Whats so bad about full sus mtbs?

[User16625]

I got a saracen ariel 1 which I use for all off road cycling from canal paths to some serious downhill stuff. (http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/review-saracen-ariel-1-10099/). I find it does the job well but I havent ridden other decent mountain bikes so have no basis for comparison.

Are most full sus bikes under a grand really that bad and for what reason? Just asking because ive heard it said that you wont get a decent full sus bike for much less than several grand. My mtb is a bit weighty compared to my carbon fibre road bike, but dont really want to be going that fast on gravel and mud next to sheer drops anyway.

 

[User482]

Bear in mind that your Saracen would cost over £1k now, cos bikes have gone up a lot in the last few years.

Full suspension frames are expensive to produce, so to get a complete bike under a grand, you have to compromise the specification. So a cheap full suss is likely to be heavier, and have inferior quality components when compared to a hardtail.

That said, there are good FS bikes to be had at reasonable (ish) money, say under £1500 - have a look at Boardman, Giant and Canyon. I'm sure your bike is fine too, though I don't know much about them.

 

[lukesdad]

No reason at all for the use you are putting it to !