Upgrading parts for mountain bike

frankierx

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Jun 16, 2003
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I have a stock specialized hardrock sport mountain bike. I am thinking of upgrading the parts as time passes by during the summer. The bike is a hard tail, and I feel like I need to improve its performance going downhill on trails. Any suggestions? A MTB reviewer mentions something about fox fork and shimano xtc parts.
 

Anubis

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BETTER TIRES - honestly nothing helps more then tires and they are relativly cheap, i recomend Maxxis, Panaracer or Nokian, the wider they are the more traction you will have, but they can get heavy, a wide front tire helps alot with connering at speeds and downhills

Disk breaks are also great, Avid Mechanicals are cheap and stop just as well as hydros IMO 7-% of you preaking power is in the front disks work great because they dont lock up and toss you

does the bike have a front shock right now? going with one of thoes fox's is a bit overkill IMO unless you really need it, they also cost a ton of money, a shock upgrade wouldent hurt but i would go for something cheaper

you never need more then XT shift anythings because the XTR ones are just stupidly expensive for a small weight difference, but even the LX stuff is fine, derailers and cogs take a pounding no matter what

depending on how downhill you are talking about you could invest in a different stem and or riser bar to shift your body position back a little bit
 

boyRacer

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whoa... you're upgrading already? :D Someone got bit by the bug. :p Just upgrade it as it breaks...

But if you're really itching to upgrade like i did... get rid of the RST fork. XTR parts are not necessary like Anubis said, unless you're a $$$ racer. If you want to go with disk brakes you're gonna have to get new wheels. I had the lowest Fox Forx on my Hardrock... a Vanilla 100R which was still pretty damn expensive as it cost as much as the bike... :confused: But it was pretty damn nice. :D To be honest with you... if i could do it all over again... i wouldn't touch a thing until it breaks. The sport is an entry-level bike and once you upgrade one thing it snowballs from there and you're probably better off buying a new bike than upgrade everything on it. My 0.02. :)
 

Anubis

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yea i forgot to mention that if you want disk breaks you will need new hubs and rims , i guess you coudl just have your current rims relaced but that woudl still cost alot

get tires first, if you dont care about rideing a heavy bike, get the widest ones that will fit

i run a panaracer FR 2.4 in the front and a Nikian NBX 2.5 in the rear, the panaracer is actually wider then the NBX no idea how that is, when these die im gonna get a Maxxis Mobster 2.5 in the rear and a Maxxis high roller 2.5 up frint
 

boyRacer

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I had contis 2.3s in the rear before and even though contis arent as wide as they say they are i think a 2.4 would be the biggest you could fit in the back.

the stock alex rims arent worth relacing for disks... :p
 

Anubis

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Originally posted by: bR
I had contis 2.3s in the rear before and even though contis arent as wide as they say they are i think a 2.4 would be the biggest you could fit in the back.

the stock alex rims arent worth relacing for disks... :p

alex? never heard of thoes im guessing theres a reason

i got tired of tacoing rims so i now have a set of Sun Big Mammoth rims, they are tanks

i might get a set of something lighter for lighter rides tho

i dont know about the Hardrock but you i think you can fit a maxxis mobster 2.5 in the back of a cannondale F400, mabye its a 2.3 but its still huge
it cant be that much bigger then the HR
 

boyRacer

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Originally posted by: Anubis
Originally posted by: bR
I had contis 2.3s in the rear before and even though contis arent as wide as they say they are i think a 2.4 would be the biggest you could fit in the back.

the stock alex rims arent worth relacing for disks... :p

alex? never heard of thoes im guessing theres a reason

i got tired of tacoing rims so i now have a set of Sun Big Mammoth rims, they are tanks

i might get a set of something lighter for lighter rides tho

Yeah Alex is more of an OE brand than anything else. They're not bad or anything, my friend with the same bike pounds arond on them and he's 240lbs... they havent gone out of true yet.

Mammoth? Holy crap... I'm guessing your bike is a DH bike? :p

EDIT: A 2.5 would clear from what it looks like but im thinking there would be around 1cm clearance from the chainstays.
 

Anubis

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not a DH bike but it is full susp, its an Azonic Saber, old bike was a Specialized FSR, but i killed that

im gonna build up a hard tail as soon as i get a frame
 
Aug 16, 2001
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Originally posted by: Anubis
BETTER TIRES - honestly nothing helps more then tires and they are relativly cheap, i recomend Maxxis, Panaracer or Nokian, the wider they are the more traction you will have, but they can get heavy, a wide front tire helps alot with connering at speeds and downhills

Disk breaks are also great, Avid Mechanicals are cheap and stop just as well as hydros IMO 7-% of you preaking power is in the front disks work great because they dont lock up and toss you

does the bike have a front shock right now? going with one of thoes fox's is a bit overkill IMO unless you really need it, they also cost a ton of money, a shock upgrade wouldent hurt but i would go for something cheaper

you never need more then XT shift anythings because the XTR ones are just stupidly expensive for a small weight difference, but even the LX stuff is fine, derailers and cogs take a pounding no matter what

depending on how downhill you are talking about you could invest in a different stem and or riser bar to shift your body position back a little bit

Pretty much agree with you here.

XT drive train is good enough. Note that the new XT uses a similar bottom bracked design as the new XTR which means only Shimano XT can be used.
Personally I'd go with the ISIS design bottom bracked. That way you have way more choices of cranks. (Even the old style square taper is still good).

A Fox Fork is nice but overkill unless you plan on keeping it and change frame further down the road. Look into Manitou's forks especially the air spring ones. I run them myself and the adjustability is very good. They are quite light too.

Fat tires are good for down hill but will be heavy if you want to go Cross Country riding. I have the Panaracer XC Pro 2.1 but I only do Cross Country riding myself.

As said before Avid Mechanical disc brakes are a great chice. I have them myself and for muddy conditions there is no other choice. You need new wheels too then. If you go with the Avid breaks you can not use a Shimano hub unless you buy the XT/XTR discs to go with them. (just FYI so you don't make an expensive mistake) :D
 

frankierx

Senior member
Jun 16, 2003
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Originally posted by: bR
whoa... you're upgrading already? :D Someone got bit by the bug. :p Just upgrade it as it breaks...

But if you're really itching to upgrade like i did... get rid of the RST fork. XTR parts are not necessary like Anubis said, unless you're a $$$ racer. If you want to go with disk brakes you're gonna have to get new wheels. I had the lowest Fox Forx on my Hardrock... a Vanilla 100R which was still pretty damn expensive as it cost as much as the bike... :confused: But it was pretty damn nice. :D To be honest with you... if i could do it all over again... i wouldn't touch a thing until it breaks. The sport is an entry-level bike and once you upgrade one thing it snowballs from there and you're probably better off buying a new bike than upgrade everything on it. My 0.02. :)


Yeah i've been bit by the bug on my trip to Mt. Killington, VT. Okay I will listen to you and not upgrade. Should I upgrade my front fork? What about the Manitou line like FrustratedUser mentions? You mentioned about being better off buying a new bike. Which specialized bike would you recommend then? Stumpjumer fsr? Specialized Epic? Hardrock pro disc? Hardrock comp?

Not that I'm in the market for a new bike as I just got the Hardrock sport, mind you. :)

Originally posted by: Anubis
not a DH bike but it is full susp, its an Azonic Saber, old bike was a Specialized FSR, but i killed that

im gonna build up a hard tail as soon as i get a frame


hard tail vs fsr?
 

boyRacer

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Oct 1, 2001
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Originally posted by: frankierx
Originally posted by: bR
whoa... you're upgrading already? :D Someone got bit by the bug. :p Just upgrade it as it breaks...

But if you're really itching to upgrade like i did... get rid of the RST fork. XTR parts are not necessary like Anubis said, unless you're a $$$ racer. If you want to go with disk brakes you're gonna have to get new wheels. I had the lowest Fox Forx on my Hardrock... a Vanilla 100R which was still pretty damn expensive as it cost as much as the bike... :confused: But it was pretty damn nice. :D To be honest with you... if i could do it all over again... i wouldn't touch a thing until it breaks. The sport is an entry-level bike and once you upgrade one thing it snowballs from there and you're probably better off buying a new bike than upgrade everything on it. My 0.02. :)


Yeah i've been bit by the bug on my trip to Mt. Killington, VT. Okay I will listen to you and not upgrade. You mentioned about being better off buying a new bike. Which specialized bike would you recommend then? Stumpjumer fsr? Specialized Epic? Hardrock pro disc? Hardrock comp?

Not that I'm in the market for a new bike as I just got the Hardrock sport, mind you. :)

Next thing you know you'll be buying another bike... ;) :p

It depends on what you want to do. In previous years, the Hardrocks were more XC oriented, and now it looks like some sort of cross between XC, some freeriding, and some urban. :confused:

If you're going to stick with Specialized. The Epic and Stumpjumper FSRs are made more for XCs... an Enduro is made for harder riding... it could go down fast but still be able to go up. Next years Enduro will have 6" of travel. :thumbsup: A Big Hit will let you go bombing down. :D Supergo had a 2003 Big Hit DH for $2600 on sale. Not bad for something that used to be close to $4k. :) Anyway I think you'll be fine with the Hardrock for awhile, a hardtail will teach you to pick out your lines instead of romping down over everything on FS bikes. When you do go full suspension I think you'll be able to appreciate it more.

Next bike I'll get will probably be FS, disks, and UST tires... ill be fine on my hardtail with v-brakes for now. :D
 

frankierx

Senior member
Jun 16, 2003
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Originally posted by: bR
Originally posted by: frankierx
Originally posted by: bR
whoa... you're upgrading already? :D Someone got bit by the bug. :p Just upgrade it as it breaks...

But if you're really itching to upgrade like i did... get rid of the RST fork. XTR parts are not necessary like Anubis said, unless you're a $$$ racer. If you want to go with disk brakes you're gonna have to get new wheels. I had the lowest Fox Forx on my Hardrock... a Vanilla 100R which was still pretty damn expensive as it cost as much as the bike... :confused: But it was pretty damn nice. :D To be honest with you... if i could do it all over again... i wouldn't touch a thing until it breaks. The sport is an entry-level bike and once you upgrade one thing it snowballs from there and you're probably better off buying a new bike than upgrade everything on it. My 0.02. :)


Yeah i've been bit by the bug on my trip to Mt. Killington, VT. Okay I will listen to you and not upgrade. You mentioned about being better off buying a new bike. Which specialized bike would you recommend then? Stumpjumer fsr? Specialized Epic? Hardrock pro disc? Hardrock comp?

Not that I'm in the market for a new bike as I just got the Hardrock sport, mind you. :)

Next thing you know you'll be buying another bike... ;) :p

It depends on what you want to do. In previous years, the Hardrocks were more XC oriented, and now it looks like some sort of cross between XC, some freeriding, and some urban. :confused:

The Epic and Stumpjumper FSRs are made more for XCs... an Enduro is made for harder riding... it could go down fast but still be able to go up. A Big Hit will let you go bombing down. :D Supergo had a 2003 Big Hit DH for $2600 on sale. Not bad for something that used to be close to $4k. :) Anyway I think you'll be fine with the Hardrock for awhile, a hardtail will teach you to pick out your lines instead of romping down over everything on FS bikes. When you do go full suspension I think you'll be able to appreciate it more.

Next bike I'll get will probably be FS, disks, and UST tires... ill be fine on my hardtail with v-brakes for now. :D


What about upgrading to a Manitou front fork like FrustratedUser mentions? Would this improve going downhill on trails? Or should I not worry about upgrading the front fork as well? I will listen and not upgrade like you said until and if something breaks. In the meantime I will continue to ride and enjoy the trails with my hardrock hardtail with v-brakes too. :)
 

boyRacer

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Oct 1, 2001
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Originally posted by: frankierx
Originally posted by: bR
Originally posted by: frankierx
Originally posted by: bR
whoa... you're upgrading already? :D Someone got bit by the bug. :p Just upgrade it as it breaks...

But if you're really itching to upgrade like i did... get rid of the RST fork. XTR parts are not necessary like Anubis said, unless you're a $$$ racer. If you want to go with disk brakes you're gonna have to get new wheels. I had the lowest Fox Forx on my Hardrock... a Vanilla 100R which was still pretty damn expensive as it cost as much as the bike... :confused: But it was pretty damn nice. :D To be honest with you... if i could do it all over again... i wouldn't touch a thing until it breaks. The sport is an entry-level bike and once you upgrade one thing it snowballs from there and you're probably better off buying a new bike than upgrade everything on it. My 0.02. :)


Yeah i've been bit by the bug on my trip to Mt. Killington, VT. Okay I will listen to you and not upgrade. You mentioned about being better off buying a new bike. Which specialized bike would you recommend then? Stumpjumer fsr? Specialized Epic? Hardrock pro disc? Hardrock comp?

Not that I'm in the market for a new bike as I just got the Hardrock sport, mind you. :)

Next thing you know you'll be buying another bike... ;) :p

It depends on what you want to do. In previous years, the Hardrocks were more XC oriented, and now it looks like some sort of cross between XC, some freeriding, and some urban. :confused:

The Epic and Stumpjumper FSRs are made more for XCs... an Enduro is made for harder riding... it could go down fast but still be able to go up. A Big Hit will let you go bombing down. :D Supergo had a 2003 Big Hit DH for $2600 on sale. Not bad for something that used to be close to $4k. :) Anyway I think you'll be fine with the Hardrock for awhile, a hardtail will teach you to pick out your lines instead of romping down over everything on FS bikes. When you do go full suspension I think you'll be able to appreciate it more.

Next bike I'll get will probably be FS, disks, and UST tires... ill be fine on my hardtail with v-brakes for now. :D


What about upgrading to a Manitou front fork like FrustratedUser mentions? Would this improve going downhill on trails?

What is it that you dont like right now? I know the RST sucks in terms of adjustability since theres only preload adjustment... but it never bottomed out on me, i'm about 170. I had a Manitou Axel Super before and it was just way too soft, but I got it for $80 on eBay. The Blacks are awesome from what I've heard, like this one. But they're not that cheap either.

Try this site if you're going to look for one. It'll definitely be a nice upgrade and will certainly be a lot lighter than the RST. :)
 

boyRacer

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Oct 1, 2001
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If you're just really itching to upgrade, go get new tires like previously said. Go for the widest one you could fit if you dont care about weight and going up. Bigger contact patch = more grip :)
 

Anubis

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Aug 31, 2001
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Originally posted by: frankierx
Originally posted by: bR
whoa... you're upgrading already? :D Someone got bit by the bug. :p Just upgrade it as it breaks...

But if you're really itching to upgrade like i did... get rid of the RST fork. XTR parts are not necessary like Anubis said, unless you're a $$$ racer. If you want to go with disk brakes you're gonna have to get new wheels. I had the lowest Fox Forx on my Hardrock... a Vanilla 100R which was still pretty damn expensive as it cost as much as the bike... :confused: But it was pretty damn nice. :D To be honest with you... if i could do it all over again... i wouldn't touch a thing until it breaks. The sport is an entry-level bike and once you upgrade one thing it snowballs from there and you're probably better off buying a new bike than upgrade everything on it. My 0.02. :)


Yeah i've been bit by the bug on my trip to Mt. Killington, VT. Okay I will listen to you and not upgrade. Should I upgrade my front fork? What about the Manitou line like FrustratedUser mentions? You mentioned about being better off buying a new bike. Which specialized bike would you recommend then? Stumpjumer fsr? Specialized Epic? Hardrock pro disc? Hardrock comp?

Not that I'm in the market for a new bike as I just got the Hardrock sport, mind you. :)

Originally posted by: Anubis
not a DH bike but it is full susp, its an Azonic Saber, old bike was a Specialized FSR, but i killed that

im gonna build up a hard tail as soon as i get a frame


hard tail vs fsr?

what are you getting at hard tail vs FSR? they both have their uses, my bike is currently set up for free rideing, because where i went to school in PA is some of the nastyest stuff ever, where I currently am and where i am hopefully going isnt like that, a HT is better suited for smoother rideing with less steep rocky downhills, i woudl just buy an XC FSP frame but they cost too much I can get a nice HF frame for like 300$
 

frankierx

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Jun 16, 2003
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Originally posted by: bR
What is it that you dont like right now? I know the RST sucks in terms of adjustability since theres only preload adjustment... but it never bottomed out on me, i'm about 170. I had a Manitou Axel Super before and it was just way too soft, but I got it for $80 on eBay. The Blacks are awesome from what I've heard, like this one. But they're not that cheap either.

Try this site if you're going to look for one. It'll definitely be a nice upgrade and will certainly be a lot lighter than the RST. :)




**Well Im not sure but when I was going downhill Mt. Killington I had to be cautious in picking my lines while this other guy in body armor just raced downhill without slowing and even had the courage to pedal faster on tight turns and over graveled downhills.**




Originally posted by: Anubis

what are you getting at hard tail vs FSR? they both have their uses, my bike is currently set up for free rideing, because where i went to school in PA is some of the nastyest stuff ever, where I currently am and where i am hopefully going isnt like that, a HT is better suited for smoother rideing with less steep rocky downhills, i woudl just buy an XC FSP frame but they cost too much I can get a nice HF frame for like 300$






**HF frame? Do you mean Hardtail frame? Im just concerned because when I went down Mt. Killington with my hardtail, I saw this other guy with body armor just race downhill without slowing down, and even pedaling while making the bends on rocky, graveled downhill sections. While I had to slow down and be cautious while picking my lines. I don't know if that other guy had a FSR bike or not, but at the basin I saw him walking with his bike and he had front shocks the size of baseball bats. :)**
 

frankierx

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Jun 16, 2003
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Originally posted by: bR
[

Next thing you know you'll be buying another bike... ;) :p

It depends on what you want to do. In previous years, the Hardrocks were more XC oriented, and now it looks like some sort of cross between XC, some freeriding, and some urban. :confused:

If you're going to stick with Specialized. The Epic and Stumpjumper FSRs are made more for XCs... an Enduro is made for harder riding... it could go down fast but still be able to go up. Next years Enduro will have 6" of travel. :thumbsup: A Big Hit will let you go bombing down. :D Supergo had a 2003 Big Hit DH for $2600 on sale. Not bad for something that used to be close to $4k. :) Anyway I think you'll be fine with the Hardrock for awhile, a hardtail will teach you to pick out your lines instead of romping down over everything on FS bikes. When you do go full suspension I think you'll be able to appreciate it more.

Next bike I'll get will probably be FS, disks, and UST tires... ill be fine on my hardtail with v-brakes for now. :D[/quote]


Are you going to be sticking with Specialized as well? What is this Giant Rancon that I see on pinpike pics? When you say the Enduro can go downhill fast but still be able to go up, what qualities give a bike a disadvantage for going uphill? Is it because FS bikes are bigger and therefore heavier? Or is it because the rear shock would cause a more bouncey and less predicatable ride uphill? What do you mean by the 05 enduro having 6" of travel. :confused:
 

Anubis

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Aug 31, 2001
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yes i ment HT in my previous post

and im guessing that dude you saw was on a full DH bike if he was wearing armor, they server there purposer well, going downhill fast, if thats all you do then they are great and will set you back at least 3000$ but they suck for anything other then DH, they are heavy 50+ lbs, so pedeling them anywhere sucks, and even if you have one you have to be really freeking skilled and have balls of steel to do some of that, cause its alot harder then you thing at high speed, i have scars to prove that,

my friend has a Santa Cruz VP Free 8inches of front and rear travel and he still fusks him self up
 

frankierx

Senior member
Jun 16, 2003
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Originally posted by: Anubis
yes i ment HT in my previous post

and im guessing that dude you saw was on a full DH bike if he was wearing armor, they server there purposer well, going downhill fast, if thats all you do then they are great and will set you back at least 3000$ but they suck for anything other then DH, they are heavy 50+ lbs, so pedeling them anywhere sucks, and even if you have one you have to be really freeking skilled and have balls of steel to do some of that, cause its alot harder then you thing at high speed, i have scars to prove that,

my friend has a Santa Cruz VP Free 8inches of front and rear travel and he still fusks him self up

What do you mean 8 inches of front and rear travel? Is that bike geometry you are talking about? :confused:
 

Anubis

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Aug 31, 2001
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Originally posted by: frankierx
Originally posted by: Anubis
yes i ment HT in my previous post

and im guessing that dude you saw was on a full DH bike if he was wearing armor, they server there purposer well, going downhill fast, if thats all you do then they are great and will set you back at least 3000$ but they suck for anything other then DH, they are heavy 50+ lbs, so pedeling them anywhere sucks, and even if you have one you have to be really freeking skilled and have balls of steel to do some of that, cause its alot harder then you thing at high speed, i have scars to prove that,

my friend has a Santa Cruz VP Free 8inches of front and rear travel and he still fusks him self up

What do you mean 8 inches of front and rear travel? Is that bike geometry you are talking about? :confused:

i mean the the front shock has 8 inches of travel and the rear shock also has the much travel
 

boyRacer

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Oct 1, 2001
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Originally posted by: frankierx
What is this Giant Rancon that I see on pinpike pics? When you say the Enduro can go downhill fast but still be able to go up, what qualities give a bike a disadvantage for going uphill? Is it because FS bikes are bigger and therefore heavier? Or is it because the rear shock would cause a more bouncey and less predicatable ride uphill? What do you mean by the 05 enduro having 6" of travel. :confused:

That DH bike you saw is most likely around 40lbs or more like Anubis said, unless you have legs of steel have fun pedaling a DH bike uphill. :p They're meant to haul ass going down. The higher end FS bikes meant for XCs have an anti-bob feature that locks them out when you're going up, effectively making them feel like hardtails if you wish so you dont get 'bouncy'. :D The 05 Enduro will have 6" of rear shock travel, as opposed to 5" this year.

I would get an Intense M3 or a Demo9 if i had the $$$ laying around. :)
 

frankierx

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Jun 16, 2003
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Originally posted by: bR
Originally posted by: frankierx
What is this Giant Rancon that I see on pinpike pics? When you say the Enduro can go downhill fast but still be able to go up, what qualities give a bike a disadvantage for going uphill? Is it because FS bikes are bigger and therefore heavier? Or is it because the rear shock would cause a more bouncey and less predicatable ride uphill? What do you mean by the 05 enduro having 6" of travel. :confused:

That DH bike you saw is most likely around 40lbs or more like Anubis said, unless you have legs of steel have fun pedaling a DH bike uphill. :p They're meant to haul ass going down. The higher end FS bikes meant for XCs have an anti-bob feature that locks them out when you're going up, effectively making them feel like hardtails if you wish so you dont get 'bouncy'. :D The 05 Enduro will have 6" of rear shock travel, as opposed to 5" this year.

I would get an Intense M3 or a Demo9 if i had the $$$ laying around. :)

what about the specialized fsr xc? http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=6764
 

Anubis

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that FSR XC will be nice and lite and great for rideing up and down for long distances over stuff that isnt that bad, i woudl not recomend doing DH with it because of its lightness and small ammount of rear trravel