"phil05" wrote

Hi,
You can check the Anthem 1, trek fuel ex 5 or 7, specialized stumpjumper comp, santa cruz tallboy and cannondale too. Like i said before, look for Deore components or better (altus<<alivio<deore<slx<xt…..) or sram x5 or better. As for forks and shox, Fox and Rockshox are what you are looking for. Rockshox products are usually less expensive than Fox, and i never had trouble with those i owned. The downside of mid level full sus bike, however, is that they cost much more. Bikes companis rose their prices alot in the lasr years.
Look for reviews on this site and on mtbr.com

It can take alot of searching before you make your mind, so be prepared ! Keep us updated too and we will give you more advices.

Phil

Well, my plans have now changed. I will be away all summer for a new job and therefore and going to wait until NEXT season to purchase a bike. This may actually be a good thing because now I will have more money to spend on a new bike. So those bikes are irrelevant now. Any suggestions for a bike slightly out of the entry level/mid level area. I’ve been drooling over this Norco:[url:30pna8cv]http://www.norco.com/bikes/mountain/all-mountain-enduro/range-alloy/range-alloy-72/[/url:30pna8cv] any other suggestions though?!

"phil05" wrote

Hi,

To answer your question directly, i think the Anthem is a better pick because i think the overall quality of the different components is slightly better. ( e.g. Alivio shifters >> Altus and Shimano brakes > Tektro, even though alivio front derailleur < Deore).

That being said, here is my opinion. I’m not a fan of entry level full suspension bikes like those two because i think that you pay too much for what you get. For the same price you can get a mid-level or even a high end hardtail that will prove to be a much more enjoyable and reliable steed than an entry level full sus. You can expect a mix of SLX/XT components and mid level rockshox/Fox forks which are way better than Alivio and *cough* Altus. Chances are that when you will change for a high end full sus, you will want to keep your trusty hardtail, which might not be the case for your clumsy entry level full sus. You also have the option of component swaping, but that is usualy not what beginners want to get into.

Thats for the same price level option. You can also decide to pay more now and get straight to that mid level full sus category. It really depends on how experienced and serious about mtb you are now, how serious you want to be and what kind of riding you are expecting to do.

Good luck ! 😀

Thank you! I just discovered Tektro breaks don’t have the best reputation so that’s turning me off the Kona. What would be some mid level FS bikes you would suggest? Maybe it would be smarter to save a little longer and buy something better rather then having to upgrade in a 3-5 years when my skill level gets higher.

"Zoo1424" wrote

I would say they are similar. Someone else may spot something that jumps out at them but I didn’t. LBS – local bike shop. Having a good shop behind the bike means a lot to me.

I could get the giant from a bike store in my town and also receive life time free tune ups from them so that’s definitely swaying me in that direction. The kona is from a shop I’ve never been to before but I’m going to go and check it out this week.
Thanks for your suggestions!

"Zoo1424" wrote

Tough call spec wise. If I was looking at both of these bikes l think it would come down to a) how they felt after I took each one on a test ride and b) the LBS behind each bike.

So spec wise they are pretty much on par? I know the basics and that’s what I was finding, I just wanted to see if anyone saw something between the two that might make a difference. I hoping to go and take each for a test ride in the near future. Sorry….. LBS?

Thanks for your help! 😀

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