Either one. Some lighter tires on the Stache might make it be a little quicker.

I still like having two chain rings up front for the areas I ride, I think the Stache is a single front ring.

Why not something like a regular hardtail 29er? That seems like the ideal for most XTerra courses.

If you can ride both the hardtail 29er (or 29er+) and a full squish, you might be able to better make a decision based upon your specific needs and terrain and not just advice on MTBs from a bunch of guys who may or may not be able to ride a MTB.

(That said, I really like the Full Suspension Specialized Epic I got a couple of years ago. It is much better for everything I ride than the Stumpjumper hardtail it replaced.)

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Suffer Well.

The FS bike will probably make you a better rider than you really are since you don't have to be as careful picking lines. The Anthem X 29 is a 100mm bike so pretty short travel which is good choice for Xterra. I actually have a 2013 Anthem X 29er myself. Pretty nice bike for the price. The Maestro suspension is really good. The FS will probably be more versatile as well if you get more into riding technical trails.

the full suspension is nice if you are riding fast in rooty, rocky terrain, as you can keep the power on in sections where a more bouncy bike might have to coast, it's also less fatiguing. They are quite expensive, weigh a few pounds more and have an additional shock and bushings that require yearly service.

If the courses are not very technical, any light hard tail will be fine, a 26 inch is a good value and parts are common

sent you a PM

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''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! 😂 '' Murphy's Law

You don't want a 29+ as a race bike (a 29er yes, ) A 29+ is a borderline fat-bike with 3" wide tires where the "+" means 'big tires'. A typical 29er will have tires with 2.0-2.4" width, with most XC/Race tires in the 2.2 range.

As a roadie, you'll probably be happiest on a hardtail 29er as the maintenance will be similar to your road bike.

( My new dream bike is something along the lines of the Specialized 6Fattie line, with support for fat 27.5+ tires for burly rides, as well as 29er wheels for racing / open terrain. With two sets of wheels you would have a fantastically capable machine for almost any riding )

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" I take my gear out of my car and put my bike together. Tourists and locals are watching from sidewalk cafes. Non-racers. The emptiness of of their lives shocks me. "
(opening lines from Tim Krabbe's The Rider , 1978

That's part of the reason I was looking at the Trek Stache: 29+, 27+, and regular 29er. That said, I wonder if a FS rig wouldn't be best. Buy once cry once and having it serviced annually isn't the end of the world.

My dream bike right now would be a 27.5+ FS for the same reasons. 27.7+ for having fun, training, all-season riding, and although I don't have plans to do any racing in the near future, the ability to throw regular 29's on there if I want to would be a huge plus.

Unfortunately/fortunately, there probably will be 5-10 bikes out this time next year that would fit that bill but I only know of one that is out today, the Rocky Mountain Sherpa. The Sherpa looks pretty sweet but is marketed as a bikepacking rig rather than a trail bike.

Going back to the OP, I also have been strongly considering the Stache 9 as a 29+ HT option in lieu of a FS but I just moved to Colorado and most have been strongly advising me to go with a FS for the type of terrain most encountered my way. If the terrain were a little easier I'd probably get the Stache but again, I'm also not planning on racing the thing. If I was going to be racing and I was really concerned with the fastest bike possible rather than just having fun I would probably just get a normal-width 27.5 FS and ditch the fat and near-fat options entirely.

There isnt much more maintenance on a full suspension bike, its just the addition of one shock. Sure there are other hinges & bushings but bikes are made to last these days. I'd go with the Anthem 29er, you'll never need another mountain bike.

The Trek Stache is WAY more bike than you need, and definitely not an Xterra race bike. The tires alone probably weigh 3lbs a piece.

 
If you are a "cautious" rider and just want to do Xterra type courses then I would go with a hardtail 27.5 or 29'er. Xterra courses around here are not technical, they know triathletes can't handle their bikes so the course is usually very easy. Real MTB'ers laugh at Xterra courses. At the price range you are talking you could get a really nice carbon hardtail 29'er, check out the Scott Scale. Riding buddy of mine just got one on closeout for $1,200. It is stupid light and very fast.

I ride a hardtail 29'er and do just fine keeping up on the technical stuff. Yes you need to be a bit more careful picking a line as you don't have a rear shock to bail you out of bad moves. But they climb faster, are lighter, quicker, cheaper and lower maintenance than a full sus. Unless you are going to do something tougher than a standard Xterra course and really go hard on the technical stuff, you don't need full sus. I got my bike for $450 and it works awesome! You could spend $1,000 on a very nice used hardtail, see how it goes for a year or two and then if you really think you need it go to a full sus. Most people keep their HT even after they buy a full sus, I plan to keep mine when I get a more hardcore bike.

I agree with the folks recommending the full suspension 29er. Almost all of the Xterra pros ride a full suspension 29er because it's the fastest all around. It is also less fatiguing, safer, and makes the ride more enjoyable.

It's certainly possible to do any Xterra course on a hard tail, but particularly for someone starting out, the added traction and control of a full suspension 29er is worth it.

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Alex Modestou | Elite Off-Road Triathlete
On the web: Off-Road Adventures | Tweets
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Based on these factors I'd suggest the FS Giant. Unless you are just riding cinder pathways, your experience level points to the Full Suspension being the best choice. You'll be more comfortable and will be able to ride more technical terrain with more confidence.

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Formerly DrD

I picked up a Scott Scale earlier this year. Seems to be very good and rates very highly from what I've read.

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I ride:
Cervelo - P-Series/R3
GT - Sensor Carbon Expert

Supporters - Flo Cycling, Mount Bikes

A 27.5+ has closer to the same overall wheel size to a 29er than a 29+. So if you get a 29+ it's closer to a fat bike, whereas a 27.5+ is like a squishy 29er.

I like the look of the new (2016) scott plus line. They have a scale as well as the genius that i'm looking at. The scale would be a decent xterra bike. Not the quickest but certainly not the slowest.

I was in a similar situation to you last year and went with a 29er HT due to cost. Just raced my first Xterra (inaugural Parry Sound Xterra) this past weekend and was really wishing I was on a carbon FS rig. My results in each discipline are usually very close. Not at this race... 4th in the swim, 6th on the run but 19th on the bike.
The point is research the courses you might race before making the HT vs FS decision.

I've been shopping for one as well, for moderate/groomed trail riding. Even though I could go hardtail, I might go FS just in case.
I'm in Canada, and can get a Kona Hei Hei full suspension (100mm travel i think) 29er for about 1600 + tax (about 1300 US). Might want to check one out, probably get a good price in the US. The Hei Hei seems to get really good reviews.

Any particular recommendations for a full susser? I keep reading good things about the Giant Anthem. The Trek Fuel and Kona Hei Hei are on my list as well.

The top brands are all good. I think it's really a personal choice, so if you have the opportunity try to work with your local bike shop to do some demos and see what feels best for you.

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Alex Modestou | Elite Off-Road Triathlete
On the web: Off-Road Adventures | Tweets
Supported by: Roots Hummus | Rotor Bike Components | Effetto Mariposa Sealants and Tire Accessories | ROKA Sports

Thanks so much, one last question: would you go 100, 120, or 140? 27.5 or 29?

For suspension travel to make some generalizations:
100mm- XC race fork, rides firm with steep head tube angle- some might call them twitchy.
120mm - do it all, ok to race, more capable / forgiving in technical riding, rock gardens, etc.
140mm - trail riding, starts to be built on slacker geometry downhill riding, will be built heavier duty and weigh more.

For a new rider, 120 is something you can't go wrong with. If you find a bike with 100mm that you like that could be an option, but ride it over something scary before you buy it. I'd avoid a 140mm fork for an Xterra race bike.

Wheel size is more suited to fit - some companies make the XS& S sizes with 27.5 and M and up with 29... I think that is a great approach. I personally think bigger is faster, and if you're 5'10" / 175 the 29 is the way to go. Under those heights it's worth trying both

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" I take my gear out of my car and put my bike together. Tourists and locals are watching from sidewalk cafes. Non-racers. The emptiness of of their lives shocks me. "
(opening lines from Tim Krabbe's The Rider , 1978

I'm 6'2"... but if I could get a killer deal on a 27.5" full suspension any harm there?

This is a good place to start when looking at bikes, if you want to know at a glance what a bike is capable of. Probably worth adding that wheel size can play a part in the amount of travel a bike has. I ride a trail bike, slack head angles, wide bars, trail groupset, riser bar, all the markings of a trail bike, but because its a 29er, the manufacturer has only specced 120mm travel on it. Not a hard and fast rule by any stretch, but 120mm on a 29er is capable of taking on some fairly technical trails (with the right skill set of course).

Another big difference you will find between the full susser and the HT, is the price point. Whilst $$$ (or £££) will buy you a high end HT, the full bouncers for the same money will be a much lower spec (typically). As with road bikes, this will be reflected in things like the weight, frame materials, components etc. That said, some excellent value can be found with Giant bikes.

Probably also worth looking at what the actual differences between 29ers and 27.5s are. A lot is written about 29ers rolling over everything, and 27.5s handling much better. However, if you look at and 'scientific' comparisons between the two, the gap on these two attributes is in reality much closer. For example, although Giant do make a 29er Anthem, I believe they are more heavily invested in there 27.5s even for XC bikes, I also believe Nino Schurter win the UCI XC World Cup on a 27.5! In addition newer 29ers handle a lot better than there ancestors which is where a lot of the myth probably comes from. I ride a Whyte T129s, which I have seen as described as a 'truly sorted trail 29er', and I'm inclined to agree with. Now, if only it didn't weigh so much..... ;)

Hope my ranting has helped!

"Overall I just want the experience to be enjoyable plus I'd like to have something fun to ride in the offseason to change it up a bit. "


Have you considered a fatbike?

The Epic is probably the "best" full suspension XC race bike. (to me)

But, without a doubt, test before you buy. I don't really think road based test rides are important in the bike purchase, but test riding a mountain bike is an absolute must.

Get a Carver Gnarvester.

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