Originally Posted by
Gunchie
Very cool looking bike, but it is an All Mountain bike. This means you will have a lot of travel in the suspension which is good in rough stuff (stuff you will not typically see in the Midwest), but will sacrifice pedaling efficiency. If you are looking for a full suspension bike with plenty of travel but still climb well then you should look into the trail bikes. These tend to have 5 inches of travel and are more upright and relaxed for day long rides. If you are looking for a full suspension you can race on I would go for a 4 inch travel bike that has a little more bent over race geometry. But honestly for the Midwest a good hardtail works well for anything the Midwest has to offer (a little rough at Blue Mound, but do-able). You will also get more bang for the buck with a hardtail. Also, if you get a 29er it really smooths things out yet still climbs and handles amazingly. The 2010 Zaskar 9r Expert or Pro are both awesome bikes and the components are pretty good. Even though they say they are race bikes, both would be comfortable to ride on for a nice long day ride. Hope this helps!
holy crap Gunchie! where did this knowledge and zen-mastership of biking come from? wow! :eek:
"ya, well...that's like...your...opinion. man."