Do I or don't I..?

[Khane]

if you are after a late '90s FS bike i'd look towards the specialised GC FSRs

you can pick the frames up pretty cheap (average for them seems to be between £50 - £100) and worth every penny.

you can sometimes pick them up off ebay for £150 - £200ish for the full bike.

as much as i love my FSR, on local trails i much prefer my HT prestige.

 

[Reluctant]

Another Kona from the era would give you best chance of swapping over. The same size frame should have the same headtube length, all will have 68mm shells and the vast majority if not all used 27mm posts and 31.8 mechs. I remember the ManoMano being a reasonable bike for the time - but that was a long time ago!
I'd try to ride a few sussers and see how you get on. If you can only have the one bike, I think a hardtail is a better all rounder. A bike like the Mula should be light, direct handling and easy to chuck around - things that a boinger sometimes aren't.
Have a good think and try to gain some experience before jumping into anything

 

[JamesM]

Is it just that your bike is the oldest?
Are you the slowest? :?

Nope, usually one of the quickest on all but the most extreme trails (off which there are very few in Jersey!)

I have the same frame (99 Cindercone) and I have to say that it is absolutely wonderful to ride. Mine is a rigid singlespeed build.

I love the ride and handling of my MuniMula - as I'd never really used FS before I was more curious as to whether I was missing out..

This is mountainbiking its about riding over rough ground. If your mates aren't gong faster than you and their modern tech is soaking all the rough stuff then surely its them that are missing out.

I borrowed a 6" travel full susser once and started off riding it as I would my hardtail (80mm forks), I found it really dull and soon discovered that I had to ride alot faster in order to get some excitement out of it. Trouble with that is the downhills are over quicker and the slog back up is harder. For me riding a bike like that was a different sport. I couldn't even see the stuff on the ground that I'd normally pick a line through on a hardtail, it was all just a blur, so I'd just straightline it. Instead I was looking much futher down the trail at the sweeping corners and stuff. I would ride off and over things that would normally have taken me out, not because I intended to but because I was going to fast to miss it, and the bike just dealt with it. You should definetely try and borrow one (demo day ) it's a real eye opener.

 

[PhilStone]

Thanks all...

So far I think I've managed to talk myself into resisting the urge for now...

Unless of course an absolute steal comes on the market then I might have to re-consider... :twisted:

 

[suburbanreuben]

Good Lad!
'tis far better to get Chalfonts than ride a susser!

 

[02gf74]

.... I've take a step back, my latest bike is a hardtail after buying a couple of full suseers ...