|
|
| *Vultures Knob>>>Mountain Bike |
What is a great bike for both commuting and singletrack? |
I am shopping for a mountain bike, and am looking for something that is good for both 10 mile commutes and some downhill single track. I'd like a full suspension bike, but I am also open to hard tails. My budget is around $1,300, which is low for full suspension bikes, high for hard tails. I'm also fond of the 700c wheels.. I'm 6'0''. Thanks a bunch! Well, if you want downhill single track buy the bike that fits that use. Downhill requires a very specific bike. You can commute on anything but you can't downhill on anything. As posted, this is a tough question to give a good answer to. The problem is downhilling, singletrack riding and communting are pretty mutually exclusive. A commuter should have eyelets for a rack so you can mount panniers. Unless you are commuting on really rough roads, a commuter will have relatively narrow, high pressure tires. Furthemore, unless you really like schleping lots of weight around, light weight is always good. Plus, since you want to get where you are going, you want a bike that is setup for efficient pedalling. Personaly, A downhill bicycle has massive suspension travel, a low seat and really slack geometry. The suspension travel soaks up the bumps to keep you in control, while the low seat keeps your center of gravity low and the slack geometry makes the bike stable at break neck speeds. Unfortunately, a downhill bike is not effecient for commuting or singletrack riding. The seats will be too low for effecient pedalling and a downhill bicycle is heavy. A hardtail or full suspension mountain bike will be acceptable for commuting and modest downhill riding. A mountain bike will be heavier than a road bike used for commuting. A mountain bike will get you down hills, but not at high speeds. Since you like 700 wheels, you might want to take a look at some 29er mountain bikes. You ought to be able to get close to your budget with a hard tail 29er. Here is a link to lots of good info on 29ers: http://www.twentynineinches.com/... Also, you might want to consider a cyclocross bike if single track and commuting are your most important considerations. A cyclocross bicycle will have knobbie tires for offroad use, but drop handlebars for effiecient commuting. I use my cyclocross bicycle regularly on single tracks and it does just fine. Not sure I'd want to go downhilling with it though. Check out Redline cyclocross bikes at: http://www.redlinebicycles.com/... Hope this helps you out. Surley Steamroller and/or surley Cross bike. I am biased as I own a Steamroller Single speed and it can do everything- commute, cyclocross, etc. I have a Specialized Tricross 2007, that I play offroad with occansionally when my friends lead me astray. It has 700 wheels.No suspension. fast commutor, good tourer, average dirt trails.(they work you) I use my Epic for offroad and my Allez for road. the tricross does most things and they race it in cyclocross. I dont because I hate to get off and run. Check it out if you get a chance. 2007 raleigh chill, i use it for riding to school, going mtn biking, racing, playing aound and roaad jumping.its about 700$ its got one disc brake and its full suspension with 80mm travel up front and i cant remember how much in the back, http://www.raleigh-canada.ca/eng_dualsus... |
| Tags |
| Kids Bike Schwinn Bike Cruiser Bike Road Bike Folding Bike Mountain Bike |
Bike Categories--Copyright/IP Policy--Contact Webmaster |