I've recently re-discovered a past passion for mountain biking. In my college days, I rode a BUNCH, like 4-5 times a week. I was living in an area with great trails and a culture that supported riding (bike shops, lots of places to park a bike, etc).
I bought ol' Blue in 1999 as my 2nd "real" mountain bike. This was my upgrade over my first bike, a Trek 830 that I quickly learned how to outride. Ol' blue is a GT Richocet, which shared frames with a Zaskar (GT's top line XC race bike). This was back when GT was still designed and manufactured in the US. Thru the years, I've upgraded components as they broke, added a nice Fox front fork, and continued to ride when the mood struck. Honestly, that wasn't very often. When I graduated and moved back to Grand Rapids, there were two trails...and they were BOTH over ridden. I was spoiled, didn't enjoy it and don't like riding on the road. So, the bike went into storage.
Fast forward a few (10'sih) years. Mountain biking is now becoming a "thing" in West Michigan. The trail network is growing, with about 3 new major trails becoming reality. I started paying attention and riding a couple times a year.
This is Ol' Blue at the trail nearest my house. Riding in MI is interesting. We have a lot of small creeks and rivers all over, so a lot of our trails follow them. They can be sticky and very vegetated. We also have hills and rocks, so you can get into some of that stuff too.
This year, I decided that I REALLY wanted to start riding again. I used to really enjoy it and now there are some really great trails to ride. So, I started a riding club at work and made sure my hockey buddies (I also play rec league ice hockey) that ride knew I wanted to ride again. All of a sudden, I was on my bike 2-3 times a week again! The same bike I bought in 1999! I was basically riding one night, fixing it the next, riding, fixing / adjusting, etc.
Decided it was time for a new bike. I rode a few different ones, including this guy which is 27.5+ that I didn't care for. I was FAST on it, but I also felt like I was working REALLY hard to ride it.
All my friends said, "ride a fat bike...its all you need in Michigan...don't even bother with suspension forks." This is SO counter to everything I've heard and experienced, so I kinda brushed aside the advice and continued to ride different Plus bikes. I liked them, but didn't LOVE them (enough to spend $1k+ anyway).
I finally broke down and tried a Fat bike...and damn it, my friends were right. Ended up buying a Rocky Mountain Suzy Q. It was a 2018 Demo, so I got a REALLY good deal on it, and it just fits. Its slower for me, getting used to a new bike, but my speed will come back. Its got 27.5 x 3.8" tires and a narrower Q Factor (pedal width) than nearly every other Fatbike out there. It really feels like you're riding a "normal" mountain bike, just with insane amounts of traction. I'll probably add a dropper post, so I can lean the bike over more to make use of those giant tires, but that is about it.
Just thought I'd share. I know there are other mnt bikers here... @JMT I'm looking at you..
I bought ol' Blue in 1999 as my 2nd "real" mountain bike. This was my upgrade over my first bike, a Trek 830 that I quickly learned how to outride. Ol' blue is a GT Richocet, which shared frames with a Zaskar (GT's top line XC race bike). This was back when GT was still designed and manufactured in the US. Thru the years, I've upgraded components as they broke, added a nice Fox front fork, and continued to ride when the mood struck. Honestly, that wasn't very often. When I graduated and moved back to Grand Rapids, there were two trails...and they were BOTH over ridden. I was spoiled, didn't enjoy it and don't like riding on the road. So, the bike went into storage.
Fast forward a few (10'sih) years. Mountain biking is now becoming a "thing" in West Michigan. The trail network is growing, with about 3 new major trails becoming reality. I started paying attention and riding a couple times a year.
This is Ol' Blue at the trail nearest my house. Riding in MI is interesting. We have a lot of small creeks and rivers all over, so a lot of our trails follow them. They can be sticky and very vegetated. We also have hills and rocks, so you can get into some of that stuff too.
This year, I decided that I REALLY wanted to start riding again. I used to really enjoy it and now there are some really great trails to ride. So, I started a riding club at work and made sure my hockey buddies (I also play rec league ice hockey) that ride knew I wanted to ride again. All of a sudden, I was on my bike 2-3 times a week again! The same bike I bought in 1999! I was basically riding one night, fixing it the next, riding, fixing / adjusting, etc.
Decided it was time for a new bike. I rode a few different ones, including this guy which is 27.5+ that I didn't care for. I was FAST on it, but I also felt like I was working REALLY hard to ride it.
All my friends said, "ride a fat bike...its all you need in Michigan...don't even bother with suspension forks." This is SO counter to everything I've heard and experienced, so I kinda brushed aside the advice and continued to ride different Plus bikes. I liked them, but didn't LOVE them (enough to spend $1k+ anyway).
I finally broke down and tried a Fat bike...and damn it, my friends were right. Ended up buying a Rocky Mountain Suzy Q. It was a 2018 Demo, so I got a REALLY good deal on it, and it just fits. Its slower for me, getting used to a new bike, but my speed will come back. Its got 27.5 x 3.8" tires and a narrower Q Factor (pedal width) than nearly every other Fatbike out there. It really feels like you're riding a "normal" mountain bike, just with insane amounts of traction. I'll probably add a dropper post, so I can lean the bike over more to make use of those giant tires, but that is about it.
Just thought I'd share. I know there are other mnt bikers here... @JMT I'm looking at you..
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