Is it time for a new mountain bike??

I have a Jamis Dakar full suspension mountain bike that I have really enjoyed for the past five years. I have made it work hard for me and it has come through very well until recently. Its most recent ailment is the back shock breaking and it does not appear as though it can be rebuilt. It will cost about $270.00 to buy a new one and install it according to two LBS I visited. So..... is it time to invest in a new mountain bike?? I understand there are lighter bikes out there and have seen the shocks that can be adjusted. I rode my son's hardtail two days last weekend and admit it handled great, but I started feeling really nauseous from all of the bumping. Does anyone have recommendations for a full suspension mountain bike and does one's body weight make a difference in how they handle?

I had a similar quandary last year. I had decided to get back into cycling, and dragged my 12 year old Proflex out of the closet and gave it a look. I had put it there, disgusted, as the fork, (an AMP F4 that had cost a bundle back in the day) had leaked from day one, and the rear shock, a Noleen, had also leaked. Finding a rear shock that fit was out of the question as the way the shock mounted to the bike was totally different from the mounting mechanism used today. So I put it in the closet in 2002.

Looking over it, I realized that I could make it sorta work, but I would be fustrated with the crappy suspension again, get beat up on the trail, loose interest and put it away again. So I fixed it up as best as possible, and gave it to my non-cycling sister to ride around the neighborhood.

If you rode your bike hard, as you say, for 5 years, there is a lot more to look at than just the shock. All those bearings in all the suspension points need to be looked at, along with brakes, cables, rims (if rim brakes-rims thin), tires and even the saddle. Then there is the front fork; is it worth rebuilding? Then the frame, a good look for corrosion/cracks.

New bikes can be had with more suspension travel, and the shocks and forks are much improved. And there are WSD designs, so if you are short like me, with short legs and arms, there are bikes out there that actually fit. In the end, it boils down to how much performance you want, vs how much you want to spend. I had kept an open mind; I did not want a boat anchor, and I wanted a good shock and fork, and ended up spending more than I wanted to. But a year down the road, it was a good choice, as the bike has been a blast to ride, and I ride every weekend and am getting better at it. Below about a grand, I don't recommend full suspension as the fork and shock will be crappy and the bike heavy. A hardtail in that price range will have good components, a good fork, and will weigh much less. A good FS bike starts at about $1500 IMO.

A few months ago, my brother broke his vintage Manitou mountain bike (early 90's), and wanted to fix it. I told him, walk away brother, I know it was custom, but walk away. We went to the LBS together and he spent $2000 on a new Trek Fuel EX8. He's stoked with it- it has a very good FOX fork and rear shock, 5" travel, and is a very sweet ride. Then I noticed they make a woman's version- if I hadn't bought a Giant Anthem last year I would have bought it right there- what an awesome bike for the money.

Any good quality mountain bike should be tunable for your weight/riding style. A good LBS should be able to assist you in setup. I weighed about 170lbs when I bought my Giant (and now you know why I got back into biking :o), and now I weigh 136 and falling, and am able to adjust the shock and fork to keep that supple ride. It was worth everything I spent (almost 3g with all the upgrades including new lightweight wheelset), as I feel 10 years younger and look it. I can't put a price on that. The bike handles great and I have more confidence in it than I ever did on the Proflex.