# MTB help for an ignorant roadie



## PpPete (25 Feb 2010)

I'll admit I know sweet FA about MTBs 

However a friend has asked me for help finding a suitable full-suss MTB.

His doctor has told him he needs full-suspension because of a recent spinal op, even though chances it will never be used off-road.

I suggested hardtail with maybe suspension seatpost but he's adamant it's got to be full suspension.

He's a big guy, maybe 18-20 stone and 6 ft and needs to lose some weight, he's 50+ and doesnt fancy gyms or running hence the wish to start cycling

He's quite prepared to spend the money to get something decent. Up to £1000 or even a little more.... and preferably from LBS rather than online. The only other thing he knows he wants apart from suspension is hydraulic discs, but at that price I imagine that's normal ?

I'll make sure he gets suitable tyres for road use and so on, but I've really no idea which brands/models to point him at?

So - any suggestions for really good value?


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## GrumpyGregry (25 Feb 2010)

Boardman Team (or Comp) FS - got rave reviews in all the comics, I've ridden a friends and for the money it is amazing. Others will be able to point you at some excellent 2009 bargains out there at around the price point though you may not find a size to suit and may not find one local whereas H*lf*rds are everywhere.

I suspect his Dr. knows nothing about bikes btw & £1000 on a full boinger that will never be ridden off road is a bit of a waste of dosh imo. But it's your mate's money and peace of mind.


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## RedBike (25 Feb 2010)

Although rear suspension will help absorb big bumps like pot-hole, rocks on the trail i'm afraid it will do Sweet F.A for the comfort of the bike on the road. 

Basically if the suspension is soft enough to start absorbing every ripple in the road then the bike will bob up and down like a pogo stick if you try and pedal hard. 

Most small bump 'suspension' comes from the tyres. The larger and lower pressure the better. (Big apples?)

I would seriously look around for a carbon framed hybrid (sorry no suggestions) with a suspension seatpost. Carbon IS very good at absorbing those small bumps / vibration and the suspension seatpost will take care of those pot-holes he's misses.


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## RedBike (25 Feb 2010)

Basically he needs to try loads of different bikes before getting a full suspension beast.

It's also worth adding a 29er MTB to his list. Those large volume 29" tyres really work well at absorbing lumps and bumps!


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## 02GF74 (25 Feb 2010)

RedBike said:


> Although rear suspension will help absorb big bumps like pot-hole, rocks on the trail i'm afraid it will do Sweet F.A for the comfort of the bike on the road.
> 
> Basically if the suspension is soft enough to start absorbing every ripple in the road then the bike will bob up and down like a pogo stick if you try and pedal hard.
> 
> .



There is the specialized epic with "brain" in rear shock (lock out when pdealling but loosens on big bumps) plus lock out but still about 10 mm suspsnion in the front ... but not to £ 1 k budget, not new anyway.


there are also aluminium alloy and carbon fibre frames that are design to give some rear end shock absorbing - some designed for quite a bit of flex.

BTW suspension seat post are the work of the devil - avoid - not used one but the idea of the sadlle heoight changing fills me with dread


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## PpPete (26 Feb 2010)

Wholeheartedly concur with everything that's been said....
I think the last think he needs is a full-suss for the sort of riding he will do - but that's what his doc has told him (rightly or wrongly) and so that it must be

Any other suggestions apart from the Boardmans?


How about this Felt at Evans? Looks a reasonably well specced bike to me.

Or this ? Never heard of Pinnacle, but again spec looks OK


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## GrumpyGregry (26 Feb 2010)

porkypete said:


> Wholeheartedly concur with everything that's been said....
> I think the last think he needs is a full-suss for the sort of riding he will do - but that's what his doc has told him (rightly or wrongly) and so that it must be
> 
> Any other suggestions apart from the Boardmans?
> ...



Pinnacle, iirc, is Evans in-house own brand.

Not much wrong with either of those


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## RedBike (26 Feb 2010)

The Felt has an additional link/bar that helps eliminate pedal bob. The link does indead help remove a lot of the bob but it also stops the suspension reacting to small bumps. 

I haven't got a clue about the Pinnicle. 

It's worth looking here:
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s1p1504

The Mongoose bikes weigh a ton but they do give a very plush ride.


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## PpPete (26 Feb 2010)

The bugger just sent me an e-mail asking what I thought of:

www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=30482

If he can afford one of those I am in the wrong job.


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## lukesdad (26 Feb 2010)

I would have thought the movement in a full suss. would aggrevate the back more than an HT if he s not running on the rough.


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## chris667 (27 Feb 2010)

How about a hardtail MTB with a thudbuster seatpost?

http://www.thudbuster.com/


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## Steve Austin (27 Feb 2010)

If he has upped his budget, he really should be looking at the Orange Five. Full squidgers can get a bit squashed by the the 'ahem' larger riders but the Orange has a good reputation amongst the heavier riders amongst us.

Its really is worth him getting a ride on any bike he wants as well. Spending a lot on a Full susser that he hasn't ridden or tried could prove to be a very expensive mistake...


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (27 Feb 2010)

RedBike said:


> Although rear suspension will help absorb big bumps like pot-hole, rocks on the trail i'm afraid it will do Sweet F.A for the comfort of the bike on the road.
> 
> Basically if the suspension is soft enough to start absorbing every ripple in the road then the bike will bob up and down like a pogo stick if you try and pedal hard.
> 
> ...



mine absorbs all the road bumps and is unbelievably smooth on the road. 

but that aside, why an mtb? mtb's usually have quite an upright position putting more weight on the ass and spine. road bikes tend to share the load better. perhaps a sporty roadie and a brooks flyer would be the option?


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## Sheffield_Tiger (28 Feb 2010)

bromptonfb said:


> ... why an mtb? mtb's usually have quite an upright position putting more weight on the ass and spine. road bikes tend to share the load better. perhaps a sporty roadie and a brooks flyer would be the option?



OR..

Would a recumbent (trike if not confident on a 2 wheeler) be more suitable altogether?

Perhaps something that the doc overlooked completely?


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (28 Feb 2010)

Sheffield_Tiger said:


> OR..
> 
> Would a recumbent (trike if not confident on a 2 wheeler) be more suitable altogether?
> 
> Perhaps something that the doc overlooked completely?




+1 and trikes look cool


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## RedBike (1 Mar 2010)

bromptonfb said:


> mine absorbs all the road bumps and is unbelievably smooth on the road.
> 
> but that aside, why an mtb? mtb's usually have quite an upright position putting more weight on the ass and spine. road bikes tend to share the load better. perhaps a sporty roadie and a brooks flyer would be the option?



We were taking about a 'budget' 1k full suspension bike, not a high end mega money carbon beast. If you locked out your suspension then your bike would still be comfortable on the road. It's not really the rear suspension that doing the work in absorbing the road vibration / small bumps. The suspension only really has an effect when you start talking about pot-holes.


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (1 Mar 2010)

oh, i would have thought a £1k fs would absorb more bumps and vibration with the stories of bobbing i read. i wouldn't go as far to say mine is comfortable on the road. i went out on colins ride with my mtb slicked out with 100 psi tyres. by the end it was not comfortable at all and i was far slower than i would have been on my heavyweight brommie and front lugguage. i was really surprised. just proves (to me) that road bike geometry (even brommie geometry)and mtb geometry are so different for a reason. i know it sounds obvious but i thought that a mega expensive featherweight slicked mtb would be better on the road than a cheapo brommie, how wrong i was.

edit: having brilliant brakes on the road is not always a good thing. it makes you feel safer than you are. i had a dodgy moment on colins ride, my own fault, i knew the brakes would stop me no matter how fast i was going, however you get to a point where friction between the road and tyre is not as good as you think, which makes you automatically pull harder on the lever which gives less friction, which gives peanut squinting moment on the wrong side of a tight corner. shoot brakes on the brommie makes me take corners at a more sedate speed.


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## RedBike (2 Mar 2010)

@Bromptonfb : Lol about the brakes. The brakes on the fixie are nowhere near as good as my other bikes, which is actually a good thing. My main trouble in stopping the fixie is that I really struggle to get my weight back/off the saddle while pedalling. This means that if I do slam my brakes on I'm highly likely to disapear over the bars. 
Something i've found to my cost with the fixed wheel disc braked MTB!


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## GilesM (2 Mar 2010)

porkypete said:


> The bugger just sent me an e-mail asking what I thought of:
> 
> www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=30482
> 
> If he can afford one of those I am in the wrong job.



If he has that amount of money to spend, then I would suggest one of the Scott full suss bikes, probably one of the Spark models, see here,

http://www.kudubikes.co.uk/shop/98/148/

The advantage of the Scott bikes is the rear shock has three settings, full rear suspension, traction control, or no suspension, it might allow your friend to work out what is most comfortable for his back.


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