[Sir_Crackien]

i'm going to buy a new bike over the winter. but that is a differance here.

i will either buy a road ride with almost full ultgera or a pretty damn pimp fr/dh/"toy" bike.

the road bike is half the price. i'm in college so this matter.
i don't really live near a mountain at the moment.
also i road bike would be nice as tansport. partical

but

i love fr/dh stuff.
the bike is a 99% perfect biuld for me (parts, geo.)
i would make a bigger effort on riding it also (but only in the summer is when i would have time)


so you can see my perdicament. i have been trying to chose for about 2.5 months and i can't make up my mind. also you need to give real reason ot have one over the other. not "i hate road bikes"

 

[SirChomps-a-Lot]

I had the same dilemma 3 years ago.

I bought the road bike and tried for a year to race road bikes. I basically wasted that year training on road bikes. I only rode because I felt like I should, not because I wanted to.

When I finally ditched the road bike and hit the dirt again, it was like being reborn.

 

[Dufault01]

Well, its an interesting situation. Personally, not being close to any mountains or trails I would just go with the road bike. Your going to get alot more use out of it and road biking is alot of fun. One thing to keep in mind is to make sure you like road biking. I know a few people who love it while others hate it. I have a road bike personally and in the summer spends a few hours on it everyday. Its a great way to keep is shape and you can only do urban on a fr rig for so long.

 

[Bicyclist]

I had the same dilemma 3 years ago.

I bought the road bike and tried for a year to race road bikes. I basically wasted that year training on road bikes. I only rode because I felt like I should, not because I wanted to.

When I finally ditched the road bike and hit the dirt again, it was like being reborn.

Same here. I rode a road bike for a while, was over it, then bought another recently because I felt I should. It's being sold next week and I feel great!

 

[BKQuill]

why not get a bling-bling hardtail and shread the streets and/or some DJ's?

 

[dhmtbj]

If you have a decent xc trail system close by I'd say go for a 5-6" trailbike. While the first few weeks will suck getting into shape...once you get there trail riding is a blast! I built up an old stumpjumper hardtail this spring and its probably seen the most miles of any of my bikes this year...and the other options are a sunday and an imperial. I had a road bike and I used it like 5 times...then sold it to my dad after it sat around for 6 months or so. That riding just bores me...if I'm going for put some effort into riding I might as well have some sweet terrain to do it on.

 

[mxer338]

get the mountain bike..... you can ride a mountain bike on the road (comfortably with a few changes) but you cant ride a road bike on a mountain (except for the guy who rode big bear on a road bike.. forgot who that was... mighta been a monkey)

 

[dexter]

if you dont have a street bike get one instead best bikes period

 

[Bicyclist]

OK, here's a thought:

-Build up a cheap, durable BMX for DJ/Street/Park and watch your bike handling improve
-Buy either a HT with a semi-beefy build (say with 4-5" in the fork) OR a 5-6" FS for XC trails and a little DH/FR fun

 

[Sir_Crackien]

ok i have a trail bike (gaint trance 2)
i have had a bling hardtail in the past but i'm over that now
i also have a trials bike, yes trials (you want to talk about imporving skills here it is)

the delimma is that i'm not close to mountians at all but when i go home i during the summer i'm closer to mountians. but down here i'm near many other road riders. also i have never really had a road bike. i did in the past but it was a big peice and because of that i never rode the thing. think wet noodle for stiffness and i weight 240. i would also like to get into better fitness for the xc and trials riding i do and the road bike i think could help me shead a few pound or atleast that is the thought.

i have had ok fr bikes in the past and i can never to seem to find a setup that i'm good with (ever changing). the trail bike is setup (minus the poor cranks). also the trials bike after i biuld the parts together will be set for a while. so the other thing is if i get the fr bike i will alway change part. which will cost money

 

[jimmydean]

Get something that you can do a lot on. Look at something like the Iron Horse MKIII. It has enough travel to get busy on, is light enough to do all mountain XC on, and with a good tire, makes streets fun as well.

I'm 245 and make road bikes shake with fear if I get too close. I miss my road bike days, but that was 80 pounds ago and those days are gone. If a hardtail isn't your thing, I think a solid all mountain bike might be the ticket.

 

[Alpha Kenny Body]

Maybe you should get a Nomad, i've heard they can handle rough treatment and pedaling efficiency is good. Enough for flat riding, as well for decents.

 

[odiwik]

Stay in school, folks..

 

[downhilldemon]

i bought a lemond during the tour de france. After a month of watching Lance kick everybodies ass i was over it and bought a foes fly. Road just gets boring after awhile. Nice though i sold my road bike for 200$ more than i paid

 

[spacemanspiff06]

build up a versital HT. it will cost less then your other options, you can commute on it, ride downtown, or when you get a chance, through on dirt tires and rock some trails. esp. with your limited riding space, since you can entertain yourself longer with less terrain and smaller features. also you'll become a smoother rider(or at least stay smooth over the winter.)

 

[Sir_Crackien]

this theard has been derailed. i stated that i had a cost of 2 bike and i was choosing one. i nkow which two bikes i would get when i buy one. but i cant have both only of of the chooses. if i get the fr/dh bike it will be used for that only. i have a think ot ride urban on and the trails on. the trance will not leave the stable its too nice and the same is for the trials bike.

 

[BigMike]

Dan, what happened to your Chaporal (or however you spell it) I thought you loved that thing?

If I were you, I would not go for the road bike, but go for a Cross Bike. You can still train and get in shape on the road, but if you feel the inkling, you can go on light trails with it. Remember the Cross Check I got? I'm riding that thing almost everyday to get in shape, but I am not confined to just the road.

 

[Skeg]

WOW...reading that post hurt my brain.

I say spend the money on some English classes.

 

[Sir_Crackien]

i never had a chaperral. i have scirocco more xc like and the morphine which was beating me up on the dh/fr stuff.

now i have the trance and a trials bike and that is it

 

[bizutch]

buy the road bike now while they're not selling as well cause it's cold outside and get a screaming deal on one. Put in the miles on it and a month before school is out you will be neck deep in finals so sell it then. By the time you finish finals, it should be sold and you cna go back to a DH bike...bikes are wives. they require zero long term commitment.

 

[Jeremy R]

...bikes are wives. they require zero long term commitment.

That is either a typo, or it really explains our country's divorce rate.

 

[motomike]

I got a road bike. Started training. Got fast. Hired a trainer. Burned out quick. Now I race DH. :big grin:

 

[BigMike]

That is either a typo, or it really explains our country's divorce rate.

Yeah......... What the hell did you mean by that?


And Dan, I meant the Morphine. That think was SICK

 

[Sir_Crackien]

yeah the morphine was really cool but the downhill was killer on the body. also i have moved away from the pure street riding since i have pick the trials thing up so a hardtail has become less pratical. the bike i'm looking at for has 7" front and rear. not too much and not too little.