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

[Legolessed]

20 minutes ago, Dr. KEK said:

my first bike was $2172 out the door, trek is usually pretty good. santa cruz as well. specialized is overpriced.

 

$2-3k is standard for aluminum bike

 

$4-8k for carbon

 

hard tail is ok at $1500 but really for the slight bump in price going FS is worth it.

 

i dont and never will have that kind of money

[Dr. KEK]

then buy a used one, look for 2011-2014 trek superfly or trek fuel EX. 

[Guest]

9 hours ago, Legolessed said:

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?

If you are going to go under the 1000 range, it has to be a hardtail if you want a decent bike with good components, i would recomend that you look for a use older bike with atleast a rockshox air fork and deore/slx components, dont cheap out becuse it will only hinder you when you learn more and want to ride more technical stuff.

At the moment i would recomend looking at Canyon Grand Canyon series as they are really good priced for what you get.

[yathis]

3 hours ago, themctipers said:

i use a $50 bike that was on sale at walmart, its pretty good (as far as i can tell it has a suspension so that means its good right?)

@Wedsea040 @Star Paladin Vinyl

Its junk. It is a BSO or Bicycle Shaped Object, meant to be sold on a massive scale and to earn a profit for the seller and maker..... nothing else. Its good for the occasional bike run, but what its meant for is to be stored in the shed or under the deck and get rusted out. Thats all its good for.

 

A decent quality bicycle costs money and is sold in an actual bicycle store, what Walmart sells is junk.

[themctipers]

1 hour ago, yathis said:

Its junk. It is a BSO or Bicycle Shaped Object, meant to be sold on a massive scale and to earn a profit for the seller and maker..... nothing else. Its good for the occasional bike run, but what its meant for is to be stored in the shed or under the deck and get rusted out. Thats all its good for.

 

A decent quality bicycle costs money and is sold in an actual bicycle store, what Walmart sells is junk.

lol ok

 

its fine for me, i think the problem is my fat ass and not the bike itself 

[Zando_]

9 hours ago, Legolessed said:

https://portland.craigslist.org/clk/bik/d/ready-to-ride/6221580064.html

its this but the price is different than listed

That's a proper looking bike! its got a good rear shock, the linkage design looks great, and it's got an air fork on the front (I think). And you can get it for $200, right? That'd give you room to add a shorter stem and wider bars (id recommend 740mm, how tall are you?), and maybe service the suspension, though it looks clean and well taken care of. And the drivetrain is Shimano Deore, which is a good entry level drivetrain. 

 

EDIT: and it looks like it has Ritchey stem, bars, and rims, at least. Those are nice parts! If you wanna see the ultimate in Ritchey components, check out Nino Schurter's bike. He's one of the best Cross Country riders in the world, and has won a ton of world championships and the Olympics. So if he uses their stuff, I'd say it's pretty good. Also, that bike was around $750+ new, so it should be great. 

[Clanscorpia]

Im not recommending this but I have a 70 CAD cheapo from wal-mart without suspension and its held up doing small trails for 3 years. I am looking to upgrade to a road bike soon for under 300 CAD if anyone has recommendations 

[Zando_]

7 minutes ago, Clanscorpia said:

Im not recommending this but I have a 70 CAD cheapo from wal-mart without suspension and its held up doing small trails for 3 years. I am looking to upgrade to a road bike soon for under 300 CAD if anyone has recommendations 

Hmm. Well, @Legolessed can't get a Walmart bike, since he rides double black (the hardest) trails. Though they do hold up under light use, if you aren't a larger guy like me (6' 2", though everyone tells me a I may be taller, and at least 225 pounds, far beyond the capacity of a WalMart bike). As far as road bikes go, look for a used one with a steel frame (ones from Trek and such are pretty much bombproof), and send us links so we can check them out. 

[TheKDub]

23 hours ago, MathiasVN said:

Step 3. NEVER BUY FROM WALMART

I cannot explain how much I agree with this. Just don't do it.

Don't go with any store like Walmart or Meijer for buying bikes unless you want overpriced pieces of crap.

 

Check Craigslist, there might be some decent bikes floating around on there.

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, JayKay3000 said:

Guys here are idiots.

Us?

 

4 minutes ago, JayKay3000 said:

Saying that you MUST BUY a bike for $1200 is just the kind of snobbery I dislike. If you get a low priced bike you can potentially put nicer front shocks on it as you get better as funds trickle in.

No one said that. And nicer front shocks don't make up for a poor frame design. 

 

4 minutes ago, JayKay3000 said:

Here is the first result in google:

 

https://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-gear/buyers-guide-budget-hardtail-mountain-bikes/

 

All the bikes are below $500 (in the under $500 section) and if you get get around $500 from parents or birthday a hardtail will do you well to begin with for years white you build bike skills and get good at riding hard tail. Hard tails make you ride better, you can't be as sloppy and with the right rider will do plenty of tough trails. (That's front suspension and nothing at the rear). Hard tails can do pretty gnarly trails if you have the skill to do them. I'd buy a better hard tail than an overall poorer full suspension with your funds. A crappy fs will have overall worse components than a low spec hard tail so with the low spec hard tail you'll trade overall worse suspension for slightly better front suspension. Once you're a seasoned rider and can afford a more expensive bike the more expensive components make more sense.

 

You can also take in second hand websites like ebay that you can get a high end bike that's a number of years old with decent components in the $500 mark if you don't mind a bit of battle damage! I got my most recent Trek road bike for $300 where it used to cost over $1000. But if you buy a mountain bike second hand be sure to think of it like a car. How does it shift, does the suspension leak any fluids, how does it feel. Does it air up, check the frame for any cracks or damage. Ask what it was used for and check out the tires and brakes and when buying second hand knowing the size frame you need is pretty important even on a mountain bike. You could wonder into a bike shop and ask or pay for a bike fitting posing as a potential customer to work out what frame you need and leave. There are a bunch of websites that help you figure out what size frame for your height, etc.

 

My point is, don't get too hung up on the price. Even if your first mountain bike is not the $2000 shredding bike you dreamed of, a bike at $100 - $500 will get you out on the trails and having fun either on your own or with your friends and in the end that's what mountain biking is all about. Decent trails, good friends and getting home in one piece.

Everything else sounds good. And the OP has an eye on a decent 2003 era FS bike. Looks pretty solid from the pics, and he can get it for $200 (it was $750 new on 2003 or '02 or whenever it came out). 

[Zando_]

5 minutes ago, TheKDub said:

I cannot explain how much I agree with this. Just don't do it.

Don't go with any store like Walmart or Meijer for buying bikes unless you want overpriced pieces of crap.

 

Check Craigslist, there might be some decent bikes floating around on there.

Yup, he's found a good FS bike on Craigslist. 

 

EDIT: It's a K2 attack 3 from 2002. 

[Zando_]

4 minutes ago, JayKay3000 said:

"Us?" - Whoever told him to spend $1200.

That would have been me, saying not to get a full suspension bike for less than that (new), because they are crappy designs. I never said to spend $1200 on a bike (Mine was $500-$600, I forget how much). Though like you said, the main point is to get a bike you are happy with, and have fun on the trail with your mates. 

 

4 minutes ago, JayKay3000 said:

Never mentioned frame design. Some cheap bikes have good frame design.

 

 

Like my bike (Vitus Nucleus 275) The geometry is on point, it just has a smaller rear tire clearance than I would like. And I think the frame itself sells for $150-$170 new. So it's not an expensive frame by any means. And if the OP finds a good bike with a crappy frame, he could get a Ragley hardtail frame and switch over the components. 

 

EDIT: here's one on sale for $154 (USD): http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/ragley-marley-hardtail-frame-2017/rp-prod145972

[Zando_]

4 minutes ago, JayKay3000 said:

The frame idea is good. Plenty of people I knew got their frames and then built their bike over an amount of time as funds became available - It's an option for sure. If I remember anything about my time mountain biking. It helps to know how to fix your bike

Oh yeah. Bike shops can hit you hard with labour costs. if you can afford to buy a $3K bike form them, it's no sweat, but if you've saved for ages for your bike, and then they charge $30 in labor to replace a $20 part, you'll wish you'd learned how and picked up a set of tools along the way. Most tools aren't that expensive, and don't really break. 

 

 

Oh, and @Legolessed, another thing not to cheap out on is pedals. Get nice wide flat pedals (or clips if that's your thing, though then you need special shoes), your feet will thank you. Though your shins won't if they're like mine and have metal pegs for grip. And speaking of grip, good grips are super comfy and only cost around $20. 

[Zando_]

14 minutes ago, Wedsea040 said:

I would stay away from anything new at that pricepoint. I would definitely go for a used hardtail, from a reputable brand such as Trek or Specialized. If you can track something down like that, definitely check the manufacturer of the suspension. Fox, Magura, and RockShox are almost always safe bets. Kashima coat is always a plus if you can find any of that too ?. I would also check for any major rust or cracking on the frame or other parts of the bike because thats not good of course. It's a plus if the tires are in good shape, but if they are flat or whatever it's pretty easy to get a new tube and replace it your self. That is a good skill to learn if you want to get into mountain biking. And of course, apart from that, definitely ride the bike for a good deal before you buy it. Shift through every gear, pedal around, and brake to make sure everything is working properly. You can always fix up little things on your own later, such as handgrips or seats.

 

I hope this helped, and good luck! ?

And pedals. I highly bout you'll find a bike with the contact points you like, so make sure and get a good pair of grips, comfy saddle, and maybe better pedals. 

 

And to add to the good bike brands: Diamondback, Vitus (they both make cheap bikes too, so be careful), Canyon, Cube, Pivot, Intense (crazy expensive though) Commencal, YT (both great value for money brands), Rocky Mountain, Rose, etc. 

[yathis]

Go watch some Bikeman4u youtube videos