Gary, it’s a component issue really. You select the type of frame, steel, aluminum, alloy, composite, to determine the stiffness or flexibility if you like. Cannondales(aluminum type) are wide bar, stiffer than the flexibility of a thin bar steel frame. Size should be standardized across the Quality Brands. The selection should be made focused around the majority of riding one will do. If your area is flat, then real deep gears won’t be necessary. Range of surfaces are important, sandy, soft, wet, hard, rocky, and the tires should be selected with the rims. The rims should be solid, and probably are these days, for the most part.
If the bike is for jumping, and whatnot, it should lean to a smaller frame, touring likes the longer stretch. In my experience it’s better to build by component for the advanced rider, after all, that’s what the sponsors do for their own riders.
That being said, I still have a Specialized StumpJumper that I bought new in the 80’s, one of the first Mountain Bikes in production. To my knowledge their still highly recognized today. For Road Touring, I use a Fugi America, though I had an early Klein, it was aluminum, and to stiff for those long treks.
Warning, the fancier the bike, the more apt it is to be stolen, high dollar components can be remove easily if they have Quick-Release adjusters. I’ve lost some high dollar rims with custom made cassettes when I locked the front wheel to the frame and not the back. I’ve had my seats stolen, among other things.
Fugi made top of the line affordable bikes in my day, and more then likely, they still do?
Optional components:
Both my bikes have Cateye Computers. I laughed the first time a bike computer was suggested in 84, but found it to be one of the best training tools and money well spent.
Good Luck!
