Hey guys, just getting back into mountain biking after a 10 year break and was looking to buy a new bike for the first time in 15. I figured terminology and tech would be pretty much the same, but I feel like I'm speaking a different language than everyone in MTB forums/communities.
I went in to my local shop looking for an entry level 27.5 FS bike in the $1500-2k range. I did some initial research beforehand and I zeroed in on a trail bike like the Marin Rift Zone, as I'll mostly be riding intermediate but hilly trails with small jumps and drops. However, after talking to the guy at the shop for a little bit he showed me a Fuji Auric 1.5 (https://99spokes.com/bikes/fuji/2021/auric-27.5-1.5) he had for sale for $1400. At first glance it seemed like a great deal, but the employee was REALLY pushing it (50% off!!! was mentioned about 12 times) to the point that I became concerned I was being taken advantage of. I asked why they were selling it so cheap and he basically just told me it's an older model and the brand isn't particularly popular but the bike itself was quality. After googling a bit it's safe to say he wasn't lying about the brand not being popular, I can find very little discussion about the bike (or any Fuji mountain bikes period). I don't know anyone who mountain bikes anymore, so I have no real choice but to ask strangers on the internet: Is this actually a great deal or am I falling victim to a salesman?
Thanks.
by MostBoastToast
2 Comments
The Auric is a fairly strange bike. Depending on your intentions, the sizing may put you off. It has a very low stack and very long reach. The sizes seem shifted over slightly, but regardless of what size you choose the stack is crazy low.
Among other things, the chainstay is very short. Which can generally be considered fun but with the long reach it just exaggerates the imbalance as opposed to having an overall shorter bike that is playful but still fairly balanced.
The seat tube angle is fairly slack even for a 2021 build. Which is a shame because the build spec is actually fine, the value was ok at release and very compelling at a discount, and even the M link suspension got some ok reviews despite being a bit of an outlier in feel.
That said, I’d rather get a Marin Rift Zone or Polygon Siskiu over the Fuji builds. MOSTLY due to sizing.
Unless you can claim that running 80mm rise bars to fix a glaring geometry issue is no issue for you.
This bike would be great for an active playful rider who isn’t too concerned about how it feels while climbing. Throw a high rise bar on it to fix the stack and let that short chainstay fling you about the trail while the front end is relatively steady. Admittedly it’s a bike I’d love to ride, but not when there are much better options. Be it a Rift Zone or Polygon or hopefully a Kona 134 if they come back.
Is there a reason for sticking to 27.5? Nothing you mention that you’ll use it for precludes a 29er. Not saying you’re in the wrong, but you might be limiting options for no reason.