Looking for some input.

Posted by: Ouch

With kids and owning a house in Vancouver, getting a quiver of bikes is not realistic...... at least not on my pay scale. I plan on keeping my hardtail for putting around, which is a 29er.

All the more reason to keep it versatile. Something that pedals good but can still do a day in the park.

Rootdown BA with 140-160mm fork gets my vote.

Im 43 and have been riding since 1990.

HA! I know how you guys feel! Ive been serious about MTBing since the early 90s, but in Ontario. Totally different experience!

So, when I moved here in my mid 40s a few yrs ago and proceeded to go OTB for months, I found myself fairly busted up most of the time. I don't heal (or climb) like I used to!

But such is life. Still better than not being in the woods.

My ears have been ringing for almost 2yrs now after a bail on 5th Horseman. Two F'ing Years!!!! And that's not even from the carnage I suffered in May that took me off the bike for over 3months. Still, better than not being in the woods.

Posted by: fartymarty

Rootdown BA with 140-160mm fork gets my vote.

Im 43 and have been riding since 1990.

Nice bike, but I've been riding a very similar bike and it's kicking the @#$! out of my body! Thus the quest for a full suspension.

Good to see you guys are close to the same age as me, and share the same perspective. So most of you are recommending an Enduro bike, and are split on the 29er and 27.5.

I'll have to seriously look at the Enduro's.

To clarify, the 29er will roll over obstacles better, travel faster and climb better due to traction. The 27.5 will be more playful, easier to manoeuvre and use less brakes due to slow rolling speed. 

Is that correct? Anything else to add?

I'm 45 ha ha.... Yeah crashing hurts..... Rode Bookwus fine today and then took a massive bail over the bar on Baden Powell. Guy I ended up riding with had to untangle me from the bike because I was trapped!! Not sure how I'd have have got out of that situation otherwise ha... It was an 'enduro' day for sure :D

Posted by: Ouch

Good to see you guys are close to the same age as me, and share the same perspective. So most of you are recommending an Enduro bike, and are split on the 29er and 27.5.

I'll have to seriously look at the Enduro's.

To clarify, the 29er will roll over obstacles better, travel faster and climb better due to traction. The 27.5 will be more playful, easier to manoeuvre and use less brakes due to slow rolling speed. 

Is that correct? Anything else to add?

Winners of the EWS & UCI Downhill rode on smaller wheels, so just smile and nod when someone tells you something rolls over obstacles better.

Evenly mixed, if you look at all the results.  Both solutions for wheel diameter work well, just in different ways.  For taller guys, bigger wheels will feel more natural to a larger fraction of people because of the proportionality of those, but somebody wanting agility and travel for chunk may still prefer smaller wheels (conversely some riders prefer wagon wheels no matter what). 

They roll things differently, with different characteristic feels. Big wheels have lower attack angles and tend to feel smoother over moderately rough stuff because less peak energy is involved in getting out of the way, but more unsprung mass and a lankier bike is always a tradeoff. Same deal with feeling in the bike (more bottom bracket drop) versus on the bike (less bb drop, but can initiate direction changes easier). 

For my part, a 29er with 150/140mm travel is able to get me into and out of plenty of trouble, with good tires climbs technical stuff brilliantly, and with modern geometry I can goo stupid fast. Low speed tech and climbing switch backs is basically compromised (but I personally suck at that anyway), and it requires a lot of commitment for frolicking.

Tried an all-mountain and Enduro 29er's today. The all-mountain climbed way easier with less effort, and descended very well. The Enduro was a bit softer, but not as nibble. Going with the all-mountain. Thanks!

Sweet! No going wrong either way. 

Welcome back!!!!!

Posted by: Ouch

Posted by: trumpstinyhands

I'd forgotten that I'd recently been on a ride where all five of us where riding 2018 Norco Range or Sight in a selection of wheel sizes. To summarize the ride and some of this is probably pretty obvious, but Sight climbed better and was more nimble on the tighter trails but was still competent on the downs. On the last trail that I knew my boss knew well and I didn't so much, he suggested I go first as I was on my personal Range and he was on a Sight 29 and the trail was medium grade but pretty chundery / rocky. I let him go first because of again not knowing the trail so well, but yeah, I soon came flying up behind him as my bike was in it's element on a more 'DH' type trail despite the smaller wheels. But in terms of overkill, I think if I'd have had the Range 29, I'd have gone faster still but there's going to be a trade-off between speed Vs feel. Personally I just like to have a laugh so don't care about ultimate speed so am happy to give that up for more interaction with the trail.

So you feel overall the Range is quite a bit better on the down? Are you saying the Range 29 would be overkill or just faster?

IMO, Enduro 29ers (150-165mm) are built to go fast. Are Strava KOM's your ticket? If you only want to ride "Blue's and Black's" I'm guessing your answer is 'no'. You gotta think about what you want to ride and what you want to do, I'm betting an 140 mm 29er will give you enough 'big bike' but still climb well... or a 150'ish mm 27.5 would fit the bill as well.

Whatever you get, make sure it fits and follow your gut. Most of all have fun.

Posted by: Captain-Snappy

Posted by: Ouch

Posted by: trumpstinyhands

I'd forgotten that I'd recently been on a ride where all five of us where riding 2018 Norco Range or Sight in a selection of wheel sizes. To summarize the ride and some of this is probably pretty obvious, but Sight climbed better and was more nimble on the tighter trails but was still competent on the downs. On the last trail that I knew my boss knew well and I didn't so much, he suggested I go first as I was on my personal Range and he was on a Sight 29 and the trail was medium grade but pretty chundery / rocky. I let him go first because of again not knowing the trail so well, but yeah, I soon came flying up behind him as my bike was in it's element on a more 'DH' type trail despite the smaller wheels. But in terms of overkill, I think if I'd have had the Range 29, I'd have gone faster still but there's going to be a trade-off between speed Vs feel. Personally I just like to have a laugh so don't care about ultimate speed so am happy to give that up for more interaction with the trail.

So you feel overall the Range is quite a bit better on the down? Are you saying the Range 29 would be overkill or just faster?

IMO, Enduro 29ers (150-165mm) are built to go fast. Are Strava KOM's your ticket? If you only want to ride "Blue's and Black's" I'm guessing your answer is 'no'. You gotta think about what you want to ride and what you want to do, I'm betting an 140 mm 29er will give you enough 'big bike' but still climb well... or a 150'ish mm 27.5 would fit the bill as well.

Whatever you get, make sure it fits and follow your gut. Most of all have fun.

What is Strava KOM's mean?

Are you saying a 140mm 29er is enough bike period or only for the blues and black's?

Strava is an app that you put on your phone that will record your ride and look at time splits for segments of a road/trail. KOM is King of the Mountain for climbing segments.

I don't use it because it sucks the fun out of everyone of my rides as the second I turn it on, its all about the time and I lose sight of why I'm riding, but many people do use it. There are also hacks that will cheat your time to a faster time than you did if you can believe it.

Posted by: Ddean

Strava is an app that you put on your phone that will record your ride and look at time splits for segments of a road/trail. KOM is King of the Mountain for climbing segments.

I don't use it because it sucks the fun out of everyone of my rides as the second I turn it on, its all about the time and I lose sight of why I'm riding, but many people do use it. There are also hacks that will cheat your time to a faster time than you did if you can believe it.

Oh!

Guess there's a reason I haven't heard of it before, that's so not me.