bikes come in, a bike marketed as a trail bike will typically be a 120mm ish hardtail or a 120-140mm full suspension and will have a headtube that is a bit slacker (more rake with the fork). These "trail bikes" is what I bet most people in your area are riding, being in michigan. They offer a happy medium, you will feel more comfortable going downhill but will also have great pedaling efficiency for climbing.
When it comes to talking about the actual TRAIL however, XC has a different meaning. If someone says that "those trails were pretty much xc", it just means it didn't have any huge downhills or gnarly unavoidable jumps. For instance, where I live in Charlotte nc , all the trails around the city are considered XC, due to lack of mountains and the grooming of the trails. Since you live in michigan, I assume you will most likely be riding "XC" trails. That is why I would recommend a trail bike.
All mountain and enduro are often thrown around interchangeably. This type of riding is loosely defined as "more than trail riding, but less than downhill". This is the kind of riding that you may be doing if you lived in the mountains or were going to be riding some gnarly terrain or hitting big jumps. These bikes are even slacker in the headtube and are typically full suspension mountain bikes with 140-160mm suspension all around, or a slack hardtail with a 140mm-160mm fork. These bikes are more capable going downhill but generally are not as easy to pedal uphill. I imagine this may be a bit overkill for michigan trails, but Ive only been to ohio so I dont know.
Downhill is all about doing exactly that. These bikes are meant for only pointing it down a hill and jumping. The bikes are super raked out for the jumps and are not made for pedaling, as you usually get a lift back to the top of the hill if you are riding in a bike park. note that you do not need a full blown DH bike to ride at a bike park, and most dont in my area. Here in NC many have a "trail" bike for riding around charlotte and may later get a "all mountain" or "enduro" bike if they find themselves running out of bike on their roadtrips to the mountains or the bike parks.
This is why the headtube angle and geometry of the frame is equally, if not more important than choosing between full suspenion vs hardtail. You can get a steep XC 100mm/100mm full suspension that will climb way better than a super slack all mountain hardtail. Likewise , you could shred a downhill faster and likely enjoy it more on the slack hardtail than the super steep XC full suspension bike.
Tire size is all personal preference, I am only 5'8 and prefer the 27.5 size (650b means the same thing fyi). I came from a bmx background and felt the 29er was not as nimble or as easy to jump as the 27.5. There are some nimble feeling 29ers out there I hear, I just never found one that was right for me! Most people are technically faster on the 29er, and you don't have to pay attention to your line choice as much, but I like to jump and pop off of every feature on the trail (not the fastest way) and I think the 27.5 just does this better. With you being so tall, I am sure the 29er would suit you well though.
The first thing you should do, is go to your local bike shop, and demo some bikes! This will give you an idea of what kind of bike you like, as well as if you want to stick with the sport. I recommend you buy a bike with "trail" geometry, and I recommend you go hardtail. Mountain biking is insanely expensive, and there are plenty of bikes out there that cost as much as a brand new ktm 450. I would definitely try and find a good used bike at first. Bikes depreciate worse than anything I have ever seen so some good stuff can be found. If you are buying new you have to pay to play. You are looking at ATLEAST $1000 and well into $1500 for a hardtail with a decent fork and components. On budget hardtails, usually the fork or the wheels suffer, and I'd rather have a better fork to start off with. If you wanted to go full suspension you are looking at 2500+ for something worthy.
If you like the idea of full suspension, consider a 27.5+ (plus) hardtail. These bikes are hardtails with wide 27.5 inch rims with extra wide tires. The wide tires give you a ton of traction and allows you to run low air pressures , which feels similar to having full suspension and gives you a cusiony ride. It will still climb great as well. For places like michigan I think it would be perfect. If you give me an idea of your budget I can give you some suggestions, but I really think demo-ing some bikes is what you should do first. The wheelsize decision should not be made blindly.
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