in Beginners, Newbies, Noobz, etc (Moderators: imwjl, TheMayor1)

So I'm literally packing up and moving from Madison right now, and excited to see there is some good riding around. Been living in the Green Mountains in VT for some years. What im curious about is are most of the trails best suited for a hard tail or light fs trail bike? Currently pedaling around a 6", 30 lb rig that is perfectly suited for my uses now. Will this bike be overkill in WI?

Welcome!

Right now, the perfect bike is a fatty!

I'd bring what you have and ride it here to see if you like it.  Make a decision once you try it. 

Welcome to WI!

In some places, maybe a little. I'm not familiar with the trails in VT (my loss I'm sure), but I'll think you'll find some challenging trails around the state and within a 3-4 day weekend. That's a pretty light bike so I think you'll find that you can just bomb down hill faster in some of the tamer places. FWIW I just put together a 6" bike and I'm here for the foreseeable future.

If you're in the Madison area check out Blue Mounds State Park.  Just beware that the rocks can be sharp and tires with good sidewalls and/or higher tire pressure might be a good idea your first couple of rides. In general, going over is better than going around.

The other trails in the area offer plenty of technical stuff and some skills areas, jumps, etc. Check out our trails page. Also, Southern Kettles (John Muir) is decent but less technical, sometimes crowded, although there's mileage there.

I'd also check our forums in a few months for group rides, or post when you're going out.

Thanks for the responses even though my English this morning in my heavily caffeinated state appears to have been worse than 12 year old girl on her phone. I've been checking out the trails page and vids on youtube and have a list of places to visit already. Will definitely be bringing my ride and traveling around WI and the UP when the weather warms. I've been trying to convince myself i don't need a fatty for years and I'm satisfied with skiing instead. Not sure that's possible anymore. I'll be around and keep my eyes open for group rides or trail work.

Skiing is really good around here too...at least the XC stuff.

Alpine may leave a little to be desired compared to the East. I manage to have fun on the skis despite a lack of big elevation. There is good stuff in the UP for that also.

Also, FYI, our members have all sorts of different bikes:  Fatties, single speeds, 29er duelies, rigid 26ers.   We have a variety of terrain, so don't feel like you need to drop serious coin on a specialized bike.

Or eventually get 5 bikes

Or eventually get 5 bikes

I believe that is the true answer to the post title
Look forward to seeing you on the trails. Remeber the best way to get the know the trails and meet the local mountain bikers is the join in a trail day this spring!