gonzocycle wrote:

Az=jeff
Hyper=geoff

I see.  Glad you remembered spelling.  Now I have to kill Az though.  There can only be one...

KDUB wrote:

D-rock wrote:

The Forge Sawback 5XX looks like a decent entry point for the price. I'm surprised it's able to have name brand components and still be so cheap.

I bought one myself (5XX) and have been very happy with it.

My general theory with it was to right it until a component broke and replace it with something nicer.

To say the least I have put a few hundred miles on it and not had to replace anything!

Mine hasn't been so lucky - I bent the biggest crankset gear (badly) when I feel off an obstacle and caught it while moving in a forward direction with the bike going a bit sideways... but I am not sure any bike without a rock ring would have faired better.

The brakes took a bit to break in (especially the front) but other than the handle grips I really like the bike!

hyperboarder wrote:

I see.  Glad you remembered spelling.  Now I have to kill Az though.  There can only be one...

I was here first.

KDUB wrote:

The key to this bike is that although the components are not super-high end, they are all solid lower-end versions of higher-end components and/or higher-end component manufacturers.

Exactly. The Deore shifters won't be as crisp and precise feeling as XTRs but they share similar technology and aren't far off. In fact they're probably more durable than the higher end components since they haven't been totally optimized for weight. The Avid BB5 cable disc brakes are pretty underpowered but still better than v-brakes. For the price though I thought that's already pretty decent.

If you end up getting into mountain biking I wouldn't waste money upgrading this bike with better components. You'll get more bang for your buck selling this bike and then starting fresh with something higher end. If you've ever tried to build up a bike the individual components add up to a really expensive total package. Bike companies get good deals on components and that pricing gets passed down to the consumer in order for them to be competitive.

Just ordered the Forge.

Ryan is home for about a total of three hours a week.

Looks more like Kermit is getting something driven in...

Az while you wait can I threadjack and ask a noobish question?

Im hunting around for a new bike as I sold my Trek 8500 a few years ago and now my knee is telling me to start riding or prep for reconstructive surgery ( 16yr old injury ) that 8500 was nice but always felt a bit big on me ( and now I forget if it was 19.5 or 21 frame )  at 6ft would a 17in be too small

I found this and was thinking of making an offer as the guy is local but it says 17in frame
http://cgi.ebay.com/EPX-Hollowpoint-Mou … 1474667915

It looked like it had good components but IDK much about bikes & wanted to ask the experts first

Got it, thanks for the help guys 

Last edited by Wagn762 (2010-07-05 15:16:03)

polkcntyaero wrote:

Just picked up a Gary Fisher Cobia 29er off of cl for 500$ and so far so good!

I wish I went with a 29er when I bought my GF Piranha, same as Alan l.'s. 

MetalNeverDies wrote:

29er vs 26inch what's the pros and cons?

Mountain Bike Action mag did a great comparison between the 26", 27.5" and 29" mtb bikes to see what's good where.

Azrael wrote:

And what conclusion did Mountain Bike Action mag come up with?

You're going to have to read the article. 

IMO,

Stick with 26.

My pros and cons on 29er:

Pros:
You roll over smaller bumps and rocks easier/sometimes you don't even feel them.
Longer wheel base
Lower center of gravity
Stable at bombing downhill.

Cons:
Turning radius sucks ass
HEAVY
Switchbacks will prove difficult because of the wider turning radius and the longer wheel base.
Does not feel nimble.
HEAVY

Last edited by huck finn (2010-07-05 02:30:49)