frames

I am ready to buy my first soft tail. When measuring performance, durability and overall quality, the devil may be in the details. Can someone help me understand more about issues in building a full suspension bike?

Obsessing over shaving grams off the weight is not a luxury I can afford. Neither is buying a bike that does not meet my needs. My needs are a matter of function, not ego. I do want to keep the weight down within reason. XT or comparable quality components are a good baseline for my expectations.

I walked into a bike shop and was blown away by the prices of the complete ready to ride bikes in stock with high end build kits. The frame, made in Taiwan as are most frames, was a lesser know brand.

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