Any mountain bikers up in here?

[Sparky Anderson]

I'm abou done school for the year and need to get back in shape, and was thinking of getting myself a good new bike...I've never actually bought my own bike, the parents bought it when I was little and I haven't actually had a bike for a few years now. Anyways...what are some good brands and pricing (I live in Canada, anyone who knows canadian pricing would be of great help, otherwise i can convert $US myself)? I hear the names mongoose and kona thrown around, I looked at the kona web site and the "Blast" looks pretty sweet but seems to be a bit expensive.

Thanks guys.

 

[snakesnfrogs]

Marin

dealers near you

 

[BeeVo]

I am looking at the GT Rainier right now which seems awesome for around $700. I have ridden a Rockhopper which was a nice bike. Go to www.mtbr.com and look at the reviews on bikes.

 

[Alienwho]

I heard mongoose was obtained by Huffy, and since then they suck.

 

[Idiot56209]

Mongoose was not obtained by Huffy. That's a rumor that evolved from the fact that low end Mongoose are found in Dept. Stores.

Mongoose still makes a good bike on the high end.

They are now owned by Brunswick.... The bowling ball people.

 

[Sparky Anderson]

hey thanks guys..keep the reviews flowing pls.

 

[cyclistca]

Another vote for www.mtbr.com. A lot of great info there. I have a Specialized Sumpjumper Comp. Very happy with it. Specialized mountain bikes are a good value.

 

[SammyBoy]

anything used at MBTR would be great.

I have a 99 Gary Fischer Tasajara,
i bought it as last years model for like 425.

and then I put Marzocchi bomber z2s on it....

 

[DrOctagon]

Get a Rocky Mountain Bike.
http://www.rocky-mountain.com/
They are based somewhere outta canada....
Rocky Mountain makes damn good full suspension bikes if thats what you want.
Check out GT Idrive bikes as well, a bit expensive but in my opinion the best bikes for the buck out there. http://www.gtmountainbikes.com

 

[WolverineGator]

Check out Bike and click on message boards. There are lots of knowledgable riders willing to help.

It would be nice if you told us your price range and the type of riding you do (or want to get into). Are you looking for front suspension or full suspension? If you are a heavy rider you might want to look into beefier bikes like those made by GT.

Entry level? Mid range bike? High end bike? Here's a midlevel bike that a shop in Seattle sold to my friend yesterday: Trek 7000 for about US$800. Aluminum frame, XT rear derailleur, LX shifters/brake levers, Deore front derailleur, Avid 10 (?) direct-pull brakes, Bontrager cranks and pedals (SPD clipless), Manitou SX front shock. It has a 9-cog cassette with a huge range (12-32 teeth).

I ride a VooDoo and you can see the specs, history of mechanical problems, and pictures at my mountain biking site:

Mountain Biking in Florida

Something else you might consider is buying a used bike off mtbr.com's site. There are some great deals to be had if you're willing to go that route. Just be sure to get a bike that will accept one of the most important technical advances of the last few years in my opinion: V-brakes.

 

[Idiot56209]

I like going to Aardvark Cycles and checking out the clearance aisle.

I've bought Continental tires, Camelbaks, pedals..... so much from them at blow out prices!

The rental fleet bikes are awesome and have gret prices and are well maintained.

 

[syzygy]

you can fanatasize, eh ? well, the frame pictured in the link below costs a spendthrift
2800.00 - only the frame. the claimed weight on a judiciously spec-ed bike could be as
low as 21 pounds.

its german made. american outlets exist. dream.

storck adrenalin pro

 

[perfectlysane]

airbomb! one of the current specials is a '01 Airbomb Stealth Delux - Deore/XT $499


FORK: RockShox Judy TT - Black, 80mm Travel
BOTTOM BRACKET: Deore
BRAKE LEVERS: Koski Power Curve
BRAKES: Koski Brake Lite Pro
CASSETTE: SR Power Flow 9-speed,12-32
CHAIN: KMC 9-spd
CRANKS: FSA Power Pro
FRONT DERAILLEUR: Shimano Deore
FRONT TIRE: WTB Primal Raptor
GRIPS: WTB Dual Compound
HANDLE BARS: Koski Riser Bar
HEAD SET: FSA Orbit RD
REAR DERAILLEUR: Shimano XT
REAR TIRE: WTB Primal Raptor
SADDLE: Koski Fastback Contour
SEATPOST: Kalloy
SHIFTERS: Shimano Deore 9-speed
STEM: Kalloy
TUBES: Butyl
WHEELSET: Deore / Rhyno Lite

 

[Sparky Anderson]

Naa, I don't need a heavy bike, I'm about 5'11" and around 150-160 lbs. I'm not going to be racing down mountains or anything, definately don't need dual suspension. I'm probbaly going to use it to tour the local trails, run the dogs, and probably ride to work. It just seems like bikes are a lot more expensive, but I guess I haven't bought one in a long time that's why.

Thnkas for all the help and suggestions though.

 

[yakko]

It is way to expensive to get a good bike anymore. You have to pay someone to custom build it.

 

[Sparky Anderson]

I don't think I'm that good to need someone to custom build one for me yet.

 

[gygheyzeus]

$500 cdn will get you a decent bike with low end shocks and such.

$1000 will get you a very nice bike

$1500 will get you a hell of a bike that would be capable of taking on trips from jasper to banff. (a lot of fun, btw).

$2000- $4000 will get you the "i have a geforce 3, t-bird 1.6ghz, 512mb of pc150 ram" bike.

hope this helps.

 

[yakko]

<< I don't think I'm that good to need someone to custom build one for me yet. >>

Then how will you get a good one without all that suspension crap?

 

[Sparky Anderson]

I just don't need the Ferrarri of bikes yet.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Here ya go...my .02. If you're looking for a good bike for your money, I suggest going with a Raleigh M80. It'll get you a solid hardtail. Shamano parts, an LX series derailer, 9 speed X 3 = 27, Mantou shocks, rather than those girly rockshox... Seat post shock and a solid aluminum frame. Check it out for about $600, you can probably get it for $580.

Link

Just click on &quot;bike specs&quot;. This is about the only time I'd say, you DON'T get what you pay for. I've been shopping around for a new ride and the same place that sells this bike(which it's the only Raleigh they carry), sells Lightspeed and Gary Fisher bikes as well... It's your best option for the money.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Ohh yeah...one more thing. This model also comes stock with Velociraptor tires, and machined sidewalls for extra stopping power when you get in a bind. Also, it offers full upgradability if you decide to go with a hydrolic disk brake system. It's got all the hose paths and bracket mounts already built in the frame.

 

[mr_cheesy]

actually I just picked up a 2001 rainier. Nice bike for the cash - def a step up from 2000. the upper raleighs are a pretty good value. keep an eye on supergo.com and such, they have very nice deals at times. that airbomb isn't bad- the crankset isn' the greatest.

 

[yos]

I bought a Mercury Cougar last year and they gave me a Fuji... whatever the specs, it works!