You definitely don’t need to spend $4K for a very nice full suspension mountain bike. As for adjusting the suspension, pretty much every mountain bike has air shocks that are tunable with a special shock pump, so no worries there.

Just like with road bikes, mountain bikes have various categories that can be confusing. I would eliminate “enduro” and “downhill” category bikes from your list unless you actually want to do that very specific type of riding. I’d recommend going with a trail bike, which is an all arounder, or cross country bike, which is a less beefy version of a trail bike designed for covering longer distances, so they tend to be lighter weight with less suspension travel.

I have a trail bike, Specialized Stumpjumper with an aluminum frame that weighs 32 lbs, and a cross country carbon bike, Santa Cruz Blur, that is incredibly light for a MTB at 22 lbs. Honestly, they both work great for the smooth trails in my area, although the Blur is obviously a better climber.

Once you have the general category of bike figured out, you need to decide between SRAM or Shimano for the groupset. You can research this all day, but I’ll point out one very functional difference, which is how they downshift. I prefer Shimano because you can downshift by pushing or pulling on the lever; with SRAM, you only have the option to push to downshift. For me, pulling on the lever with my index finger is more natural and comfortable.

I’d visit your LBS and compare the two shifting mechanisms, decide on the category of bike, then just go with the brand you favor. Every brand makes a good MTB.

The starting point is what kind of riding will you do: racing, technical trails with drops, ledges, etc., flowy non technical trails, climbing or descending, downhill, long rides or short rides. Where you live also matters. I ride in Phoenix - lots of rocks, sand, short steep climbs. No trees, roots or mud. No technical downhills (for me). I have a Stumpjumper and a hardtail for racing and the flowy stuff in N Scottsdale.

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Andrew Inkpen

I just got back from my LBS. They are low on inventory. Said they are selling 4X as many bikes than normal. So, unfortunately, not much to look at. Still, had a chat and they recommended a trail bike. I rode a few, but they were a size too small. The sales guy at Trek recommended going with aluminum over carbon because it would be $600 cheaper, the group set would be significantly better and he thought aluminum would be a better choice for bigger people. Any thought on aluminum vs carbon?.

Get the aluminum with better components. With a road / tri bike, the difference in shift quality and brake feel is nice to have but not as critical. With a MTB, you want the bike to shift quickly and reliably for safety reasons, and brake feel and control is a much bigger deal. When you’re going up a climb and need a little easier gear, you want that gear NOW.

And I think your bike shop is giving you good advice to go with a trail bike. Until you’ve ridden for a while and fully appreciate what you like, a trail bike is a great all arounder.

When I was looking at XC bikes in your price range, this is what I was looking for:

Cannondale Scalpel 4
Pivot Mach 4
Scott Spark
Trek Fuel
Giant Anthem

Other to consider:
Specialized Stumpjumper
Specialized Epic
Orbea Oiz

This may give you some bikes to look at.

I'm with all of you on the trail bike.

You're bigger than me, but I'm no whippet, so a couple of things...

Disc brakes. Just check the size if the rotors. 160mm will not be enough for you and your size. Make sure they are on 180mm or bigger. (Some go 200/203 front and 180 rear. I'm on 180 front and rear and thats OK for me (I can be up to 210lbs in the peak of winter binging, plus carry a big camelbak and safety kit etc so bike + me + all the kit then I'm up to 260 lbs all up in winter). You've got a lot of energy to dissipate when you're 250 lbs + the bike + what kit / water / spares and tools you carry, so could reach 300lbs all up.

Dropper seat post. Get one if the bike doesn't come as standard with one ! It really IS worth it. Best thing since disc brakes (which in turn are the best thing since... well, since everything ever).

- depending on whether you do your own spannering or use the shop, plus the environment where you live, be aware some bikes take more maintenance in the medium / long term than others.
I'm in wet muddy England and the local area is made of gritstone (the stone that flour mill stones were traditionally made from) so its harsh and fecks everything that moves.
I had a Stumpjumper, rear suspension was great... But SOOOOO many pivots, and designed in California where its dry. Total PITA to maintain as it was designed to be made with sod all thought to repairs (eg fiddly tiny bearings into blind holes so a biatch to replace).
The replacement bike for me was a single pivot rear suspension (in my case an Orange 'Five'. Maybe not as good isolating in the 'braking bumps' on heavily used trails (like at mtb bike parks), but the brgs are miles bigger and also take 5 mins to replace rather than 3 hrs with a dremmel on the Stumpy and other 4-bar or multi-link suspensions). (Equally you may just decide that's fair wear and tear and accept the $300 fix in a bike shop every 2 years).

What ever you go for, I hope you enjoy it.

Good points about maintenance. Never even crossed my mind. If I bought a Canyon and the rear suspension needs repair, will I have buy parts and then bring it to the shop? Any idea if Canyon is good/fast if owners need parts?

Thx again

add santa cruz blur.

i looked at the blur the epic and the spark, bought the epic

A Canyon Neuron would be an outstanding bike for you, but that does depend on your local bikeshop, though I would hope in most cases it wouldn't be an issue. I do almost all of my own wrenching, and have a relationship with my local bike shop so on the odd occasion I need it they are happy to help. I have other friends who own Canyons who get all their servicing done at the local bike shop. I have heard stories however, where bikeshops have refused to service Canyon, so I guess the answer is 'it depends'.

As for parts, 90% of parts are standard. I buy my own bearings from specialist suspension bearing suppliers and fit them myself, so that's no issue, but over here, when I have needed a specific Canyon part it turns up in around 5 days. I do keep a couple of derailleur hangers in my toolbox though!

As others have said, you almost certainly want a trail bike with around 130mm of suspension, but it does depend massively on the type of trails you want to ride. Your best bet for bike advice is to seek out some mountain bikers in your area and find out what they ride. Chances are you will probably want to be on something similar.

I was doing a little reading last night. For the Trek models, I am on the cusp of being too heavy. The suspension calculator stops at 249 lb) and I am 250-255. Had my heart set on a FS, it leaves me wondering if I would be better off with a hard tail. Also noticed bumping the models shimano adds significantly to the cost. Is shimano that much better (XT vs GX Eagle)?

I think you will be OK on your weight. You obviously ride an xl of any size frame, and I would be more concerned about wheels and tires than anything else. The good news is that you can get some pretty rugged wheel and tire set ups like cush core inserts and downhill casing tires, but you probably will not need them. Another popular bike brand for MTB for online only is YT. They have a model called the Jeffsy you can look at.

I would not worry about Shimano vs Sram too much. The XT equipped bikes are rare and usually near 5k. Shimano was getting their but kicked in the MTB spec space but they just have come back very strongly with the new SLX and XT groups, introduced last year.

Where are you based and what are the trail conditions like where you ride? That would help knowing what you would need.

I live in Raleigh NC. Local trails aren’t crazy rocky. Definitely won’t be doing any jumping. I am considering going with a Gorilla Gravity bike, likely the Shred Dogg (https://ridegg.com/...hreddogg?option=Race). Certainly not their top build. Based on what I read, they are a good choice for heavier riders. Something about the “leverage ratio”. That, or the Trek Fuel EX 8 or StumpJumper comp carbon. Local shop has one of last years model still. Price is good ($3200), shimano STX (I think), but man is it an ugly color (neon yellowish/hunt of green).

Got a Specialized Epic about 6-weeks ago, and I'm really pleased with it. It's a 1X hardtail and replaces a much loved Stumpjumper. Works great for Vermont trails, class 4 roads and gravel. Lots of shortsteep uphills around here, and it climbs great. Prices start around $2100 and go up depending on the components so you can get a really nice bike for under $4K. Frame (carbon) is the same for all models...and Specialized's customer service and warranty is superb.

I'm also 250 lbs. I use a FS bike but I live in an area with lots of rocks and ledges (Austin).

Really, at the $4k price point brand is more about how a bike appeals to you versus brand A or brand B.

As a long time mtb'er, I've embraced the 1x. No front derailleur to worry about. I run the SRAM Eagle so my biggest cog is the size of a dinner plate (50T IIRC).
NC has buff trails with roots. You won't go wrong with an FS bike but you can get away with a hardtail. If you go hardtail, I'd recommend a 29er.

If we weren't in these current crazy times, I'd try to attend an Outerbike because you can test a ton of bikes out on real trails.
Took a buddy to Outerbike in Moab and he ended up buying a Transition which we had not heard of before that event.

Good luck and welcome to the mtb tribe.

Nothing wrong with Aluminum and it is generally cheaper but aluminum being better for bigger people is bullshit. If you are new, I would recommend a dropper post. Also, understand what terrain you will be riding- the #1thing you can do to a mountain bike is tire choice.

Being that this your first Mountain bike and you are going FS, I would recommend not going with Canyon but finding a good local shop that really knows Mountain bikes and getting something there.
You will need help setting the sag, getting the shock dialed, all the little things like that, I bet you will be back at the shop 4-5 times in the first month or so to get it all dialed, for that alone it is worth it.
The Ibis Ripmo might be one of the best bikes you can get for under $4k
https://www.ibiscycles.com/bikes/ripley
Another great bang for the buck bike is the Orbea Occam.
Someone already mentioned Pivot, those are fantastic bikes but slightly pricier.
Yeti's are amazing but I am not sure if one can be had for under $4k.

Some other great bike to look at are Rocky Mountain, Kona and Norco

Just to add on, someone I know recently picked up the Ibis Ripmo at the $3 price point/build and he absolutely loves it.

In case the OP doesn't know, this isn't an XC bike, but a trail bike

Yes, it is.

Personally I think all Specialized bikes are garbage but it's another bike to consider.

Quotes from Specialized's own website:

"The new Stumpjumper is the ultimate trail bike"


https://www.specialized.com/us/en/stumpjumper

I just said "yes, it is"

I would not classify 150mm of travel as a trail bike. This looks like the disturbing trend of XC/trail and trail bikes being turned into enduro bikes.

For example, the evolution of the Tallboy from gen 2 to gen 3 to gen 4 is pretty sad.

that extra inch of travel is not what distinguishes a trail bike from an enduro. As for XC bikes becoming more similar to trail, that's a function of how technical the courses are now. They aren't the old NORBA fire road courses anymore.

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2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Thank you all for the advice. I was seconds from going with the Canyon Neuron. I called and asked about the rider weight and was told the maximum capacity is 260 lb, rider, bike, pedals and gear. Even though she told me my weight would void the warranty, the sales person tried to convince me that it would be OK for me - if I was careful. Who buys a mountain bike to ride it carefully? I really did t like that. I’ve broken enough stuff over the years that people told me would easily hold up that I couldn’t bring myself to go through with it. In the end, I decided to buy the Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol (https://ridegg.com/...ilpistol?option=Race). Talking with GG was a good experience. They sell a lot of bikes to riders much larger than I am. The sales woman offered advice on how to tailor the build to me (shock selection, brake rotors). Fingers crossed.