Can't think of a witty tittle

[Steve C]

Hey everyone my name is Steve. I'm 23 and at csuf studying all sorts of crap. Anyways just wanted to stop buy and say hello, so hello!

I am in the process of buying a new bike, oh btw i am completely new to the mtb game so please forgive me if i sound like a total dork.

I am 6 3" and about 280lbs, yeah i know fat @ss. I prefer fast without the s. anyways i am fairly athletic i.e. surfing, dirtbikes fun stuff like that.

From my lurker days I have learned a few thing. At least I think I have.


I have narrowed down my search criteria to the following:
all mountain bike
Right around $2200

and that's about all I have deduced. I don't plan on doing crazy dh or xc. My mtb intentions are to reduce my running with a far more entertaining and fun workout.

Some bikes that i have been looking at are the giant trance x2 and this kona coiler delux over at the Path.

I would love any suggestions

Enough babble for now!


btw that sticky in the "introduce yourself" section in hilarious.

thanks
steve

[ChariotsOfTires]

Originally Posted by Steve C

i.e. surfing dirtbikes fun stuff like that.

Steve,
How exactly do you surf a dirtbike?
Seriously tho. Welcome to STR. CSUF = CS Fullerton right. You should check out the Fully loop Thursday night ride. I am for the first time. No suggestions on Bikes except that I am partial to Specialized, thought the new Pivot's look pretty sick.
Enjoy,
RD

[Steve C]

lol i need to ninja edit myself a , in between there.

thanks for the reply.

when i get a bike i will be there!

[ewiccami]

Hey Steve,

Both bikes are awesome. I would suggest you take both for a spin at your LBS and make your decision there. I'd personally lean towards the Giant as its a bit more pedal efficient and if I remember correctly a bit lighter as well. Either way, make sure you lean those bikes into a corner to see how much they flex under your weight. You shouldn't have a problem with either personally though. Like I said before, good choices either way.

Once you make your pick though, make sure you take her out and get her nice and dirty

Oh ya, forgot to mention my biggest advice:

Test ride, test ride, test ride!

And almost forgot again... You'll need an XL (21 if they do it inches) at least.

[Steve C]

yeah that's what i was thinking as well. I really like the way that the trance feels. If i understand correctly they have several different versions of that bike. x3 x2 x x0 If i use some logic i would imagine that means better or worse components on the same frame?

Really in truly i'm just trying to understand my options so i don't have entrée envy later

oh yeah csuf = cal state fullerton

[Shu]

....Ride them before making a decission...most shops have demo bikes to take on the trails...don't trust just pedaling around in the parking lots...

[ewiccami]

Well, the smaller the number with the Giant's the better spec'd the bike. However, that Trance X2 is pretty darn well spec'd. You get an air-adjustable Fox on both ends suspension wise; Hayes Stroker hydraulic disc brakes and Shimano Deore/Lx to round everything off. When you go up to the X1 and X0, things only get beter from there. Entree' envy? haha... it'll happen no matter what you do. That's the beauty of mountain biking. Breaking stuff will happen and it gives you a reason to upgrade

[Steve C]

lol yeah entrée envy is bound to happen in almost anything i guess.

Yeah out of all the bikes i rode i really liked the trance x2. Not that it matters a whole lot but i was very pleased with the aesthetics oh the black one. Looks sweet. Not that form should take priority over function but man it looks cool!


any other bikes that im missing?

[Shannon]

Welcome Steve!

You had me at 'Whitty Tittle'... Sounded like something we might discuss in the women's forum.

Have fun choosing a new bike. One things for sure, you'll get plenty of help with your decision.

[ewiccami]

ya... black never stops being sexy.

in that price range, the trance x2 is pretty hard to beat. i definitely give it the thumbs up. shop around though, there are tons of awesome bikes that would fit the bill that that giant would. cannondale makes the prophet (rizes are now available, too); diamondback makes the mission; rocky mountain makes the etsx (although i would definitely consider the slayer sxc, a bit more travel, but a fun bike for sure); yeti makes the 575 etc... <--- ya, i know... all bikes i carry, but we do carry the giants too, and they are AWESOME.

ya, form shouldn't take priority over function, but hey, we'd all be lying if we didn't say it was a factor. sexy factor counts!

[Steve C]

yeah that giant is sexy. you know what one thing might be though is when i went to the shop and test rode the trance the sales guy actually took the time to set up the suspension for me. The other shops i went to just told me to take it around the parking lot and see how it feels. makes me wonder if those other bike would have felt better if the suspension was set. Honestly though, i really don't what a bike should feel like.

I have so much to learn!

[ewiccami]

proper setup is definitely key. shock setup tells you how the bike pedals, how it takes bumps, and how it behaves in general. you should always test ride a full suspension bike with it set up for YOU. Even if you don't know what a bike should feel like, you do know that the Trance felt better than the other ones. That's all you're really looking for is which one feels the best and appeals the most to you. The bike you like the most and are happiest with is going to be the bike you end up riding the most.

Sure you have so much to learn, but so do we all. Some of us have grown up in bike shops and things change every year. I always tell people when you come to our shop you're going to get four different opinions (four people on staff) and when you go to another shop, you'll get just as many other opinions. The fact is that we're all right, and we're all wrong. Learning's half the battle, and definitely all the fun.

Don't stress too much about it. You thinking about your purchase, rather than doing an impulse buy already puts you ahead. You've already noticed that the giant feels the best for you (even though you don't know what you're looking for) and you know one of the shops you went to took the time to set it up for you. Do test ride the bikes. Even though you're out in a parking lot, the bikes will give you feedback on how they behave. Pay attention to how they pedal, how they handle, and most importantly, how they fit you. Pick the bike that you think "fits you" the best. It'll be the one that you have the most fun on, and the one you ride the most.

[Steve C]

^^^ great advice there. The shop were i test rode the trance rents bikes. Maybe a smart think to do would be to go and test it out.

[Taco Jack]

From Temecula Trance X1 owner very happy. A nice speced bike in its price range. I payed
2115.00 for mine shop around.

[Blue Rat]

from Murrieta.

[BrewMaster]

Welcome. Hope to see you on Thursday nights at the loop.

[SIK SD]

Steve, this is not a jab at your size cuz the guy i ride with everyday is 6'2" 265. Which is why i bring this up...Most air suspension forks and shocks carry a max weight before the airspring will no longer function correctly, most are around 250lbs...in addition i disagree with the other posters in that you should be looking for the lightest platform out there. You need something that is built strong, and can handle the overall torque and stress you will create going up hill and railing the thing. In other words a light DH bike will be a cross country bike for you. Trust me...I'm not saying go get a 44+ pound sled but something like the Kona Coiler is perfect, coil sprung, with a Vanilla fork or comparable non-airspring set up. Once you get the bike your next focus should be the drive train because you will be straining the hell out of it. Particularly the rear hub...get a beast, something like a Hadley, King, I9 etc... Yes your bike may weigh 36lbs but it won't break...By the way my buddy rides a Coiler, with a beefed up Fox coil rear and a Vanilla fork, he may not be the fastest up the hill but he is never stranded either. My .02, good luck.

[ChariotsOfTires]

Yeah what he said. Weight is a definate concern. I'm 5'10"/215 (ding!!!!) so I don't worry about weight constraints. But being that you're a body builder who could probably rip my bike in two longways, definately go with a rig that is going to hold up for you. Spend now so that you don't have to spend later, though you probably will. If you buy the right rig now, then it should last you longer. IMHO....
RD

Originally Posted by SIK SD

Steve, this is not a jab at your size cuz the guy i ride with everyday is 6'2" 265. Which is why i bring this up...Most air suspension forks and shocks carry a max weight before the airspring will no longer function correctly, most are around 250lbs...in addition i disagree with the other posters in that you should be looking for the lightest platform out there. You need something that is built strong, and can handle the overall torque and stress you will create going up hill and railing the thing. In other words a light DH bike will be a cross country bike for you. Trust me...I'm not saying go get a 44+ pound sled but something like the Kona Coiler is perfect, coil sprung, with a Vanilla fork or comparable non-airspring set up. Once you get the bike your next focus should be the drive train because you will be straining the hell out of it. Particularly the rear hub...get a beast, something like a Hadley, King, I9 etc... Yes your bike may weigh 36lbs but it won't break...By the way my buddy rides a Coiler, with a beefed up Fox coil rear and a Vanilla fork, he may not be the fastest up the hill but he is never stranded either. My .02, good luck.

[Fired Yo Momma]

Man I remember when I was in school I could barely afford food much less a $2000.00 mountain bike.

[JoeTruth]

Get a Kona bike and forget about it! Not the lightest but one of the strongest made frames out there and they're not going to break the bank; relatively speaking to boutique brands (i.e. Turner, Yeti and Ellsworthless).

GLTY!

Originally Posted by Fired Yo Momma

Man I remember when I was in school I could barely afford food much less a $2000.00 mountain bike.

FYM, You should've studied to become a peace officer and 2K would've been donated to you by a police academy of your choice. We could use the extra man power. Thank you for you support.