How many mountain bikes do you own?

[David Stein]

New to the group. Have a Hunq on order. I've seen a number of threads dancing around this topic (including the recent 'Hunqapillar as a true mountain bike' thread). Wanted to ask the question a different way, how many mountain bikes do you own, what are they, and when do you decide to take which bike out?

I just got into mountain biking/trail riding after years of road riding (Bay Area, mostly fire roads for now, some single track). I suck at it. Trying to get better. Salsa El Mariachi with front suspension.
My interest is in exploring mostly, not necessarily going fast or racing, but that being said I haven't met a downhill that hasn't resulted in a crash or three (including the demo ride in Shell Ridge I took the Hunq on). When I ordered the Hunq the idea was to use it as an all-rounder (mix of fire roads, light trails, city riding, commuting) and my Salsa El Mariachi 29er to take on more technical terrain and single track. But after another couple more harrowing rides, I decided the Salsa wasn't for me and sold it (I think it was the 29er wheel size that I didn't like, I am short and it wasn't nimble enough, though maybe it was the general geometry of the frame). So now, I'm left with the choice of running the Hunq as my only mountain bike with two sets of wheels (2.1 smart sams on one and 1.75 green guards on another), or using the Salsa money to buy an additional singletrack specific bike with front suspension (and using in conjunction with the Hunq, the ole N+1). Curious to what other people are doing.

[Deacon Patrick]

I see no reason for suspension other than my God given arms and legs. My only bike is the Hunqapillar, which I now have 2.25" Smart Sams on and I love it for whatever I am doing (very biased toward remote dirt and single track. Poke around here for photos, but the Hunqapillar with 50mm touring tires (I switched to the Smart Sams this Winter) for quite technical trails with full bikepacking loads. http://www.flickr.com/photos/32311885@N07/sets

My suggestion is to play with the Hunqapillar and get to know it and learn how to ride trails and grow in that together for a full year or two. At that point you will know the answer to your question.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Bruce Herbitter]

I have a near new '88 MB-2 Comp. 25 psi in the tires is my suspension.
I always end up on by back looking up at the trees. I'm still not sold
on this who "roots and rocks" riding thing....

[Deacon Patrick]

Get scent free and come with me sometime. Roots and rocks are fun to play on! I just take them slow and steady. They tell me how to ride them, what the flow is. We get along great! I go slow enough that most "falls" are me holding the handlebars and leaping to the side, all bits upright.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Bill Lindsay]

Welcome to the group, and best of luck with your Hunqapillar

I have one bike that was sold as a mountain bike.  It's a 1986 Schwinn Paramountain.  I have a Bombadil, which I guess is kind of a mountain bike.  I have a two road bikes with plenty of clearance for cyclocross tires.  I have four 650B bikes that will take medium width knobbies and that I have no qualms about riding through Wildcat Canyon trails

So to answer your question about how many....somewhere between zero and eight mountain bikes, depending on how one classifies them.  

[David Stein]

Bill - is this also known as the N+8?

Patrick - agreed. My goal is to wait and ride and see what I want from there. But damn, 4 months is a long time to wait on a bike, too much time to think. Need to ride.

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[Deacon Patrick]

Och! Aye. The wait is brutal! Get a poser bike to fill the void in the meantime. I rode what later became my wife's bike while I waited (I hadn't ridden a bike since my bludgeoned brain, so over ten years), and we'd gotten an old Trek MTB as a test bike. Way too small for me, but Rived out it worked and I could do wee rides with my daughters. But the anticipation and trying to imagine riding perfection and the drool, and the hope, and the fear that what if it doesn't work for some reason, and the... and the... will make you a blathering idiot that can only be cured by the arrival of a UPS box with goodie drawings on it. Just remember, it's coldest just before sunrise. Here's how I know: (Grin.) http://www.flickr.com/photos/32311885@N07/12513399475/

With abandon,

Patrick

[Christian]

Hi David,

I have a Hunq and a Salsa Spearfish dually (and a Log Haul Trucker set up for commuting and a Terraferma 650B that I use for most mixed terrain, road, and all randonneuring).  The Hunq and the SF are really very different bikes.  I like them both and generally use them for different kinds of riding.  Yes, the Hunq can do what the Spearfish can, i.e. technical trails, but I think the SF does it better.  Can the Spearfish get me around on all the dirt roads and climbs and daylong mixed terrain rides we have here in Central VA?  Yes, but the Hunq does it better.  Were I forced to choose only one I'd probably go with the Hunq.   

Enjoy your new Hunqapillar

Christian  

[Dan McNamara]

I am in the Bay Area and for fire road/single track I have 3: Bombadil currently with Quasi-Moto tires, Black Mountain Cycle Monster Cross with Bruce Gordan Rock&Road tires and a '94 Bridgestone XO-4 with Clement MSO tires. The Black Mountain is a pretty great bike for the $ if you have extra parts lying around for a build. Running On-One Midge flare bars on that bike.

Never got into suspension bikes.

There are lots of great older mountain bikes that get turned in at used bike co-ops and such. A tune up, a chain and some new tires and you are good to go for a very small investment.

Dan

- Marin

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[Philip Williamson]

I have two mountain bikes - a 1999 Bontrager Privateer with front suspension and drop bars, and a rigid Singular Gryphon with drops. I have taken the Singular out on steep fireroads with Marathon Supremes, but I have knobbies on order. It's about to give up its gears to another bike, and become a singlespeed. 

I use the Bontrager offroad, mostly in Annadel Park (Santa Rosa, CA). Steep, rocky fireroads, smooth fireroads, singletrack up and down. I started riding bikes with a rigid mountain bike, and they're as "real" as any other kind of bike, especially if you're exploring, and maximum speed isn't a goal. Big tires (~2") do a lot of the work, and bent legs and arms do the rest. After mountainbiking with a friend who has a wide saddle and a dropper post, I think a narrow saddle does the same job (get your butt out over the tire), but cheaper and lighter. A saddle with "clipped" ears probably won't be as comfortable as a B17 out and about, but a B17 is going to impede your ability to slide off the back of the saddle. At least it does for me. The other maneuver is to simply drop the saddle for descents, and 'float' above it. 

I like flared drops a lot, but flat bars work fine, too. I'm not a big fan of albatross bars or similar offroad, but people use them. I wouldn't start with them. 

If I was to spec a Hunqapillar as a "real" mountain bike, I'd get fat knobbies, a bullmoose bar (or Midge bar), and a narrow saddle. And that's it.  

Philip

www.biketinker.com

On Tuesday, February 18, 2014 9:48:15 AM UTC-8, David Stein wrote:

[Coconutbill]

David,

I recently acquired a '93 MB-1, which I'm building up slowly as I'm new to setting up cantilevers, because this is my first mountain bike! I've got all the parts now, and it's coming together pretty quickly. I look forward to seeing your new bike.

-Evan

[Jim M.]

The Hunq makes a great mountain bike, as well as being an all-rounder. I've ridden a loaner Hunq up and down Mt Diablo and have no hesitation taking it through rough stuff. As for suspension, I've owned bikes with suspension, and it mainly allows you to go faster over rough stuff without having to choose a smoother path. Riding without suspension will teach you better bike handling that will still benefit you if you do go squishy some day. I started mountain biking long before the term was coined, on a Stingray and a Schwinn Newsboy. When I got a "real" mountain bike, it lacked suspension (as they all did back then), and it didn't hold me or anyone back from riding any place that is ridden today.

My current mountain bikes are all 3 of my Rivs (Bomba, QB, and Legolas), and a Niner Air Nine (rigid). They don't see equal amounts of dirt time, but they've all been up and down Diablo on the same trails.

jim m
wc ca

[Cyclofiend Jim]

Hey there David -

Thanks for contributing to the group.  Welcome!

The smilingly flippant answer is "all of them!"   ;^)
It's also imprecise, as there are a couple of the bikes I own which don't really encounter trails (though each have  been on dirt) and my "mountain bike" - which does not match what most people call mountain bikes these days - actually has not been saddled up and ridden in years. 

Particularly here in the SF Bay Area, we are lucky to have a network of roads, trails, singletrack and fire roads which make an amazingly diverse way to move around.  Most rides I'm on combine pavement and dirt, and it makes me chuckle when folks double-take as I roll along trials on smooth, 33 1/3 mm tires, or when I'm standing curbside and someone looks at my trail-dust-encrusted Hilsen and starts talking about how they want to get a road bike.   It just really ceased to be a valid definition for me a long time ago. 

Like BikeTinker, I learned to ride trails when Hite-Rites were sought after accessories.  And yes, I engaged in some utterly impressive yard sale crashes. You flop and you learn.  You follow folks who know what they are doing and learn.  (Of course, you also follow them and get way in over your head, but that's a different story or few...)

Without seeing you, knowing how you crashed, or knowing where you are riding, I'd bet you were the victim of using too much brake, being too rigid on the bike, having too much weight forward and expecting the trail surface to behave like pavement. On trails, direction is important, momentum is important, but adhesion and connection to the bike are variables that differ vastly from road riding. I'll try not to divert too far down this thought vector, but while it's a good idea to keep your feet in contact with your pedals and your hands in contact with the bars, the rest of your body position is highly dependent upon your trail conditions.  

I think front suspension to some degree and full suspension to far greater degree contribute to riding too tightly - it leads to the rider being too rigid.  As I watch riders on the trails, it's obvious that if the rear wheel breaks away they will have little ability to correct from that.  (And I'm not _against_ suspension - it just is not my aesthetic.   There are situations where the current suspension designs combine with skill sets way above mine to create some mind numbing possibilities. I just happen to prefer "nap-of-the-earth" riding.)

Ok, where was I...?

Right.  Loosen up.  Keep your eyes on the horizon.  Maintain a little more momentum than you might be initially comfortable with.  When tires slide - relax.  If they go out to the side, add a little body english.  If they slip on a climb, shift your butt back to get enough weight on them.   You will not carve lines the way tires do on clean pavement.  Learn to unweight the front (as Philip said) by sliding back.   Rinse and repeat.

The main three:
Both the Quickbeam and Hilsen run noodle bars and 33 ish tires (generally JB's so they are smooth). 
I also have a 1990 MB1 which I run as a singlespeed.  2.2 ish round profile tires.  Now worn pretty smooth too.
http://www.cyclofiend.com/ssg/2006/ssg017-cyclofiend0206.html
http://www.cyclofiend.com/cc/2008/cc522-cyclofiend_jim0908.html
http://cyclofiend.com/ssg/2007/ssg001r2-cyclofiendmb10507.html

I also have a '02 Stumpjumper, which was a replacement frame for one I cracked (one of the '96 MM models).  I just haven't felt the need to keep this tuned and running, and it's sat for a long time.

Hope some of that was helpful - hope to see you out on the trails!

- Jim / cyclofiend.com

[Patrick Moore]

Welcome and please post photos of the Hunq when you build it up. The Hunq is the one Rivendell that I'd like to add to my stable. (Well, also a Roadeo and a Legolas and p'r'aps a Bleriot, but certainly the Hunq.)

As it is, I have a very nice original (pre-suspension corrected) Fargo that is very, very nice for much of my off road riding. This is not "mountain biking", rather dirt road exploring. I've taken the Fargo on technical singletrack and it is a true dog there, though much of the canine-in-ity is probably due to the gearing, light skinny (55 mm) tires, and drop bars. 

But I'd really like to get a true singletrack machine, which at the moment I see as a ss or perhaps 1xN 26-er with some sort of "upright" bar and built for nimbleness and light weight.

From my experience with the Fargo and the earlier Monocog 29er ss, both admittedly porky at 28-30 lb and both built with drops, the qualities and build that make a bike so nice on rough or sandy, relatively flat terrain are those which make it doggy on technical stuff.

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[RJM]

My old mountain bike is a 1996 Specialized Stumpjumper M2 frame with a front suspension fork and 26" wheels...canti brakes. The bike is in pieces now because the suspension fork finally gave up. I rode that bike so much, light, nimble, and just a good time.  I would like to get a new fork for it but just haven't thought enough about it. I just haven't been doing enough trail riding to build up a dedicated mountain bike now. I would like to.

My ideal mountain bike would be a Rivendell custom mountain mixte with 650b wheels and bombadil/hunqapillar tire clearance. A hunqapillar would work too...and the headbadge is awesome. Something like that will probably be my third Rivendell.

I don't think suspension is all that for the riding I do or would do if I got out into the singletrack more. I know plenty of people who tear up the trails using dual suspended bikes and they do ride fast....it just isn't for me. I'm now just a little too old to be getting into the kind of crashes I used to get into...too long to heal properly. I'm just a slower rider who likes technical stuff, but likes to do it on my own time.

[cyclotourist]

Man, so much good reading on this thread!

Like others have said, I ride all my bikes on the same trails. The big difference is speed. With my front suspended 29er, I can go faster and feel less beat up at the end of the day. With my single speed Quickbeam and 35mm slicks, I'm picking and choosing the line a lot more gingerly and my arms ache at the end of the downhills. 

I think a Hunq w/ fat knobbies would be a fine bike to learn on. Just slow it down, scoot your but off the back of the seat, loosen up the arms and legs, and drag that rear brake!

Cheers,
David

"it isn't a contest. Just enjoy the ride." - Seth Vidal

--

[Eric Platt]

I'll be an outlier.  If I were to buy a mountain bike (i.e. a purpose designed bike for mainly single and double track, then it would have front suspension.  My hands have been damaged over the years and the only way I could ever do "serious" mountain biking is with suspension.

That said, I now have a Surly Ogre with 2.3 inch wide tires that I am hoping will be more forgiving.  Don't plan to ride it on anything rougher than some double track trails, though.

Eric Platt

St. Paul, MN

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[Shaun Meehan]

Just this one:

[Deacon Patrick]

Your elbows don't bend? Grin. I don't mean to be incredulous here. I genuinely want to understand. I realize the elbow bending requires bending and strength in the wrist. I just know that too often people think they need more cushioning, when in fact they would benefit from less to build strength and flexibility. Not always. Dependis on your specifics.

With abandon,

Patrick 

[Patrick Moore]

Not even roots and rocks, just bad washboard, but I've ridden such bad washboard, at speed, on 60 mm tires at sub 20 psi, where, literally, I could not draw a breath or see anything except a smudge* because I was being shaken up so bad. This was while standing, knees bent, elbows bent, hands gripping hoods in as relaxed a grip as I could manage.

OTOH, I do recall the smoothness of a susp seatpost and a suspension stem.

* No corrective lenses, either. This was my eyeballs jiggling so bad that I could not see anything except blurs.

Great fun, in its own perverse way, but certainly rough!

I personally don't want suspension, but I can certainly see why some might.

On Tue, Feb 18, 2014 at 6:37 PM, Deacon Patrick <lamon...@mac.com> wrote:

Your elbows don't bend? Grin. I don't mean to be incredulous here. I genuinely want to understand. I realize the elbow bending requires bending and strength in the wrist. I just know that too often people think they need more cushioning, when in fact they would benefit from less to build strength and flexibility. Not always. Dependis on your specifics.

[Anne Paulson]

When I asked in this forum a few months ago about a suspension for the
Great Divide, people said I should ride my Atlantis. But on the Great
Divide, the suspension is not for the rocks in Montana and Colorado.
It's for the washboard in New Mexico. My elbows bend, but I don't
think I can damp that kind of vibration with my elbows. I don't think
you could either, Deacon Patrick.

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It isn't a contest. Enjoy the ride.

[Deacon Patrick]

I bow to that. Washboard is the only reason I would consider suspension.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Chris Lampe 2]

If you can find a Surly Troll to test ride, do so.  I'm riding a bike that isn't too far off from a Hunqapillar (except it maxes out at 40'ish mm tires) and there's no way I would be comfortable riding it as a "mountain bike".  I have now test ridden a Surly Karate Monkey and a Troll (both dedicated MTB geometry) and those bikes inspire the confidence to do things I wouldn't even think about attempting on my bike or something like the Hunq.  

I've found that I'm much more comfortable riding a bike with a trail measurement in the 70+ mm range.  I've ridden my current bike (trail 61mm) and an old hybrid (trail 74mm) on dirt with the same set of tires and wheels and the old hybrid felt sure-footed and stable while the current bike was twitchy and bounced all over the place.   A lot of that is my inexperience but I'm not convinced that even increasing skills would change my mind.  

If you haven't checked out a Troll, I highly encourage you to do so.  It might be the perfect MTB for you.  

On Tuesday, February 18, 2014 11:48:15 AM UTC-6, David Stein wrote:

[Eric Daume]

I come to biking from a mountain biking background, so I maybe have a different perspective than some. My current mtb fleet is:

- Surly Krampus 29+, just got this built up and only have ride on it so far (it didn't go well, but blame the mechanic (me), not the frame).

see: http://bikingtoplay.blogspot.com/2014/02/krampus-first-ride.html

- Specialized FSR 26er full suspension bike--it's a 2005, so "hopelessly outdated" in the full sus world, but still works very, very well.

see the very bottom of: http://bikingtoplay.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-history-of-my-full-suspension-bikes.html

- Niner SIR9 29er hardtail, for sale as it was replaced by the Krampus

- Breezer Lightning Pro 26er steel hardtail, I just picked this frame up and haven't built it yet--it might become a 69er.

see: http://bikingtoplay.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-new-bike-and-uh-another-and-wait-one.html

Anyway, my $0.02 is:

- get a separate mountain bike. Tires, fenders, racks, lights--these things aren't really compatible between trail riding and road riding. Yes, you can ride any tire on any surface, or find some middle compromise ground, but off road riding works best with big, soft, knobby tires, which kind of suck on the road--much like fenders aren't great off road. And when you're ready for a road ride, you won't have to deal with your gritty, dirty mountain bike.

- the best value is probably ~10 year old 26" stuff. It's suitably out of style so it'll be cheap, but it's still modern enough to work well. Especially this is when front ends started coming up, leaving behind the "rear over front" feeling of 90s bikes, which makes for a much more confidence inspiring ride.

Eric Daume
Dublin, OH

--

[Eric Platt]

Well, my "excuse" and it is only that, is moderate to severe carpal tunnel syndrome for the past 30 years.  Bad enough that my hands can go numb riding a bike no handed.  But granted, suspension is only a crutch. 

Eric Platt

St. Paul, MN

[C.J. Filip]

Two.  Both are the same frame model, size and age: ~1995-built, 19", Independent Fabrication Dexluxes.  

[Hudson Doerge]

I own one mountain bike. At least how I count them. In Austin, TX, where I live and learned to mountain bike, a hardtail really makes the never ending chain of limestone rock gardens much more fun to deal with. You can, and I have, ridden a rigid bike not dissimilar to a hunq, but the combination of a rigid fork, super low bottom bracket, and rock gardens few outside of central Texas can understand pushed me to get a 29er hardtail, which proved one of my best bike related decisions to date. Picking up a simpleone on close out ranks right there with it.

[Jim M.]

On Tuesday, February 18, 2014 6:48:38 PM UTC-8, EricP wrote:

Well, my "excuse" and it is only that, is moderate to severe carpal tunnel syndrome for the past 30 years.  Bad enough that my hands can go numb riding a bike no handed.  But granted, suspension is only a crutch. 

I'm sorry to hear about your carpal tunnel. That being said, you don't have to justify front suspension to this group or anyone else. If someone thinks it's overkill, well, that is just not their business.

As for washboard, I've ridden it on rigid 2.4" wheels, on full suspension, and on a Pugsley. Bike suspension really isn't active enough to do much on a washboard. You still get plenty of jackhammering, softened a little bit. But you can also get some odd bounces that you don't get on rigid. If you want to mitigate washboard, you want a 3" tire at 20 lbs pressure or so. The soft tire will give quickly with each agitation and make things smoother than suspension. IMHE.

jim m
wc ca

[Michael]

I own 0 mountain bikes.

[Philip Williamson]

Amen to "you don't have to justify your bike." 

I'm not surprised that we (the oft-posters) skew towards less technical bikes. Are there lurking dual-suspension riders? 

Philip

www.biketinker.com

[Mike Schiller]

no Full suspension bikes any more but I have had a few.  The Titus Motolite with 5" front and rear travel was a dream to ride downhill. That true 4bar  link works great.  After trying a flexy steel 29er hardtail I sold them all off.  The climbing is much faster and I can stay with my friends on their full suspension bikes on most all downhills.

These days a 40-45 mm knobby on a rigid drop bar bike is much more fun.  The challenge of riding techy trails on this kind of bike is where it's at!  

~mike

Calsbad Ca.

[Cyclofiend Jim]

I was working in the bike industry as suspension forks became normal for intro bicycles, and tried a lot of the full suspension designs at various interbike shows and product demos as they were developed and refined. Got sent home with some of those for long-term demos. During some travels, I've spent time on rental bikes, riding up chairlifts and enjoying the weird, hammocky ride down trails.  My regular mtb had a front fork.   At one point, I could disassemble, strip and clean and reassemble my Judy fork in about the time it took to replace a chain. 

And that's what nudged me away from more complex designs.  The need for regular maintenance.  The best Full Suspension designs started out great, but bushing wear and linkage slop made them feel worse and worse over time. There was one friend I finally just couldn't ride with because of the chirps and squeaks from his FS bike.  Anti-Beausage. 

But, that's also what nudged me to singlespeed drivetrains - replacing chainrings and cogsets which seemed to melt in the higher mileage winters of El Nino.   So, there's clearly something kinda wrong in my brain.

And there were a number of FS designs I got excited about, and I think they are much better understood now - cleaning in design and implementation.  If I lived in Downieville, dealt with the kind of surface and transitions and trails there, things might be different. 

For me, here, now, I just don't want a frame with a hinge in it.   I do also think there's a lot to be said for larger diameter tires and how they interact with trail topography.  My 559/26" Bridgestone has a very different ride over the trails than do the QB or Hilsen.

- Jim

On Tuesday, February 18, 2014 10:49:49 PM UTC-8, Philip Williamson wrote:

[Cyclofiend Jim]

And - YES - for the challenge aspect of it.  I've often likened riding knibblies or JB's on trails as being similar to ultralight tackle fishing.  It's a very different challenge.
- J

[rcnute]

I'm building up a Salsa Ala Carte with 650b wheels and a rigid 80mm suspension-corrected fork.  I may give up and put a suspension fork on (the last time I tried MTB'ing it was on a steep hill with lots of rocks and roots and my arms were killing me). 

Ryan

[Clayton]

I own two bikes total. My 14 year old 26" wheeled Atlantis and my new Ibis full suspension Mojo HD.  I have bad carpal tunnel, knees and back issues (12 surgeries). From now on it will be full suspension only off road. If I do any road tours, it will be the Atlantis. My Atlantis with 2.35" tires at 20 lbs worked OK off road on smoothish trails.

 I am a retro grouch to a point. Watching cogsets grow from 5 speed to 11  is pretty funny. I heard somewhere that Shimano has a patented 15 speed cogset, with fully operational derailleurs, chain and cranksets designed. They just add one more cog every so many years, to get people to buy the newest, cool stuff. For years it was all about trying to get the smallest jumps between cogs. 11-12-13-etc.... Now Sram has a one chainring tranny and bigger jumps between gears (11-42), which is now the coolest stuff. Only $380.00 for a cogset! What a deal! Planned obsoleteness is irritating. Bikes were figured out a long time ago.. 

[Chris in Redding, Ca.]

Hey All,

First, I am happy to see that suspension gets the appreciation here that it deserves. For me it allows a bunch of good things, like really fun downhilling, and the ability to do 50+ mile MTB rides and still walk right.

And I have two, one full suspension and one full rigid. Both are 26rs. The rigid one is an 85 Stumpy Sport. My wife also has two, one full suspension and one full rigid. Both 26rs. Her rigid is an old Ritchey. 

All the best,

Chris

Redding, Ca.

[Montclair BobbyB]

Too many mountain bikes in my life to list... although MOST of them are of the mid-80s variety, configured as all-rounders...

But for my roots-n-rocks-bring-it-on mountain bike I actually have 2 virtually identical bikes: Both Niner MCRs with steel forks... I feared Niner would discontinue these (which they did), so I keep 2 around (just in case)...

[Montclair BobbyB]

Speaking of which, there are still a few leftover 2012 Niner SIR9 frames (single-speed EBB version of the MCR) on sale for HALF PRICE!! at Jenson (but only in sizes Small and XL) .  2012 was the LAST YEAR of the original design... which remains one of the greatest ever 29er steel MTB frames... Something happened over at Niner; they seem to have changed course, and this is most evident in their discontinuing the MCR, and mutating (ruining) a perfectly awesome design with the 'new & improved' SIR9... Thank God my friend told me about these leftovers (and NOW I'M TELLING YOU ALL!!!)... Of course I was powerless to resist at half price, so I will stash one in my attic for posterity... 

Niner once had such a great thing going...and their steel frames were legendary.  Then one of the co-founders left in 2011, they seem to be losing interest in steel in favor of alu and carbon, and kinda went crazy with a bunch of radical design changes (none of which I find appealing). Sad. But I am at least fortunate to have scored one of the few remaining (legendary) SIR9s... which should easily keep me riding the trails on steel Niners for the rest of my life... whew... 

Bobby "you THINK he likes steel Niners?" Birmingham

[Tonester]

Five.  Two vintage Stumpjumpers, a Klein Adept full squish, a mid-90's Steelman single track (front suspension) and a full rigid Civilian Luddite 29er.  I'm planning to consolidate most of the above into a custom Soulcraft this year as I finally have decided what I need and what I can live without.  I love the simplicity and clean lines of full rigid but find that any kind of speed over the nearby terrain (NorCal ruts, rocks n roots) is painful - even with 2.4 tires.  I find that I lose too much "go" with rear suspension so I plan to forgo that on the Soulcraft.  

[Montclair BobbyB]

+1 on the Soulcraft... the Petaluma-built tradition lives on... 

[Coconutbill]

So excited to finally ride this bike; a few more additions and She'll be ready to go.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coconutbill/12710081363/

-evan

[Christopher Murray]

One, a 1996 Trek 930 that I bought new in the box in 2008 for $149. It is a wonderful, mediocre, rigid fork, musa steel bike. Woulda bought ten of them had they been available. Only weird thing is the 1 1/8 threaded headset.

Chris

[Montclair BobbyB]

Chris:  That's an American-built True Temper triple-butted chromoly frame... Nothing at all mediocre about that.. .And you got yourself an amazing deal for $150 !!!  I'm sure you agree those ride amazingly well.   But yeah, the 1 1/8 threaded was kinda odd... I had a Giant ATX 770 with same setup... I was replacing the headset when I realized the 1" set was too small!!!

BB

[Christopher Murray]

I love the 930- don't get me wrong. It was a middle-of-the-road quality bike in 1996. If I could have bought more than one in 2008 I would have. I put on alba'a, fenders, and racks and couldn't be happier.

Cheers!
Chris

[Montclair BobbyB]

Cool... Mine should be similar...1989 970 frameset... Building up a set of wheels (old cassette and front dyno hub), and adding a pair of Bosco Bullmoose bars... 

[BenG]

Just one - 1990 MB-1, biggest frame size offered.  Early owner installed a Manitou 2 bumper fork.  I put in fresh elastomers last year, and it's quite nice.  The stock Ritchey stem was a neck-breaker race setup, way stretched out, so I changed to a dirt drop and now ride pretty comfortably.

I've noticed over the years that suspension reduces bounce - tires don't stay airborne as long over roots and rocks - and I get a little better control in rough sections.  I do like that.

Ben

[Jeff Ong]

I have a slightly ridiculous number of mountain bikes, although only a few of them regularly get taken off-road. I've got a long travel Santa Cruz Huckler and a modern (2005-ish) Klein Attitude hardtail. Having at least front suspension really does make a huge difference for modern, very aggressive trails, I've reluctantly decided. Also, I discovered that as a guy in my 40's, I recover a lot quicker if I ride suspended.

That said, I've also got a MB-Zip which is ridiculously light and fun to ride, a very early fillet-brazed Mt. Goat, a nice mid-80's fillet brazed Ritchey, and an early 90's Alpinestars elevated chainstay bike that I converted to a ridiculous fixed gear after the derailleur hanger bent irreparably. Oh, and my daily rider (apart from my Rambouillet) is a mid 90's Voodoo Bizango converted to drop bars, with fender/rack mounts I brazed on myself. That one still sees quite a bit of dirt, too.

[Montclair BobbyB]

I don't always ride suspension, but when I do, I still prefer steel... Stay rigid, my friends...

[Steven Frederick]

I have 4, trail bikes, and there's not much overlap there. I've been trail riding since before I discovered Rivendell, and I've always liked non-rivvy mtbs, with suspension and all that.  

I have a Soma Juice 29'er hardtail set up as a singlespeed, a custom Curtlo softail 27.5'er (650b) softail for milder cross country, a Turner Burner 27.5er full suspension for bomber trails and riding over silly stuff, and a Salsa Mukluk fatbike for winter riding and general fun.

Steve

On Thu, Feb 27, 2014 at 2:59 PM, Jeff Ong <jeffon...@gmail.com> wrote:

I have a slightly ridiculous number of mountain bikes, although only a few of them regularly get taken off-road. I've got a long travel Santa Cruz Huckler and a modern (2005-ish) Klein Attitude hardtail. Having at least front suspension really does make a huge difference for modern, very aggressive trails, I've reluctantly decided. Also, I discovered that as a guy in my 40's, I recover a lot quicker if I ride suspended.

That said, I've also got a MB-Zip which is ridiculously light and fun to ride, a very early fillet-brazed Mt. Goat, a nice mid-80's fillet brazed Ritchey, and an early 90's Alpinestars elevated chainstay bike that I converted to a ridiculous fixed gear after the derailleur hanger bent irreparably. Oh, and my daily rider (apart from my Rambouillet) is a mid 90's Voodoo Bizango converted to drop bars, with fender/rack mounts I brazed on myself. That one still sees quite a bit of dirt, too.

--

[Montclair BobbyB]

WOW, that's an awesome stable... you got it all covered...  

[Coconutbill]

 giddy aboout mountain biking: 

 

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coconutbill/12897180335/