# New Hardtail vs Used Full Suspension



## jgohagan (Sep 24, 2018)

Hello, 

I have not been mountain biking in the last 6-7 years. I used to ride a full suspension GT. I am currently without a mountain bike and want to get back into riding. 

I have a budget of $1,200 or less. 

I have been looking at a Salsa lumberjack with 29s, but was looking on craigslist and found a 2007 Specialized S works Epic Carbon for about $600. I know that bike technology has improved drastically over the last few years, but am I better going with a new hardtail on 29s or a old full suspension. 

I will be mostly riding cross country, but do like to do some technical downhill riding on occasion. 

Any thoughts? 

Thanks for the help.


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## rangeriderdave (Aug 29, 2008)

That's a 11 year old bike , sure it was $$$ new but still. Check with your Specialized dealer to see it you can get bearing and such. You should go test ride ,demo ,rent and borrow bikes .


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

That Specialized is 11yrs old at this point. It might be in great shape, or it might be trashed. That's the risk with a used bike that old.

And FWIW, the Epic isn't even really a bike that'll be very good for the occasional technical downhill. It's a xc race bike, honestly. I HATE the Brain shock with the inertial lockout. Some of the Epics (don't remember which years) came with a Fox fork that ALSO had an inertial lockout. There's a reason that fork isn't even made anymore.

$1200 will get you a pretty darn good hardtail. Maybe rent when you want to do some serious downhill riding.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

Get a modern 29er hardtail. Components aside, geometry has come a long way in the last few years.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

That a great bike for the time (I owned the 2008), but as mentioned it is a dedicated racer, with additional maintenance around the "brain" - and it will require maintenance for sure. This work is above and beyond typical shock maintenance and I believe you may have difficulty finding somewhere to get it serviced. (Someone may chime in but I believe there is a thread around this problem for certain older years of S-Works.)

Not to mention that you're running on a 26" wheel platform, which the industry has moved away from. The frame is probably the best part of that bike at this point, but geometry has changed quite a bit over time, so even that is now less of a draw.

You'll also get a warranty with something new, so I think the HT is a no-brainer in this case.


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## TwiceHorn (Jun 18, 2014)

There was a long discussion on here about lawsuits relating to carbon frames. Nobody really concluded anything about their safety, etc. But it was kind of thought-provoking.

One thing that I concluded is that buying an old carbon-framed bike of unknown "provenance" could be hazardous to one's health. There's just no way of knowing, short of expensive non-destructive testing, what sort of catastrophic failure might be brewing in that frame.

Same could also be said of Al or steel frames, but problems with those tend to be a bit more obvious and the failure mode is typically (not always) less catastrophic.

YMMV. I actually am a lawyer. I did not stay at Holiday Inn Express last night. Opinons are like . . . . Just something to consider.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Diamondback Mason series bikes are always a good start for buying a hardtail or comparison to other hardtails out there.


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## Da-rainman (Oct 10, 2009)

Skip the used bikes. Go to your LBS and tell them how much you can spend. If you can afford $1500, shoot for $2k. See what leftovers they have in your size. Sometimes you can save as much as 30%. Once you find a bike, drop the cash you have on it. Put it on layaway. You'll be surprised how fast you come up with that extra $ to pick up the bike! Good luck! 

Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk


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## GoingNowhere (Oct 15, 2014)

I vote new hardtail as opposed to used (especially that age) fully. That's what I did and I'm glad I did.


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## 33red (Jan 5, 2016)

A 29 HT is a great do it all.
If not sure, buy a used 29HT, like 2-5 years old.


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## JoePAz (May 7, 2012)

jgohagan said:


> but was looking on craigslist and found a 2007 Specialized S works Epic Carbon for about $600. I know that bike technology has improved drastically over the last few years, but am I better going with a new hardtail on 29s or a old full suspension.
> 
> I will be mostly riding cross country, but do like to do some technical downhill riding on occasion.
> 
> ...


I have 2018 Epic FS. My 2018 is a fantastic bike, but the 2007? $600 is cheap, but it all depends on the condition and what you can fix yourself. Could be a money pit given all the proprietary parts on it. That bike is perfect for cross country, but I am not sure what your definition of technical downhill is. That bike may work fine or be totally wrong since everyone's perspective of technical is different.

The Timberjack ( there is no lumberjack) is sort not really a similar bike in anyway. More relaxed head angle and bottom level components (for $1200 price tag). Looks to have a dropper post and 1x11 drivetrain. So from a pure standpoint of "Trouble free" riding the new Salas is better. It will ride fine and be fine. Nothing special.

The Epic especially in S-works version was the top of the line XC race bike back then. Comparable to todays 10,000 S-works Epic. That performance however comes at price. It will be fast sharp handling bike. Light and a bit on rough side. It could be worn the crap out and need all new parts. Those parts were top of the line then and getting replacements will be hard. Or you can hang cheap parts off a nice frame. If you don't mind taking on a potential project for a special bike then Epic might be nice. However it is very different from the "adequate" Timberjack. Chances are the Timberjack is a better fit.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

I think we're actually unanimous on a recommendation. Must be a first.


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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

phlegm said:


> I think we're actually unanimous on a recommendation. Must be a first.


I changed my mind. You should find a used 29er hardtail.


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## jgohagan (Sep 24, 2018)

Thank you for all the responses. I ordered a Trek x caliber 7 from a local bike shop and should be ready to ride this weekend. Thanks again,


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## nuclearsword (Oct 23, 2016)

Old FS carbon immediately makes me clutch my wallet in fear. If budget is a concern, go for hardtail. I love my Rocky Mountain vertex 29er. Picked it up on sale for $1200 a couple years ago when they were clearing out last years stock.

There's definitely times I wish I had FS, but it's not worth it 90% of the time in my opinion.


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## mpstenson (Aug 4, 2017)

That old of a full suspension I feel like will probably be a money pit, or you won't be able to source parts at all. Hardtails are much, much more capable than they used to be. I have both a full suspension bike (Specialized Stumpjumper) and a hardtail in your price range (Raleigh Tokul 3) and both bikes are absolute beasts compared to older geo bikes. The Tokul isn't available anymore otherwise I would suggest it. Here's a list of some hardtail trail bikes you might consider: https://everydaymtb.com/the-best-1000-hardtail-trail-bikes/


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