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Thanks guys, I appreciate the info and advice. I’m considering the creeks a bonus water option (which I’ll filter) and will be carrying 3L in my backpack, plus a bottle on my bike. I may even find a way to stick one more bottle someplace.
Happy Trails!
You didn’t comment on the type of trails you’ll most often ride. Looking at those two bikes it looks like the Norco has 120mm travel front & rear, while the Trek has 90mm. Which is better? The only universal answer is, it depends… rougher terrain and the extra travel could be great. But if you are more interested in cross country racing then maybe the 90mm is better? Another question, how long will you be riding this bike? The extra travel could be a benefit in a year or two when you are probably bigger & heavier. I see the Norco has a 1×10 drive train, the Trek is 2×10. I’m a big fan of the simplicity of a 1x drive train, but I’m not a racer. The 2×10 has more gear range obviously. The Norco also has a dropper seat post, they are awesome for downhills!
So… I ride a Fuel EX 9 29er, and my wife has a Fuel EX 8, 27.5+ and we are very happy with them. But I think the Norco would be my choice of those two that you’re considering. Try to get a demo ride if you can, or at least a longer parking lot ride and see which feels better to you. Good luck and Happy Trails!
I have a Yakima Holdup 2 that has been solid and reliable for about 3 years now. I carry two Fuel EX bikes in it with no problem. It is easy to load the bikes onto it and holds them securely. We’ve driven across multiple states with it.
I think this kind of tray style carrier works well, but they are somewhat heavy and can take a little practice to get the rack itself on & off the hitch. But when on the vehicle it is solid. The Yakima uses a threaded bolt that tightens to the hitch receiver so the rack is not going to move around.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about 1 Up USA racks, and also some Kuat racks, so you might check those out too. Good luck!
Lots of good input already. I’ll just add a video from Seth’s Bike Hacks that seems to be good guidance on picking a budget mountain bike. https://youtu.be/K882pvG395w
Happy Trails!
I have the 2017 Fuel EX 9, and it has been great. The re:active shock works as advertised. I keep it fully open and have no issues with pedaling or climbing trails. The bike has been solid and reliable. I also like the mino-link flip chip for geometry adjustment. I prefer the slacker setting and feel more “in” the bike that way, but it is nice to have the option.
I can’t speak to the Orbea, but I suspect you will like the Fuel EX. Hopefully you can get a demo ride. That really helped me to be confident that I was getting the right bike for me.
Thanks to each of you for the input. I’ll see if she can clarify twitchy versus floppy. The comments about the stem and bars are good points that I hadn’t considered much. Her stem is 80mm and she insisted I cut down the bars a bit when she got it so they are around 720mm.
You also reminded me of a recent video from Dusty Betty on YouTube about getting her suspension dialed for her light weight, including removing spacers from her fork. My wife is also a light rider, and I should look into her suspension setup more. The shop did a customized setup with her when she bought it mid-season, but I’ll go over it closely with her.
I appreciate the feedback. If we end up with an AngleSet I will share what we learn from it.
I got a pair of 5-10 Freeriders and they are excellent. They felt a little stiff when new, but after a couple weeks they were nicely broken in. They grip like crazy to my Race Face Atlas pedals. I’ve got over two months of riding in them now and they are holding up well so far.
We are fortunate to have a number of good trails in the Grand Rapids area. Yankee Springs is my favorite, but Merrel, Luton, Cannonsburg Ski, and Cannonsburg State Game Area are all fun. Fort Custer, near Battle Creek, is really good. Heading up north as we like to say, Big M is fun, big hills in the woods, and Arcadia Dunes is a good ride too. I’ve heard Glacial Hills, near Traverse City, is really fun too, it’s on my list for this year.
I’ll give a big thumbs up for Intrepid at Dead Horse State Park. The write-up in the article Greg linked is spot on. My wife and I rode it, guided, on vacation in 2015. This was our first mountain biking. We both bought bikes within two months. The trail was fun and the views were great. You won’t be disappointed.
