Hard tail 29er vs Full suspension.

[Crowz]

I've started riding trails around Mt Coottha in Brisbane and want to upgrade to a better bike. (current one is old, entry level, and too small) Would anyone like to help out with a pros/cons of spending about a G on a semi-decent hard tail 29er compared to an entry level dual suspension bike?

[mitzikatzi]

If by a "G" you mean a "k" or $1000. Then a Hardtail no question. I would look at run out 26ers in that price range. Much better value for money IMHO.

[brett.hooker]

Going through the same process right now... 26" vs 29'er... Definitely a hard tail for that budget...

I am looking at the Merida's at 99 bikes...

The 100 MD is an entry level 29'er at a really good price... Around $610

They also have the 300 26" normally $999 on special for $799 at the moment, and that looks like a great deal for a 26"

A good mate who does a lot of MTB around Cootha, Nebo and Samford has a dual suspension Giant, but absolutely wants to "go back" to a hard tail 29'er for the ride-ability over a longer distance and commuting in addition to hitting the trails.

[uglybob]

i'd be looking at perhaps a second hand dualie - i had a very basic hardtail, and upgraded to a 2008 specialized epic. was great, a fantastic bike for the money. best value for a good quality bike, without spending too much coin before knowing if i was really going to get into mountain biking big time or not!

out of interest, i took out the hardtail version of my current stumpjumper dual-susp. wouldn't be going back to a hardtail anytime soon thats for sure!

[Crowz]

Sorry, to clarify, I was meaning around $1000 for a hard tail or would it be worth saving a bit more and getting an entry level dualy for around $1500-$1800. Bike will be purely for trails, no commuting. Is a dual suspension really worth that extra $500? Am I missing out on much at places like Mt Coottha?

[mitzikatzi]

If your after a "L" Giant ANTHEM-X2 upgraded to full XT 2011 / Used might be worth a look

[mitzikatzi]

Giant Anthem X3 2012 / New

A couple of hundred more gets you the X2. Also look at a "Trance" there are are few fan boys of them on here.

Both those Gaints are better "spec" than the $1000 Hardtails I can find in your area. Thet both have good forks.

[Kenzo]

At Coot-tha and Gap Ck... Do you want to blitz your mates on the way up or on the way down?

I've got both and for my riding skills/ability I find the 29er performs better on the long uphills - especially up the trail to Mt Nebo... But the duallie kicks butt when going down the single track. Duallie for down, 29er for up.

My preference was solidly within the 29er camp for a few years. The 29er was so much more physical to ride on the single track, full body work out type of thing. But a bad back and a desire to feel less like muscling the bike and more like finessing, I went back to a 26" duallie and am loving that more. So much so the 29er has become my wife's bike.

Disclaimer... There are plenty of people I know who will blitz me up and down the trails regardless of which bike I would use.

[Marty Moose]

What shop you guys think of the Scott sparks?

Sent from my MB526 using Tapatalk 2

[silentbutdeadly]

What shop you guys think of the Scott sparks?

A decent run of the mill frame with various levels of gear specification but often at subtly wrong price points. An adequate but not exceptional treadly.

For a grand...go with the bike that has a frame that fits you that's wearing the best specified fork and wheelset you can find. Wheelset in particular can make or break the experience.

And the problem at this price point on a hard tail 29er is that what you typically end up with is a short travel coil spring fork with limited capability as things get demanding and a heavy & limp wheelset made from basic Formula ball bearing hubs, noodle steel spokes and large section pinned alloy rims.

Which makes me wonder whether 26er might be the source of a better deal/specification for the hills

[Crowz]

What shop you guys think of the Scott sparks?

A decent run of the mill frame with various levels of gear specification but often at subtly wrong price points. An adequate but not exceptional treadly.

For a grand...go with the bike that has a frame that fits you that's wearing the best specified fork and wheelset you can find. Wheelset in particular can make or break the experience.

And the problem at this price point on a hard tail 29er is that what you typically end up with is a short travel coil spring fork with limited capability as things get demanding and a heavy & limp wheelset made from basic Formula ball bearing hubs, noodle steel spokes and large section pinned alloy rims.

Which makes me wonder whether 26er might be the source of a better deal/specification for the hills

Are there any particular models that stand out to you in the $1000 range for 29" or 26" Hard tails?

[silentbutdeadly]

What shop you guys think of the Scott sparks?

A decent run of the mill frame with various levels of gear specification but often at subtly wrong price points. An adequate but not exceptional treadly.

For a grand...go with the bike that has a frame that fits you that's wearing the best specified fork and wheelset you can find. Wheelset in particular can make or break the experience.

And the problem at this price point on a hard tail 29er is that what you typically end up with is a short travel coil spring fork with limited capability as things get demanding and a heavy & limp wheelset made from basic Formula ball bearing hubs, noodle steel spokes and large section pinned alloy rims.

Which makes me wonder whether 26er might be the source of a better deal/specification for the hills

Are there any particular models that stand out to you in the $1000 range for 29" or 26" Hard tails?

Nope...they are as abundant as bread in a bakery - all look a bit different but they are still bread. That said though...the major brands are the go to - Giant, Merida, Specialized, Scott, Avanti et al. plus there's smaller brands like Apollo, Polygon, KHS...

[Wayfarer]

I bought a 29er dual suspension bike because it could handle anything. Flick one switch, and it becomes a hard-tail anyway, so best of both worlds. Great going uphill, and down hill, off jumps... everything really. If I could do it all again, I'd still stick with the duallie just for versatility.