How do you know when it's time for a better bike?

[divingbiker]

I've been wondering how one knows when it's time to upgrade to a better MTB. What got me thinking about this is the incredible bikes ridden by the instructors of a beginner MTB clinic I'm taking now. One has an Independent Fabrications titanium 29er, one has a Santa Cruz superlight, you get the idea. We were doing some uphill drills the other night and they said that the bike will make a difference in the ease of climbing steep hills, hopping over logs etc., but I know that at this stage, it's my lack of skill (and excess weight), not the bike, that is holding me back, and probably will be for a very long while. And while I love mountain biking, I don't know that I'll ever be so into it that it will be worth buying a new bike.

So how do you know when you've outgrown your bike, or if you ever will? I've got a Kona Cinder Cone right now.

I'm always looking for an excuse to buy a new bike, but I just can't even imagine spending over $4,000 on a mountain bike (I can imagine spending that on a road bike, however...)

[mimitabby]

part of it has to do with your resistance to spending.
there is no set formula, like it has been 1000 days since i bought my last bike and the term of limitations is up, so i better start looking for a bike.
My girlfriend just got her huffy 3 speed fixed up, the bike is 40 years old. She's thrilled to have it working again, she loves it. And it will do what she needs it to do!

If you can afford it, go shop around. It's good for the economy. and unfortunately, shopping for bikes is REALLY thrilling, addictive and fun.

[mimitabby]

more:
that's the beauty of the bicycle.
On every big ride i've been on, there's been some guy on a one speed, or a unicycle or even a hotwheels plastic bike going down the road with us.
You don't NEED the fanciest coolest bike. For MTB'ing there's a lot of stuff you can do with your cheap old bike. But it will be easier with the newer lighter fancier one.
The same with things like tribikes. you don't NEED a special tribike for a triathlon, but it might shave some seconds off your ride.

are you wanting a new bike? have some fun. go look around. maybe you'll fall in love!

[RoadRaven]

I'm a roadie, but excuse me while I chime in here...

How do you know when its time for a better bike?

Easy... its ALWAYS time for a better/new bike!!!!!!!!

[madisongrrl]

If your bike bothers you to the point that you don't want to ride it or if it doesn't fit well, then get a new one. But realistically, if you aren't racing, then it won't matter. If you are still trying to get into shape and still learning how ride singletrack it is better to wait. As you get deeper into the sport, you will have a better understanding of what you want and need...especially if you are going to drop 1000-3000+ on a new one.

[yogabear]

I say get a new bike if that will make you happy. To me, life is too short not to have nice things in life. I mean, I understand if you have a budget, etc. I am just saying that if you go out and ride on that new bike and it makes you happy, more motivated, and you have fun...then, why not?

There's not a set formula as to when or how many miles or hours in the saddle...oh yeah, you don't have to be a certain size/weight or fitness level prior to getting a new bike.

I was struggling back in 1995-1996 with a mountain bike that was too big. Back in those days, they didn't make women specific and many of the higher end frame companies didn't have any smaller sized frames (I'm 5'1 with short torso)...

So...did the best thing any girl would do...I told my husband to be that I'd rather have an 'engagement bike' than a ring. Well, he still wanted to get me a ring, so I have a 1/2 carat and ended up with a 12" Litespeed. My Litespeed helped me be more comfortable and have more fun on my bike. It made all the difference to me...I wanted to ride, and eventually I trained more 'cause I was more comfortable and then, I raced for a while

I still own that same Litespeed from 1997, my 'engagement bike'...It was a great investment...Sure, I had to get a new fork 'cause I love new gadgets, but I don't regret it at all

[CyclaSutra]

For a little while, at least, a hardtail will make you a better rider. It will teach you how to level out your pedals on the downhills or swoops, switch gears at the right time, steer tightly, use your legs as shocks. Once you've switched to clipless, a whole new world, and gotten to use those as tools for improving your bunny hopping and pedal stroke efficciency, you might be done with the old bike.

Eventually, when you stop improving and/or if you get OLD ( says the almost-33-year-old with the "some dehydration" in her spine discs) a rear suspension can make a lot of the bumps disappear and float right over things that the hardtail's rear wheel used to clunk on and jar the he!! out of you on.

My Giant Trance is really such a fantastic improvement on singletrack from my old beloved Trek 8500 that it's not even quite the same thing. But I'm glad that I learned a lot from my old bike before it was time to retire it after five years and turn it into a commuter.

IMHO, as long as I have room to store it, I don't ever want to sell or trade in a bike as long as I have some excuse or niche in my stable for it. Keep it, it's an option in case your new bike implodes and you need to go back to it. But new bikes are good for the economy, the motivation, etc. That being said, I feel your pain when it comes to paying retail so I would always test ride something until you love it and then check eBay or online classifieds until you can afford the price.

Good luck!

[han-grrl]

You get a new bike when:

the frame is cracked or its too expensive to repair (kind of like a car)

when you notice that your body is not enjoying your bike (some people get full suspension if they notice joint pain with their hard tail)

or just cuz!

For me, i had the fuel from 2001-2005, and then i noticed the riding was just different on it. It was explained to me that aluminum frames develop some wear, and they will ride different after a while. eventually, the frame cracked. so i bought a hard tail. then my husband surprised me with a new built up Fuel (trek replaced the frame).

I agree that riding the hard tail will make you ride better. I notice with my hard tail, i move a lot more, and then when i use the Fuel, i tend to get a little lazy. So i actually prefer the hard tail for that reason.

If you can, rent a few decent mtb of various geometries and suspensions, and see if there is some feature you need or are looking for.

Budget will be a big factor of course.

and HAVE FUN!

buying bikes, IS fun. especially buying clothes to MATCH the bike
hahahah

[divingbiker]

Eventually, when you stop improving and/or if you get OLD ( says the almost-33-year-old with the "some dehydration" in her spine discs) a rear suspension can make a lot of the bumps disappear and float right over things that the hardtail's rear wheel used to clunk on and jar the he!! out of you on.

Already there! I'm all for anything that eases the bumps and bruises on this 50-year-old body. I think age is my biggest challenge mountain biking--I'm learning it at a time when most people would be giving it up, and I'm just not all that brave when it comes to obstacles. Maybe if I stick with it through this summer and ride regularly I'll look into getting a better bike. Thanks for all the advice.

(The women who taught the MTB clinic I attended said I should start racing, because I'd win every time--there are no other women in the 50-and-up category!)

[IntenseRide]

I own a hardtail and a full suspension, and neither makes me a 'better' rider. I tend to use the bike that makes more sense on the trail that I am riding that day. About every five years I buy a new frame, replace some of the worn parts and transfer the rest.

I think its awesome what you are doing, just follow your antenna and have as much fun as you can!

[divingbiker]

I own a hardtail and a full suspension...I tend to use the bike that makes more sense on the trail that I am riding that day.

So on what kind of trails does a full suspension bike make sense, and when does a hardtail make sense? This may help clarify things a bit for me.

[IntenseRide]

I use my full suspension on trails where there are longer technical sections, such as rock gardens, large log piles (not just a log) and downhill sections that can be sketchy. The suspension doesn't make me lazy, its doing what it is designed to do, taking bigger hits and drops, and my full suspension frame is also built for this type of riding, its just a beefier and much heavier build. When I'm riding swoopy single track that winds through trees, or more of a cross-country type feel where speed and agility mean everything, I bring out my hardtail. There is nothing like the snappy speed of a hardtail on hardpack singletrack. Each bike is so different from the other, I so enjoy the change-up.

If you have back problems and your trails are quite jarring and full of technical features, you'll be able to ride longer with less fatique and more confidence on a full suspension bike. Its just tuning your bike to fit your weight that can be a little more complicated and then a slight learning curve on climbing with rear suspension. I started mountainbiking on a hardtail, then bought a full suspension bike to ride places like Moab, Fruita and Sedona out West. Here in Minnesota, I use my hardtail 50 percent of the time though.

[bcipam]

I use to say my old RockHopper was plenty good for me on trails and my style of riding but now that I've gone through a sucession of bikes, I have to say I've found my true love in my Santa Cruz Superlight.

Before I would ride either my Specialized Stumpjumper fully or my Specialized M4 Stump hardtail but now I usually just ride the Superlight, it's that perfect combination of both (and I recently sold the Stump fully as it is no longer needed). The SC is like a hardtail climbing and gives me just enough suspension downhill (4"). If you do see yourself riding challenging downhills then I can't say enough about a Stumpjumper. It's 5" of travel are pretty for agressive downhills but bike still works well on flats and climbing.

And yes my old Rockhopper did well but I find myself riding so much better, with more confidence on the right bike.

Good luck with your search!

[bcipam]

PS: I still ride my hardtail. I just like the bike and the Spec. Stump M4 is a great hardtail. It's perfect for fire roads, easier trails but I've ridden it everywhere I've taken my fullies. It really can handle any course, and talk about being able to climb! It's amazing the power a hardtail has over even a lock out fully. Put on some good wheels and it's a great bike.

[7rider]

Janice - FWIW, at Rosaryville on Saturday - for the first time ever I loved my dualie. I know a lot of those more experienced women were using there SS bikes in that area, but for me, I found the dualie stuck to those swooping rollers like it was glued to the trail (very comforting for the roadie in me).

I don't recall how tall you are compared to me (I'm a bit over 5'8") - and do you have SPDs on your bike? - but the next time we go out, let's swap bikes and you can try my Klein for a bit. It's a size M and you should be able to do fine on some of the less technical stuff to get a feel for it.