<$500 beginner mountain bike?

[Slew Foot]

Go used off craigslist, bikes depreciate real fast and in this economy you should be able to find some starving guy hocking his bike to pay his mortgage.

 

[grimlykindo]

Originally posted by: Slew Foot
Go used off craigslist, bikes depreciate real fast and in this economy you should be able to find some starving guy hocking his bike to pay his mortgage.

Yeah I've been scouring Craigslist but I'm not sure if I know enough about bikes to judge a used bike. I don't want to risk getting an overly abused bike. Also many people have mods and upgrades that I've never heard of :roll: - I have however found a few that are basically brand new and would consider purchasing.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Are you going to be riding single track or are you doing dirt road type stuff?

I used to do single track and the way I rode, an entry level hard tail from Trek would be destroyed in a year or toy. I got rid of mine after 3 months when I started riding because I knew what it was going to look like not to long into the future.

 

[grimlykindo]

Thanks for the all the input guys!

I ended up getting a Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc for $430 (08 model on clearance) - I love it so far! I got the flat black finish with black wheels and it looks perfect! Once I test drove it with the disc brakes I was sold - they are so much smoother and you can actually control the level of braking. The adjustable damper front shocks are great too

Now I just need to get in shape so I can go ride some trails!

 

[PCTC2]

Good choice. I used to own a Giant Boulder SE, K2 Lithium 3.0, and I've ridden Jamis, Specialized, and Treks before. All great bikes, though some are heavier than others. (One bike was so heavy, that carrying it up an unstable trail was more effort than it was worth).