A buddy of mine works for specialized & is hooking me up with a good deal on a Rockhopper Hardtail 29er. I'm looking at the following models: 2010 Rockhopper Comp SL 29Â Â Â Â Rockhopper Expert 29Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2010 Rockhopper Expert Disc I realize that I am largely ignorant when it comes to mtb's. The Expert 29 is appealing pricewise, but I've heard that the Dart fork is not so durable, which is a concern for me, especially given my gigantic-ness. Any advice would be appreciated, Lance
Don't pull the trigger, take a deep breath and gently SK-WEEEEEEEEEZ the trigger until it goes bang..... oh.. sorry.. wrong section... :lol:
yeah, I know all about that... I've been shooting since I was 4 & qualified expert with the rifle in the army... Is the Comp SL's equipment package that much better than the Expert's? http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=45809&eid=4340&menuItemId=9253 Avid Juicy 3 SL hydraulic brakes with 160mm G2 Clean Sweep rotors supply superior stopping power 80mm-travel RockShox Tora SLite 29er alloy fork with lightweight air springs and motion control damping uses external adjustable lockout/rebound for fine-tuned bump performance Solid, dependable Shimano SLX Shadow rear derailleur vs http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=45804&eid=4340&menuItemId=9253 RockShox Dart 3 80mm-travel fork features preload adjustment and size-specific spring rates for versatile performance Fully butted M4 alloy frame with Trail 29-inch geometry for greater control, leverage and bump performance, plus slider dropouts for singlespeed compatibility SRAM X5 medium-cage rear derailleur and 9-speed trigger shifters for precise, sure-fire shifting Crankset uses Octalink-splined BB interface for reliable power transfer Dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm rotors deliver smooth, controlled, powerful stops Alloy double-walled rims for lightweight durability there's a $400 price difference- money is an issue, but not to the extent that i'd save $400 now, only to spend more than that to upgrade the forks, brakes & deraileur, which if I get into it, I probably will any way...
I've really not liked FS bikes that I've ridden in the past; I'm a rather big guy & I put a lot of weight & power into the pedal stroke & the shock compression felt like it was robbing all the torque from my legs, especially on uphill sprints. even at wholesale, the $ is a lot more than i'm looking to spend for a sport in where I'm merely testing the waters... I can justify a $1000 hardtail that if I don't get into mountain biking, I can at least ride on trails & roads for the next 5 years or more... double, or triple that? ummm for the next year, I'd rather spend the money on another motorcycle. $2k will almost buy an sv that I could race in lightweight senior next season...