Mountain Bike Comparisons - help

[nelsonccc]

I've been looking at getting a mountian bike. I used to mountain bike all the time on a cannondale (the old single fork design). I've been out of it for 10 yrs or so and looking to get back in.

My questions;
-hardtail or full suspension? I'm looking at mostly using it to get additional exercise and ride it to work but I want some flexibility to go out to the desert and do typical mtn bike trails. Some of the stuff posted on here in the last day or so looks awesome too. can it be done with a hardtail?
-brand? I hear good things about Diamondback and they seem to be in my price range. Scwhinn? Huffy? Etc..
-My budget is somewhere between $300-$800.

Any other advice would be appreciated. My buddy just picked up a gary fisher hardtail for $400 an dhe seems to like it.

[Sombeech]

DEFINITELY full suspension.

Go with a used bike for as expensive as your budget will allow. How tall are you? Make sure the frame fits your height, I'm guessing you'll want a large frame.

Get disc brakes.

Diamondback is a good brand, that's what I rode this weekend. The most common bikes in this area will be Specialized.

Post some links/info on some bikes you're considering and we'll definitely give you some feedback.

[accadacca]

Hmmmm. I don't have time to answer all your questions but I would get a full suspension cross country. The classifieds section on ksl.com has good deals in SLC. You could prolly find something similar in your area. Of course a hardtail would do the job too. Hell, I rode one for years and its what everyone had before the full sussers came out. Back in the day we all rode the same trails with the hardtails. I wouldn't get a downhill bike unless you want to suck wind on the uphill. Seems like you need a cross country rig.

My advice. Huffy: NO. Buy used and you'll get much more bike for your money.

[theking648]

I've been looking at getting a mountian bike. I used to mountain bike all the time on a cannondale (the old single fork design). I've been out of it for 10 yrs or so and looking to get back in.

My questions;
-hardtail or full suspension? I'm looking at mostly using it to get additional exercise and ride it to work but I want some flexibility to go out to the desert and do typical mtn bike trails. Some of the stuff posted on here in the last day or so looks awesome too. can it be done with a hardtail?
-brand? I hear good things about Diamondback and they seem to be in my price range. Scwhinn? Huffy? Etc..
-My budget is somewhere between $300-$800.

Any other advice would be appreciated. My buddy just picked up a gary fisher hardtail for $400 an dhe seems to like it.

1. if you can find a good full suspension for under 800 then go for it.. me i ride a hardtail because.... well... i cant afford a full suspension. and my saying is "real men ride hardtails"
2. can it be done on a hardtail? bet your ass it can.. but it may be your ass that feels it the next morning.
3. my favorites are Giant, Kona, Santa Curz, and Specialized.
4. if you find a good used bike then you'll get your moneys worth out of it.

[greyhair biker]

Go to the magazine rack in your favorite store RIGHT NOW and buy the Jan issue of Mountain Bike Action. It has the 2010 pics of all the top bike brands. A very good issue

BTW : If you are in Vegas (according to your avatar) go to Las Vegas Cyclery. They sell 8 different lines of mountain bikes
http://www.lasvegascyclery.com/bike_...tain_bikes.htm

[neilether]

A colleague of mine has two bikes for sale right now. One is a KHS XC304 full suspension bike. I think he wants $450 or so for it.

http://bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeS...1653&Type=bike

It is that bike but with an upgraded fork.

The other bike is a Giant NRS. I think he wanted around $700 for it but am not sure. Here is the info.

http://bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeS...1515&Type=bike

Anyway, if you want some more info. let me know and I can get more details.

[TreeHugger]

I have a hardtail and a fullsuspension. I ride the hardtail more because most trails dont really call for a FS, in my opinion, and hardtails are lighter and faster. Having said that, for some of the Moab trails, I prefer a FS - it's the dropping that kills after a while - be sure you have a very good front fork. I rode 24 hours of Moab on a hardtail and that was fine, but my shoulders and back were really sore by the third lap.

I really hate to say it, but you'll get what you pay for in a bike. For that amount of money, definitely go used, but think about components, wear and tear, how much the bike was new, ask how many times it's been crashed! Test ride. And most importantly, make sure it fits well.

[greyhair biker]

TreeHugger hit the nail on the head. You get what you pay for. What is going to cost you more...a $500 to $700 bike that you end up putting $500 to $1000 in upgrades into OR a brand new bike in the $1500 to $2000 range that you get what you want on it for components without upgrading? I tell you these things to help you possibly avoid disappointment later. ......................I just looked at the link. The KHS looks like a good deal - if it is in near new shape.
The Giant is by far the better deal. better component group all around.

[nelsonccc]

Thanks for all of the replies. I'm still looking and weighing my options. I'm leaning towards a new Diamondback full suspension in the range of $800.

I dont feel I'll be such a hard core user to need to upgrade the components anytime soon.

I'll post the link for what I'm looking at as soon as I make a decision.

[greyhair biker]

Thanks for all of the replies. I'm still looking and weighing my options. I'm leaning towards a new Diamondback full suspension in the range of $800.

I dont feel I'll be such a hard core user to need to upgrade the components anytime soon.

I'll post the link for what I'm looking at as soon as I make a decision.

My first new bike purchase was a GT Ricochet hardtail w/a RockShock Quad21R - basic components - rim brakes & toestraps. paid $800 for it. I loved that bike! You dont have to spend alot bu you do need to test 'em out -

[nelsonccc]

Allright I got off of this for awhile while I dealt with some other issues. In any case, I'm back, with $ in hand! I went to a local shop down the street and all they had were treks. Their Treks were in the $600 to 800 range for a bike with 29" tires, disk brakes (one bike had mechanical and the other bike had hydraulic) and front suspension. Seemed kind of spendy. Then I went to LasVegas Cyclery on someone's suggestion. Lots of bikes there.

Both shops pretty much told me a full suspension may be overkill. I'm going to ride it 5 miles to and from work probably 2-3 times a week to help get into better shap and as a bit of crosstraining for the dirtbiking. I'd like to think that eventually I'll do some trails, tag along on some of the trips you guys do and meybe go out with some of my buddies here.

So the questions are:
1. A used full suspension (like Specialized) with disk brakes?
2. A new hardtail with disk brakes in the $400-600 range. Which brand, Trek, Fuji, Specialized?
3.The one guy was hardselling me on 29" rims, HARD. He says its the new thing and makes downhill and uphill way easier. True? Should I be looking at the 29er's?
4. Also one of the shops told me to make sure to get shocks that lock out for easier commuting. True? Is this front and rear? How critical would this be? A lot of the used bikes I'm looking at don't ahve lockable rear shocks.
5. I tried several and it seems that a 17.5" or large frame is the best for me. Though the guy said i could go up to an 18 or 19 but not a 21. He said I'd be leaning over too far. Thoughts?
6. Does it really matter on whether the disk brakes are mechanical or hydraulic? I imagine the hydraulic is better but perhaps overkill for me?

Any other advice?
Thanks!

[cachehiker]

Just my 2

[accadacca]

Hydraulic brakes can be a real bitch to maintain. I have the 887 avid mechanical and they are rated near the top for mechanical. I just bought a new shock for my full susser and it has a lockout. Boy is it nice for road riding.

You should get plenty of hits from some other pros on here...

[nelsonccc]

So I've nailed it down to a hardtail. I've been all over the place today and my options are;
1. Diamondback 29er Overdrive $550, like this one here http://www.sportchalet.com/product/c...y=priceDescend
2. Fuji Nevada 29er $600, like this one http://www.fujibikes.com/bike/details/nevada_29er_1_0
3. Marin Bolinas Ridge 29er $674, like this one http://www.marinbikes.com/2011/bike_...serialnum=1898
4. Specialized Hardrock 29er $600, like this one http://lasvegascyclery.com/product/1...er-72420-1.htm

These are all new bikes. I'm looking for used as well but haven't found one that is a 29er with disk brakes and a lockable 100mm fork. I kind of want enough money left over to buy shoes and clip pedals. So the big question is whether a Diamondback vs a Fuji vs a Marin. The specialized has the least for the money while I think the Fuji has the most for the money. But I have no idea when it comes to the components and shocks. I'd like to make sure that the front fork is a GOOD Quality fork and not some POS.

HELP ME........

[theking648]

---These are my OPINIONS--- don't take em to court.

if you are wanting to get into mountain biking i wouldn't pick a 29er. i guess it comes down to preference but i've ridden a 29er on a trail and i noticed that it hard to get going but when you do it rolls over things nicly, and it can't maneuver around anything to save your life.

but commuting it's a smart choice.

so the hardrock has a better rear derailleur than the marin, but the marin has a 34 tooth rear cassette ring(better first gear climbing) vs the standard 32.
the fuji, well i've sadly never heard of fuji, but a lot of parts on that thing are fuji. so i can't vouch for quality.
the diamondback is really close to the hardrock.

both the hardrock and diamondback frame's are for doing dirt jumps. (bad for your back for long riding.)

this has the same stuff as the other two except sram x-5 instead of the x-4's on the others.

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/...am/7507/44080/

but if you look at the geometry the seat tube is a lot higher then the other two. out of your choices i'd go for the hardrock. if i ever wanted a 29er.... I won't but if i did i'd go for the giant, possibly a trek, they usually have the same frame designs.

good luck buddy, hope to see you up here soon.

Cheers,
Dave.

[REDFOX]

A 29er bike is what I believe to be a marketing ploy. They have been slow to catch on. You are limited and probably will be limited to few choices for tires, tubes, and forks. I think that it is just a fad like the single speeds. If I were commuting on the road, I would buy a road bike. Any bike from giant or specialized in the standard 26 inch tire. is what I would recommend for mountain bikes. If you are 5'11" or taller you would be more comfortable on a large bike 18, 20, or 21 inch especially if it is mostly being used for road pedaling.

[greyhair biker]

It all boils down to what FITS your body. Are you comfortable on the frame? Does the frame flex or is it rigid? Which did you like better? When you tested it out did it feel like you could ride and ride and ride or were your shoulders and neck sore? --just a few of the questions you need to answer. I personally like 29'rs but I own 5 26'rs, two are hartails with 100 forks, two are full suspenders, two of which have mechanical disc and two that have hydraulic disc. I like 'em all If I bought a 29'r it would be a Surly Karate Monkey - no suspension...mechanical disc. Just a load of my opinions...

[cachehiker]

How much different is a 29er from a monster cross? If I were to have one and only one bike it would be my cyclocross bike with two wheelsets, one with knobs and one without. It's only a flat bar and a suspension fork away from a 29er. The 29er can be used on more trails. The cross bike is faster on the road. Even if 29er's are just a fad, you'll still be able to get 42-44c cross/commuter tires for one ten years from now.

I kind of want enough money left over to buy shoes and clip pedals.

I'd try to budget for twice that. You'll need a seat bag, multi-tool, frame pump, spare tube, yada, yada. It adds up quick.

They've historically been a road bike company but I like the Fuji except for the POS crankset and the number of times Fuji appears on the frame, seat, stem, bar, grips, etc. The specs say it has a 9-speed cassette and shifters. (make sure the bike matches them) Overall these bikes are all pretty similar but the rest are all 8-speed. With a little wheeling and dealing, the crankset can probably be swapped out for a Deore 6 months or a year from now for much less than a 9-speed cassette and shifters would cost.

[nelsonccc]

Thanks for the help so far.

I went and looked at this one this morning. http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/bik/2135786944.html. It's a Gary Fisher Sugar 1, I hadn't been looking at full suspension cause i figured it would be too much work for when I take it to work. But I liked the idea of having the full suspension for trails. He's asking $575 but he made it pretty clear that he would entertain a much lower offer. He recently bought a 29er full suspension and is just looking to get rid of it. I'm pretty sure I could get him to take $450 or so. Is it worth it for an 8 year old bike? Would a full suspension be overkill and energy sucking for riding to work here and there?
Thanks.

[accadacca]

Slow down a little dood. More research...

I can't tell what components this Fisher has...they do make good bikes.

I personally think it won't take you long to wish you had full suspension, but you'll want it to lockout. Do you get to SLC often? Or know peeps that travel back and forth. I would check the classifieds on KSL.com and continue with Craigs list. I always avoid buying new if possible, unless it's a smokin' deal.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=231&cat=191