40M, roadie, looking to get my first full suspension MTB.
I live on the Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. My local trails are the Currumbin Border Trails, which are mostly green with a couple of blues. I'll also be riding Nerang (mostly blues with some black). There is also the Boomerang Farm bike park, which I'd like to take on once I've progressed a bit.
Budget is A$4,000.
If I were to buy new, I'd probably go for a Marin Rift Zone XR AXS or a Polygon Siskiu T9. I don't think you can currently get more bike at the price point of either of these (happy to be corrected). I'm super tempted by the Marin, mostly because I love electronic shifting. Both of these bikes are heavy, though.
Looking at what typically comes up second hand around the GC and Brisbane, for $4k I could get a really nicely spec'd full carbon bike, probably between 2 and 5 years old. I'm a reasonably competent amateur mechanic, so I feel like I could figure out if a potential purpose has problems with the drive train, headset, brakes, etc,, but I have zero experience with suspension. Not being able to tell if the previous owner has properly maintained the fork and shock is the main thing that puts me off buying used.
If I was to buy a used, I also feel like I would look more at an all-mountain or maybe even enduro bike. Something I can throw myself down hills on and which will soak up all of my mistakes. Would the light weight (sub-13 kg) of a carbon bike with enduro geometry make it similar in climbing ability to a heavier bike with trail geometry?
This is probably a question that's been asked a thousand times, but I'd appreciate any input on my situation.
by make_beer_not_war