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<$500 beginner mountain bike?

G

grimlykindo

Senior member
I'm set on getting a bike this spring - its been about 9 years since I've owned a bike. I live right by some mild trails and will be riding on the road a bit as well. Been doing some online research but really would like some personal recommendations. I'm 5' 10" 180lbs (Male) - looks like at <$500 I'll be lucky to even get front suspension. I'm looking for something that will last a long time and is durable - since I live in Minnesota I might be occasionally riding it in the cold and/or light snow. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
 
The Giants and low end Treks are still good bikes. My Giant Boulder SE is aged (4 years old), and still takes the trails as if it was just broken in. Without the upgrades I've made it was only about $400. The Boulder SE is a hard tail with front suspension, and is great for some urban riding, snow, and trailwork. However you'll need semi-slicks to get any speed on the open road.


Boulder SE$410

Trek $599

I know the Trek is a bit more, but I prefer their bikes, myself. Also if you go with the caliper brakes instead of the disc, it's $479.
 
I spent $300 for a Schwinn mountain bike at Costco. I know big-box retailer bikes don't have good reputations...but Costco return policy + front/rear suspensions + front/rear disc brakes....I didn't think it could be beat. So far I'm enjoying the bike.
 
I have a Pacific something or other, bought in 1997. I have around 5k on the bike It was about $350 then. I don't know much about "high end" bikes but my el-cheapo has been everwhere, man.
 
Originally posted by: Proprioceptive
Specialized Hardrock Sport. I own it. I love it.
Click to expand...

Yeah Specialized is really good too. The local retailer is a total douche, so I skip em. They are however great bikes.
 
Great feedback so far! I have been looking at a lot of treks - they seem to offer more cheap beginner bikes then most elite brands (like specialized)
 
Originally posted by: grimlykindo
Great feedback so far! I have been looking at a lot of treks - they seem to offer more cheap beginner bikes then most elite brands (like specialized)
Click to expand...

Look at their 3900 too, I think it's within your pricerange. And it looks crazy. Not as crazy as the Top Fuels, but...
 
I say go used. They lose a ton of value once ridden and haven't lost the quality. Afterwards, you can figure out what you really want.
 
Originally posted by: Proprioceptive
Specialized Hardrock Sport. I own it. I love it.
Click to expand...

That's what I've got. Got an insane deal on it a few years ago. I don't do a lot of actual mountain biking, but I do enjoy a good 25 mile round trip ride. I usually ride a lot during the summer months, and now that it's starting to warm up again, I'm gonna have to get back into it.
 
I have a Gary Fisher Mullet I got for just under $500 a couple seasons ago and love it. My wife has the Trek 4300 and it's solid as well. Most bikes in the same price range have the same or very similar components. Your best bet is to go to your Local Bike Shop and try some out and see what fits best for you.
 
Since you're planning on riding in some wet conditions, I recommend making sure your bike has DISC brakes. They're more reliable in wet/slick conditions.
 
Treks are good bikes for the money. If you're buying it at your local bike shop (LBS) it might be tough to find a good entry level bike at $500 or less. If you don't mind shopping online (and can put a bike together) you can look at bikesdirect.com (Motobecanes) or ibexbikes.com (Ibex brand) For the $$ you get more bike (better components) with the online stores.

Motobecane at your price

Ibex - a liitle over budget.


I own each brand along with a Trek and a Gary Fisher. 🙂

 
Something like the Trek 3700 or a Specialized Hardrock would be in your price range. Don't waste your money on full suspension systems, even if they seem like a better "deal" they aren't at this price range, they are heavy and largely useless. Likewise with disc brakes. Fuji, Giant, Trek, Specialized are all good brands. Don't waste your time looking at big box stores, most of the staff tends to be clueless, and you'll often find incorrectly assembled bikes. Go and check out a local bike shop and see what feels right to you. Feel free to report back if you have any questions.

Also, consider seeing if you can find last years model or buying a 2-3 year old bike off of Craigslist. Good luck with your search! Let us know what you end up buying!

I bought a Rockhopper onsale last year for about $489, unfortunately, they've gone up in price this year.
 
Originally posted by: Proprioceptive
Specialized Hardrock Sport. I own it. I love it.
Click to expand...

Specialized Hardrock, FTW.

I needed a cheaper bike to have around campus too, and got one about 5 years ago. Been more than happy with it.
 
http://forums.mtbr.com/ go there and read around.

Lots of threads going over the same question. It basically comes down to buy whatever you are comfortable on. Pretty much all the bike in that range have the same components.

Look for the threads about forge while there. They are cheap and have pretty decent components. Being mail order you would need to be able to do some work on it yourself.

My first real mtn bike was an older Iron Horse flagstaff I got off e-bay for $100. Now I'm up to a Gary Fisher Suger 293 FS 29er also bought off e-bay.
 
Last time I checked, the best deal on beginner mountain bikes was a Forge Sawback from Target. I see that prices have increased but it is still probably a good deal as long as you use a 10% off coupon.

http://www.target.com/Forge-Sa...rombrowse=1&rh=&page=1

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=292931

It's amazing quality for the money. I have one in my garage.

Another suggestion would be a Redline Monocog 29er. You can get one of these for less than $500 and again, it is an amazing bike for the money. I have one of these in my garage as well and I HIGHLY recommend it if it suits your needs.

http://www.redlinebicycles.com...ikes/monocog-29er.html

Once you go 29, it's hard to ever go back to 26.
 
The wife and I bought a Specialized and a Giant, though I forget the exact models. We got them from a local bike shop. I bought a bike from a department store years ago for about $300 and that was one of the worst mistakes ever.
 
Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: Minjin
Last time I checked, the best deal on beginner mountain bikes was a Forge Sawback from Target. I see that prices have increased but it is still probably a good deal as long as you use a 10% off coupon.

http://www.target.com/Forge-Sa...rombrowse=1&rh=&page=1
Click to expand...

is forge's similarly priced road bike also a good deal?
Click to expand...

I've read good things about the M-street but haven't read anything about the CTS. Might look on http://www.bikeforums.net/ it covers a bit of everything instead of just mtn bikes.
 
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