I’m looking to buy the best all around FS bike for trail riding for around the $1K mark. I’m a beginner having only had a Toys ‘R’ Us bike the last 4 years and not really riding it very much. I do know that bob on uphill climbs is something I want to avoid after trying to ride that cheap bike with the cheap front shock uphill. Also I have a 33” inseam and weigh around 180lbs. I know from the work I do the more upright and less bent over riding position would probably work better for my back as well. After doing some reading on the net I’ve come across these 7 bikes that seem to fit my price range. One of the problems is that a few of these would have to be online purchases because there are no dealers near me to try them out. Also, I don’t really know as far as stock components where my money would be best spent considering these bikes. We have very wet Spring and Fall seasons where I live with very dry Summers so I thought the disc brakes might be important but again I really don’t know. Ok now the list by lowest to highest price I can find.
GT idrive 2.0 - $799.99
Frame Material:
Frame Angles: 70.5 head, 73.0 seat
Sizes: s, m, l, xl
Fork: Rock Shox Pilot SL 100mm
Rear Shock: Fox Float Air Shock
Brake Levers: Shimano Deore Integrated
Handlebar: Syncros New 6061 Butted Alum Adventure bar with 50mm rise and 7 degree bend
Stem: GT MTN, Tig welded threadless, 10 degree rise with 4-bolt face plate
Headset: Tange Zero Stack system for 1 1/8”
Front Der: Shimano Alivio
Crankset: TruVativ Firex, ISIS driveAlloy Outer, 42,32,22
Rear Der: Shimano LX
Pedals: Ritchey ’03 Logic v.3 Comp Clipless pedal, with new Shimano 959 system
Tires: Front Tioga Factory XC Extreme 26 x 2.1 Rear Factory XC26 x 1.95
Specialized FSR XC - $849.99
Frame Material: Specialized A1 aluminum, double butted
Frame Angles: 71.0 head, 69.0 seat
Sizes: large, medium, small, xlarge
Fork: Answer Manitou Axel Comp, 100mm travel
Rear Shock: coil
Brake Levers: Shimano M420
Handlebar: Specialized aluminum
Stem: Specialized riser
Headset: 1 1/8" threadless aluminum
Front Der: Shimano Deore, clamp-on/34.9mm
Crankset: Shimano Hollowtech, 22/32/44 teeth
Rear Der: Shimano Deore
Pedals: aluminum platform
Tires: 26 x 2.00" Specialized Roll-X
Giant NRS 3 - $899.99
Frame Material: ALUXX SL double butted aluminum
Frame Angles: 71.0 head, 72.0 seat
Sizes: 16.5”, 18.5”, 20.5”, 22.5”
Fork: RockShox Pilot XC, 80mm
Rear Shock: Fox Float R Air, 3.75”
Brake Levers: Avid SD3 direct pull
Handlebar: Easton EA50 low riser
Stem: Easton EA50
Headset: Integrated Ahead
Front Der: Shimano Deore LX
Crankset: RaceFace Ride XC ISIS, 22/32/44T
Rear Der: Shimano Deore LX
Pedals: Shimano M505 Clipless
Tires: Hutchinson Python Air Light, 26x2.0
Gary Fisher Sugar 4+ - $949.99
Frame Material: aluminum
Frame Angles: Unspecified
Sizes: 16", 17.5", 19", 21"
Fork: Answer Manitou Axel Super, 70-100mm travel
Rear Shock: Rock Shox Bar Adjust
Brake Levers: aluminum linear-pull
Handlebar: Bontrager Crowbar Sport
Stem: Bontrager Sport
Headset: 1 1/8" threadless Aheadset / Semi-Cartidge
Front Der: Shimano Deore LX
Crankset: Bontrager Select, 22/32/44 teeth
Rear Der: Shimano Deore LX
Pedals: Shimano PD-M505 SPD
Tires: 26 x 2.10" IRC Mythos XC
Kona Kikapu - $999.99
Frame Material: 7005 aluminum
Frame Angles: Unspecified
Sizes: 14", 16", 18", 19", 20", 21", 23"
Fork: Marzocchi MZ Comp, 100mm travel
Rear Shock: Fox Vanilla, 3.5" travel
Brake Levers: Avid FR-1
Handlebar: Kona Riser
Stem: TruVativ XR
Headset: 1 1/8" threadless Victor VP-A71
Front Der: Shimano Deore, top-pull/clamp-on
Crankset: TruVativ Five D, 22/32/44 teeth
Rear Der: Shimano Deore LX
Pedals: Wellgo A9 w/ clips and straps
Tires: 26 x 1.95" Tioga Terra Firma
Iron Horse Hollowpoint Sport - $1,079.00
Frame Material: 7005 aluminum, double butted
Frame Angles: 71.0 head, 71.4 seat
Sizes: 15", 17", 19", 21"
Fork: Rock Shox Duke XC Air, 100mm
Rear Shock: Manitou QR Air, 4.5"
Brake Levers: Avid Speed Dial 7
Handlebar: TruVativ XR-XC
Stem: TruVativ
Headset: 1 1/8" FSA, threadless
Front Der: Shimano Deore
Crankset: TruVativ Firex SX, 22/32/44 teeth
Rear Der: Shimano Deore XT
Pedals: Shimano PD-M520L
Tires: 26 x 2.35" Maxxis Hansventure
Cannondale Jekyll 600-disc - $1249.99
Frame Material: 6013 T6 aluminum
Frame Angles: 69.5-71.0 head, 72.0-73.5 seat
Sizes: large, medium, small, xlarge
Fork: Answer Manitou Black Elite
Rear Shock: Fox Float RL with ProPedal
Brake Levers: Cannondale Fire
Handlebar: Cannondale Earth
Stem: Cannondale HeadShok SI
Headset: 1 1/8" threadless FSA Converter
Front Der: Shimano Deore LX
Crankset: TruVativ Five D, 22/32/44 teeth
Rear Der: Shimano Deore XT
Pedals: Cannondale clipless
Tires: 26 x 2.00" Hutchinson Scorpion
GT idrive 2.0 - $799.99
Frame Material:
Frame Angles: 70.5 head, 73.0 seat
Sizes: s, m, l, xl
Fork: Rock Shox Pilot SL 100mm
Rear Shock: Fox Float Air Shock
Brake Levers: Shimano Deore Integrated
Handlebar: Syncros New 6061 Butted Alum Adventure bar with 50mm rise and 7 degree bend
Stem: GT MTN, Tig welded threadless, 10 degree rise with 4-bolt face plate
Headset: Tange Zero Stack system for 1 1/8”
Front Der: Shimano Alivio
Crankset: TruVativ Firex, ISIS driveAlloy Outer, 42,32,22
Rear Der: Shimano LX
Pedals: Ritchey ’03 Logic v.3 Comp Clipless pedal, with new Shimano 959 system
Tires: Front Tioga Factory XC Extreme 26 x 2.1 Rear Factory XC26 x 1.95
Specialized FSR XC - $849.99
Frame Material: Specialized A1 aluminum, double butted
Frame Angles: 71.0 head, 69.0 seat
Sizes: large, medium, small, xlarge
Fork: Answer Manitou Axel Comp, 100mm travel
Rear Shock: coil
Brake Levers: Shimano M420
Handlebar: Specialized aluminum
Stem: Specialized riser
Headset: 1 1/8" threadless aluminum
Front Der: Shimano Deore, clamp-on/34.9mm
Crankset: Shimano Hollowtech, 22/32/44 teeth
Rear Der: Shimano Deore
Pedals: aluminum platform
Tires: 26 x 2.00" Specialized Roll-X
Giant NRS 3 - $899.99
Frame Material: ALUXX SL double butted aluminum
Frame Angles: 71.0 head, 72.0 seat
Sizes: 16.5”, 18.5”, 20.5”, 22.5”
Fork: RockShox Pilot XC, 80mm
Rear Shock: Fox Float R Air, 3.75”
Brake Levers: Avid SD3 direct pull
Handlebar: Easton EA50 low riser
Stem: Easton EA50
Headset: Integrated Ahead
Front Der: Shimano Deore LX
Crankset: RaceFace Ride XC ISIS, 22/32/44T
Rear Der: Shimano Deore LX
Pedals: Shimano M505 Clipless
Tires: Hutchinson Python Air Light, 26x2.0
Gary Fisher Sugar 4+ - $949.99
Frame Material: aluminum
Frame Angles: Unspecified
Sizes: 16", 17.5", 19", 21"
Fork: Answer Manitou Axel Super, 70-100mm travel
Rear Shock: Rock Shox Bar Adjust
Brake Levers: aluminum linear-pull
Handlebar: Bontrager Crowbar Sport
Stem: Bontrager Sport
Headset: 1 1/8" threadless Aheadset / Semi-Cartidge
Front Der: Shimano Deore LX
Crankset: Bontrager Select, 22/32/44 teeth
Rear Der: Shimano Deore LX
Pedals: Shimano PD-M505 SPD
Tires: 26 x 2.10" IRC Mythos XC
Kona Kikapu - $999.99
Frame Material: 7005 aluminum
Frame Angles: Unspecified
Sizes: 14", 16", 18", 19", 20", 21", 23"
Fork: Marzocchi MZ Comp, 100mm travel
Rear Shock: Fox Vanilla, 3.5" travel
Brake Levers: Avid FR-1
Handlebar: Kona Riser
Stem: TruVativ XR
Headset: 1 1/8" threadless Victor VP-A71
Front Der: Shimano Deore, top-pull/clamp-on
Crankset: TruVativ Five D, 22/32/44 teeth
Rear Der: Shimano Deore LX
Pedals: Wellgo A9 w/ clips and straps
Tires: 26 x 1.95" Tioga Terra Firma
Iron Horse Hollowpoint Sport - $1,079.00
Frame Material: 7005 aluminum, double butted
Frame Angles: 71.0 head, 71.4 seat
Sizes: 15", 17", 19", 21"
Fork: Rock Shox Duke XC Air, 100mm
Rear Shock: Manitou QR Air, 4.5"
Brake Levers: Avid Speed Dial 7
Handlebar: TruVativ XR-XC
Stem: TruVativ
Headset: 1 1/8" FSA, threadless
Front Der: Shimano Deore
Crankset: TruVativ Firex SX, 22/32/44 teeth
Rear Der: Shimano Deore XT
Pedals: Shimano PD-M520L
Tires: 26 x 2.35" Maxxis Hansventure
Cannondale Jekyll 600-disc - $1249.99
Frame Material: 6013 T6 aluminum
Frame Angles: 69.5-71.0 head, 72.0-73.5 seat
Sizes: large, medium, small, xlarge
Fork: Answer Manitou Black Elite
Rear Shock: Fox Float RL with ProPedal
Brake Levers: Cannondale Fire
Handlebar: Cannondale Earth
Stem: Cannondale HeadShok SI
Headset: 1 1/8" threadless FSA Converter
Front Der: Shimano Deore LX
Crankset: TruVativ Five D, 22/32/44 teeth
Rear Der: Shimano Deore XT
Pedals: Cannondale clipless
Tires: 26 x 2.00" Hutchinson Scorpion