Bike upgrade

[BobW]

Haven't had the opportunity to do a normal ride. But brought the bike home and put it in the garage with the other bike so there are 2 bikes. I figured I wouldn't tell my social director that I brought home another bike to see how alert she is. It's been here a week hanging over her car. She just noticed it this morning. Her comment; what's the difference between the 2? Response from me; it rides better. Her response; I like the color of the other bike. Hope you enjoy the new one. Conversation ended there.

So what should I get to replace this one next year? It has to be at least double in price.

[BobW]

So this morning, I'm off from work for a couple of days, I took the new bike out for real ride. Hit my usual 2 trails in Salmon River. Hands down the new bike rides like one would expect. Having the rear suspension I found myself actually going a little faster through downhill turns confidently. Rear wheel hop was reduced considerably and control maintained. Handling is a big improvement. Having wider tires with bigger cleats I can carve turns much better. Also, I think the bike having a slightly longer wheel base improves stability and reduces twitchiness.

Hill climbing was another improvement. I could keep the rear wheel engaged without lifting the front end and not lose traction by weighting the front end. The difference in riding position (slightly lower) I think helps here. The extra steps in gearing made climbing much easier to fine tune to the right ratio. No searching for the right gear and shifts were seamless even under hard load.

Should have done this from the start. Thanks for the input and advice.

[rex-ya]

Welcome to the dual squish club! It really does make a world of difference. If you go for a ride with someone in the know, have them help you tune your suspension. Getting it properly tuned for your weight and the bikes geometry will also make a huge difference. It's tough to write a big check for a bicycle but you DO get what you pay for most of the time. Coming from a hardtail is a good thing though. You'll get the most out of the suspension because you are still used to riding light, like you have to with a hardtail. Guys that start on full sussers tend to go slamming through terrain and end up learning poor technique because they rely on the suspension to fix their mistakes.

[BobW]

as luck would have it I blew out my right knee (ACL). But I got in a few licks on the new bike. It was fun. Can't wait to get back on it.

[Beavis]

Bike injury?

[BobW]

no, wish it had been. It wouldn't be so embarrassing. Wasn't paying attention to my surroundings in my backyard and stepped into an invisible hole where a shrub once lived. Stepped backward into it and wham. I ditched a crutch today though. I'll ditch the other in a day or two. It's feeling much better. Swelling is gone.