Steel mountain bike?

[eofelis]

I know gunnar makes steel mountain bikes.Surly's got the instigator or the karate monkey,things like that... Rawlands has a steel frame that can be built up as a mountain bike, but I think the top tube is going to be too long.


Marin used to make nice steel frame bikes, you could consider picking up a used marin,probably about a 14" frame.

I did some looking around the past year for small size steel hardtails.

Gunnar Rockhounds come in a 13" but the frame alone is $800. Used ones come up infrequently (I keep a constant watch on ebay for small steel frames [just too see if anything interesting pops up ].)

I ended up buying a new 13" Jamis Dragon complete for $1k. It was an '09 model at a pretty good discount.

Surly just came out with a hardtail frame for a geared bike (in contrast to the 1x1 frame for a fixed gear hardtail). I'm not sure how they are, but they look kewl.

[Catrin]

....
I ended up buying a new 13" Jamis Dragon complete for $1k. It was an '09 model at a pretty good discount...

I have heard good things about the Jamis Dragon, know several who have one. I guess they use Reynolds 843 steel for it's weight and strength. Niners use the same steel, but of course they are all 29ers - which I suspect are all too large for me.

There is a Midwestern Women's Mountain Bike clinic next June in Brown County State Park - and many of the women who come are either at the beginner level or have never been on a mountain bike before. They also have free mountain bike rentals if you register early enough and they have certified and professional instructors. I am thinking this would be the best/safest way for me to get a taste of things.

They start with a "fun skills assessment" to make sure you are with the right group. My fitter is one of the instructors, so he told me all about it. From the sound of the clinic, it would also enhance my road cycling skills - a winner all the way around!

Surlypacer, I see you have a Gunnar Sport as well as the LHT. How do they compare with each other? Is the Gunnar Sport a full touring bike like the LHT or is it different?

[indysteel]

The clinic sounds like the way to go. I can't tell you how overjoyed Brian would be if I took that myself. He'd love to MTB with me, but being the Nervous Nelly that I am, I have long thought that it just wasn't the sport for me, although my road skills are just fine.

Hmmmmm. Food for thought.

[Irulan]

Maybe a clinic would give you some confidence. I've said it a hundred times. The basic skill set for mountain biking is simple to learn, yet for a lot of folks it's not intuitive. You don't have to be all aggro and all that to enjoy trail riding. I've seen gals go from completely freaked out about riding over a foam noodle to totally confident beginners in a matter of hours.

[indysteel]

Maybe a clinic would give you some confidence. I've said it a hundred times. The basic skill set for mountain biking is simple to learn, yet for a lot of folks it's not intuitive. You don't have to be all aggro and all that to enjoy trail riding. I've seen gals go from completely freaked out about riding over a foam noodle to totally confident beginners in a matter of hours.

You're probably right. Generally speaking, I'm an athletic person, but there are a few things that easily freak me out. I love to hike, for instance, but I'm very extremely afraid of falling, slipping, tripping, etc. That's why I've always assumed that I just wasn't mentally set up for MTBing.

[Catrin]

For me the clinic gives me a safe place to learn the basics - while the skill set might be "simple" the odds of my getting hurt by heading out there to learn on my own are pretty high...

Indy, it sounds like we both could benefit from this - and with Jonathan as one of the instructors that says very good things about the caliber of the instructors!

[indysteel]

I think his wife, Tonya, teaches it, too. Either one would make a great instructor.

[Catrin]

Apparently Scott also teaches at the clinic - the head wrench at the store. The more I find out about this clinic the more interested I become. Depending on the sponsors they find next year, they may be able to offer free mountain bike rentals for those who register early enough. That would be ideal because it would give me an opportunity to try it before actually going to the expense of buying a mountain bike first.

Jonathan doesn't think my hands will present a problem as long as the fit is right - he finds mountain biking kinder to the body in certain ways than road biking. Interesting comment! He is already kind of prodding me into the full suspension direction.

[WindingRoad]

Catrin - suggestion for you; go rent a mountain bike and go with someone who has a little experience; My suggestion is ask Tanya, she helps instruct at the Midwest MB Womens clinic. She is very nice and willing to help a girl out which is awesome.

If I were you I would go full suspension. It's sooooo much easier on the body. Yes it is heavier but personally I would rather have the more comfortable ride. IMO.

[Catrin]

Catrin - suggestion for you; go rent a mountain bike and go with someone who has a little experience; My suggestion is ask Tanya, she helps instruct at the Midwest MB Womens clinic. She is very nice and willing to help a girl out which is awesome.

If I were you I would go full suspension. It's sooooo much easier on the body. Yes it is heavier but personally I would rather have the more comfortable ride. IMO.

I don't know Tanya Are you talking about Jonathan's wife? I will keep this in mind though - once my leg has fully recovered

I do think that Ms. Explorer would like to try some simple dirt trails though - I know she can handle that. As far as FS is concerned, if I do go this direction then a full suspension bike would probably be kinder to my 51 year old joints (birthday next week).

[Aggie_Ama]

I was timid about starting mountain biking because of crashing and you may do it. But once you get a grip on the basic skills you will likely not fall. It is really fun and although at times frustrating it is a really awesome feeling to keep progressing. Finding a group or clinic you feel comfortable in reaching out of your comfort zone can really teach you a lot. I learned so much once I found one and found a discipline I love plus an amazing group of friends.

[tjuillerat]

I don't know Tanya Are you talking about Jonathan's wife? I will keep this in mind though - once my leg has fully recovered

I do think that Ms. Explorer would like to try some simple dirt trails though - I know she can handle that. As far as FS is concerned, if I do go this direction then a full suspension bike would probably be kinder to my 51 year old joints (birthday next week).

I'm always happy to ride with anyone! Timing can sometimes be tricky with the little one, but with enough warning and I can find a sitter and hit the trails. I'm usually free on Wednesdays if that would ever work for you.

I too would suggest a FS. After years of riding horses and getting beat up with a bad back, I would not trade in my FS for anything. I started out on a hardtail (only cause I didn't know any better) but switched to a FS after about year and have loved every minute of it. HTs are great for learning to pick your lines, but the FS is definitely more friendly to the body.

Shoot me an email any time (tania at sub-9 dot com) or send me a message here. I hope to see some of you at the Midwest Women's Clinic in June.

Cheers,
~Tania

[kimikaw]

Catrin,

I'm going to also suggest you look closely at a FSR. Same age as you, and after riding both a 29er HT and the demo Trek FSR that it feels better on my body with the FSR. Esp over rocks, roots and the like that WI trails are covered with. And being sensitive to vibration/buzz, the full suspension pretty much removes.

I know they are a bit heavier - but in my case realize taking 30lbs off of me would more than solve that issue.

I'm fairly tall (5'8") but short reached, making me lean to WSD. The other issue is the WSD specific brake levers - smaller, easier to use. But who knows. One thing with MTB is not really gripping the bars, and feathering the brakes with a single finger (I keep thumb and trigger finger on the shifters, middle and ring on the brake lever). Could actually be easier for arthritic hands. Dunno.

In addition to their demo teams, I'm pretty sure both Trek and Specialized have demo/short term rent programs. Plus at least in these parts, several LBS offer weekend/day rentals. May give you a better feel for what you really want. I'm currently lusting after a Specialized Safire WSD....but the new Salsa full suspension 29er (Spearfish) has me interested. Won't be doing anything this year, but am pretty sure down the road there will be a FSR MTB in my stable.

[Catrin]

I'm always happy to ride with anyone! Timing can sometimes be tricky with the little one, but with enough warning and I can find a sitter and hit the trails. I'm usually free on Wednesdays if that would ever work for you.

I too would suggest a FS. After years of riding horses and getting beat up with a bad back, I would not trade in my FS for anything. I started out on a hardtail (only cause I didn't know any better) but switched to a FS after about year and have loved every minute of it. HTs are great for learning to pick your lines, but the FS is definitely more friendly to the body.

Shoot me an email any time (tania at sub-9 dot com) or send me a message here. I hope to see some of you at the Midwest Women's Clinic in June.

Cheers,
~Tania

Thanks for the note Tania! Your husband left no doubt on his preference for FS over hard tails when we discussed this during a fitting appointment Thursday.

Let me get this leg healed, and if we can get our schedule together, the weather is nice and a rental bike available, then it would be great if we could head out to give me a taste of what this is like. I want to make sure this leg is healed before I throw anything new at it so we may need to wait for spring. I just want to try this before I start considering a purchase, and it doesn't seem wise to do it by myself

Kimikaw - for some reason I had a much easier time with bike fit with my LHT than I did the Trek WSD that I sold. Currently am leaning toward a Jamis or Niner if I do eventually proceed with this. I like the idea of a 29er if we can get one that fits me properly. Thankfully my LBS does demo bikes so I am sure something can be worked out when the time comes. A sizable deposit that is refunded is certainly a better option than buying something that might not work for me

[sundial]

But once you get a grip on the basic skills you will likely not fall.

Oh I dunno, seems like a mud treatment is in order on my rides.

Catrin, maybe you can schedule a private lesson and rent a bike? Your LBS may have several test mtbs that you can borrow for a trail ride to determine which kind you like. Also....there are other places to ride your mtb besides the trail. Gravel roads can provide a great workout with fewer obstacles to negotiate. Gravel grinder rides are becoming more and more popular and several bike manufacturers are developing mtbs for that very purpose. Salsa developed the Vaya and Fargo to meet the demand.