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Posted: 2/29/2024 4:38:53 PM EDT
These are the two that I’m currently looking at. Any thoughts one way or the other?
I’ve heard about the same amount of pros & cons on both, depending on which review I read or watch. |
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Posted: 3/1/2024 8:12:39 PM EDT
[#1]
I have the HT2 and the wife has the Fuse. I think the HT2 edges out the Fuse; better front suspension, 10 speed vs 9, and a better bottom bracket. The wheelset on the HT2 is sufficient for the time being.
Plan on spending an additional 20% above the cost to upgrade shortly after you get it home. I replaced the bottom bracket on both bikes. In addition I replaced my shifters with Microshift thumb-shifters and don’t regret it. My days of bombing down trail with wanton disregard are long behind me so I got rid of the dropper post; it’s one less thing to break and maintain, YMMV. |
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Posted: 3/1/2024 9:45:57 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By jerrwhy01: I have the HT2 and the wife has the Fuse. I think the HT2 edges out the Fuse; better front suspension, 10 speed vs 9, and a better bottom bracket. The wheelset on the HT2 is sufficient for the time being. Plan on spending an additional 20% above the cost to upgrade shortly after you get it home. I replaced the bottom bracket on both bikes. In addition I replaced my shifters with Microshift thumb-shifters and don’t regret it. My days of bombing down trail with wanton disregard are long behind me so I got rid of the dropper post; it’s one less thing to break and maintain, YMMV. Thanks for the one to one comparison. Both were suggested that upgrades would be needed. I even watched one video suggesting to just get the H3 and upgrade around its frame. |
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Posted: 3/2/2024 8:51:12 PM EDT
[#3]
Personally, and this is just me; I’d get the complete bike and plan on an additional 20% in upgrades. Bike companies love to use cheaper parts in the places that most people don’t look, like the bottom bracket, head set, etc…. These are the parts that get a lot more abuse than most realize and upgrading these won’t leave you stranded somewhere. Then I’d replace things as they wore out. The when set is acceptable for the time being and so are the brakes and crankset.
You’re not going to save any money by buying a frame and building it from the ground up. Bicycle companies buy in bulk and get components for a lot less than you and I could purchase them for. Buying a complete bike and then getting a new wheel set for it 6 or 8 months down the road means that you’ll probably have a spare wheel should you taco one of your rims. etc…. Hope it helps |
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Posted: 3/3/2024 10:55:42 AM EDT
[Last Edit: kevinRR]
[#4]
Looking at the specs I would get the HT2. You can also look at Marin San Quentin 2 better specs than both HT2 and Fuse. link ---> Marin San Quentin
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Posted: 3/3/2024 12:39:47 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By jerrwhy01: Personally, and this is just me; I’d get the complete bike and plan on an additional 20% in upgrades. Bike companies love to use cheaper parts in the places that most people don’t look, like the bottom bracket, head set, etc…. These are the parts that get a lot more abuse than most realize and upgrading these won’t leave you stranded somewhere. Then I’d replace things as they wore out. The when set is acceptable for the time being and so are the brakes and crankset. You’re not going to save any money by buying a frame and building it from the ground up. Bicycle companies buy in bulk and get components for a lot less than you and I could purchase them for. Buying a complete bike and then getting a new wheel set for it 6 or 8 months down the road means that you’ll probably have a spare wheel should you taco one of your rims. etc…. Hope it helps Did you replace the suspension fork on your HT 2? That’s the main part I’m seeing that’s suggested to replace with complaints specifically aimed at the included Judy. |
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Posted: 3/3/2024 3:26:12 PM EDT
[Last Edit: jerrwhy01]
[#6]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Alacran: Did you replace the suspension fork on your HT 2? That’s the main part I’m seeing that’s suggested to replace with complaints specifically aimed at the included Judy. No, I haven’t had the need to as of yet. So far it hasn’t given me any issues. Keep in mind that I’m in my 50’s and while I raced pro in my younger years, those days are long since behind me. I’m in NE Florida and easily 75% of my trail riding is in Osceola National Forest; I basically live on the edge of it so most of my riding is on two-track jeep trails and ORV trails. When I do get out on trail they tend to be a mix of sand, vegetation, and roots. I’m not getting the speeds that I use to when I was younger and so far that fork has performed decently for my needs, YMMV. I’m curious as to what are the issues with the Judy? |
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Posted: 3/3/2024 3:57:31 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By kevinRR: Looking at the specs I would get the HT2. You can also look at Marin San Quentin 2 better specs than both HT2 and Fuse. link ---> Marin San Quentin The dreaded 27.5 vs. 29 debate. Without testing either so far, I suspect I would prefer 27.5 but want the flexibility to choose either on a single frame. Looks like there’s a 29 version available too. https://www.jensonusa.com/MARIN-SAN-QUENTIN-2-29-BIKE |
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Posted: 3/3/2024 4:03:14 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By jerrwhy01: No, I haven’t had the need to as of yet. So far it hasn’t given me any issues. Keep in mind that I’m in my 50’s and while I raced pro in my younger years, those days are long since behind me. I’m in NE Florida and easily 75% of my trail riding is in Osceola National Forest; I basically live on the edge of it so most of my riding is on two-track jeep trails and OHV trails. When I do get out on trail they tend to be a mix of sand, vegetation, and roots. I’m not getting the speeds that I use to when I was younger and so far that fork has performed decently for my needs, YMMV. I’m curious as to what are the issues with the Judy? Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By jerrwhy01: Originally Posted By Alacran: Did you replace the suspension fork on your HT 2? That’s the main part I’m seeing that’s suggested to replace with complaints specifically aimed at the included Judy. No, I haven’t had the need to as of yet. So far it hasn’t given me any issues. Keep in mind that I’m in my 50’s and while I raced pro in my younger years, those days are long since behind me. I’m in NE Florida and easily 75% of my trail riding is in Osceola National Forest; I basically live on the edge of it so most of my riding is on two-track jeep trails and OHV trails. When I do get out on trail they tend to be a mix of sand, vegetation, and roots. I’m not getting the speeds that I use to when I was younger and so far that fork has performed decently for my needs, YMMV. I’m curious as to what are the issues with the Judy? Good to know as I suspect your terrain is on par with mine in North Texas. I think most of the criticism of the Judy comes from those out West in CA, NV, AZ, etc.., where the front suspension takes more abuse. |
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Posted: 3/3/2024 5:48:44 PM EDT
[Last Edit: jerrwhy01]
[#9]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Alacran: Good to know as I suspect your terrain is on par with mine in North Texas. I think most of the criticism of the Judy comes from those out West in CA, NV, AZ, etc.., where the front suspension takes more abuse. Believe it or not when I was racing I got to ride a decent amount of courses. Mind you things have changed quite a bit, but in my experience the east coast and mid-west states were much more technical while the west-cost tended to be longer climbs, descents, and rock gardens. Both will beat you up in their own ways. My advice is see if the thing works for you and ride the crap out of it. If you wear it out or it doesn’t suit you then replace it. I remember when the Judy first came out, it was well thought of and respected. Now a days I’m not even sure what’s what in terms of most forks and what not. |
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Posted: 3/4/2024 12:49:33 PM EDT
[Last Edit: kevinRR]
[#10]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Alacran: The dreaded 27.5 vs. 29 debate. Without testing either so far, I suspect I would prefer 27.5 but want the flexibility to choose either on a single frame. Looks like there’s a 29 version available too. https://www.jensonusa.com/MARIN-SAN-QUENTIN-2-29-BIKE I had 2 Fuse 27.5 and a Rocky Mountain Growler 29 trail bike. I like the 27.5 better since it seem to be more playful. I ended up getting rid of the Growler and built a 27.5 from a NOS San Quentin frame. Kind of like the AR world were we used part from our parts bin. With so many good parts being on sale it's better to just build your own. Here my left over parts build. Well go test drive some and post up some pictures of what you decide on.  Attached File |
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Posted: 3/4/2024 1:48:52 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By kevinRR: I had 2 Fuse 27.5 and a Rocky Mountain Growler 29 trail bike. I like the 27.5 better since it seem to be more playful. I ended up getting rid of the Growler and built a 27.5 from a NOS San Quentin frame. Kind of like the AR world were we used part from our parts bin. With so many good parts being on sale it's better to just build your own. Here my left over parts build. Well go test drive some and post up some pictures of what you decide on. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/394016/MarinSanQuentin_jpg-3149034.JPG Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By kevinRR: Originally Posted By Alacran: The dreaded 27.5 vs. 29 debate. Without testing either so far, I suspect I would prefer 27.5 but want the flexibility to choose either on a single frame. Looks like there’s a 29 version available too. https://www.jensonusa.com/MARIN-SAN-QUENTIN-2-29-BIKE I had 2 Fuse 27.5 and a Rocky Mountain Growler 29 trail bike. I like the 27.5 better since it seem to be more playful. I ended up getting rid of the Growler and built a 27.5 from a NOS San Quentin frame. Kind of like the AR world were we used part from our parts bin. With so many good parts being on sale it's better to just build your own. Here my left over parts build. Well go test drive some and post up some pictures of what you decide on. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/394016/MarinSanQuentin_jpg-3149034.JPG I think the link below is the only place I saw the weight of the bikes listed. I suspect much of that difference is attributed to the difference in tire sizes. I’m sure I’d prefer a lighter bike but the befits of the 29 keep popping up in my searches, too. I even saw one youtube video showing 29s on the front and 27.5s on the back. Hmm, interesting.  Yep, soon enough, I need to quite doing my research while sitting on the couch and go into the city to find out firsthand. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/22/f9/f7/22f9f79adf00aa0bd1898fae91b9d528.jpg |
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Posted: 3/4/2024 1:59:25 PM EDT
[Last Edit: GlutealCleft]
[#12]
Tough. IMO, between the two, Habit because slacker head angle, but also Fuse because Shimano > Microshift, but also Habit because SRAM brakes > Tektro (although Shimano brakes > SRAM).
That being said, go buy used. I just picked up a well-specced and upgraded, carbon-framed bike for one of my kids, and paid less than 3/4 what those two bikes cost. |
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Posted: 3/4/2024 7:21:36 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Alacran: I think the link below is the only place I saw the weight of the bikes listed. I suspect much of that difference is attributed to the difference in tire sizes. I’m sure I’d prefer a lighter bike but the befits of the 29 keep popping up in my searches, too. I even saw one youtube video showing 29s on the front and 27.5s on the back. Hmm, interesting. Yep, soon enough, I need to quite doing my research while sitting on the couch and go into the city to find out firsthand. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/22/f9/f7/22f9f79adf00aa0bd1898fae91b9d528.jpg Maybe look into an XC bike if you enjoy going fast and having a light bike. My Specialized Chisel is a blast too ride. |
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Posted: 3/4/2024 9:00:00 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By kevinRR: Maybe look into an XC bike if you enjoy going fast and having a light bike. My Specialized Chisel is a blast too ride. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By kevinRR: Originally Posted By Alacran: I think the link below is the only place I saw the weight of the bikes listed. I suspect much of that difference is attributed to the difference in tire sizes. I’m sure I’d prefer a lighter bike but the befits of the 29 keep popping up in my searches, too. I even saw one youtube video showing 29s on the front and 27.5s on the back. Hmm, interesting. Yep, soon enough, I need to quite doing my research while sitting on the couch and go into the city to find out firsthand. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/22/f9/f7/22f9f79adf00aa0bd1898fae91b9d528.jpg Maybe look into an XC bike if you enjoy going fast and having a light bike. My Specialized Chisel is a blast too ride. Hmm. that is pretty light. Does it demand more of a racing stance? Another question you you all - Are quick release wheels still a thing anymore? |
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OR, USA
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Posted: 3/4/2024 9:04:21 PM EDT
[#15]
I have a 2021 Fuse Comp, its the 29", Shimano, 1x12 .. Super happy with it, only Deore but its totally usable
I had a 2nd 27.5 wheelset for it , 2.8s which were super fun, sold them ... upgraded the Recon with a Pike Ultimate , I can still swap 27.5s from my 5010 IF i wanted to San Quintin gets thrown around alot along with the Nuke Proof Scout and Kona Honza for hardtails ... but I'd imagine them being pretty slack for Florida I'd run my Fuse on any of our PNW trails, steeps, rocks/roots, loamy dirt 53yo, been on a MTB since the late 80s and some DH racing in the late 90s |
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Posted: 3/4/2024 9:15:19 PM EDT
[Last Edit: GlutealCleft]
[#16]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Alacran: Another question you you all - Are quick release wheels still a thing anymore? If you're talking the old QR system with the skewers, yes, it's still a thing... but only on cheap bikes. Anything decent has through-axles. And, anything decent has boost spacing. |
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Posted: 3/4/2024 9:29:33 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By way-out-west2: I have a 2021 Fuse Comp, its the 29", Shimano, 1x12 .. Super happy with it, only Deore but its totally usable I had a 2nd 27.5 wheelset for it , 2.8s which were super fun, sold them ... upgraded the Recon with a Pike Ultimate , I can still swap 27.5s from my 5010 IF i wanted to San Quintin gets thrown around alot along with the Nuke Proof Scout and Kona Honza for hardtails ... but I'd imagine them being pretty slack for Florida I'd run my Fuse on any of our PNW trails, steeps, rocks/roots, loamy dirt 53yo, been on a MTB since the late 80s and some DH racing in the late 90s So far, I’m torn between Specialized and Cannondale. So far… |
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Posted: 3/4/2024 9:31:11 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GlutealCleft: If you're talking the old QR system with the skewers, yes, it's still a thing... but only on cheap bikes. Anything decent has through-axles. And, anything decent has boost spacing. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By GlutealCleft: Originally Posted By Alacran: Another question you you all - Are quick release wheels still a thing anymore? If you're talking the old QR system with the skewers, yes, it's still a thing... but only on cheap bikes. Anything decent has through-axles. And, anything decent has boost spacing. lol, I remember paying extra for that back in the day. Oh, well….. |
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Posted: 3/20/2024 11:00:22 PM EDT
[#19]
Decision made and executed.
Thank you all for your input and thank you @jerrwhy01 for your detailed input on the two that I was initially considering. Tonight, I brought home my new Cannondale Habit HT2 in Mantis color that I ended up buying from REI. This was my first purchase from REI in I don’t know how many years, even though I’ve been a member since the mid 90s. We’re supposed to get thunderstorms beginning tonight, going through the weekend and into next week, so I don’t know when I’ll really get the chance to ride my bike on my own turf. lol I also found the following videos helpful in pushing me in that direction.  Cannondale Habit 2 First Look - Cannondale's New Affordable Hardtail With Modern Geometry  Cannondale's Affordable Hardtail - The Cannondale Habit HT 2 Review |
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Posted: 3/23/2024 4:57:21 PM EDT
[#20]
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TX, USA
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Posted: 4/18/2024 5:15:28 PM EDT
[#21]
Where you riding in TX? I got the 27.5 Fuse a couple years ago... yearning for a Pivot Trail 429 now.
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Posted: 4/19/2024 6:14:54 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Slappy600cc: Where you riding in TX? I got the 27.5 Fuse a couple years ago... yearning for a Pivot Trail 429 now. I haven’t really found a bonafide mountain bike trail in my area. I live in a small town in North Texas, so I mostly ride around town and outside of town which also includes dirt roads. That’s a big reason why I think 27.5 would probably suit me better. REI used to have a list of bike trails but I can’t find it. The selection around the D/FW area was pretty weak back then and probably still is. I used to ride around lakes and just make my own trail when venturing off road, but that’s been a while. |
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OR, USA
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Posted: 4/20/2024 11:46:34 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Alacran: I haven’t really found a bonafide mountain bike trail in my area. I live in a small town in North Texas, so I mostly ride around town and outside of town which also includes dirt roads. That’s a big reason why I think 27.5 would probably suit me better. REI used to have a list of bike trails but I can’t find it. The selection around the D/FW area was pretty weak back then and probably still is. I used to ride around lakes and just make my own trail when venturing off road, but that’s been a while. Have you looked into Trailforks , Strava or Ridewithgps .. websites/apps .... you should be able to find all the local trails/paths/loops you want ... |
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Posted: 4/20/2024 12:57:35 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By way-out-west2: Have you looked into Trailforks , Strava or Ridewithgps .. websites/apps .... you should be able to find all the local trails/paths/loops you want ... Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By way-out-west2: Originally Posted By Alacran: I haven’t really found a bonafide mountain bike trail in my area. I live in a small town in North Texas, so I mostly ride around town and outside of town which also includes dirt roads. That’s a big reason why I think 27.5 would probably suit me better. REI used to have a list of bike trails but I can’t find it. The selection around the D/FW area was pretty weak back then and probably still is. I used to ride around lakes and just make my own trail when venturing off road, but that’s been a while. Have you looked into Trailforks , Strava or Ridewithgps .. websites/apps .... you should be able to find all the local trails/paths/loops you want ... Very cool! It looks like my options are located around lakes so I was at least somewhat on “the right trail”. Thanks for the leads!  |
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