Need to buy a mountain bike

[KAMAZON]

Any of you guys avid bikers? There is a hiking trail I go on and it has a very steep incline and it's a dirt road. I wanted a bike to take with me on the trail and do city riding too. My friend got a good deal for a really nice bike for $400 (or at least he says it was a very good deal). I rode his bike 10 miles to work one day and went 'wow that beats the sh1t out of my $100 target bike'. I am looking on craigslist for a used one and I don't know what to look for so any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. TIA.

 

[Slew Foot]

Well, if youre doing mainly city riding, avoid dual suspension and if you get a front suspension only, try and get one with a lockout so you dont waste energy on uphill roads in the city. Sounds like DS would be a waste in your case since you're going uphill on dirt.

Craigslist is a great place to look for used bikes, especially in the winter as losers who thought they were going to take up mountain biking are trying to dump their twice used bikes in time to buy x-mas gifts. I picked up a used Trek Fuel 80 for $460 (the retail was 1200) a few years back.

 

[KAMAZON]

wow nice! See the thing is I want it all...I want a bike I can:

-take out in the city for like a 8 mile ride
-take up a hill
-take in a foresty type terrain


now I know i can't have everything, but is there a perticular brand or something that would fit my needs? A foresty type terrain isn't too important, i can dump that if it is unreasonable. Thanks again.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I would get a hardtail (single front shock) because good dualies are expensive. Deraillers should be at least Shimano Deore. Forget the Alivio and Acera stuff. Aluminum frames will be the lightest at your price point of around $500. Cro-Moly and steel frames will be very heavy. Titanium and Carbon Fiber are way out of your price range. Get a bike that's under 30lbs.

Trek, Gary Fisher, Cannondale, Jamis, Kona, Marin, KHS, Specialized and Fuji are all good bike companies. Mongoose and Iron Horse make cheap stuff.

Go to a bike shop and get yourself sized for the bike frame. See if they have used bikes for sale.

For riding on the road, consider a hybrid tire with smoother tread and skinnier body, a cross between a mountain tire and a road tire.

For front shocks, you can't really go wrong with Rock Shox.

Also, the lighter the wheel, the "lighter" your bike will feel because of decreased rotational mass. Try and get a nice light wheel.

 

[KAMAZON]

Thanks for all the help so far, it's jsut slightly out of my league at the moment. How's this?

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/bik/244661732.html '


O i'm also 5"10.

this looks good too
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/bik/244515342.html

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: KAMAZON
Thanks for all the help so far, it's jsut slightly out of my league at the moment. How's this?

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/bik/244661732.html

Not bad at all. The fork could be better though:

http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/2003_front_shocks/product_121933.shtml

Make sure you get fitted to a frame size before blindly ordering something.

 

[Slew Foot]

That bike is actually pretty nice, try and bargain him down if you can.

edit: depending on how you ride you might not find the fork annoying. If you do, they're fairly cheap on ebay as well, I picked up a Rock Shox SID for 80 something, MSRP was 400.
Most ebay users are fat couch potatoes so sports stuff is usually pretty cheap.


My bike

 

[mordantmonkey]

Be careful of riding on hiking trails. many hiking trails are for hikers only for safety reasons.

and get fitted to a frame size, at the very least make sure the top tube is about 1" below your boys when stradling the bike flat footed on the ground.

 

[cubby1223]

Originally posted by: KAMAZON
Thanks for all the help so far, it's jsut slightly out of my league at the moment. How's this?

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/bik/244661732.html

That looks pretty good. Looks like the front shock has a lockout which would be good for switching between hills & roads. If you are going to ride this mainly on the road, you may want to have a bike shop put on a riser bar instead of the flat handlebars that's on it, this will make the ride more comfortable. And probably replace out the treads for a semi-slick set, as it sounds like you're not planning on any hardcore off-road biking.

 

[Dirigible]

Originally posted by: KAMAZON
Thanks for all the help so far, it's jsut slightly out of my league at the moment. How's this?

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/bik/244661732.html '

That one looks decent.

Originally posted by: KAMAZON
this looks good too
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/bik/244515342.html

Not nearly enough of a discount for a used, not-so-good bike.

Originally posted by: KAMAZONO i'm also 5"10.

The Trek 6000 at 18" is probably closer to your size than the 22" Trek 4900. Don't buy a bike without trying it to see if it feels good.

I agree with the other posters: a hardtail (bike with front suspension) is probably the way to go with you. It'll be fine for an 8-mile pavement ride, and even better for that if you put smooth tires on. I once rode 1500 miles in three weeks on a mountain bike with smooth tires. If you get a decent one, it'll be fine for trail riding as well. The advice to get at least Deore level components mean they probably will stay adjusted, will stand up to some abuse, and be less aggravating than cheaper stuff.

Some of the best mountain bike riders will use a bike with no suspension and only one gear. It gives 'em an extra challenge. So you can pretty much ride any bike offroad, as long as it'll stand up to the beating. Front suspension will make things much more fun when you're starting out, though.

Feel free to post other bike candidates for feedback, or pm me.

Buying used is somewhat trickier when you're a newby, 'cause you don't know what trouble spots to look for. If you get a beat-up bike, you can make it work, but you might have to put money into it.

Take a look at the shock legs to see if they're worn. Push down to see if the shock is sticky or doesn't absorb vibration and impact well. Measure the chain - 12 links should be about 12". If it's 1/8" longer, it's really worn and the gears will likely need to all be replaced. Run through all the gears to see if it changes gears quickly and correctly. Try to see if there's any play between the fork/handlebar assembly and the frame - if there is it probably won't be expensive to fix but is indicative of a not-well-cared-for bike. Look for rust or a buildup of grease - neither are good signs.

 

[KAMAZON]

nope, no hardcore offroading for me. This is mostly as a fun exercise since as a kid I always enjoyed biking. You guys are all awesome btw and thanks so much for all the suggs. I'm going to get fitted and link some from craigslist that match me and I would like your opinions if the ones I linked don't fit me.

 

[Dirigible]

Oh, and the review section of mtbr.com (fuzzybabybunny linked to a review there) is quite useful for some opinions on particular bikes or bike parts.

 

[CraigRT]

These other guys have you covered, but I just want to say, I am an avid mountain biker and I'm glad to see another rider on the scene :thumbsup:

I have a 2006 Trek 8000disc FWIW.

Have fun!

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

BTW, when you do get a bike, you NEED to christen it by taking it (and you) off a 20-foot jump.


Just gotta happen.

 

[jpthomas]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
I would get a hardtail (single front shock) because good dualies are expensive. Deraillers should be at least Shimano Deore. Forget the Alivio and Acera stuff. Aluminum frames will be the lightest at your price point of around $500. Cro-Moly and steel frames will be very heavy. Titanium and Carbon Fiber are way out of your price range. Get a bike that's under 30lbs.

Trek, Gary Fisher, Cannondale, Jamis, Kona, Marin, KHS, are all good bike companies. Mongoose and Iron Horse make cheap stuff.

Go to a bike shop and get yourself sized for the bike frame. See if they have used bikes for sale.

Add Specialized to the list. You might be able to find a used Specialized Rockhopper in your price range. Very solid bikes. I wanted to disagree that Iron Horse makes cheap stuff. Sure, their entry level bikes have cheaper components (as do entry level bikes from all manufacturers) but they make great frames and sell plenty of very good, reliable bikes. Just check the reviews and forums over at mtbr.com.

Also, don't limit yourself to looking at bikes with just Shimano derailers. SRAM makes very nice stuff for mountain bikes, and you could probably find a year or two old bike with SRAM X7 or X9 derailers.

As many posters have said, fit is VERY important. That 22.5" bike is definately too big for you. I'm 6'3" and bought a 21" bike, and even that feels a little big. Go get fitted at a bike shop, ride some bikes, and figure out what feels good to you.

Good luck, shopping for a new bike is fun. Be patient, do your research, and you will be fine.

 

[cubby1223]

Originally posted by: Slew Foot
That bike is actually pretty nice, try and bargain him down if you can.

edit: depending on how you ride you might not find the fork annoying. If you do, they're fairly cheap on ebay as well, I picked up a Rock Shox SID for 80 something, MSRP was 400.
Most ebay users are fat couch potatoes so sports stuff is usually pretty cheap.

My bike

Curious why you'd recommend a SID for a casual rider? When I started in mountain biking, SIDs were very expensive and usually high maintenance. I admit I haven't kept up with the new technologies - several years ago I bought a new Marzocchi Bomber, and that thing is as indestructible as it gets, so I haven't had any need to check out what's new.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Check out these tires. I'm going to get a set for my MT bike for on road and trails. http://www.jtbikes.com/items/Tires/BMX/...is-holy-roller-tire-maxholy-detail.htm

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: jpthomas
Add Specialized to the list.

*smacks forehead*

Added.

Yeah, once you get to better Iron Horse stuff, they start to get good. But you'll find ones at sports stores like Dick's, and those are not good quality.

 

[KAMAZON]

Wow I can't wait to read all of your post links and research this, thanks for all the help Anandtech ^.^

 

[Slew Foot]

Originally posted by: cubby1223

Originally posted by: Slew Foot
That bike is actually pretty nice, try and bargain him down if you can.

edit: depending on how you ride you might not find the fork annoying. If you do, they're fairly cheap on ebay as well, I picked up a Rock Shox SID for 80 something, MSRP was 400.
Most ebay users are fat couch potatoes so sports stuff is usually pretty cheap.

My bike

Curious why you'd recommend a SID for a casual rider? When I started in mountain biking, SIDs were very expensive and usually high maintenance. I admit I haven't kept up with the new technologies - several years ago I bought a new Marzocchi Bomber, and that thing is as indestructible as it gets, so I haven't had any need to check out what's new.

Im not exactly recomending a SID for the casual rider (heck, since I got my road bike I rarely mountain bike), but for $80 the upgrade from a JUDY c was too good to pass up.

 

[tomywishbone]

Originally posted by: CraigRT
These other guys have you covered, but I just want to say, I am an avid mountain biker and I'm glad to see another rider on the scene :thumbsup:

I have a 2006 Trek 8000disc FWIW.

Have fun!

I'm on a 2004 Trek 8000 SLR Super-light-race, non-disc. Full XT. :beer:

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: KAMAZON
wow nice! See the thing is I want it all...I want a bike I can:

-take out in the city for like a 8 mile ride
-take up a hill
-take in a foresty type terrain


now I know i can't have everything, but is there a perticular brand or something that would fit my needs? A foresty type terrain isn't too important, i can dump that if it is unreasonable. Thanks again.

You could do all that on a hardtail mtb easily.

I dabbled in mtb for about a year or so and then got back into road cycling. That's my true passion. I rode almost 3k miles in the last year and completed my first century in September. Great fun! :thumbsup:

 

[tbike06]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
BTW, when you do get a bike, you NEED to christen it by taking it (and you) off a 20-foot jump.


Just gotta happen.

Don't forget to take pics!

 

[tomywishbone]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: KAMAZON
wow nice! See the thing is I want it all...I want a bike I can:

-take out in the city for like a 8 mile ride
-take up a hill
-take in a foresty type terrain
now I know i can't have everything, but is there a perticular brand or something that would fit my needs? A foresty type terrain isn't too important, i can dump that if it is unreasonable. Thanks again.

You could do all that on a hardtail mtb easily.

Agreed. A hardtail should be totally cool for your needs. The extra $$ that you would spend on full suspension, can go to better components and upgrades.

Get out there and hammer!

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: tomywishbone

Originally posted by: CraigRT
These other guys have you covered, but I just want to say, I am an avid mountain biker and I'm glad to see another rider on the scene :thumbsup:

I have a 2006 Trek 8000disc FWIW.

Have fun!

I'm on a 2004 Trek 8000 SLR Super-light-race, non-disc. Full XT. :beer:

Pics?
My '06 Trek