What kind of riding do you think you'll be doing? XC, All Mtn, etc? Any thoughts on doing XTerra type events, or simply for fun?

SPD pedals have adjustable release tension. It's possible that your tension is set rather high. Depending on the pedal you simply need a 2.5mm or 3mm allen wrench to adjust. Try loosening the tension to see if that helps. A bit of chain lube on the springs doesn't hurt, either.

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I'll primarily be doing XC and looking to ride for fun. I may consider XTerra and possibly racing, but for now it would be as a hobby.

Thanks for the advise, I'll check the tension and they can def use chain lube :-)

You can get a really nice quality bike in that range. Personally, if I were shopping in that price range I would find something with SLX shifters, XT Rear derailleur, probably a RockShox Reba fork, shimano brakes (deore or SLX would be fine), and whatever frame suits the trails and type of riding you plan on doing. Something like a Trek Fuel EX 8 (has a fox fork instead of a RS Reba) or Top Fuel 8 (also has a fox).

If you decide you are ok with hardtail (less maintenance in my experience) you could get a pretty sweet carbon superfly 9.6. My LBS is selling them super cheap (under $2000) right now to make way for the 2016 lineup.

^^^
All good points.

FS bikes in the 100-120mm travel range should fit the bill, nicely, especially if you think you may be interested in racing. FS bikes will be more expensive than an equally spec'd hardtail. If you haven't ridden a 29 or 27.5 hardtail yet, you may want to give one a try.

The quality of mtb components has really gone up in the past 10 years. The current Deore is better than the XTR I raced on 10 years ago... It's nice to get the best stuff you can afford, but don't feel like you're losing out if you go with mid-level components.

Take a look at our Edict 5 (FS, 100/120mm, Deore, $2999 MSRP) or Nine 3 (HT, XT/Deore mix, $2999). Both are 29, carbon frames aimed at XC riding/racing.

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I just started mountain biking earlier this year and stuck with the Eggbeaters I use in cyclo-cross. So far they seem perfect for xc.

i prefer the time atac pedals but you may be able to cut away some rubber on your sole and loosen the tension on your existing pedals and get them working well

an aluminum FS will be kind of heavy and will require additonal maintenence, but it's nice on the real rooty rocky terrain, felt makes a nice one but I guess so does everyone. I just cracked my carbon FS again, they are kind of an expensive plaything with the suspension bushings and all, but it's fun to ride

My current bike is a 14 year old (yikes!) aluminum hardtail and is a beast that's why I'm looking into FS. Will the newer hardtails ride better, weigh less? Will aluminum hold up better than carbon?

Ride your current bike for a while to figure out what you don't like about it.

My current bike is a 17 year old steel Barracuda (with some upgrades like x7/x9 and a RS Reba). It's kind of an old turd, but I can still crush some dreams on it (frontdoor brag :) ) I also have a 2006ish FS Trek Fuel, but the rear shock is toast so i never ride it. Newer hardtails DEFINITELY ride better and weigh less than the generation of bikes you and I both have.

To me, a hardtail bike is a lot of fun. It's going to be much better than your current bike.

but....

A full suspension bike is going to be faster in most cases. The more novice the rider, the more I think this is true. It will also be a more smooth ride.

but.... (again)

To me, a great full suspension bike is less fun; at least on my local trails. It feels like you're cheating. It makes up for so many mistakes that it can make a really sucky rider do pretty well. Yes, I was faster on the trail on the full suspension bike (it was a specialized with the brain). It was like a tank. It was totally different than my older 26in full suspension trek fuel. It was too good. I didn't have to focus on a good line, didn't have to avoid rocks and roots, didn't have to think, etc because the bike made up for it.

If I wanted to race a bunch, no doubt I would get a full suspension bike. The extra speed would be worth the extra maintenance involved in the pivot bushings and rear shock. Since I'm not racing and just want to go out and push my limits on some single track, a nice hardtail 29er would make way more sense for me. Something like a trek superfly would be lightyears ahead of my old hardtail. It would be lighter, have a modern geometry (suspension corrected), ride better, roll over objects better (29er), handle better, shift better, brake better, it would be quieter, etc. But, it would still take skill to ride it, and it would be a blast.

Ha, the fun of trail riding is feeling the terrain. Without that you may as well bike on paved roads :-) I would like to feel a FS, at least for the experience since the technology has advanced so much over the years. I'll have to go on some test drives to figure out what would be best.

I have a specialized epic comp with speedplay frogs.
For technical trails with short hills, rocks and roots it's great. I love the bike. Speedplay frogs release very easily and engage even in muddy conditions. I'll be trying the new speedplay syzr soon and can report back on them if you like.

I've done some long distance MTB races on the epic and wished I was on a lighter hard tail. Weather I can squeeze another bike into the shed is the big question.

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Yes, please report back on the syzr. I have speedplay on my road and tri bikes and I'm a huge fan. Why would you prefer a hard tail for long distance races?

Just get a bigger shed!

Re pedals.

I use XTR. I like that there is alittle bit of purchase if you miss clipping in first go on techy stuff.

Not a fan of Egg Beaters regardless. But each to their own. If you are gong to try Egg Beaters, just don't buy titanium egg beaters. Out of the 6 guys I know that bought a set, only 1 pair didn't snap the spindle on one pedal. Literally snapped the spindle off completely!

The long distance MTB races (60-90km) aren't technical but have a lot of climbing. A lightweight bike is the winner for sure. The 2km of real technical riding doesn't warrant a full suspension bike.

Shed can't be changed. Outer city suburbia, bound by limited land. I'm strictly 1 bike in, one bike out. (I have 4). The CX bike might have to go.

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I started really getting into MTB about 6 years ago while living in the UK. I used a no suspension Mongoose Hilltopper for about 3-4 months of weekly rides. That was a little too much feeling the trail!

What the poster said about what I did not like that ride drove me to my first upgrade. I liked the hardtail because there was climbing and not a lot of rocky terrain, and I was not riding very long (e.g. 60-90 mins max). What I did not like was no front suspension and caliper brakes because they don't work well in mud. I used and still use SPDs with no problem and riding this bike made me learn to unclip and bail out very fast! No rocks, so got muddy and dirty but learned (and later got some good local instruction). So hardtail with hydraulic discs and aluminum was my first choice in a 26 and Shimano components. Like you, I like the feel of the solid back end of the bike. There were a few routes and when I started doing more trails with drops I though the FS would be nicer and more comfortable. The HT worked great, though I would have gone with a 29er at the time if I would have known more about them. Moving back to the US where we ride now is very flat and not super hard technical, so it worked fine.

About a year ago I upgraded to a FS XC bike and it is truly all mountain and adaptable to everything. On the easier stuff I just put the frame shock on the stiffest setting, but when I need the extra travel it is nice on really rocky trails. The shocks to me are the key as give me the flexibility to make easy adjustment (e.g. three main settings on both plus three sub settings in trail mode). Also, this bike is a 1x and I love that and would not go back.

Whatever you decide you will just be happy to ride on the new technology and it is fun. Do Xterra as well. They are a blast.

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Interested in hearing any thoughts about the Syzr as well. Planning on picking up a new Stumpjumper FSR 6Fattie this weekend and debating about pedal choice. Have ridden cheap SPD and then some frogs in the past, wasn't crazy about either of them.

I finally had a chance to check out the following 29ers:
Salsa, El Mariachi II.
Santa Cruz, Highball (carbon).
Santa Cruz, Tallboy (carbon), FS.

I preferred the Salsa over the Highball in hardtails. The FS Tallboy felt real nice but it cost much more than the Salsa.

Anyone have any thoughts on these models?

I have the SC Superlight 29er and really like it (cheaper non carbon version of the Tallboy). Maybe demo one and see what you think? My husband has the Tallboy and loves it (I was new to mountain biking and wasn't committed enough to spend the $$$). My size small is actually lighter than his Tallboy anyway ;-)

If you're just getting into it another pedal option is flat pedals with sticky rubber shoes. I switched at the beginning of last summer for a downhill camp that required them and honestly I have more fun with them. I will try more technical stuff and have really improved my riding (the reason the camp required them).

I'd echo Wil's sentiments above from a couple of weeks ago. I think, generally speaking, that you'll get better value for your dollars with - specifically - the Felt lineup. Those are some really nice bikes. As far as I can tell there is NO better RACE XC bike than an Epic/Epic WC but I haven't given an Edict, Superfly, Oiz, etc a fair shake.

I would personally recommend hardtail. I think it's better to get back into (or to get into, period) trail riding and technique learning with a hardtail than with a FS. A FS can help cover up your mistakes. Long term it's better - maybe - to gain skills with the HT and transition or race with a FS. You can also generally get "more bike" with a HT.

Look into Specialized Epic or Stumpjumper FSR in 29ner wheels. You can get a 1-2 year used in your price range.

Thanks so much for everyone’s input.

I visited a few lbs that are Felt dealers but neither had any bikes on the floor and they didn’t push the product. Unless I can find a Felt dealer that has some in stock, I’ll have to cross them off the potential list. I was able to take a stumpjumper comp for a spin and that has a nice feel.

Since I’m getting back into MTB after a few years off, I find it important to be able to look at a bike and ride it. Even though I’m not taking it on the trails I ride, I want to get an indication of how it handles, feels and fits. Accept for one lbs, the ability to do so has been extremely limited. I understand it’s time for the ‘16 bikes to come out and they’re probably just trying to unload inventory and not bringing in new product. For you experienced riders, do you feel comfortable purchasing a bike based on reviews, first-hand knowledge and specs, and not taking the bike for a ride? For me, the ability to take a test ride is very important since there’s so much new technology and so many choices.

Just got a fattie and love it. So much more fun than my old mtb. Have speed plays on my tri bike but got the spd's for the fattie. Not as easy to get in and out of as my speedplays, but it might just need some getting used to.

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