Hi...iam planning my first mtbike trip in sept and ive got 2 29rs...mach 429 f/s and a carbon h/t 1x10....my question is are the trails rocky or mostly buff...cant decide which one to bring.
wouldn't dream of taking a HT over a FS to Durango. But then, I would say that about almost anyplace.
FWIW, the comment that it is not rocky except above treeline is not true. For example, nobody who has ridden Raiders Ridge would say it is not rocky, and it's right in town. OTOH, Sidewinder, just a mile or so away, is smooth and flowy. Simply depends on what trails you pick.
Let's just say it this way: In the Colorado High Country, Full Suspension is generally a good idea, and moar lower gears are generally a good idea. Durango, Telluride, Crested Butte, Steamboat Springs, Aspen, etc.
Etc.
All these places are in a thing called the Rocky Mountains. Coincidentally they tend to be pretty rocky. And mountainous.
Some people really like hard tails. Some people like to have fewer gears, or just one. They have fun.
But if there's some reason you have a full-suspension bike, and that reason has to do with dealing with bumpy terrain, you probably will want to bring it. And if there's some reason that you have some lower gears, meaning you aren't already into pushing hard gears, you'll want the one with the lower gears. Why? Because it's mountainous. You will be climbing more than you will be descending. Unless you shuttle EVERYTHING.
I did a biggish ride in Durango Saturday. I live in these rocky mountainous areas. I have a bike with three chainrings, the smallest of which being a 22T. I pushed my bike a great deal.
Bring the low gears. Bring the full-suspension. You will want both in these mountainous rocky terrains.
I think the folks over on the Western Slope forum will tell you that too.
If you can only take one bike, my advice would be take the one that is most versatile. The FS bike will let you ride most any trail that you want, smooth or rough.
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