Beginner Biking suggestion.

[soulcougher73]

I am looking to get into biking again now that i live fairly close to some trails etc. I have not really rode a bike since i was a teenager. Im 35 years old now. Are their any decent beginner type mountain bike brands out there i should look for in the under $500 range? Or any links to some good ones?

I have a few bike stores in the area but i feel they will just try to "sell" me something i may not need or is too expensive. I would like to go in with some better knowledge.

Not looking for anything hardcore. Just trails and around the streets here.

Thanks

 

[zebano]

Why do you want a moutain bike for trails and streets? Also is this for fitness/training or just fun?

 

[soulcougher73]

Well i would like to take it on some dirt trails as well. It is mostly for fun and exersice.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: zebano
Why do you want a mountain bike for trails and streets?

Speaking for myself, with every good trail requiring drive time to get to, urban assault is a very good alternative for getting in some MTBing. My bro's hybrid won't cut it on the trails I ride either, so no point in one of those if doing any real trails with baby heads, roots, and drops, and speed.


OP: Some good bikes under $500 new include Haro
and
Trek

While the folks at your local bike shop may not be reputable, many places are. They can be very helpful in making certain you get the right sized frame i.e. a bike that fits you properly, and help you find something in your price range that is a quality bike. Also, unless you are able to preform your own basic maintenance, you need to plan on having it serviced somewhere, or buy the tools and use the guides at places like park tools, and learn to do it yourself. I have found over the years that most of it is very straight forward and easy to assimilate, except for truing a rim and rebuilding certain shocks, those take time to learn to do worth a damned (at least for me).

The mark-up at the bike shop is something only you can decide if it is worth paying for. Some include a few "free" tune-ups, and sometimes have really decent deals on older year models and such.

In the end, most reputable companies make very good entry level MTBs, and are great for getting involved in it. Hell, This Schwinn at Sports Authority is a good entry level bike that will let you find out if you really get stoke from riding or not, and do it on the cheap. If you get stoked, you'll get into the scene, start reading up on it, and quickly empty your wallet on the sport

 

[Capt Caveman]

Hit a couple of bike shops and test ride some different bikes.

 

[irishScott]

Definitely get a mountain bike if you're taking it anywhere other than streets. Hybrids are virtual BS.

Actually, a mountain bike will give you a better workout on the streets anyways if that's what you're going for.

 

[zebano]

I would never buy a hybrid, it's not good enough at either function. If you're going off road, a moutain bike is needed. If it has to be new, go to your LBSs and try some out. The first thing I would do is check Craigslist, and other for sale ads to try and find a little bit nicer bike that might be a year or two old.

My one warning would be to avoid rear suspension at all costs. I personally go off road 1-2x per year and I find that due to how much more often I'm on the streets having front suspension is inefficient.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: zebano
I would never buy a hybrid, it's not good enough at either function. If you're going off road, a moutain bike is needed. If it has to be new, go to your LBSs and try some out. The first thing I would do is check Craigslist, and other for sale ads to try and find a little bit nicer bike that might be a year or two old.

My one warning would be to avoid rear suspension at all costs. I personally go off road 1-2x per year and I find that due to how much more often I'm on the streets having front suspension is inefficient.

OK, I'm going to disagree and/or contend with you a bit, all in good spirit of course.

A hybrid can be an excellent around town bike for some people, My bro is 6'3" 225lbs and has a Trek 7200. Often getting over curbs and other small obstacles can be part of trying to ride around here, I'd wager he'd taco a rim on a road bike doing some of the crap he does, but the hybrid with some suspension takes the abuse.


As to full-suspension, my Jekyll has adjustable rear geometry and rear shock lock-out. I can also tweak rebound and dampening for everything from big hits to "chatter", and everything in between, so I have the flexibility of how I want to ride. And being even bigger than my bro, my back takes a beating when it is rooty and stumpy single track, and I'm riding hard tail. The full suspension resolves that issue, and lets me stay in the saddle more, so I can rest a little more during the rough stuff. *yeah, I know, lazy cheater, I am *

 

[soulcougher73]

Thanks for all the replies. This weekend i may hit the local bike store and ride a few. As mentiioned most of it will be paves trails and around town, but a few times id like to hit a dirt trail when i find one. A comfortable ride sounds nice as well.

 

[zebano]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: zebano
I would never buy a hybrid, it's not good enough at either function. If you're going off road, a moutain bike is needed. If it has to be new, go to your LBSs and try some out. The first thing I would do is check Craigslist, and other for sale ads to try and find a little bit nicer bike that might be a year or two old.

My one warning would be to avoid rear suspension at all costs. I personally go off road 1-2x per year and I find that due to how much more often I'm on the streets having front suspension is inefficient.

OK, I'm going to disagree and/or contend with you a bit, all in good spirit of course.

A hybrid can be an excellent around town bike for some people, My bro is 6'3" 225lbs and has a Trek 7200. Often getting over curbs and other small obstacles can be part of trying to ride around here, I'd wager he'd taco a rim on a road bike doing some of the crap he does, but the hybrid with some suspension takes the abuse.


As to full-suspension, my Jekyll has adjustable rear geometry and rear shock lock-out. I can also tweak rebound and dampening for everything from big hits to "chatter", and everything in between, so I have the flexibility of how I want to ride. And being even bigger than my bro, my back takes a beating when it is rooty and stumpy single track, and I'm riding hard tail. The full suspension resolves that issue, and lets me stay in the saddle more, so I can rest a little more during the rough stuff. *yeah, I know, lazy cheater, I am *

Considering that he wants to ride off-road, I think there is no doubt that the OP should go with a moutain bike. That said, I guess there are some arguments for the hybrid, but really I would see that limited to commuting or similar just around the town stuff. Also note that size matters, I'm 5'10" 185 and I bunny-hop curbs on my road bike without problems. My problem with hybrids is if your mostly riding road, they're not fast enough or aerodynamic enough and they just don't do single-track ergo if you know your target area, there is no reason not to buy a more specialized bike.

Regarding soft-tail I guess that is dependent on preference and how nasty your single track is. In Iowa here, there are very very few reason to not go soft-tail. For the most part I feel suspension = loss of power.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: soulcougher73
Thanks for all the replies. This weekend i may hit the local bike store and ride a few. As mentiioned most of it will be paves trails and around town, but a few times id like to hit a dirt trail when i find one. A comfortable ride sounds nice as well.

I think you will likely be fine with a hard tail, a good full suspension rig can probably be had in your price range off Ebay or the like, but I haven't seen anything new in that range I would ride.

Definitely get on a hybrid and give it a ride to see how you like it, if the dirt trails you plan on are fairly well groomed and novice MTB friendly, since you are interested in comfort and mostly paved stuff.

Originally posted by: zebano
I feel suspension = loss of power.

No doubt about it, you lose some of the energy, which is why R&D is always looking for ways to minimize it through new suspension designs, ect.

I'm in Florida, so instead of elevation, we have rock quarries and tons of single-track that is heaped with tree roots, stumps, and dead tree/log jumps, oh and sugar sand :thumbsdown:. The sick, skinny, bridge and cat walk thing is getting pretty damned popular now too.

I just lock out the rear shock for road and faster trails, but I activate and tweak it for varying conditions. Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee aren't far either, so I try to get up there when I can too.


Oh, about the hybrid not being fast enough, have you ever ridden one? I have dusted the weekend warrior type roadies that ride the scenic route along the inter-coastal waterway here, on that 7200. It is substantially heavier than a road bike, and lacks the aerodynamics, but it'd take an elite rider with a light, and subsequently, expensive, 26" MTB to hang with it for more than a couple miles.

Hopping curbs, charging stairs, wheelie dropping or jumping off the side of parking lots and stuff, is fine for you and I, hell that is what urban assault is all about, but my bro isn't into "getting rad" as the old school bonehead calls it. Different strokes and all that.

 

[zebano]

Re: Punisher...

Yes I've ridden a hybrid. At 15 I bought my first non-mtn bike (after riding a 300 mile tour on my mountain bike + knobbies). It was a Schwinn Crosscut and I loved it at the time. I was way faster than all my buddies and since they didn't hit the trails it was great. It was also awesome after I loaded it up with touring gear. Ultimately for me, I feel I have two ways to ride:
On the streets/paved trails SPEED!!
or off-road = moutain bike.

I guess if I did more putting around or was able to slow myself down (life's too short) then I would consider a hybrid. I'll be commuting on my road bike once the ice is gone, and until then I can deal with the moutain bike on pavement.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

300 miles on a MTB with trail tires/serious rolling resistance and and a heavy pack :thumbsup: my ass hurts just thinking about it.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
300 miles on a MTB with trail tires/serious rolling resistance and and a heavy pack :thumbsup: my ass hurts just thinking about it.

Just put on some slicks!

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
300 miles on a MTB with trail tires/serious rolling resistance and and a heavy pack :thumbsup: my ass hurts just thinking about it.

Just put on some slicks!

I was just commenting on what zebano said he did. No way you'd catch me doing 300 miles on my MTB, I'd be hitching a ride by the 50 mile mark. :laugh:

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
300 miles on a MTB with trail tires/serious rolling resistance and and a heavy pack :thumbsup: my ass hurts just thinking about it.

Just put on some slicks!

I was just commenting on what zebano said he did. No way you'd catch me doing 300 miles on my MTB, I'd be hitching a ride by the 50 mile mark. :laugh:

Wimp! I did the Trek across Maine, 300 mile charity bike ride over 3 days, using my mtb on slicks. It's all about the engine and not the bike.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
300 miles on a MTB with trail tires/serious rolling resistance and and a heavy pack :thumbsup: my ass hurts just thinking about it.

Just put on some slicks!

I was just commenting on what zebano said he did. No way you'd catch me doing 300 miles on my MTB, I'd be hitching a ride by the 50 mile mark. :laugh:

Wimp! I did the Trek across Maine, 300 mile charity bike ride over 3 days, using my mtb on slicks. It's all about the engine and not the bike.

Well done :beer:

I'm a clydesdale, being 244lbs right now, extended cardio like that isn't my forte. And my butt much prefers 20 miles of hard single track, spread out over a few hours, to a long road ride. Even when I ride enough to not get saddle sore after some real time in the saddle, I don't know if I could sit by day 3 of that ride. Just being honest, I'm not one to beat my chest on the internets, I save that for other surly male gorillas