I'd try putting a fork on the Dude first, with some 4" Minions, tubeless, perhaps 8+9 PSI. And a dropper.
The Dude has had a dropper since day one. I can’t imagine riding any bike off-road without one now to be honest. It had a Bluto suspension fork last summer but it is back rigid now. With the suspension fork it is a better trail bike but still no substitute for a decent full suss. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but I love it as an addition to a regular trail bike rather than as a replacement.
@Alex: fascinating thanks. So the best option is the bike I sold last year. Or maybe the best bike is just the newest one 🙂 Actually I fear there may be some truth in than in my case.
@roverpig - I’m a terrible bike changer, but what I’ve come to enjoy is the journey not the destination 🙂 I wasn’t ever that bothered about numbers, other than finding frames which fit my gibbon like proportions. I was surprised tho how two bikes with very similar geo rode so differently.
Thinking about it again, the Cotic felt spot on straight away but it took me a while to get used to the Smuggler. Maybe that’s why going back to the Flare Max was a bit odd.
Dunno: anyway hope you find something that suits!
Absolutely. I like to agonise over which bike to get. But the truth is, whatever I get, I'll be lusting after something else in a year or two. All part of the fun.
It's interesting that the bike that felt best straight away wasn't the one that was best in the long run. Another argument against the value of test rides, or maybe we're both just weird 🙂
I can certainly answer that for myself in the affirmative 🙂
So you're thinking of buying one of the new FlareMax and potentially selling in a year or so?
Too early for dibbs?
😉
I've been a shameless bike swapper too, TBH I make you look like a rank amateur, and I think there's a "grass is greener" effect when you settle on one type of geometry. The next bike feels "better" because of the novelty of more playfulness or more stability, but that soon wears off and the cycle begins again (pun intended).
@chakaping - OK, I'll put you on the interested list 🙂 As you say, I'm actually a bit of a lightweight in the bike swapping stakes. Just like to talk about it a lot.
@Alex - Absolutely. Who wants to be normal 🙂
Your comments on the Mojo 3 have thrown a bit of a spanner in the works. I see that sort of bike as being the alternative to something like the new FlareMax, but a very different beast. Relatively short (by modern standards) reach. Short chainstays. Balanced and playful. That's pretty much my dilemma at the moment. Do I want something long and slack that I can just monster-truck through stuff, or something balanced and playful, so I can work on my skills and try to hop and manual my way down technical stuff. My heart says the latter, but my head says "forget it".
I think maybe as others have said, you want to avoid the extremes... The current uber long trend hadn’t quite arrived when I got my Tallboy 3, but it is a good bike at just about everything.
Personally, I prefer it with Plus wheels, but I reckon with some quality 29er wheels, it would do a pretty good job of fast/far.
I reckon the Trek EX would be similar, and having owned an ABP Fisher Roscoe one, I know the rear suspension works for me
I think there are too many variables to lay handling characteristics at the door of one element - eg short chainstays? My Singular Buzzard, has 420mm chainstays, but a steeper h/a and shorter wheelbase than is currently fashionable. With a 60mm stem on, it is both playful and stable
@roverpig - I like all my bikes, but I like the Mojo3 a bit more. I’d run it year round on the chubby tyres but the clearance is terrible. In fact it’s a pretty rubbish UK winter bike. But I’ll put up with all of that because the other three seasons - and trips away - it’s the bike I’ll always ride for preference.
Chuck Ibis did an interesting interview when it was launched. His view was that for the ‘average’ rider too long and too slack was a disadvantage as that average rider couldn’t make the most of when that Geo really makes sense. I’ve no idea if that’s true, but the Mojo3 is the bike that I’ve been riding on fairly scary stuff.
Bottom of the ranger path I knew it was a keeper!
Chuck Ibis did an interesting interview when it was launched. His view was that for the ‘average’ rider too long and too slack was a disadvantage as that average rider couldn’t make the most of when that Geo really makes sense.
I can see how there could be some merit in that as not everyone has the confidence (or desire) to get forward to load the front of a LLS bike. I know it's something I had to learn. But it begs the question what is an average rider and what are they riding trails wise? Trail center reds? Are they happy at that level, or do they want to go faster and/or steeper? As a decidedly average riding coward I don't like going too fast (seem to have a mental speed block when it gets proper fast) but am increasing pushing my limits in terms of steep (around the FOD so I'm sure you know what I mean) and I certainly like the security blanket feeling offered by my long(ish) and slack(ish) Bird. Maybe I could ride the same on a shorter steeper bike (better riders certainly do) but would I? Probably not, at least not until I have ridden it on my LLS security blanket to convince myself I can do it. I am riding some things on my old school geometry hardtail that I wouldn't have previous to riding them on my Bird first. Skills progression or just gaining confidence, probably a bit of both.
No point to make just some musings 🙂
My Bird Aeris 120
@mark90 - I know what you mean. For the past year I've been swapping between my fatbike (the ultimate monster truck and with a reach of 455mm and 440mm chainstays, quite long) and my old 26" Five (short reach and 425mm chainstays). They are both viable options, but a number of times I've rolled up to stuff that I've never had the nerve to ride before on the fatbike (expecting to get off) but almost without thinking I find myself pushing the front into it and riding through. I'll go back later on the Five and ride it just fine, but only because I now know that I can.
The final nail in the coffin for the Five though was when I realised that I could actually go round corners faster on the longer bike. Don't ask me why, it doesn't make sense, but it seemed to be the case.
