Mountain Bike Help
 

I'm making a big push to get back into decent-to-good shape in 2013 and I'm going to try to get back into mountain biking/trail riding. I've been out of the loop for so long that I have no idea what I'm looking for in a solid bike. I'm not tall...5'9", so I need an 18"-19" frame. I'm also not wanting to spend a TON of money. If anyone is knowledgable about these things and would like to help out...please do. My budget is about $500-$700.

Thanks homies.

The new thing is 29 inch wheels so the 26 inch wheel bikes will probably go cheaper. You can pick up a low end hard tail bike for that kind of money. Depends of what kind of riding you want to do.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n...ain_Biking.jpg

**** that.

Thanks. Mostly woodland trail riding...occasionally paved park trails. I can probably bump up my budget some if it means getting something that is entry level, but that I won't have to upgrade if it becomes a legitimate hobby.

I bought this in the last year and I really like it. Good overall components and that's really important in a bike.

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...es/3700_disc/#

No, you can get a decent bike for that kind of money, especially a hard tail. Full suspension bikes are going to be more. I need one for my bad back for riding over big rock and drops. Shawnee Mission Park and Landahl in Blue Springs have great technical and easier trails.

Great example!

Trek has a great selection of entry level bikes. If you don't mind used, Craigslist is a good place to find them, many people buy mountain bikes without realizing how physically taxing it is, and quickly give it up. If you do go that route, look up the bike on bikepedia.com and make sure they're not screwing you on the price.

Whoa, missed this. Go hybrid.

My buddy owns Truman lake bikes, he usually has some used units around. Check him out on that Facebook thingy.

He also has built some absolutely bad ass trails around here
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Not for wooded trail rides - unless he's talking total pavement. The geomerty in a hybrid is all wrong for anything off road. Way too much of an upright position for climbing.

This.

I bought this bike about 6 months ago. I know its more than you want to spend but its an amazing bike and about the best hard tail money can buy for an entry level.

Ugh never mind it wont let me post links yet. Google 2013 Trek Mamba.

I guess I'm not really sure what he means by that. We have wooded trails like this all over the midwest.

http://oi50.tinypic.com/jjv9cz.jpg


You don't need a mountain bike to ride them.

Yeah, if he's doing hardcore climbs and that sort of shit, he's going to need a mtb. But they suck ass on pavement and long rides.

I thought I wanted a hybrid until I saw them and sat on one. I felt like an old man and didn't like the feel at all.

Go to a good dealer and test ride a few, that's how I found I didn't care for the larger wheels either.

Yeah, I know MO is full of cool trails, I rode part of the Frisco-Highline trail outside of Springfield a couple years ago. I need to get back down that way sometime.

Look at diamondback. Those are pretty good in that range. You can find some of them with shimano derailleurs. Ive got a GT with shimano front derailleur and deore rear derailleurs. That was all I was willing to spend on my bike. Do some looking, you can find some deals out there

Ok, the Trek downthread is a good bike but if you are looking at something speced like that, hit up the Airborne Skyhawk... these guys can throw together a good budget bike!!!

http://www.airbornebicycles.com/prod...2-skyhawk.aspx


the Guardian 9er is in your range:

http://www.airbornebicycles.com/prod...dian-29er.aspx


plus, the $ you save here you can use to buy a good helmet!!!

I'd go with this or

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bik...hardrockdisc26

both of those are similarly spec'd to the Airborne Skyhawk but cost almost $200 more...Plus the Skyhawk has hydraulic disc brakes as opposed to the mechanical disc of the others...


you don't need to be paying extra $ for the name. ;)



and the Guardian is a 29er spec'd with a MUCH better fork and is only $50 more than the Trek!

I've never heard of Airborne nor can I find any reputable website even mentioning the name.

If it was my money it's going to be spent on a bike from a company with a solid reputation.

EDIT: Just reading forum posts about Airborne it seems that they aren't near the quality as they were before going under and they now operate under Huffy... I'll gladly pay the extra $200.

Airborne is a sister company to DK Bikes(google DK, they are huge in BMX and BMX racing). Their parent company is probably bigger than Spec and Trek.

I don't work there but I'm good friends with the Airborne guys and ride with them all the time.

If you insist on going new stick with Trek/Specialized, they are by far the most value due to the sheer volume of their company sales.

I beg you to watch Craigslist for a month or two, you will get an absolute steal if you know what to look for and jump on deals. Many men who spent much more are dumping the bike they have ridden a handful of times. I picked up a $2k new specialized for $350 from the widow of a man who bought it years ago but died of a heart attack, the bike still had the tiny rubber rods that stick out on the edge.

Also for the riding you are going to be doing I would aim for a lightweight hardtail, you can get an epic hardtail on CL in your range if you look hard enough.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/

You probably won't find better bikes with these level of components at any price.

I am a cyclist and I concur on searching Craigslist.

I ride a Giant and it is every bit as good as some of the more expensive brands.
Giant builds frames for most of the more popular brands like Trek.

Don't let the bundle of sticksgy outfits throw you off. You might look into becoming a roadie bundle of sticks. Some of the best workouts I have ever gotten.

Dude.


I'm out of Shape and buying a bike. Come down and my buddy will take us in a great national race style trail
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Hey bug you still got the Dakota?

Figured out how to disable those locks I think. No cutting wires
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LOL

Trek and Spec company value don't mean shit... take the $200 saved and take it to the best LBS(local bike shop)*, spend $50 on a tune up and $150 on gear and build a relationship with them... that'll get you much more than a warranty card with a well known logo on it!


* that's not always the biggest shop with the most advertising $s, check your local MTB forums for recommendations.

Man as soon I can work in a trip down there I give you a holler.

Yeah, I do and I would love to be able to do that. I hate those damn things, drop me a PM.

We could work in a ride AND I COULD DISABLE those ****ers (I think)
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Oh, you'd need the vehicle in your own hands? That would probably be better than me ****ing with it...lol.

Ain't nobody got time for that

You don't have any idea about big business do you? The reason I recommended Trek/Spec is very simple, they sell the most bikes by a goddamn mile. If you call shimano and order 1000 disc brakes for your crappy little bike company you get a shitty price, however if you order a million disc brakes you get a much better price and can pass that on to your customer. Now rinse and repeat for every single component on the bike.

It's called purchasing power, which is why Trek/Spec bikes are typically much better equipped than smaller brands at the same price point. There is a company that has used this exact formula to become relatively successful in business, you might have heard of them, they call themselves Wal-mart.

Plus really, who is going to have a better frame? The company that has kicked out a thousand frames this year, or the companies that kicked out a thousand yesterday? Who has more riding on a bike design, the stoners that are trying to sell a few hundred, or the company that is planning on selling a million? Who do you trust more, names every person recognizes or your shit brand that no one has ever heard of and can barely be found on the internet? What happens when your frame cracks, I used to ride Cannondale and cracked a frame, 5 years later they gave me the equivalent frame with no questions asked. Will these little crap companies even exist in 5 years?

Where did the $200 savings come from? Did you just decide to start making shit up? Because the reality is he will get the best value for going Trek/Spec and would save the most. Where is this magical $200 coming from?

Also don't "LOL" people when you seemingly have no idea what the F you are talking about son.

Never heard of the hybrid bike. Looked it up and thought to myself, "oh, the old man bikes." heh

I guess you missed the part in my earlier post about Airborne's parent company... they are BIG, probably sold more bikes yesterday that Trek and Spec did all year!!! So yes, they have buying power with Shimano, SRAM, etc....

Like Huffy?

the frames for the three bikes in question(Trek, Airborne and Specialized) more than likely came from the same factory in China. Airborne has awesome customer service and will definitely be around 5+ years from now... they are building a great brand and they aren't hurting.

Trek 3700 Disc $549 - Airborne Skyhawk $349 = $200

the $200 is from direct from manufacturer sales(no LBS overhead) and that buying power that you seem to think I don't know about.

As for the specs on the two bikes, they are almost identical. They have the same front fork, Shimano Altus and SRAM X3/X4 drivetrains are comparable, and the Skyhawk has much better hydraulic disc brakes.


Also don't 'son' people when you definitely have no idea what the F you are talking about... I've been racing bikes for 30+ years!!! :p





We're in this thread to help this guy out, he is on a budget and wants the best bang for his buck, I gave him that route...

Did some checking on that Airborne company, very interesting business strategy, wonder if it will pay off. Seems they do offer a hell of a bang for the buck and interesting they only deal direct. Seems odd to offer those kinds of models with no dealer network when your typical $500 buyer is a walk into the store type. I'd think that would really only work with high-end bikes with customers in the know.

I spent a lot of time reading mtn bike mags a few years ago and it seemed like everytime they had a comparison test some tiny unknown company would win. Seemed to me like it was always about "rooting for the little guy" when common sense would tell you that the Trek/Spec is a much safer bet in all areas.

Still would beg anyone to go the CL route, so many guys throw down huge amounts of money on new bikes and hardly ride them.

Well this old man could kick some ass on his hybrid. Really though, unless you're doing hardcore off-roading or going for serious speed, a hybrid is your best bet. It offers a lot of flexibility with how/where you ride.

I don't know why Hybrids get the "Old Man Bike" label.
I like Hybrids, especially Cross Bikes.
Even in serious woods, these bikes can scream if you can handle them.
I remember when I did a race in the early 90's called Chequamegon Fat Tire festival in Wisconsin. Biggest off road, point to point race in the Midwest. 40 miles of hard and fast fire roads. I showed up on a Ibis Hackalugi Cross bike and out of 2400 participants
I got 17th place overall. The next year there was more then one Cross Bike at the event.

I guess what I am saying is "what is your riding style?" If indeed you are going to be doing a mix of woods and pavement. I recomend a Hybrid/Cross style bike.
They are faster, offer more comfort, and fun as hell.

Wow, thanks for all of the great info guys! I went into trek yesterday and browsed around, but didn't have anything catch my eye. I also went into volker in crossroads and they have some great deals. I'm going to scour Cl and see if I can find any steals as well. And just to clarify, when I said I would be riding woodland trails, I meant true off road trails, not paved. I'm an avid quad and dirt bike guy, so I feel more at home on dirt. :)

But CX bikes are not what you're going to get if you go into a shop and ask for a hybrid. You'e probably going to get a comfort bike which is what most people think of as hybrids (even most shop staff) and associate with "old man" bikes.

I agree with you on the CX bike and was thinking the same thing reading through the thread, but people really need to be comfortable with more of a road bike geometry to like them. "What's your riding style" is exactly the right question to ask here. Over my riding career evolved from bmx/freestyle to mountain to road and cross, and at this point I doubt I'll ever go back to anything other than a road geometry bike, but not everyone likes (or can tolerate) that riding position.

I'm not going to go into brands, because like everyone else I have my preferences and opinions. What I will say is this: the most important part of picking a bike is test riding a LOT of them.

Forget brands, and, at least for now, forget components (other than go with the best quality you can afford; same as the bikes, ride different brand component sets, you'll probably find you prefer one). First and foremost you need to find something that fits you, you're comfortable on and you actually like riding.

There can be a lot of difference between brands geometry-wise and really the only way to figure out what feels best is to try them out if you can.

Bumping this as my big ass has chosen biking for cardio work to drop some weight. Got tons of questions as I haven't road since high school. Brand wise it seems like some bigger names like trek you are basically paying for the name. I got a couple local bike shops. The only in my price range I'm looking at as my budget (200-500) were a Raleigh venture for 350 and diamondback sorrento for 470. Those I saw in person and didn't have time to ride. The other local shop about 15 miles away looks like they carry a ton of giant brand. Then there's some corporate place not too far that's called bike world or something.

Also looking at used. Looks like some good deals with people giving up on it quick and/or just needing to sell. Downside to that is if frame has a small crack or something you just got screwed.

Other questions:

Folding bikes yes or no?

https://www.montaguebikes.com/product/paratrooper/

Found this above for a used one from 06 with only 9 hours of use(didn't mention miles)
Great shape even though 11 years old. Can get that around 375-400 I think

What size tires?

Particular brand?

Looking mostly at either hybrid or mountain with front suspension as I won't ride the roads except just leisure rides. There's a local trail (nothing major or too challenging) I will use to get in shape, that and gravel roads. Also in this type of riding I'm assuming full suspension would be a waste of money $$

Lastly I've read choosing the right size is very important. I'm about 6' even and about 255. What size would you suggest? Glad I can swap seats with my wide ass haha. Do I really have to subject myself to spandex or anything better to prevent chafing?

Any CP suggestions and advice much appreciated :thumb:

Diamondback and Giant have OK entry level stuff. I'd recommend checking Trek FX series. They start out around $500. Yes you are paying for a name but they are worth it. I have 3 Trek bikes and I love them all. Anything cheaper than that you'll get shit and you won't like riding it and it will sit around and collect dust.

This is relevant to my interests as I wanna start biking too,...

I'll do that. I'm watching some treks on eBay just got to check if they're the FX series.

Thanks man

Any thoughts on the 820 and marlin series from trek?

You probably got much nicer trails out there compared to me in central Iowa lol

I think my wife has a marlin 5.

He's is a nice bike, and nice looking too.

Probably can't go wrong with either of those. The 820 is similar to my mountain bike. The biggest thing with mountain biking is if you get on some intense stuff, you want something that shifts fast and smoothly, but other than that if you don't beat the crap out of them it should be fine.

Des Moines has by far the best trail system I've ever been on in the midwest. Most of them are paved though, and would be better suited with a hybrid.

Be sure to check this one out sometime.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p1qKw_SjDyQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C909Zebmj4c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Yeah they really are a good looking bike

http://bikeworldiowa.com/product/trek-3500-211813-1.htm

What's your thoughts on this one bug? Similar to the marlins?

I've heard of that one. Very scenic! I will have to try it once I chip away at the pony keg a bit and show all the skeezers and bitches what is up

Someone stole my Giant Roam II. Loved that bike. Porshe of hybrids.

That's exactly what mine is, but I believe that particular bike has been discontinued, Marlin may have taken it's place since it has an aluminum frame and is similarly priced. 820 has a steel frame, which is heavier but has some give to it so it has a slightly better ride. I always opt for lighter, all of my bikes are aluminum frame.

Can't make up my mind on 29" or 26" for tire size to get since I'm just starting to ride

That's what Guru rolls on. Seems to have been pretty good to him.

Cool man I gotcha :thumb:

My mtb and hybrid are both 26, I know 29ers are all the rage now but I'm not real sure why.

I think the best thing I can do is go to one of the local places and ride some different ones with each size. I won't buy at either if I choose trek neither carries them. Then hit up that bike world where the treks are and I will at least have an idea of tire size difference and focus more on overall feel of the bike

Yeah, absolutely get out and ride some. Although it's hard to tell from a short ride what they'll be like on a long ride. Also, most bike shops require you to wear a helmet if you test ride so you may want to just get one ahead of time if you're sure you want to do this, you'll need it anyway.

Good to know. This all gives me a good start on things. Thanks again guys!

My buddy owns a place and that's what my wife did, ride a different model every day until she found one she liked.

It's dark gray with blue graphics, it's a sharp bike.

I got a trek farley 5 for myself. Dark gray with orange and blue graphics.

The town that I live in (santa rosa) and the county where I am at is world famous for biking...

the Tour de California has been here a lot...

and also theres an event called the grand fondo that is really cool....

If youre into biking you should come for a visit for sure...

https://www.levisgranfondo.com/

http://www.sonomacounty.com/articles...ils-santa-rosa

There are some awesome trails around Truman lake that my buddy helped build. They attract quite a few races and stuff like that.

Was looking at a Farley but just couldn't justify the price. I'm going to try like hell to get down your way late this summer.

I can't even say what I paid. But I got a good deal. We've been friends for years and he's wanted me to start riding.

He showed up one day before work and dropped it off said ride it, we will talk about what you like, don't like, and change things.

I got a different seat. My ass has gotten fatter I guess.

I also picked up a thule 9035 rack and that marlin 5.

I never looked the retail prices up before just now but I really got a good deal.

I utilize a set of roller blades like a real man.

I think if I even tried that I'd tear both my groins!

The would be awesome! Maybe someday when I have gotten ridden of some of my junk in my trunk

I spend all of my biking time on a road bike, but I had good luck last year just building one my own. I had a good Specialized road bike frame, and simply speced it out from there and built it up from parts. It's pretty easy to figure out where the top of the value curve is and buy a group of components that match up and give what you need at the right price.

How's she like it?

Is yours one of those with the wider tires? Orange and blue graphics???
You better paint that summbitch!!

I found a trek 820 very lightly used on CL. If I go that route at the right price I could do a component upgrade down the line

Check out Swope park. Got some really nice trails there, for all skill levels.

I actually redid the ugly blue graphics that came on mine.

http://oi64.tinypic.com/15nrcdd.jpg

http://oi67.tinypic.com/2hn95s5.jpg

she loves it. hell ive ridden it a couple times and liked it myself.

yep its a fat tire. i like the colors LOL

Here it is fully geared up for winter.

http://oi66.tinypic.com/2j4emj4.jpg

Is that front suspension holding up well? I am wondering if I need that or not. I'll get a better feeling when I test ride

That's awesome bug! Are those tires very comfortable on pavement?