Myth Posted March 17, 2015 Author Posted March 17, 2015 So, I went to ride few bikes today, at several shops. I am really glad I followed the advice here to first test a few bikes before making up my mind. Now, I certainly can't say that I really tested each of the bikes properly (as I was somewhat limited on time, and these were not proper demo bikes that I could have for a full weekend), however I think that I have formed a bit of an idea of how the bikes differ, and why one would be better at say XC races while another better at technical trails. I must say that being used to a 26er, I felt immediately at home on the 27.5's I tested (as it probably would be). I really enjoyed how quickly I felt at home on this size and could even pop a wheelie or two without too much effort. On the 29ers I could immediately feel that they are much larger bikes. When you are used to a 26er, it feels like you climbed onto something double as big (which is a bit intimidating at first). After a bit I started to get comfortable on the 29er and could really feel how efficient it is. Really feels much closer to my road bike (for some reason?) than my previous mountain bike. Almost like a road bike that disregards road conditions (which is what I guess its really designed to be - something to eat up miles on dirt roads and tracks). Overall, however, the 27.5's reminded me of the good times I have had with my 26er 5 years ago when I was more active, especially one particular bike. The fact that I felt comfortable on it immediately, and its playfulness made me pop wheelies without thinking about it twice, is what spoke to the heart of me. Thus, after changing my mind several times over the last couple of days, I will be going for a 27.5 end of the month. Some lessons from the experiences the past few days:1) Some shops REALLY care about the client and are willing to bear with you while you go back and forth on decisions. and patiently explain every little detail to you, and even lets you ride their bikes.2) Some shops want to sell whatever is on their floor at all costs. These shops try and convince you that you really don't want what you say you want, you want what they say you want (which is whatever they have on their floor).3) Everyone has opinions, and in MOST cases those opinions are from their heart and willingness to assist a fellow cyclist, and even though all these opinions are valid, it really does come down to how YOU feel on a bike (just like many of you said on this thread!).4) You cannot just have one MTB. That's a bit like buying a BMW X5M so that you can off-road with it and race around the track with it - it will never be as good off-road as a land cruiser, neither as fast around the track as a F1 car - thus theres a place for most types, and if you really want options, you need to have more than one bike...and I will get a FAST XC 29er in due time... Now I need to wait patiently for my bike to arrive end of the month...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted March 17, 2015 Posted March 17, 2015 What did you decide on,dammit!!!?
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