marin’s good too… just not at my LBS so I dont know much about them
shit–that is scary. i don’t want a bike that leaves me beat up. maybe i should just suck it up and get the full suspension…
damn it. here i thought i had it down what i wanted. lol…
i’m aware of their propietary parts, etc.
nobody is saying anything about marin. why is that?
I believe in a recent $2,000 trailbike shootout the Marin Rock Springs came in second behind the Giant Reign… I just don’t know enough about Marin bikes to comment.
Regarding the hard tail / FS debate: do you know specifically where you will be using this bike?
shit–that is scary. i don’t want a bike that leaves me beat up. maybe i should just suck it up and get the full suspension…
damn it. here i thought i had it down what i wanted. lol…
If comfort is an issue you have to get a FS bike… if performance is the issue then it’s a closer call between FS and HT, depending on the type of trail.
check this out…
http://www.marinbikes.com/bicycles_2006/html/bikes/bike_specs/specs_east_peak.html
http://www.marinbikes.com/bicycles_2006/html/bikes/bike_specs/specs_rift_zone.html
i know the second one is a few hundred bucks more.
as of now I don’t have my schedule picked out yet, so I can’t tell you about the terrain. the one thing i have to be cautious about is my forearm…there is a big screw in it, as i mentioned earlier.
i know in shawnee state forest there are some events. those terrains are hilly, really weatherd, and some single track. no giant rocks to jump or anything (i’m not interested in that anyway), but it won’t be easy peasy.
as of now I don’t have my schedule picked out yet, so I can’t tell you about the terrain. the one thing i have to be cautious about is my forearm…there is a big screw in it, as i mentioned earlier.
I’ll look at the links, but two comments regarding the foregoing:
If you have a screw in your forearm and it causes you some discomfort I’d look at bikes that have at least 100mm of fork travel (typically referred to as “trailbikes”) and not the more XC oriented 80mm forks.
Additionally, get one with hydraulic disc brakes. They require less pressure to activate and will be easier on your forearms as well. On really technical descents with Vbrakes you can actually get what’s called “forearm pump” because of the effort required from your forearm muscles… it’s not good…
you’re just a fucking idiot - sorry - but that’s just how I feel
you challenge EVERYTHING - just for the sake of being different
.
I have never owned, or sold Cannondales. I was close to buying one a couple of years ago just for the Lefty. They are plush as hell. You will love it.
Seize the dirt girl!
you’re just a fucking idiot - sorry - but that’s just how I feel
you challenge EVERYTHING - just for the sake of being different
And you… well this post is pretty indicative of your intelligence…
you have no idea
.
thanks for that bit chris. i’ve emailed my shop, we’re going to talk about the two marins that i checked out on line. initially, i don’t really like the marins–but that is only because they look so “boy like”. i’ll get past that though (like running shoes, it’s what they do, not how they look). so, we’ll be talking about the F1000 today, the marins, and other bikes from C-dale.
in the end, i expect to ride this bike for 3-5 years. when i first started in road i bought an entry level bike, learned alot and then moved up after 2 years. that worked out well for me. so, i’m trying to apply that same formula to mtb. however, i can’t have my body all beat up, so there is more to consider.
i know alot of people love the lefty–it seems pretty cool to me, but i want to give marin more of a chance, see what is there. 
Do you know how much all the bikes that you are looking at weigh?
Something that nobody mentioned is that a full suspension marin will be considerably heavier than a hardtail cannondale. It’s a bit of a trade off - remember, you have to go up the hills before you come down them… Your call.
good point. in the reviews for the F1000, like i said earlier, people said it’s light and climbs really well. i know in shawnee, there are some biggies to climb.
you’re just a fucking idiot - sorry - but that’s just how I feel
you challenge EVERYTHING - just for the sake of being different
Hmmm, strange post being as what she’s posted seems spot-on.
Kittycat, I think some good points have been made here. My kids and I race across the country in the NORBA series and the posters are correct about a couple of things as far as races are concerned: there are not many Cannondales (with Lefty’s, almost no Headshocks) and I have heard friends with Cannondales complain about proprietary parts. I’d say Specializeds are the most popular bikes out there and arguably have the best full suspension system. Hardtails/Full Suspension - my kids race hardtails and I race a stable-platform full suspension bike. It’s sort of an apples and oranges thing and depends on what you are looking for in a bike. My kids are bullet-proof and the hardtails don’t bother them. I’m 43 and have sports-related injuries so comfort is pretty high on my list. Mine is crazy light and has a stable-platform shock so I lose very little to hardtails on climbs and when it’s a technical climb I can actually be faster and can sit the entire climb. Disc brakes - absolutely! Long travel- with your forearm, yes.
If your price limit is $2,000 you will either get a nice hardtail, or a full suspension bike with not as nice components.
If you thought shopping for a tri bike was hard, the choices in mountain biking are mind boggling 
Avid Juicy’s are hydro brakes, so make sure you ask the shop about maintenance, changing brake fluid, etc. It may be worth switching to Avid mechanical discs just to save some hassle (and a few $, but not much).
Most people I know with a lefty really like it, the trick is making sure you can get over it since it does sit pretty high (i.e. saddle height is at or above the bars so you can get on the fork when the going gets rough). If you ride “light”, you will not engage it super well due to its height, so make sure you set the sag at the shop to ensure you set it a bit soft so you don’t get bounced around. If you ride aggressive, probably no issue.
People swear by SRAM rear derailleurs.
I own a Cannondale Scalpel (with the headshok, not the lefty) and used to ride a F1000 with a headshok. That frame kicks butt - it was a great race bike. The set up I had weighed in at around 23pounds, with a 2x9 drivetrain instead of a triple. It’s a stiff stiff frame - not pleasant for long mtb rides, but great for racing. Downhill performance was ok, not great, I seemed to get thrown around quite a bit. For reference, I also raced on a Kona Explosive for a while and that one handled the downhills much better. The scalpel is nice (deal through a local shop) and the front shock does the trick. I decided on the headshock vs. the lefty because a) it had enough squish for the kind of riding I do b) it tracked well enough and c) I could get the bike on my roof rack. Shifting on the scalpel can be finicky, they tend to have a bit of a chainsuck problem, which can be solved by keeping the drive train nice and shiny.
Avid Juicy’s are hydro brakes, so make sure you ask the shop about maintenance, changing brake fluid, etc. It may be worth switching to Avid mechanical discs just to save some hassle (and a few $, but not much).
People swear by SRAM rear derailleurs.
I disagree, especially with your forearm issue, stick with the Juicy’s if you have a choice. Maintenance is not an issue (just don’t store the bike upside down) and they modulate so much better than the Avid mechanicals. I’ve had Avid mechanicals, Avid Juicy’s and Magura Martas and the Juicy’s and Martas are by far the best sytems made.
And agreed: SRAM is the only way to go.
How about these other bikes from Marin?
http://www.marinbikes.com/bicycles_2006/html/bikes/bike_specs/specs_nail_trail_fx.html
http://www.marinbikes.com/bicycles_2006/html/bikes/bike_specs/specs_indian_fire.html
They come with Fox Forx, which are really great forks, which will make up for a huge difference in being a HT vs a short travel full suspension. Plus, you don’t need to go out and find 1.5" stems for the Cannondale, along with the already mentioned 20mm front wheel.
Personally, since you have a budget, I would lean more to the better hardtail for the money than a cheaper full suspension. I ride both, and the full suspension did cost a bit more initially, and sometimes I get trouble with the shifting when slamming it fast through rough stuff.
As bit of a traditionalist, I also think starting off on a HT develops better off-road skills as you learn to pick better lines through the technical, rather than just slamming through it on a FS. I do know for a fact though, that after 2 hours of riding, I am way less beat up on a FS than the HT, but I have more of that “fast” feeling with the HT.
Point was only if she’s not good at keeping up on MTB maintenance, the mech’s are simpler. No question on the Juicy’s performance, hydros are great.
What forearm issue?