Mountain Bike?

[mickarch]

Any mountain bikers out there?

I'm in the market for a new mountain bike for trail riding and I have no idea where to start looking. I have about a $500 budget and would be looking for a good frame and ok components that I could upgrade in the future. I would be riding some pretty decent trails with hills, mud, sand, rocks, roots etc.

I was told to look for a bike that at a minimum has a front suspension and 24 speeds. I used to have GT bike, but it was not very good IMO. The front fork would compress on uphill climbs when I'd hit a root or rock and I'd loose all momentum. I don't think it was up to handling my weight. I'm 215lb and 5'10". My goal is to get to 185 and I'm thinking this would be a fun way to work towards that.

I stopped by the Trek store and was amazed that there least expensive offering with front suspension was around $1000 . Too rich for my blood. Any recommendations for a decent $500 bike?

Thanks,
mick

 

[jsfinn]

Re: Mountain Bike?

$1000 is a lot for a Trek bike. I like Specialized, but you'll have try them out until you find one that feels right to you.

I think you'll find that in the $500 price range, you get a decent setup with mid to low range components. Anything can be upgraded though. In that price range, you're not going to get the best suspension ... but it may get you by for a year or so until you want to upgrade. Something else to think of is if the bike fits you properly, you won't have as much weight on the front of the bike so you won't use the front suspension as much.

Also, keep your eye out for a used bike. You may find a really nice bike that has upgrades for cheap. Craigslist is a good place to watch.

 

[wuttja]

Re: Mountain Bike?

Gary Fisher makes an outstanding full suspension mountain bike. They are expensive though. Good places to look include Craigslist (like the previous poster mentioned) and also look for bike shops that rent out mountain bikes. They usually sell the rentals at a deep discount after one or two years of use. Sure they have been beaten up a bit, but they have also been repaired and maintained by the bike shop. It's one way to not have to look for upgrades down the road since the components can be more than the frame and suspension. It's also a good way to try out a higher-end mountain bike to see the difference it can make. Good luck achieving your goal!

 

[Rowroy]

Re: Mountain Bike?

For $500 you can pick up a good used bike (I have a Mongoose). There are a lot of folks who will by a $1500 Cannondale, ride it once or twice, then decide mtn biking isn't for them. They'll sell them cheap just to get rid of them.

This is how I got my first bike.

 

[j442w30]

Re: Mountain Bike?

I picked up a Trek 4300 mountain bike this spring for just under $500 and I really like it. It has a decent front suspension and I think 21 speeds. I got mine with disc brakes and I put a lot of miles on it this summer. The only thing I upgraded so far was a nicer seat. If you look around especially this time of year you could probably get a really nice bike for $500.

 

[stl]

Re: Mountain Bike?

For 500 bucks you should be able to get a decent entry level bike at a Trek dealer. No offense to the above poster but Mongoose bikes seem to be cheaply made and way too heavy. A couple of years ago I picked up a used trek 6000 for 150 at a local bike show. The guy was asking 250 so I guess I worked him over pretty good. It is an entry level mountain bike but it suits me fine because Im not too hardcore. If you are then you may have to increase your budjet Used might be the way to go. If you are willing to tune them up a little

 

[SnappingTurtle]

Re: Mountain Bike?

I wanted a new bike a couple of years ago, to replace the really expensive ones that have been stolen here (a Trek and a Canondale). I just couldn't see laying out that kind of cash again just to see it ride off into the sunset with someones else's a** on the seat. I got a "cross bike" this time around, half mountain bike, half street bike.

It is perfect for wooded trails, is not bad for moderate jumps, or heavily wooded down hill, has a strong frame, but low weight, and good rolling characteristics. I can cover much more ground with it than I could with the pure MTB's.

It has Reynolds 853 tubing, good wheels, front suspension, and Offroad Hybrid tires (low rolling resistance on the street, but good traction when off it).

I checked the Raleigh web page and this is the closest to my bike that they show, but my frame is larger, as are the wheels & tires. It also has "German Made" hydraulic brakes instead of the disk on most of their MTB's.

I love it, and compared the the MTB's, which rode like a tractors, it is a dream to ride.

I went with the best frame I could get in my price range, and have just upgraded components a little at a time to fit my wants & needs.

When I bought it I compared piece by piece, to the big names, researched where they were made (almost all were welded in Taiwan) and decided on the Raleigh.

The list prices were about 25-30% cheaper than the big names, and they had no corporate policy concerning end of the season sales. I got it for 50% off the normal list price, which was already 30% cheaper than Trek & Co. In the end it was cheaper than going newer/used, which is what I have done in the past.

The dealer (a friend) would/could not reduce the others, because doing so would cost him his supply of bikes for the next year from the big names. They do this to keep their prices artificially high.

 

[arboldt]

Re: Mountain Bike?

I, too, appreciate this discussion. After a 15-year hiatus, I started riding my bike again midsummer. I'm 5' 10" 260#, so I need the exercise. I loved riding again, and began commuting 4 miles to / from work. Then 3 weeks ago, a pickup truck turned right in front of me. The bike was demolished along with a couple teeth, tons of road rash, etc. Thank God I was wearing my helmet! Once I get the cast off my right arm, I want to get back on a bike (if the weather around here holds).

I had an orginal (1974) Schwinn LeTour - 10 speed road bike, excellent rolling resistance (or lack thereof). Frame was double-butted and lugged. And the entire bike weighed less than 28#. I'd like something like it again, but with my older body and physique, would rather not have the dropped handlebars. Problem is, we can't swing the $1,500+ for a high-grade road bike, and the hybrid bikes I've looked at all seem much heavier.

Any suggestions for me?

 

[SnappingTurtle]

Re: Mountain Bike?

I, too, appreciate this discussion. After a 15-year hiatus, I started riding my bike again midsummer. I'm 5' 10" 260#, so I need the exercise. I loved riding again, and began commuting 4 miles to / from work. Then 3 weeks ago, a pickup truck turned right in front of me. The bike was demolished along with a couple teeth, tons of road rash, etc. Thank God I was wearing my helmet! Once I get the cast off my right arm, I want to get back on a bike (if the weather around here holds).

I had an orginal (1974) Schwinn LeTour - 10 speed road bike, excellent rolling resistance (or lack thereof). Frame was double-butted and lugged. And the entire bike weighed less than 28#. I'd like something like it again, but with my older body and physique, would rather not have the dropped handlebars. Problem is, we can't swing the $1,500+ for a high-grade road bike, and the hybrid bikes I've looked at all seem much heavier.

Any suggestions for me?

The Raleigh Pioneer Urban 5 weighs around 30-31 pounds as delivered. You can shave a bit off this with lighter, better components. It list for about $800, but you can find them cheaper if you look, and handle some.

It is certainly not a feather weight, but for a reasonably comfortable ride, that will take the punishment of every day hard city riding, it is not bad.

I have a different model, and have added up several thousand hard miles, with no signs of stress yet.

There new “State Side” model, ALYSA FT1 might be close to what you are looking for.

Be sure and change the saddle. My a** just can't/won't take the punishment of a race saddle anymore. I like the gel, made for my older, maybe slightly wider backside seats.

Nothing beats my Schwinn Beach Cruiser though for comfortable cool.

 

[K.C.IMP]

Re: Mountain Bike?

I got a Trek 4300 in the spring. Nice bike for the money.
If you haven't checked yet go to www.bikesdirect.com
At that price range you're going to get a made in China frame, the big difference between the major brands will be the components.
I've heard a lot of good things about Motobecane, and for the price you'll never beat the 700 HT.

 

[SnappingTurtle]

Re: Mountain Bike?

You can't find anything under a 1000 Euros for a bare frame, that isn't made in the east here.

Most everything in the 500-1200 range comes out of Taiwan no matter what the name, under that it is all Chinese.

German or Italian naked frames go from 1200 Euros up to the small car price figures.

You really have an advantage in the States when it comes to price and competition between so many manufactures, just not on the market here.

That Motobecane looks like a really good buy, but that Motobecane frame is also made by Kinesis, one of the larger frame builders in Taiwan.

http://www.kinesis.com.tw/

Kinesis USA, outsources to Kinesis Tiawan, who outsources their production to, you guessed it, yes just like Mercedes & BMW, CHINA!

They also make frames for Bianchi, Diamondback, GT, Mongoose, Peugeot, Raleigh, Santa Cruz, Schwinn, Specialized, Storck, Trek, Kona, Felt ...

Like I said there aren't many people in the States or in Europe, that make frames themselves under the $1500 price bracket anymore. If that is important to you be prepared to pay for the privilege.

 

[mickarch]

Re: Mountain Bike?

Wow! thanks for the all the input. I've been doing some searching around and see that if I up my budget to about $800, I can get a new Trek 6000, or a Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc. It looks like there is a dealer that handles both brands nearby so I may go try them out.

I talked to some folks at work today and they were telling my that from what they've seen, most of the previous year model bikes are gone now due to sales, so selection is really limited. The seasons just about over here anyways and I've read that some of the best deals on current model year bikes can be had just after Christmas. If I save up until then, I could probably afford the extra $.

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I'll look into Raleigh as well.
mick