I'm going to the Denver VeloSwap in about 10 days with the intent of getting the most for my money (~$800) on a quality full suspension bike. I did this about 6 years ago and came back with a very nice (XTR-equipped) Specialized FSR Stumpjumper and would like to do as well again. I'm pretty good at judging component quality and overall condition of a bike, but I'm largely clueless when it comes to suspension design, and even shock make quality (I'm a bit better with respect to suspension forks). I've tried to research bikes and establish a reputation with respect to the suspension design, but the evolution of suspension has me worried about picking out a bike that might be 4 or 5 years old. So...can people list suspension frames to stay away from when buying used older models (make and model, I can't reliably distinguish a 4-bar linkage from a DW-link, etc.).
Thanks!
Thanks!