2020 XC Bike Thread

[kelseyh]

As much as I am typically very pro-FS (I made the switch and will likely never go back to a hardtail personally for my riding), I think in your case I’d probably want a hardtail just because of the type of rides/terrain it sounds like you’ll be riding most of the time with the MTB. I think coming from a tri background and not riding trails super often with the bike, I think the efficiency of the hardtail on pavement/fire roads/gravel is going to be something you’d want over the comfort of the FS on trails and rougher terrain. If your balance was going to lean more toward trails, then I’d probably go with an XC FS with modern geometry and a good dual lockout for a better balance of comfort and forgivingness with efficiency. So I’d say my advice would really come down to what you think the balance of trails/singletrack to pavement/fire roads/gravel will be, and let that guide your decision. The two Canyons you mentioned would be reasonable choices, but most brands will have good options for both, so if you aren’t married to Canyon, it may not hurt to shop around. Given the current bike supply situation, you may be in a spot where going with what is available now or soon is the best option (I ordered a new frame end of August that won’t be here until March, which works for my situation but would be a turnoff for many).