K2 offers a full-suspension bike at a bargain price

Not too long ago, only extreme racers and extremely well-heeled enthusiasts rode full-suspension mountain bikes. Bikes boasting both front and rear suspension systems provide incredibly smooth, comfortable rides, but the price tags hovered into the stratosphere.

It took a Northwest company to make the soft-tail (front and back suspension) bike affordable for the masses. K2's Vashon Island-based bicycle division offers its Attack 3.0 mountain bike for about half the cost of the average full-suspension bike, and about the same as a basic hard-tail (front-suspension-only) bike.

The Attack 3.0 carries a bargain price tag, but that doesn't mean it's cheap. This is a feature-rich ride that can absorb a ton of abuse on and off trail. The 7000-series aluminum frame features oversized top and front tubes, and 3- to 4-inch adjustable travel. The Attack sports Shimano Deore components. A Ritchie stem and Rizer handlebars provide top-end support on the front end of the bike, while the front suspension comes from Answer Manito coil-spring (adjustable) forks.

The rear shock includes an adjustable rebound system, and can be tweaked and adjusted to fit the rider's weight and riding style. I found I could cinch it down tightly for riding on hard surfaces (city sidewalks and streets). And I could loosen it with just a few turns of a hand when I hopped onto single tracks. I could quickly and easily customize the ride to match my route.

The features are rounded out with Shimano Deore disk brakes, front and rear.

In short, K2 offers a lightweight mountain bike with high-end components, full suspension system and disk brakes. All for around a grand. Comparable bikes from competing manufacturers typically run close to half-again as much, and seldom sport disc brakes.

The K2 Attack 3.0 carries a suggested price of $1099, but its standard street price is $999. For more information: www.k2sports.com

Dan A. Nelson is a regular contributor to Backpacker magazine, and an author of outdoor guides with The Mountaineers Books. He lives in Puyallup.