Newbie looking for Full Suspension frame? Specialized FSR XC Comp a good choice?

[cboyd1974]

My family is new to mountain biking this year. I currently have a 2011 Gt Avalanche 1.0 and I love the bike so far, but I just wish I would have gotten a full suspension MTB instead. We ride on quite a few rough trails with lots of roots, rocks and some logs. There are quite a few rocky downhill trails we can go down but they currently beat me to death.

I am trying to figure out a decent suspension frame so I can swap all of my current parts over from. I found a person locally selling a 2009 Specialized FSR XC comp. Bike was barely used and it was just recently taken apart. For $300, he is willing to sell the complete frame with the Fox shock. He is keeping his front forks. He is not not willing go any lower on his price. Is this a decent frame? I read reviews and a lot of people recommend getting the Stumperjumper FSR instead, but it seems they go for more money. I think this frame and my current Avalanche would work out good for him.

Almost forgot. The bike frame is a 18 or 19" from what I recall. I'm 5'11 210 lbs.. I gained 30 lbs from a recent major knee surgery, so I should be back to 180 by spring.

Any thoughts would be great.

[bclagge]

It's a good bike, and the size sounds about right. As long as it's red it's a good buy. Red is faster.

Tip though, you don't need a full suspension just because there are roots and rocks. In fact, learning to ride on them with a hard tail helps you develop skills that sometimes go by the wayside with a FS. Remember to stay OUT of the saddle for anything rough and your legs are your suspension. It's called the attack position and it should be your new best friend.

If you're standing up when you should, then you won't get any more beaten up on a HT than on a FS. Your legs will get more tired because you have to stand up for more of the small stuff, but that will make you stronger.

[NateHawk]

it's a good FS platform.

I do think that FS does help some with the beat up feeling you might get on a rough trail. mostly, though, it's a traction thing. suspension helps keep the wheels in contact with the ground more, which gives more control.

if you watch that guy in the hardtail DH vid, he's having to deal with the bike deflecting off of the terrain a good bit. while FS won't eliminate that on such a trail, it will reduce it. that will reduce fatigue some.

The FSR XC is a fairly short travel XC platform, which especially won't make a lot of difference with the sensation of feeling beat up on rough terrain. I rode a trail last weekend that was fairly eroded out and was VERY rough in spots. I have an 03 Stumpjumper Comp with similar travel to the FSR XC models, and I still felt like I was beat up at the end of a 16mi ride.

if that's your main complaint, you would do well to install bigger tires and use lower pressures on your current bike. It would make a bigger difference than XC full suspension.

furthermore, being a new rider, you really don't want to dive into building up a frame just yet. you'd do better to buy a beater and disassemble it yourself, clean and lube, and reassemble it so you see how everything goes together.

[beanbag]

IMHO I don't like the specialized suspension designs because they bob a lot under pedaling, which saps energy, and they try to fix it with damping. I like the DW link and DW link knock-off bikes like the Giants.

However, 300 for the frame is not a bad price. I would search for reviews of this bike and see what other people's opinions are on how bad the bob is.

[MOJO K]

Looking only at the deal side I think you could buy the frame, build it up, and rideit for a bit. It'll still be worth most of the $300 if you're not into it. I'm 5'11" and rode a 19" stumpjumper'04 model(like Nate says it is the same frame design) and think an 18" would have been to small for me. You'll need to look up "top-tube" measurements compare your bike to the FSR XC. An inch difference is a lot.

Also try to get the seatpost and clamp in with the deal...Specialized uses one of less common standard sizes so your take-off parts might not fit. The frame also requires a certain front deraileur configuration (Low clamp/ bottom swing maybe but don't quote me on that) that isn't universal so just be aware.

parktool.com is a great site and will get you through most of what you need to know building a bike

Having said all that....you really are better off learning your fundamental skills on a hardtail.

Edit to answer Beanbag's observation...different riders like different suspension designs.
I like the FSR (horst link) design. Bean likes the DW. others like the VPP. Nobody is wrong. As a new rider may not ba as in touch with the variations. I'm also inclined to think the only DW link frames that would pop up near the $300 mark would be Iron Horse( who no longer offer support).

I rode the '04 stumpy pro for 3 1/2 seasons. The bike was light, fast and stiff. The head angle was a little too steep for a lot of the trails I was riding. The bottombracket was also a bit low so there were more pedal strikes on the NEast rocks than any other bike I've owned. I moved from that bike to an enduro sl.

[cboyd1974]

Thanks everyone for your replies back. As far as disassembly goes, I just got finished servicing putting my sons mountain bike back together. Most of that was pretty easy since I was a mechanic for 15 years. It was a bit trickier with the shifters, but I watched a couple videos and got that figured out and shifting smoothly.

I guess one of the reasons I am feeling beat up is because I had major reconstructive knee surgery had. I cannot stand on the pedals as long as I need to most of the time. I rode a friends full suspension bike the other day and it was night and day difference for me.

Currently my bike has 2.1" tires on it, which seem pretty large already. What should I try and lower the air pressure down to?

[NateHawk]

Thanks everyone for your replies back. As far as disassembly goes, I just got finished servicing putting my sons mountain bike back together. Most of that was pretty easy since I was a mechanic for 15 years. It was a bit trickier with the shifters, but I watched a couple videos and got that figured out and shifting smoothly.

I guess one of the reasons I am feeling beat up is because I had major reconstructive knee surgery had. I cannot stand on the pedals as long as I need to most of the time. I rode a friends full suspension bike the other day and it was night and day difference for me.

Currently my bike has 2.1" tires on it, which seem pretty large already. What should I try and lower the air pressure down to?

2.1's aren't that big. I ride a 2.4/2.2 combo on my bike. the pressure you use will depend on you, where you ride, your tires, and your rims. take the pressure low enough that you get extra cushioning and traction, but not so low you're denting your rims or getting pinch flats. trial and error is the recipe here. going tubeless can help you get lower pressure. I am usually at or just below 30psi on mine.

with your surgery recovery is going to take some time to deal with. you're going to have to stand on the pedals in the attack position on a mtb no matter what kind of bike you buy. just take it easy and don't overdo it.

[beanbag]

Look at the Giant Trance, then. It is a fairly cheap and common DW link knockoff bike. The good thing is that the frame is the same in all the models, so you can upgrade the components later.

[MOJO K]

Currently my bike has 2.1" tires on it, which seem pretty large already. What should I try and lower the air pressure down to?

At 210# I think you might be around 36psi front/ near 40psi rear. Big 2.3's and you could probably be near 32/ 36 to start. We mostly run tire pressure as low as we can get away with without : pinch flatting, tearing side-walls, denting rims, or having tires roll off the rims, etc. My meathod is to let the rear wheel rest on something with a square corner. I then lean all of my weight on the saddle and look at how the tire changes shape. The side-walls should bulge, but not wrinkle.

[kwsmithphoto]

I too recently had major knee surgery - ACL, MCL, and meniscus. And I also got out of shape during the long recovery which is hard to get back.

My then-current bike was a late 90's Rocky Mountain Element full suspension bike. For such an old bike it was great but with only 3 inches of travel or so, 26" wheels and a 3x8 drivetrain, old school tubular frame, it's best MTB years are well behind it. So I fitted it with slicks, cranked up the suspension, and put it on a trainer stand once my knee could take it to burn some calories over the Winter. Then I eventually got fit enough to start doing some road rides, then put the knobbies back on and tried some off road.

The last part didn't work out so well. I still have to plant my butt in the seat and take it easy on climbs so I don't aggravate the MCL too much, so I know exactly how you feel. Advice - take your time! The harder you push it the longer it will take to heal. Ice is your friend as is Advil in moderate doses (it's bad for your heart and your guts).

Anyway, I decided to go with a long travel but reasonably efficient bike and an experienced friend steered me towards the 2013 Stumpy FSR Comp 29er. I rode one and liked it immediately. The Rocky got the 100psi slicks back on it and I use it for cardio, but a lot of time I just take out the Stumpy because it's almost as fast on tarmac, even with big tubeless MTB tires so I can hop curbs (or ride straight up them) with impunity. As I get stronger through the Summer I'll probably upgrade to a beefier fork but the one it comes with isn't bad, it's just a wee bit flexy. The frame isn't though, and the rear suspension is a lot more active while seated which is fine since I usually am seated.

I know it's more of an all mountain bike than the FSR XC frame is but that's fine; as a multiple injured 50 year old dude, my racing days are long behind me, and between the bigger wheels and 5" of travel, it's just soooo much easier to ride. "Uh oh, I screwed up and that nasty root is gonna send me over the bars...er uh? The bike just rolled right over it." That goes through my head a lot these days. Does it make me lazy? Yes, but it also makes me safer which is much more important to me with my busted up and aging body.

Anyway, it wasn't cheap but it didn't break the bank at $2700. Pedals and a slightly less wide Eatson Haven carbon handlebar brought the total up a bit but made it better for me. Mountain biking is all about fun with a much bigger safety margin now. And it is kinda fun to be riding on a busy trail and have people look it over, like it immediately, then ride off on their spendy carbon fiber boutique bikes they're still paying for.

Will I ever go back to a hardtail or short travel but lighter XC race bike? Nope.

One more thing, nobody in the reviews about the 29er series of FSR Comps complains much about pedal bob. It was an issue with my ole Rocky but I climb with the rear shock in descend mode and it's just not an issue, at least not for me at this point in my life. Maybe it will be as my legs get stronger but there's a switch for that on the rear shock that almost locks it out completely.

Take care of that knee, be safe, and have fun!!