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how to choose a mountain bike? like a good, solid mountain bike?

Legolessed

Recently i have gotten very into the mountain biking realm. I just have a rigid bike that i used to get from place to place and i have been using that same bike for everything. I started on smaller runs it it felt fine but when i took a trip up to shweitzer mountain in idaho and rode, it hurt and i felt like i didnt have a lot of control. I did quite a few of the runs but just every little thing in the trail i felt and the fork on my bike is definitly too far forward. Sot aht leads me to the question, i want a new mountain bike, but i have no idea what to get. I dont want to spend over $500 so the new market is mostly off limits. I have found full suspension bikes ranging all over the place and knoe there has to be a difference, but i honestly dont know what to look for. 

 

I found the genesis bike at walmart for $149 and that is the cheapest bike i have seen with full suspension but it must be crap because its cheaper than most rigid bikes. Ive also seen a mongoose gsx 9, and a k2 attack 3 for around $200. These all have full suspension but again they must be crap for the price xD. I have also found listings like this where they seem really good but they also seem way to good to be true. any suggestions?

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Aha! Meesa knows a lot about this! 

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2 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

Aha! Meesa knows a lot about this! 

oh xD would you care to spread the knowledge xD 

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Step one. NEVER, EVER buy a full suspension bike less than $1200. Anything less, and they will have cut corners or used a crappy design. There is an insanely large amount of engineering that goes into shock linkages, to reduce pedal bob and feedback, make the shock more progressive, help it take large hits but not be mushy over small bumps, etc. 

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1 minute ago, Legolessed said:

oh xD would you care to spread the knowledge xD 

Just did. See above. 

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2 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

Step one. NEVER, EVER but a full suspension bike less than $1200. Anything less, and they will have cut corners or used a crappy design. There is an insanely large amount of engineering that goes into sick linkages, to reduce pedal bob and feedback, make the shock more progressive, help it take large hits but not be mushy over small bumps, etc. 

what about in the used market? a lot of those bikes costed over 1k when they were new. And they say they have been tuned up and have completely new tires. idk

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3 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

Step one. NEVER, EVER but a full suspension bike less than $1200. Anything less, and they will have cut corners or used a crappy design. There is an insanely large amount of engineering that goes into sick linkages, to reduce pedal bob and feedback, make the shock more progressive, help it take large hits but not be mushy over small bumps, etc. 

I totally agree with this.

I'm using the Ridley Ignite Series and I'm pretty happy with it. (Kinda expensive tho)

https://www.ridley-bikes.com/us/en/bikes/offroad/mountainbike/ignite-csl-275

 

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Step 2. That link is crap, it's a NEXT bike form Walmart. for $500, you want a good hardtail. I've got one of these: http://vitusbikes.com/products/nucleus-275-2016/ It cost me around $500-600 US. it's the lowest I'd go, before you start making massive compromises. I want to get a new bike though, since the rear tire clearance is pretty skinny, and it's not the best for my riding style (Kind of plowing through stuff, and I'm 6' 2" and 225 pounds). 

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2 minutes ago, MathiasVN said:

I totally agree with this.

I'm using the Ridley Ignite Series and I'm pretty happy with it. (Kinda expensive tho)

https://www.ridley-bikes.com/us/en/bikes/offroad/mountainbike/ignite-csl-275

Oi! Nice bike!

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5 minutes ago, Legolessed said:

what about in the used market? a lot of those bikes costed over 1k when they were new. And they say they have been tuned up and have completely new tires. idk

I'd check out PinkBike (It's like Craigslist, but for bikes). What country/state/province are you in? 

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dont buy chinese bikes from walmart. In NZ these bikes are sold with a warning that they are not for off-road use. They are also not rated above 100kgs which indicates either aluminium frame or just dodgy steel.

             ☼

ψ ︿_____︿_ψ_   

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Just now, Zando Bob said:

Oi! Nice bike!

Thanks.

Step 3. NEVER BUY FROM WALMART
Step 4. Never buy Giant, only had bs with their bikes.

 

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1 minute ago, SCHISCHKA said:

dont buy chinese bikes from walmart. In NZ these bikes are sold with a warning that they are not for off-road use. They are also not rated above 100kgs which indicates either aluminium frame or just dodgy steel.

Same here in the US. And they have quill stems (they come out if you pull up too hard on the handlebars, which isn't good), the wheels can bend really easy, and they're uncomfortable to ride. 

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1 minute ago, MathiasVN said:

Thanks.

Step 3. NEVER BUY FROM WALMART
Step 4. Never buy Giant, only had bs with their bikes.

3: Yup

4: Hmm, they seem to be quite nice, but I like the looks and price of Canyon and YT bikes. 

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ya, im getting that vibe from larger stores. I have a local bike shop near me and they have hardtails ranging from $400-$700 but idk. I found a giant faith 2 on pinkbike for $500. is that a good buy or no

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Just now, Zando Bob said:

3: Yup

4: Hmm, they seem to be quite nice, but I like the looks and price of Canyon and YT bikes. 

I had 3 "Giant" bikes, they all got destroyed after 3-4 Competitions, where my current has lived thru about 9 without any visible damage.

So my tip is don't buy Giant's middle class or low-class bikes. If you buy Giant go for the full specced ones.

 

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2 minutes ago, Legolessed said:

ya, im getting that vibe from larger stores. I have a local bike shop near me and they have hardtails ranging from $400-$700 but idk. I found a giant faith 2 on pinkbike for $500. is that a good buy or no

I'm not a big fan of Giant's Middle-Low Class bikes as you can see in my comment over this ^

Edit:

Plus the Faith series is from around 2005-2006 which is kinda old in the bike world (Prob outdated Gears, Suspension, Chains, Brakes, and a lot more)

 

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Just now, MathiasVN said:

I had 3 "Giant" bikes, they all got destroyed after 3-4 Competitions, where my current has lived thru about 9 without any visible damage.

So my tip is don't buy Giant's middle class or low-class bikes. If you buy Giant go for the full specced ones.

Wow. I suppose reviewers only get high end ones (90% of the time), so they wouldn't really give it a poor review for that. @Legolessed, check out Enduro Bikemag and BikeRadar, they're both great sites. and GMBN on YouTube. 

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4 minutes ago, Legolessed said:

ya, im getting that vibe from larger stores. I have a local bike shop near me and they have hardtails ranging from $400-$700 but idk. I found a giant faith 2 on pinkbike for $500. is that a good buy or no

Link?

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CPU: i9 7980XE @4.5GHz/1.22v/-2 AVX offset 

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GPU: Nvidia FE 2060 Super/Corsair HydroX 2070 FE block 

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Only get a mountain bike if you plan on going off road onto very bumpy and rocky roads. A hybrid bike would be lighter, easier to go fast, and still able to go on dirt/gravel roads. I don't have much experience with different brands but I like my Jamis. Should be able to find one under $500. 

 

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3 minutes ago, DarkEnergy said:

Only get a mountain bike if you plan on going off road onto very bumpy and rocky roads. A hybrid bike would be lighter, easier to go fast, and still able to go on dirt/gravel roads. I don't have much experience with different brands but I like my Jamis. Should be able to find one under $500. 

i do almost all mountain biking. I love it, even with my rigid frame.

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1 minute ago, Legolessed said:

Nice bike, but don't get it. It's a downhill bike, which means it will slaughter jumps and descents, but be impossible to climb with. 

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Main PC 

CPU: i9 7980XE @4.5GHz/1.22v/-2 AVX offset 

Cooler: EKWB Supremacy Block - custom loop w/360mm +280mm rads 

Motherboard: EVGA X299 Dark 

RAM:4x8GB HyperX Predator DDR4 @3200Mhz CL16 

GPU: Nvidia FE 2060 Super/Corsair HydroX 2070 FE block 

Storage:  1TB MP34 + 1TB 970 Evo + 500GB Atom30 + 250GB 960 Evo 

Optical Drives: LG WH14NS40 

PSU: EVGA 1600W T2 

Case & Fans: Corsair 750D Airflow - 3x Noctua iPPC NF-F12 + 4x Noctua iPPC NF-A14 PWM 

OS: Windows 11

 

Display: LG 27UK650-W (4K 60Hz IPS panel)

Mouse: EVGA X17

Keyboard: Corsair K55 RGB

 

Mobile/Work Devices: 2020 M1 MacBook Air (work computer) - iPhone 13 Pro Max - Apple Watch S3

 

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1 minute ago, Zando Bob said:

Nice bike, but don't get it. It's a downhill bike, which means it will slaughter jumps and descents, but be impossible to climb with. 

Plus it looks kinda abused.

 

Q: How many prolog programmers does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: Yes.

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4 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

Nice bike, but don't get it. It's a downhill bike, which means it will slaughter jumps and descents, but be impossible to climb with. 

 

2 minutes ago, MathiasVN said:

Plus it looks kinda abused.

ok thanks, ill keep looking then!

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