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I want to buy a good mountain bike.

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I just picked up a Specialized Hard Rock 29er, rides awesome. Stock tires are good for both streets and trail riding
 
I picked up a 2010? Specialized Rockhopper SL as a left over model for about $800 (half the normal price).

The cool part is it was the bike I wanted in 2010, but didn't want to spend that much on it.

It's hard to get a real mountain bike for less than $1250-1500, being you are just city riding it doesn't take much really though.

Most just get a cheapo because if someone steals it, it's not a big loss.

I have a friend that has gotten her bike stolen a few times now. She locks it properly but most of the things you need to lock to are easy to defeat.
 
Arcadio said:
I decided to buy a good mountain bike. I'm thinking of spending about $800. $1K max. What should I look at? I know nothing about mountain bikes. 95% of the time the bike will be used for city driving.
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If your riding around the city... you want a hybrid/comfort bike... not a mountian bike.

BikesDirect.com has good prices, but i wouldnt buy a bike without test riding it first. go to a local bike shop and ride some bikes.

I just went to the bike shop 2 days ago to test ride a Raleigh Venture 4.0 and a Marin both of which I really liked, and it was cheaper and had more features than the Trek Shift i test rode last weekend. Both of these are about $550.
 
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http://www.jensonusa.com has some good deals on last year's model bikes atm. I personally really like the idea of the Jamis Dragon Sport 29er for $950.

http://www.airbornebicycles.com/
Is another online only bike maker like bikes direct that has some good deals.

That being said buying a mtn bike to ride on the road isn't a great idea. You want a road, hybrid, or cross bike.

IMG_0585.JPG

I just bought that off ebay last month used and love it. Its a 2012 diamondback sortie frame/fork/bits. So much nicer than my old 03 gary fisher suger 29er.
 
Legios said:
Are there good tires/tubes that anyone recommends. I weigh in at 250lbs and can get a pinch flat quite easily with the stock tubes if Im going to fast to hop up every curb.
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The tubes don't matter. The pressure is held by the tire. The only bit of the tube that is under pressure, is the valve mechanism.

Make sure you have clean wheels and tires, that your tires did not pick up some debris that got lodged in somewhere, and that your wheels are properly covered with rim tape.

Run the highest pressure your tire and valve will take (should be around 5 bar for MTB?) Get a tire that is designed for higher pressure, while still fitting your rim.

And OP: If you want a serious bike, make sure to get a 105 groupset. Probably the best compromise between performance and durability and price.

And a used MTB is going to be the best deal. Look for something that came at 1.5k new and is around 2 years old. Make sure it's an aluminum frame, because spotting delamination on a carbon frame is difficult. A ruined alu frame is easy to spot.
 
All of the 'serious' people who are biking for fitness or practicing for the olympics with 80 miles a day of riding with a leotard always talk about how you "need to buy a road bike for the road"......


In my opinion it's BS. If you don't care how fast you're going a mountain bike is just fine. Shit, all these people talking about road bikes are riding in traffic and junk anyway since their pretty wheels can't roll over cracks without folding like a taco. Do you want to be "that guy"?



Raise the bars a bit, get a comfy seat, some decent tires, and a mountain bike is just fine for around town casual biking.
 
No you don't have too. Mtn bikes are just typically heavier and less effiecent do to the suspensions which are nearly useless on the road. If you are just doing casual around town riding why bother spending $1k bucks on a mtn bike when a old 90s early 00s $100 mtn bike will do the job just as well? I started real mtn biking on an older used $100 Iron Horse hard tail which I still have and ride every now and again with some cheap upgrades.
 
I have a Trek 6000 I bought a good ten years ago, and it still rides like new and has been the perfect bike for me. All told, with pumps and addons, it was around $750.

I live in the city, so I ride the streets, and don't let anyone tell you it is a waste to get a mountain bike for the city. With all the curbs, strange beat up roads and concrete formations, a tough mountain bike is great. My old ten speed would have been destroyed, and I would have been straightening the rims constantly.

I also ride in the country, but nothing crazy like you see in videos. I've been very happy with Trek.
 
Wow, I guess times have changed. I got my GT Terra mountain bike when I was in grade school (maybe 6th grade) and I still can ride it now with no problems (I'm 30). That bike sure in the living fuck didn't cost my parents a grand. LOL.
 
For city riding with the occasional off road jaunt, I would get a cyclocross bike. Fast enough on the road and capable off road. I'd point you to the Airborne Delta for a $1000 cross bike, but they discontinued it. I love mine and ride it almost every day.

The All City Nature Boy is just under $1000, but it is a single speed. Right up my alley, but single speed isn't for everyone.

If you are dead set on a mountain bike, look at the Airborne Seeker
 
GasX said:
For city riding with the occasional off road jaunt, I would get a cyclocross bike. Fast enough on the road and capable off road. I'd point you to the Airborne Delta for a $1000 cross bike, but they discontinued it. I love mine and ride it almost every day.

The All City Nature Boy is just under $1000, but it is a single speed. Right up my alley, but single speed isn't for everyone.

If you are dead set on a mountain bike, look at the Airborne Seeker
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That Seeker is interesting. Never knew about.
 
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Rode that when I actually lived in the mountains. Not sure if I miss the bike more, or elevations over 1000 feet, but either way, I hate Ohio.

edit: Apparently Picasa (G+) no longer works directly, and wow I forgot how primitive bbzzdd is.
 
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Nice bike and good decision on your part. Definitely the ultimate city bike. I owned a cannondale once and it was an excellent bike.
 
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