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Mountain Bikes

M

munruss

Golden Member
I'm in the market for a mountian bike. My eyes are on this bike. What do you think?

The bike seems to be reasonably priced. My budget is in this area.
 
I would avoid Mongoose. Giant, Trek, or Specialized have a lot of really good bikes in that price range.
I bought a Specialized Rockhopper last fall for around $500 and I'm very happy with it.

Our local Jester works in a bike shop, so hopefully he'll have more specific recommendations for you.
 
Originally posted by: misle
I would avoid Mongoose. Giant, Trek, or Specialized have a lot of really good bikes in that price range.
I bought a Specialized Rockhopper last fall for around $500 and I'm very happy with it.

Our local Jester works in a bike shop, so hopefully he'll have more specific recommendations for you.
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^^^^ what he said
 
Originally posted by: Gl4di4tor
That bike has some really shlty components, I wouldn't get anything less than a shimano xt groupo.
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Depending on the kind of riding they are going to do, Deore or DeoreLX would probably suffice. I have all Deore and DeoreLX components on my bike and they have served me quite well. And I agree with previous posts on the brand of bikes to check out.
 
Avoid Mongoose, huh? I guess I will have to. I went to the Trek site and I'm not too sure what I want. What I do know is that I want a mountain bike with those disc brakes below $500. Any recommendations?
 
Actually, for the price that bike is spec.ed pretty well.

Like Schwinn, Mongoose sell both "REAL" bikes and Department store bikes. I would agree with what others said if this were a department store bike, but from looking at it, I would say this is a "bike shop" bike. Finding any bike with Disk Brakes under $450-$500 is not easy. For the type of money you are looking to spend, I would say "Go for it!''.

As for the components, you can always upgrade them to nicer / better stuff as the old ones wear out. That's what I have always done on my bikes. As long as the Frame is good, and you LIKE IT, it's worth going that route! I could never have afforded my MTB if I bought it as it sits right now, but over the years by adding a top end part here and there as money allows, I have ended up with a SWEEET bike in the end. 🙂
 
I heard from a few places that cable disk brakes aren't all that. They don't offer any better braking than regular V-brakes, cost more for replacement parts and are higher maintenance.

Also, consider picking up a pair of on-road tyres. Very often you'll just be on the road and since it only takes ~20 mins to swap over the tyres. On-roads give you a massive speed increase.
 
Originally posted by: loic2003
I heard from a few places that cable disk brakes aren't all that. They don't offer any better braking than regular V-brakes, cost more for replacement parts and are higher maintenance.

Also, consider picking up a pair of on-road tyres. Very often you'll just be on the road and since it only takes ~20 mins to swap over the tyres. On-roads give you a massive speed increase.
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I have cable actuated Disks, and although they may not be as powerful as Hydraulics, they are MUCH less trouble. Everyone I know who has bought Hydraulic disks has had nothing but problems with them. As far as disk verses Liner Pull ("V") brakes, there are several advantages with disks.
#1 If your wheels go out of true, it doesn't effect your braking.
#2 They are much more controllable in a panic stop situation. "V" brakes, when grabbed hard, tend to want to toss you over the handle bars, Disks don't.
#3 Over a long period, "regular" brakes will wear through the side wall of your rims, especially if you ride in dirty / muddy conditions. I have had customers bring in bike to have the tires changed out and had the rims explode when airing up the tires!


It is nice to have both slicks and off road tires if you can't afford both a road and a MTB. I prefer having a spare set of wheels though. But if you can't afford that, loic2003 is right, changing over tires doesn't take long. 🙂
 
Originally posted by: munruss
What I do know is that I want a mountain bike with those disc brakes below $500.
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Why do you need discs? I can think of 3 reasons off the top of my head:
  1. You're doing lots of downhilling. A hardtail is not a comfortable way of going downhill fast.
  2. You ride in mud a lot. The mud will eat through those cheapo components in a month or two.
  3. You're quite heavy, 280+ lbs and ride moderate to steep hills. This is a valid reason.
At $500, you're very thoroughly in the range of hardtails and rim brakes. Any single exceptional feature will cost you big in components and possibly frame. IIRC, the GT bikes around $800 were being spec'd with discs, but their component mixes were marginal for extended off-road riding.

 
I have a specialized rock hopper and had a mongoose before, the mongoose is no comparison. Mongoose is something you pickup at crap r us or goodyear.... I was a little disappointed that I only had deore and deore LX components (Deore LX for rear derailers and simply Deore for front derailers). I plan some day to get XT or XTR components because the deore front derailers are simply not cutting it....

Edit: I have disc brakes and ever since getting them, I will never go back despite have some issues with them. Disc brakes are no comparison to V brakes because V brakes wear out too quickly and will cause your bike to flip.
 
Originally posted by: Philippine Mango
I have a specialized rock hopper and had a mongoose before, the mongoose is no comparison. Mongoose is something you pickup at crap r us or goodyear.... I was a little disappointed that I only had deore and deore LX components (Deore LX for rear derailers and simply Deore for front derailers). I plan some day to get XT or XTR components because the deore front derailers are simply not cutting it....

Edit: I have disc brakes and ever since getting them, I will never go back despite have some issues with them. Disc brakes are no comparison to V brakes because V brakes wear out too quickly and will cause your bike to flip.
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XT and XTR?... lol... i hope you guys better be riding a lot to make that stuff worth it. front derailleurs arent really that important... that's why its almost always a lower spec, but if you like to have the bling bling... and so called weight $aving$ with your XTR group then heh....😕

v-brakes that have been adjusted right shouldn't be a problem especially in dry california... unless you like grabbing on it all of a sudden.


 
Originally posted by: munruss
What is a good online mountain bike store? I'm looking at this model, but I don't see many shocks on the bike.
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you might be better off going to your local bikes shop to try out bikes. most of the brands that have been mentioned don't offer their bikes online because they want you to see if you really fit on the bike. just look around and get sized up... after that you can probably just look for a used bike with the same specs you're comfortable on.

you don't need a full suspension bike really unless you like bombing down hill... a hardtail will do just fine for normal trail riding plus it will be cheaper to maintain.

EDIT: you won't find a decent FS bike around $500. 🙁
 
I agree with you. I just wanted to get an idea of what is out there. I also came across this. I will head over to the stores to see what they have to offer.
 
I just gave my Bicicyling magazines to a co-worker or I'd look them up for you. Someone psoted about this a month or so ago and I posted the review that they gave for a bike in this range. You could try searching for it....

OK Wait, I found it. here's a paste from this thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=38&threadid=1508755

Mongoose Tyax Comp
Price: $329
Weight: 31 lbs (Medium size)
Frame: 6061 Aluminum
Fork: Spinner suspension
Component Highlights: Shimano Altus 24 Speed drivetrain, Pro Max Brakes, Alloy Rims, Kenda Koyota 26x1.95-in tires, WTB Speed V Sport Saddle
Contact: http://www.mongoose.com

http://www.mongoose.com/bikes/detail.php?id=243&brandLine=Pro_US&brandID=38

And here's their review: (pardon any typos)
What do you look for in a bike to knock around the ghetto of dorms and Greek housing on a place like the Indiana University compus? Something inepensive, sturdy and higly lock-up-able. Something like Mongoose's Tyax Comp. For a few pizza more than 300 bucks, you get a bombproof aluminum frame dressed with a functional suspension form and 24-speed shifting.

The Tyax makes perfect transportation, putting you in a relaxes, upright riding positoin. Likewise, SHimano's tried=and=true trigger shifters let even newbies easily command the bile's 24 speeds, which you'll need to cover Bloomington's rolling hills with a backpack full of textbooks. Note that this bike is plenty tought, tool the fram, with its beefy head-tube gussets, should shrug off impaces from between-class curb hops. And the Tyax wont' cramp your fashion sense: Its platform pedals, made from real metal, are ready for whatever foorware you slip into, from work boots to spiky heels.

If you decide to venture off pavement and give the Wap (Wapehani Mountain Bike Park) a try, the Tyax Comp's trail-readyKenota Koyote knobby rubber will bite into the rooty singletrack. Don't expect the Spinner suspension form to dance in the dirt, though - its rudimentary workings make it more suited to smoothing out potholes and curb hops. From brakes to wheels, largely generic parts adorn the Tyax, but all work without a hitch, and they leave something in your bank account for those inevitable fee increases the administration has planned for next semester.

They also have a Tyax Elite for $399 and a Tyax Super for $499. Check the link above for the details.
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i didn't know suntour (front der) was still around. i though they got swallowed up when their indexed shifting crashed and burned.

it's a fine bike for the price, but i'm not a huge fan of performance
 
I got an '04 Trek 4100 at the end of last season for $2** (can't remember exactly). It's a perfect starter bike, I hadn't ridden for 5 years or so. I really like it, highly recommended.
 
Go to a local shop and try out various bikes to see which one fits you right, then do some shopping around get a bike with similar dimensions that has decent components in your price range.
 
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