How did you select your bike?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by herzalot, Dec 8, 2019.


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  1. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    As many of you know, I recently bought a bike for no particular reason, didn't love it, and am now looking to either replace it, or sell it. This whole process got me thinking... how did YOU select the bike(s) you ride?

    And for the sake of clarity, let's limit it to your primary mt. bike. Not your beach cruiser, road bike, e-bike, backwards pedaling bike, gravel grinder, etc. Just your primary mt bike for when "I MT Bike trails"

    How many did an extensive demo ride on trails you know? Did you try it many times or just once?

    How many just tried it for fit in the parking lot, and bought it for other reasons? Brand loyalty? Features?Perceived value? Opportunity? Image?

    How many bought it without trying it at all - just read about it, looked at the numbers and pulled the trigger? If so, why that bike? Company ethic? Marketing? Image? The riders who endorse the bike? Deep discount online?

    Even deeply discounted, there are others equally discounted. Why that bike?

    My hunch is there is very little "tires on the ground" first-person research happening. We buy for other reasons, switch out a few parts and then adapt to the characteristics of the bike we buy.

    A few of you, I can guess:
    @mtnbikej - brand loyalty
    @mike - company vibe and ethic, as well as practicality and versatility
    @Runs with Scissors - parking lot test, opportunity
    @Mikie - combo of demo and friends' endorsements
    @doublewide - brand and shop loyalty
     
    bvader, MrGreedom, Luis and 17 others like this.
  2. Cisco Roots

    Cisco Roots Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Maple Valley WA
    Name:
    Cisco
    Current Bike:
    Yeti SB140 LR
    I just bought my second YT and neither of them did I ever get to demo before I bought them. This wasn’t a blind purchase though. Knowing bikes well and spending a good amount of time researching geometry, reputation and bike spec I knew the Jeffsy was the right bike for me. The value you get out of YT builds would cost a couple thousand more for comparable brands was also a major determining factor.

    Some people spend months checking out different brands, demoing, wanting to find the Perfect bike. That’s just not me. As long as my bike rips and does what I need it to, I’m okay with making myself get comfortable with what I have. There are definitely somethings that I wish my first Jeffsy would do which is why I just bought the newer model. That being said I put in 2300 miles in about 18 months on that thing and if or when I sell it I will miss it.

    This is just my approach to things. Yeah and to add to how crazy this might sound, when we moved up here to Washington, we also bought our house sight Unseen and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made!
     
  3. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
    Mine is a lot of brand loyalty.

    With that loyalty and experience through the years on that brand, having a pretty solid idea of how my Hightower was going to ride without a test ride was not a huge leap. I did talk to a few riders whom I trust their opinions who had experience with it before hand.

    With that loyalty and experience through the years on that brand, having a pretty solid idea of how my Chameleon was going to ride....although I did test ride one before I bought.

    However, I haven't really demo'd a bike in about 10 years....while in the market for a bike. I did demo some bikes last year at bike fest, but I already had my Hightower.

    With all that said, for me, the bike is the tool. How that tool works is more about the operator of that tool.

    To me, no bike is ever going to be perfect. There is always gonna be something to dislike about them, but I'm not that specific.

    I have been riding SC bikes since 2000, back when they were a boutique bike....back when they were not in everybody's garage.

    Why do I stick with them? They treat the customer well. I have been taken care of with any issue I have had. Hell, I had several calls with them when my first Highball was warrantied and the old dropouts didn't work with the new frame. An issue that they overlooked and were unaware of. They didn't blow me off. In fact, about a month later I received brand new re-engineered dropouts. Specialized/Trek/Giant, would never even taken my call.

    I also like the fact that they are a mtn bike company. They don't make road bikes, kids bikes, beach cruisers or comfort bikes.

    I like the way my bikes ride......I like riding my bikes.

    I have had bikes in the past from other brands that I just didn't care much for. Those bikes didn't hang around long. I was ok with getting rid of a newer bike if it didn't fit my expectations.

    I am not image driven. Value is what you make of it.
     
  4. tick

    tick Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    Tick
    Current Bike:
    Process 111
    I watched Bike Magazine’s “bible of bike tests” videos and narrowed it down to two. Demoed the one I could actually get. Agreed with the reviewers and bought one.

    Since then I’ve demoed a bunch of others and their observations generally agreed with mine. Based on that, I think I’d get a Yeti SB130 if my daughter was unexpectedly awarded a full scholarship, even though that’s not one I’ve ridden.

    they absolutely ripped into Guerrilla Gravity though, so there is that...
     
  5. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    I test rode the Squiggle Bug on an 8 mile El Prieto loop with @buggravy and @SnakeCharmer . They putt-putted along with me as we climbed. The seat post was too low, the coil was too soft, and the cockpit was not to my specs, but I knew by the time I climbed to the Brown Mountain saddle that she would be coming home with me. Very little orientation was needed. Sure, she needed to get dialed to my preferences, but most of what I was getting used to was how she rails.
     
    Luis, Cyclotourist, Mikie and 14 others like this.
  6. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    I went with Trek mainly because of it's magic carpet ride. Meaning it's more plush than any other brand I have ever ridden and that's important to me and my sore joints.

    Other factors that are important to me:

    * available frame colors
    * availability of frame only purchase (but not a deal breaker)
    * rider reviews
    * finding an insane deal (price)
    * saving money by buying newer/used

    I generally go with "big name brands" because of their availability. That means that there will be more of what I am looking for out there to choose from and that increases the opportunity to find an insane deal.
     
    Luis, Cyclotourist, Mikie and 14 others like this.
  7. buggravy

    buggravy iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Calabasas
    Name:
    Matt
    Current Bike:
    Transition Sentinel
    I expect my next purchase of a full squish primary bike will go down quite differently than my current one did, though that won't be for some time. I was (and to some some degree still am) a newb, and I was hurt, so a proper demo wasn't an option, or even necessary really. I'd already purchased 2 bikes from my LBS as I made my re-entry to mtb, one of which was just wrong (cheapish XC hard tail) and the other was too small. I was enamored with GG from a vibe/ethos/engagement standpoint, and really just needed a bike that was sized properly that was academically a proper tool for the trails I'd honed in on as what I wanted to ride. I was able to sit on a Smash in my size at a shop and at least get the feel that it was the proper size, so I pulled the trigger. A couple of weeks before I was supposed to take delivery they announced the birth of their latest greatest must have carbon fiber bikes. Shortly after the announcement came an email from them saying anyone who had taken delivery of an alloy bike in the past 90 days could order the new must have bike at a steep enough discount that I knew I'd more or less be able to sell it for what I paid for it if I didn't like it, so I ponied up for it, and a shoot out commenced. Ultimately, the new bling won out, but some of that may have come down to being able to spec the bike with a bit more wherewithal after a few months of riding the other bike. I do tend to have a bit of brand loyalty when it comes to gear (outside of mtb as well), and in addition to loving my bike I've grown very enamored with GG in terms of how they operate, and the way that the ordering/building process goes. While I won't be buying a new primary bike for some time, barring something unforeseen I will at least look to GG first when the time comes because of the aforementioned reasons, and because I have a good baseline of how I fit into their geometry.
     
    Cyclotourist, Mikie, rossage and 14 others like this.
  8. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    I wish @Varaxis were still posting on IMTB. He would have spreadsheets, charts and mountains of data to prove which bike is best at whatever trait he would care to measure. Efficiency, traction, climbing, descending etc. He would go NUTS at all of these non-scientific methods of making decisions!

    BTW - please do not read any implied "better way" into my question. Gut instinct, brand loyalty or an internet deal are just as legit as doing 5 test rides in terms of the end result of being satisfied or unsatisfied with your decision. If you never compare your purchase to the scores of similar bikes you didn't buy, you never need to have FOMO or be disappointed.

    One thing I have discovered in this process is that the geometry charts and leverage curves do not tell the whole story.
     
    Luis, Cyclotourist, Mikie and 14 others like this.
  9. UPSed

    UPSed iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Simi Valley
    Name:
    Ed
    Current Bike:
    Niner Jet 9 RDO
    Up until my Niner Jet 9 RDO I rode Specialized exclusively. When I started looking for a replacement for my '11 Stumpy I noticed that most of the components on the new Stumpys were proprietary. No thanks. I was in no hurry so whenever JRA got something new in that I was interested in I'd take it out for a demo ride. I rode bikes from Jamis, Ibis and Niner. Jamis bikes fit me perfectly but they didn't have anything I was interested in. I loved the Ibis Mojo 3 and Ripley but sadly I fall in between sizes so they were a no go. A few years ago Vince called me up and told me my bike came in. I said what? He told me the all new Jet 9 would be perfect for me. I demoed one first chance I got and could not believe how well it fit me and was the perfect bike for my variety of riding. After the 3rd demo I ordered one. A yellow one. The color choice was last minute.
     
    Luis, Cyclotourist, Mikie and 12 others like this.
  10. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Cool and useful thread!


    I went to the GG factory and grabbed the gratis 3-day demo that comes with a new bike. A medium Smash. At the end of the second day I brought it back and ordered mine. In time I wished for a slightly longer frame, so I replaced the medium with a extra medium.

    If I was some kind of habitual bike consumer, I’d have no problem buying another GG sight unseen with the brand and model knowledge I have now.

    I did get the Pedalhead on a whim without riding one. That was a little surprising but I would stop short of calling it a mistake.


    PS: Though we are tooled up with GG right now, I honestly would highly consider any domestic mfr that makes shred-style pedalers. Not much there short of boutique/custom. Ibis is courting. GG has it going on.
     
    Luis, Cyclotourist, Mikie and 12 others like this.
  11. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Intense Tracer 275c DVO - February 2016:
    At a college fair, I saw a guy with a button down shirt with an Intense logo. I asked about it and he said he was CFO at Intense. I said I wanted to try the new Tracer 275 but can’t find a demo in my size. He delivered an XL to my house to demo.

    I demo’d it over the weekend on my favorite trails. It was very good. But at the time, I was a Knolly ambassador and was waiting for a carbon Warden to be available in XL.

    6 months later, Mr. CFO pings me with an email saying “I’ve got a DVO edition in XL in my office with your name on it if you’re interested. Here’s the price...”

    With no carbon Warden on the horizon, I took advantage of the amazing offer from Intense.
     
  12. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    West Anaheim
    Name:
    Mark Whitaker
    Current Bike:
    Giant XTC with pedals
    There are bikes other than the ones I have???

    @herzalot purty much nailed it.

    The Trek Mamba ( my 1st mtb) was pretty much a whim. At the time I thought $1k for a bike was insane. It was too big, but I rode the hell out of it.

    The Giant XTC I have now was because it fit, it was available, and Mike at Fullerton Bikes gave me a good deal.

    I have zero brand loyalty except that if something works I'll buy another when in the market.
     
    Cyclotourist, rossage, Mikie and 10 others like this.
  13. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    I bought my bike cuzz @Voodoo Tom told me too! :Roflmao
    As silly as that may seem there is an element of truth to it. I trust my ride buddies with my life, why shouldn’t I trust their judgement in bikes. They are the closest to my riding likes and dislikes related to trail preference, speed, tech, you name it.
    Plus I know that Tom pays attention to the stuff I don’t. Geometry, gear ratios, etc.
    I also think that bike trends tell a story. Specialized makes good bikes so people typically can’t go wrong choosing a S Bike.
    There was an obvious trend of more and more Hightower’s on the trail, and the people riding them were raving about them. People I respected. People with performance in their history. Why wouldn’t I listen to that?
    I demo’ed a Hightower and the performance was so significant, so beyond my Yeti, I was inspired. It didn’t hurt that on a demo bike first run on Golden Eagle I obliterated my best time. .....And, it just felt right.
    So I weighed the pros and cons of the Hightower 27.5 plus. Not a great climber but I could compensate for that by just getting stronger, Fantastic confidence inspiring descender. Lifetime warranty on frame and suspension bearings. Crappy head badge... I’ll take it. Best bike I have ever owned...
     
    CBone, MrGreedom, Luis and 12 others like this.
  14. pperrelle

    pperrelle iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Oracle, AZ
    Name:
    Paul
    Current Bike:
    Ripley V4 & Ripmo V2
    A lot of brand loyalty for me. I’ve been pretty much only riding Ibis bikes since I bought my Mojo HD3. I’ve owned 7 Ibis bikes since then. They fit me well and I’ve always received stellar customer service from them and I also trust the DW link suspension system. I’ve never demo’d any of them. Took a leap of faith on a close out HD3 frame and it worked.
     
    Cyclotourist, rossage, Mikie and 13 others like this.
  15. sir crashalot

    sir crashalot iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    laguna beach
    Name:
    gary fishman
    Current Bike:
    2018 banshee rune
    every bike I’ve had except my first real one, and the Rocky Mountain altitude I bought after a demo from the Path in 2014, I’ve purchased without a test ride (banshee rune v2 currently). Just did a lot of online research first on geo and suspension kinematic. Oddly, the one bike I did demo I ended up not liking so much. It was also the only complete except for my first bike, everything else was a frame and cherry-picked parts. (I am way more particular about my bike setup than my riding abilities and budget justify). So far I’ve had good luck with the frames I’ve got, one wish about the Rune v2 is I wish the midstroke was slightly softer but I kinda knew that going in, running hsc wide open and lowest pressure in piggy mitigates that. Gonna ride this for a long time as $$ has kinda dried up... and I actually dont like the current trend of crazy long reach per bike size since I prefer a more upright riding position for spine health.
    I don’t really have any brand loyalty.
     
    Cyclotourist, rossage, Mikie and 10 others like this.
  16. kazlx

    kazlx Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Tustin, CA
    Name:
    Joe
    Current Bike:
    Yeti SB5.5
    This has always been one of my main complaints with biking. It's a relatively large purchase and even when you're buying from a shop it doesn't really give you an opportunity to see how you will actually like the bike on the trails. Then you add in blindly ordering from online. Once you gain a little more knowledge and have ridden more frames and linkage types I think it gets a *little* easier, but there's still no guarantees. IMO, you are lucky if you get a chance to actually demo a bike on trails, but even then, some simple stuff such as suspension settings, parts, cockpit setup, etc can have such a huge effect on how the bike rides and feels.

    I mainly go off reviews and word of mouth. There's a few people I know that like to ride bikes very similar to how I ride and set mine up. My current Yeti SB5.5 was a total impulse buy because the price was right and replaced my Banshee Spitfire, which I also bought because the price was right brand new from Jenson. Usually for me, it's a combo of already eyeballing a few different frames and then seeing something appealing build/price wise that I just can't pass up. I rarely buy bikes new and would never pay full pop for one.

    There's a few brands I avoid mainly just for personal reasons, either visual or geometry that I'm just not a fan of. As silly as it can be, I think having a bike you like looking at is important. I want to be stoked every time I hop on it. Honestly, most of mine has to do with 'gut' feeling. But, I do like the trend of low and slack, with longer top tubes. I'll gladly give up some pedaling efficiency for the bike to rip some DH. We are definitely living in a golden age. I think it's hard to get a 'bad' bike from most manufacturers.

    I also have to add, I'm a total sucker for botique brands. If I had the cash, I'd have a bunch. BTR, Cotic, Stanton, etc. I had one of the first Knolly DTs. I love supporting small companies and riding something different. The only drawback is resale typically kind of sucks when that time comes, so you gotta buy for the love of the game. If I had more cash and space, I'd be like a damn Pokemon trainer of bikes and 'gotta catch em all'!
     
  17. sir crashalot

    sir crashalot iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    laguna beach
    Name:
    gary fishman
    Current Bike:
    2018 banshee rune
    So true, most the bikes I’ve wanted and researched, hard to find a local test ride. I also like having something different.
     
  18. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    I've demoed an Intense Primer 29er, but other than that, have only bought bikes based on WOM and internet reviews. Have been 95% happy with all my purchases. I'm not discerning enough to realize the difference in VPP vs DW, Fox vs RS, 67^ vs 66.5^... demos wouldn't benefit me much. I think that once you reach a certain level of build, it's all good.

    A little over two years ago I decided I wanted to graduate to a modern mountain bike from my late-aughts Gunner Rockhound. I wanted capacity for plus tires, low/slack geo, one-by drivetrain, a dropper... even an aluminum frame!!! Yet still something relatively conservative as far as bikes go, and wanting a threaded bottom bracket. I was looking at some of the British steel hard tails from Cotic and Stanton, but they just had little this or thats that didn't work for me. The Santa Cruz Chameleon was released that spring, and was receiving great reviews everywhere I looked. SC owners here and IRL talked up the excellent warranty and communications. Fadi was in the Santa Cruz business at that point, so I pulled the trigger and and have had zero regrets. Truly a go-anywhere, do anything bike. Well, I wish the second water bottle was inside the main triangle, so there's that...

    Fast forward a year from that point, and decided I wanted a full suspension bike. My first ever. I didn't need anything burly, I guess light-trail would be the designation? 110-120mm seemed like the sweet spot. Based on all the same criteria above for the Chameleon, the SC Tallboy fit the bill. I looked at just about every bike in that category, and didn't find anything better for me. So stayed with what I knew when the great Backcountry blow out of '19 happened and grabbed a frame in January. I built it up piece by piece, mostly copying the stock build. So now I have a FS bike that I ride occasionally when I'm outside of the local trails (A hardtail is more than enough for them). The only bike I kinda' wondered about getting was another SC, the Blur TR. It's a little lighter, but doesn't fit plus tires. The Tallboy is fine.

    So long/short of it is that no, I do not demo bikes, and so far have been pretty loyal to an off-shore multi-national corporation with local offices in Santa Cruz, CA. They sent me some bearings I requested last week for free, so how cool is that! I really like their paint jobs as well. SC straddles the line between mass-market and boutique. A lot of people think they're a chi-chi boutique brand, but obviously Jenson sells them and they're not. They're just bikes, made in the same factory as all the others. And hey, Danny Macaskill has great videos!
     
  19. Voodoo Tom

    Voodoo Tom MTB Addict

    Location:
    Castaic
    Name:
    Tom Kokkinakis
    Current Bike:
    Mango one, black one, Ti one
    I once bought a used Yeti 5.5 that was a sweet internet deal. No demo but I had ridden a 4.5 and frikkin loved it. Thought to myself hey if the 4.5 was that good then the 5.5 will be that much better. Boy was I wrong, it didn't work for me at all. Everybody loves the 5.5 so why not me? Lots of bumps & bruises in a short time so I took the sound advice of my buddy @Mikie and got rid of it before it killed me. Funny but I think he knows my likes/dislikes, abilities and riding style better than I do.

    Then there's the Hightower story. A couple years back my stepdad was coming off a moto injury and thought a MTB might help with his recovery and might even be fun. He bought a 27.5+ Hightower and rode it once and figured out it was a lot of work. He offered for me to ride it and I kept thinking "nope not for me". Then one day I had nothing better to do so I "borrowed" it fully hoping & expecting not like it. Crap I liked it, like a lot...That was just local Tapia trails though and you can ride anything there so maybe I should ride it again. Well I "hijacked" it again, probably like a dozen or so times and flogged the crap out of it on some great rides. It wasn't the best pedaling but damn you can get away with bloody murder and don't even have to worry about line choice. I think it was after a bomb run at the bottom of log jammer that once again @Mikie looks at me and says "Tom I've never seen you smile like that, you need a Hightower". Yeah yeah I know but I cant ride the same exact bike as my buddy can I? Lets just say Santa was really good to me that year as documented here...https://www.imtbtrails.com/forum/threads/vt-and-the-general-lee.6934/

    Ripley was a well equipped and very used bike that popped up for sale on here that wound up being an extended demo before purchase. I had ridden with @scott once and seen the bike and how he railed on it. Went to his house to throw a leg over it with cash in hand. Got to talking and it turns out his grandparents had a mountain house just across the street from where I grew up and we had goofed around 20+ years prior and knew lots of the same people. Bottom line is he insisted I just take the bike and try it for a while before buying it. I think I rode it for at least two weeks before any money was exchanged. Still a great bike for me.
     
  20. evdog

    evdog iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    San diego
    Name:
    Evan S
    ^^ This. I'm a decent rider but the operator (me) is always going to be a bigger limiting factor than the bike, so I don't feel the need to be super picky. I've usually gone with a trusted brand or friend's recommendation, found a good deal, and go ride. I have never gone wrong with this approach.

    We didn't have tons of options in the early days. Local shops carried a few brands you liked with a few models matching your riding type - maybe you'd demo one or two but mostly you'd take the best deal of those available options. I was a Santa cruz guy and rode mostly DH, so I got a Super8. Didn't have to think about it or demo it or worry about geometry, its reputation and capability spoke for itself. Same thing after the V10 came out. For trail riding, you'd get a Heckler. If you wanted something in between you'd get a Bullit. We were more concerned with getting solid components and a good deal.

    After moving to Socal I was mostly trail riding with lots of big climbs so I wanted a bike that was light and climbed well. I had a few friends on Ibis Mojo's. I was leery of carbon but their bikes hadn't exploded so I jumped on a used Mojo SL deal I found on Craigslist. Great bike, no regrets, hadn't demo'd one. 8 yrs later I didn't hesitate to jump on a Mojo3 when someone posted a good deal here. I knew it would be fine based on the company.

    These days there are a dizzying number of options locally and online, and lots of BS standards and marketing claims to navigate. I still don't look much at geometry but I have demo'd bikes more the last few years, mostly because I'm skeptical that low/long/slack is the be-all-end-all solution. My unscientific evaluation simply comes down to did I like the way it rode or not. I prioritize climbing ability since that's what we spend most of our riding time doing. A good climber helps my riding more than any geometry detail. I can descend just fine on almost any bike.

    I find it amusing how much time people spend comparing endless different bikes and agonizing over geometry and other minute details. I don't think the majority of riders can translate these details into performance. I know I can't. That's why I just ride.
     
    scan, Faust29, Old&InTheWay and 14 others like this.
  21. Lost Kiwi

    Lost Kiwi Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Portola Hills
    Name:
    Simon
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    I've never demoed or test rode a bike prior to purchase. Back in the day my criteria was generally set first by my budget and then what was most likely to do what I wanted the bike to do e.g. My race bike needed to be as light as I could afford. After I'd built a bike (I stopped buying complete bikes after my 2nd MTB) if it didn't do what I wanted/expected then I would set about changing the bits I didn't like.

    These days my criteria is pretty simple, the weirder and whackier the design the more likely I am to buy it. I'm buying now because I find some of the engineering solutions fascinating. But then I don't care if a bike has some handling quirks, as long as its not trying to kill me I'll quite happily ride it.
     
  22. kazlx

    kazlx Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Tustin, CA
    Name:
    Joe
    Current Bike:
    Yeti SB5.5
    Ultimately to me it’s just that X factor of how a bike feels. Geo and whatever else gives an idea, but nothing replaces how comfortable a bike feels to you. Comfortable is confidence.
     
  23. mtbMike

    mtbMike iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    PRESCOTT!!!
    Name:
    Mike
    Current Bike:
    Ibis HD5, Ripley & Mojo 4
    You name the route and I've probably done it but the last few bikes, I've demo'd them either tru Intense or Pro Bike Supply. With PBS' demo system, you're crazy not to try them out. I started that after cracking my Pivot Mach 6 (one of my all time favorites) and then getting the Pivot 5.5 based on all the hot press. I never sold a bike faster.

    I can tell you what I have NEVER done even once is look at the reach, chain stay, ETT or any other length or measurement. I usually ignore pro reviews as well because it's unlikely they are my size, my fitness, riding the trails or terrain I like and in any case, may value X while I care about Y. Every review I saw on the Yeti 130 was GLORIOUS and it did climb very well but it was not impressive going down (to me) so I'm soooooo thankful I demo'd that bike.
     
    scan, Faust29, Old&InTheWay and 10 others like this.
  24. Robbie

    Robbie Guest

    I took a leap of faith on the 2019 Hightower I got a couple weeks ago, buying without doing a demo ride. (I've demo'd 2 of the 6 mountain bikes owned over the years). I planned to defer purchase until next year, was considering several possibilities, none of which I had demo'd: 2020 Tallboy, Intense, Trek, Spec Stumpjumper ST. I got the Hightower because I thought the $2799 closeout price at Jenson was good, they were running low on Medium frames, so I thought now or never.. I researched geometry a bit, found it similar to what Ive been riding (2014 Spec Camber EVO), except 20-30 mm more travel, and about same weight going from Al to Carbon frame. I've only been able to ride it twice so far, for shakedown ride at Floop I was underwhelmed, but next ride at Oaks on singletrack it handled very well. The main difference is the medium SC frame seems a bit smaller than the medium Specialized, my elbows are in a bit closer. I picked size using the height and inseam charts, Im 5-9 so was at the upper end of medium range. It is nice to be rid of the front derailler. I wanted the 30x50 BEagle granny gear, many stock builds are a bit harder than the 22X36 10 speed granny I'm used to. I found a gear calculator that showed the 30X50 is the same gear ratio as 22x36. So that was a small advantage to the Hightower. The Jenson Corona store where I picked up was a good experience, staff was helpful. My last two bikes were Specialized, I liked the bikes, but found the dealer support lacking when I needed service.
     
    Cisco Roots, Faust29, Danimal and 9 others like this.
  25. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    I'll write up my process later for the last couple bikes, but as for the future? I'm going with IMTB advertising! @Mikie wouldn't steer me wrong. :thumbsup:

    Screen Shot 2019-12-09 at 1.19.36 PM.jpg
     
    Luis, MrGreedom, Cisco Roots and 15 others like this.
  26. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    Hokay... let’s break this down... :rolleyes:
    First off, I have concerns. :coffee:
    That advertisement is Google Ads, which tracks your internet browsing so if that Ad is showing pBikes, then it means you have been searching pBikes. :gag:

    Second off, make sure your life insurance is up to snuff as you may have an “accident” in St. George this weekend... :whistling:
     
    MrGreedom, Cisco Roots, scan and 10 others like this.
  27. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    LOL! Might we have to file a missing mtn biker report? I hear it's a long way doooooooooown along those rim type trails out there. :whistling::D
     
  28. tick

    tick Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    Tick
    Current Bike:
    Process 111
    I tend to buy each bike intending to fix a perceived flaw in the previous one. My 2006 bike was too XC, so I went “full enduro” in 2009. That bike was no fun to ride more than 7-8 miles, so I got a short travel long/low/slack 29er in 2015. That bike is heavy and unsophisticated, so I aim to get something carbony and expensive next. Thus the need for my daughter to land scholarships...

    the good news is that each bike has gotten progressively closer to my platonic ideal bike. The bad news is that I may age out of the sport before I can justify the $8000 purchase.
     
    Cisco Roots, scan, Faust29 and 10 others like this.
  29. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    I buy a bicycle by gut and research. My current ride, a 2015 Devinci Troy because I demoed one in Santa Cruz. I worked in a new shop and became a dealer for them. But I mainly buy from small builders, and at one time specifically small California builders. Don't get me wrong I have bought from the big boys, mainly Giant. They used to be a great value with great component specs and modern technology.
     
    Cisco Roots, mike, Faust29 and 7 others like this.
  30. da big hills

    da big hills iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    pearl harbor
    Name:
    cagey
    Current Bike:
    enduro 29
    Me it was the opposite I broke my Trek Flying V. Back then frames were covered forever. They said pick a Trek off the rack or take 2500 towards any other bike on the shops rack. They had a bunch Treks, but I was not turned on by the suspension. They had some nice 07 stumpies but I did not like the forged down bar with a hole in it. They had this one 07 ugly duckling Enduro. Bingo! I put the cash towards the heavy ride. The first 3 months I could not get her to fly, that specialized triple crown front shock would not let it happen. That front shock sucked up everything. Then I learned impeccable timing and we began flight school. Man that bike can fly, not like the V, but we joined the Air Force. That bike is a life saver, so many times I made the a little trail wider that night and always came out alive. Never washed out on a corner, never. When it came time for my replacement it was easy "29" Enduro. It is a bit heavy but count your lucky stars when dropping fast.
    Happy scary fast downhill single trac's in the dark big hills.

    I really miss my triple ring with the big 42. It is really sad you begin to coast going so slow.
     
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