# Bike for Moab??



## redfoot (Jan 25, 2021)

Hello all! I am very new to this website and this is my first discussion. 
So, I am moving to Moab Utah full time in a few months and am currently riding an aggressive hardtail. (from indiana where riding is faster and more fun on a hardtail) I have ridden almost every trail around Moab already as well. But I am in the market for a full suspension since my daily riding will be the local Moab trails and a hardtail is pretty brutal to ride everyday there. 
My question is.... should I go Enduro or Trail? Endure being 160mm up front and 150mm rear. Trail being 140mm front and 130mm rear. I enjoy dh sections of trail better but I still want to be comfortable climbing and putting long days in.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

I vote for the enduro


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## Sir kayakalot (Jul 23, 2017)

No one should limit themselves to one bike for everything. Or two bikes for everything. I have an enduro bike, trail bike, hard tail, and a full rigid. It’s nice to have a specific bike for whatever trail I’m riding on a particular day.
But to answer your question, you gotta be honest with yourself. Do you really think you’ll use the full travel of an enduro bike very often? Most people don’t. 140mm can soak up a lot of hits. If you’re a heavy rider and/or go big every chance you get, go with the enduro. All day rides? Trail bike will be easier pedaling. Can’t decide? Get both


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

Friends that live in Moab refer to 6 x 6" of travel as "Moab XC".

I've ridden 5 and 6" bikes there for 20+ years and never regretted having more.


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## rtsideup (Mar 21, 2012)

I agree with mike; Moab demands more travel. An enduro, is a trail. A trial is an XC. 
I'm not a local but, a regular visitor, and my one quiver bike splits the difference; 150X140 with big tires.
If I were moving there, I'd try to get a tire spancer, or buy in bulk!


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## bikerider2 (Nov 9, 2011)

One trip out to Moab one of my buddies blew up his hub riding slick rock. The local shop said there was more torque on 29er wheels because of how steep that trail is and the amount of traction. So I'm guessing a 27.5 might last you a bit longer. The local shops demo bike were SC Bronsons FWIW. Congrats on the move


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## k2rider1964 (Apr 29, 2010)

I ride my 27.5 Ibis HD5 (and Pivot Mach 6 before that) on Moab trips. The HD5 is 170/153 but climbs great. It helps that I ride a Medium but throwing a 27.5 bike around in areas like the lower half of Portal is a game changer for me as the bike is so much more manageable in those tight slot areas. If you like doing the drops on Lower Porcupine and Ahab, you'll appreciate the extra travel. That being said, I'd always have two bikes.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

I've been happy with my 120mm 29er there. But, I like going up AND down fast.


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## twodownzero (Dec 27, 2017)

I don't think there's anywhere where life is more fun on a hardtail. I love my hardtail, but mostly because I do all of my own bike work. If money was no object I'd probably never ride a hardtail anywhere--the benefit is reduced maintenance.

I rode the Whole Enchilada on my 160mm forked Evil Insurgent and that's the bike I'd choose if I had to do it again. Was a 160 bike needed? Absolutely not, but by the end of the day, I was wiped, and a longer/slacker/more stable bike kept me out of trouble when I was tired. As to what is actually needed, on slickrock you could ride a full rigid bike and it wouldn't matter, other places I rode in Moab were similar, and on the whole E, it was everything from fairly smooth single track to huge drops and flowy chunk.

I'd probably choose an enduro bike but mostly because outside of racing, I find a longer travel bike to keep me from making mistakes when I go out of town and I miss the good line. But a 130-140 travel trail bike would probably be fine, too.

When I was in Moab, someone told me the perfect tire for Moab was "bald" and I'm not sure I disagree. Nothing I rode required specialized equipment......ride what you like.


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## r-rocket (Jun 23, 2014)

Poison Spider has a Ride To Buy bike rental program. If they have the bikes you are interested in, you can rent something like 5 different bikes, and apply the rental to a purchase. Might be a good option.

What works best for you will probably depend on where you ride and how much shuttling you will be doing.

I've done porky with just 85mm front/100mm rear before. A bit sketchy, lots of getting off the bike, but still fun. That's the closest to your hardtail that I've done. 120mm/120mm makes a world of difference. Climbs well enough that you can skip shuttling, but you still have to choose your lines smartly. 160mm/160mm opens up more playful lines, but you start to wonder if you should have taken that shuttle....


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

I've ridden in Moab since the late 80's on a rigid bike all the way up to last year on a 170/161 FS bike and I've always used up every last mm of travel. You just adjust your line choices for the bike you have beneath you. Since you said you favor the DH sections then if you were to get the bike with less travel you'd always be wondering what the trail would feel like with more bike beneath you.


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## FishMan473 (Jan 2, 2003)

I don't disagree with what anyone above said, but, I would say that coming off of a hardtail, any rear suspension is going to seem like a _big difference_, for better or worse. Either will feel like a magic carpet ride to you. The bigger bike will take more hits, as others have said, maybe more than necessary, but if your focus is on descents than it will be more fun. If you are just as intent as having a good time when you're going up, the shorter travel bike may be a better choice.


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## 2socks (Jun 22, 2018)

Moabite here; some good thoughts above, but thought I'd share my thoughts too:

29er with 130-140 rear & 150-160 front makes a well-rounded Moab bike IMO. My main ride is 140r/160f, love it. I have a couple of friends with Yeti SB130 & SB130LRs who are riding most everything Moab has to offer (except big hucks like the mushroom rock).
Maybe err on the side of more travel if you prefer 27.5.
Two bikes may have distinctly different character on-trail despite being very similar on paper. Nothing beats a test ride.
I'll echo the sentiment of keeping your hardtail if you can. It's a fun option to challenge yourself, or when riding with friends who aren't rippers going 100% all of the time. Cushcore or tannus tubeless in the rear goes a long way and saves money on aluminum rims.
Oh and I like the note about blowing up hubs on slickrock. I've done that twice, with two different causes of death. Could be a 29er thing (mine were), but definitely a thing.


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

I get in about 300 miles of trail riding in Moab per year on a Trance 29 115r/140f (started riding there many years ago, on a Yeti 575, then a Pivot 5.7c, then a Yeti SB5c before the Trance), which is pretty short travel. It works for me. My son rides there as well, on a Ripmo 147r/160f and that works well for him. It just depends on you and how you ride. There are lots of bikes that would work there.


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## gdb85 (Mar 4, 2017)

I was a vistor in Moab this past September for 8 days and rented a Rascal 130/140 and never felt under biked except a couple sections of Ahab. I believe that it was more being unfamiliar with the trail and the unknown than being under biked. Like others have stated your level of comfort and skill set will determine what you need.


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## redfoot (Jan 25, 2021)

2socks said:


> Moabite here; some good thoughts above, but thought I'd share my thoughts too:
> 
> 29er with 130-140 rear & 150-160 front makes a well-rounded Moab bike IMO. My main ride is 140r/160f, love it. I have a couple of friends with Yeti SB130 & SB130LRs who are riding most everything Moab has to offer (except big hucks like the mushroom rock).
> Maybe err on the side of more travel if you prefer 27.5.
> ...


Thanks for the insight as a Moabite haha
I'm definitely going 29er (I'm 6'4") so I've heard it'll fit my body better. I'll be keeping my hard tail for sure, it's such a fun bike for flow trails and jump parks. (Moabs local jump park is great!) I also want to keep it around for some possible bike packing this season. The bike I'm eyeing up now is 150r 160f. Might lighten it up with some carbon cranks, bars, and rims.


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