This might as well be an intellectual exercise, but its keeping me sane while failing to write college essays. Someday I'd like to own a trailbike. By the time I actually scrape together this much money (hopefully I'll get a job at a bike/ski shop in college), these will all be out of production. But it's entertaining to think of anyways.
Such a hypothetical bike would be an efficient pedaler, be stable and comfortable on fast decents, enjoy tight and carvable singletrack, be up to the technical, be predictable, and relatively light (epic rides - I don't want something that is only capable of pedaling ala an ASX - I want a real do-everything machine). It would not be a freeride/DH bike, nor a racing bike. I get enough competition in other things. Consequently, it seems that, based upon my requirements, something between 4 and 6 inches of travel is the "target range". I've disqualified ridiculously expensive bikes (Turner and Ellsworth apparently) and I'd say the upper hypothetical limit is $2500. The dilemna is, of course, whether to spend more on the frame or more on the build-up. What say the maggots?
Here's what I've thought about:
-Jamis Dakar XLT in one of its iterations - should I look at the '03 back when it had a real Horst-link or is the new modified single pivot just as good?
-Devinci Remix 1-5
-Yeti 5.75 - worried about the single pivot design though I test-rode one of these and it was sickter at climbing up curbs![]()
-Titus Motolite with a crappy build kit - this bike is so sexy I can hardly stand it.
-Giant Trance or Reign? What is Maestro like?
-Used Blur - ?? Never pedaled one, but it seems to fit the criteria pretty damn well
-Specialized Stumpjumper - my dad has one of these. and i don't like being like the people where every member of a family has pocket rockets and matching helmets and goggles. still, its a damn good bike.
-Intense 5.5 - expensive. used??
Thanks for playing the hypothetical game. It's been fun. I'll go back and keep riding my hardtail. Maybe if I wreck real hard the guys at Trek will feel bad for me and hook me up with a full-squish bike. keeps dreaming...
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