Good beginner Mtn Bike?

Scott

Scott

Adventurist
Ok.. Budget is a major concern, but I want something decent that I can enjoy riding the trails around my house on. Gimme some brands that are good.. I'm just getting into this, so I don't really know where to start. If it matters, I'm 5'7" and 135 lbs soaking wet... I'm not real sure what size frame I would need either.

Any help is appreciated.
 
Any bike from Surly. Built like a tank and will last you a life time. Or until you decide to upgrade.

http://surlybikes.com/bikes

I'd look at the Pugsley, Ogre, Karate Monkey, or the Krampus.

I have the Moonlander. Check their dealer list for a local bike store near you. REI also sells Surly so you could use this as a means to check them out.
 
Thanks Justin! Surley makes some good stuff from the looks of it. I may hit REI today to check them out in person. I won't buy from REI for personal reasons (I don't like that they support the Sierra Club), but I can at least check one out in person...

Gear said:
Any bike from Surly. Built like a tank and will last you a life time. Or until you decide to upgrade.

http://surlybikes.com/bikes

I'd look at the Pugsley, Ogre, Karate Monkey, or the Krampus.

I have the Moonlander. Check their dealer list for a local bike store near you. REI also sells Surly so you could use this as a means to check them out.
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Our second issue features an article on choosing the proper mountain bike. We also included a note about a pretty cool website for determining a bicycle's value when purchasing "used" in our Newswire section. You can pick-up the print version at Barnes and Noble, our website, or view the digital edition here:

http://issue2.outdoorx4.com
 
OutdoorX4 said:
Our second issue features an article on choosing the proper mountain bike. We also included a note about a pretty cool website for determining a bicycle's value when purchasing "used" in our Newswire section. You can pick-up the print version at Barnes and Noble, our website, or view the digital edition here:

http://issue2.outdoorx4.com
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I'm already a subscriber, and I have issue 2, it's just at home right now ;) I'll be sure to read the article tonight when I get home though!
 
I have a Karate Monkey and I really like it. Your first question is 26 inch vs 29 inch (I would skip the 650b) - then what is your budget? The frame is only a small part... components wear out fast on cheaper models and can cost more than buying better at the start. Sram x7 or Shimano LX/XT is a great start. In this price range, I prefer mechanical disc brakes over cheap hydraulic brake - look for Avid BB5 or BB7s. I am going to guess you will ride a 17 inch frame, but try to ride what you are going to buy, each manufacturer uses different length tubes and really changes how a bike feels. If you are shopping used (Craigslist) I would see if you can find a Specialized Rock Hopper from the 2010 or newer, should be ~$500 and a great place to start. I had one but the frame didn't feel "right" to me. I do like Trek, Salsa and Niner frames..... good luck!
 
mtnbike28 said:
I have a Karate Monkey and I really like it. Your first question is 26 inch vs 29 inch (I would skip the 650b) - then what is your budget? The frame is only a small part... components wear out fast on cheaper models and can cost more than buying better at the start. Sram x7 or Shimano LX/XT is a great start. In this price range, I prefer mechanical disc brakes over cheap hydraulic brake - look for Avid BB5 or BB7s. I am going to guess you will ride a 17 inch frame, but try to ride what you are going to buy, each manufacturer uses different length tubes and really changes how a bike feels. If you are shopping used (Craigslist) I would see if you can find a Specialized Rock Hopper from the 2010 or newer, should be ~$500 and a great place to start. I had one but the frame didn't feel "right" to me. I do like Trek, Salsa and Niner frames..... good luck!
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I've never had a decent mountain bike, so I don't really know what my budget should be. I want something decent, but not something that will require a 5 year loan lol.

I know, real specific huh? I am gonna run to REI to check out some bikes on my lunch.
 
Jay, excellent feedback and I would also add that before selecting the mountain bike, first discern what kind of bicycling you plan to do. Do you require a bike that is more of a "cross trainer" and can handle singletrack, downhill, etc or do you plan to ride specific terrain that requires a specific type of mountain bike?

Most people who plan to mountain bike recreationally on generally mild terrain don't need all the bells and whistles of high end, full suspension 29ers (or 26ers for that matter).

In short, figure out what type of riding you plan to do and then go for a bike that's within a budget and go from there. There are a number of excellent bikes out there in the $500-$1,000 range and it goes up from there.
 
Just my .02 pesos but I recommend you go to Wal-Mart and buy a Huffy for $100 as a starter to see how much you are actually going to ride which really determines the worth of a bike. In 1994 I bought a GT Pantera with RockShox for $950, this is when aluminum frames and shocks were still relatively new...and expensive. I was going to ride like crazy, tons of places to ride on Ft Benning but life gets in the way sometimes as my son was born that year, I still have that bike and for 20 yrs old it is still a great bike but I probably have less than 75 miles on it so was it really worth that money.

If you go with a cheap bike and find that you are just not that into it you can drop it off at Good Will and no harm no foul as you dont have that much invested. If you do end up loving it you know what you want to spend and can actually justify it because you know it will be used. Just a thought.
 
Joker said:
Just my .02 pesos but I recommend you go to Wal-Mart and buy a Huffy for $100 as a starter to see how much you are actually going to ride which really determines the worth of a bike. In 1994 I bought a GT Pantera with RockShox for $950, this is when aluminum frames and shocks were still relatively new...and expensive. I was going to ride like crazy, tons of places to ride on Ft Benning but life gets in the way sometimes as my son was born that year, I still have that bike and for 20 yrs old it is still a great bike but I probably have less than 75 miles on it so was it really worth that money.

If you go with a cheap bike and find that you are just not that into it you can drop it off at Good Will and no harm no foul as you dont have that much invested. If you do end up loving it you know what you want to spend and can actually justify it because you know it will be used. Just a thought.
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totally agree. or if you have someone that would let you barrow one that would be even better.
 
Joker said:
Just my .02 pesos but I recommend you go to Wal-Mart and buy a Huffy for $100 as a starter to see how much you are actually going to ride which really determines the worth of a bike. In 1994 I bought a GT Pantera with RockShox for $950, this is when aluminum frames and shocks were still relatively new...and expensive. I was going to ride like crazy, tons of places to ride on Ft Benning but life gets in the way sometimes as my son was born that year, I still have that bike and for 20 yrs old it is still a great bike but I probably have less than 75 miles on it so was it really worth that money.

If you go with a cheap bike and find that you are just not that into it you can drop it off at Good Will and no harm no foul as you dont have that much invested. If you do end up loving it you know what you want to spend and can actually justify it because you know it will be used. Just a thought.
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Now that is probably a great idea! I know I want to ride, but I also know life gets in the way of stuff. Real cheap might be the way yo go.
 
Definitely can't disagree with that. Of course, I see you're near/in Lake Arrowhead and I hear there's some great mountain biking in that area so I suspect if you make a purchase, you'll be hooked. :)
 
I disagree with the cheap bike. A cheap huffy can ruin the experience. Hit a local bike shop, tell them what you are looking for, they will hook you up. I have been riding my entry level trek hard tail for years. Still love it.
 
Fowldarr said:
I disagree with the cheap bike. A cheap huffy can ruin the experience. Hit a local bike shop, tell them what you are looking for, they will hook you up. I have been riding my entry level trek hard tail for years. Still love it.
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Agreed! A cheap suit is still a cheap suit. Bad components that are shoddily pieced together and tensile steel frame the weight of a boat anchor that will make your experience miserable in a few miles will turn you away from the activity. Cheap bikes, not fitted to you, will result in injury... musculo-skeletal and nerve injury are often the result of poorly matched bikes. Find a decent bike shop with knowledgeable staff, the kind that rides their bikes to work and go for daily rides, that will steer you in the right direction and fit the bike to your size. A bike is a complicated melding of man and machine - you are a power-plant attached to a drive-train. If the engine is not securely attached to an efficient drive-train to effortlessly transfer power, the end result will be system failure.
 
I agree with Tango, etc. A cheap bike will discourage you from riding after a 1/2 hour on a trail. If a local shop carries Niner brand, they have an aggressive loaner set-up for dealers.... everyone Niner dealer I know has demo bikes in stock. I would also visit more than one bike shop (LBS= Local Bike Shop) and find the one that feels right... it sounds odd, but many are off putting, again I feel chasing folks away from the sport.
 
I want to be clear, I'm not saying spend $10k, I'm just saying buy a good entry level bike. I paid under $1000 for my trek (years ago), but it fits and has quality components and is sufficient for the riding I do. All thanks to an LBS.
 
I agree, I have never spent over $1,000 for a bike. I have spent exactly $1,000 ; )

The rest of your statement is all true!
 
As told to my by my friend and bike shop owner/mechanic. " Start with a bike with a good frame and decent components, you can upgrade components down the road if you desire" I own a marin hydro ht frame (team hardtail) I have since added rockshox forks and hydraulic brakes, I love it for what I ride. I purchased a 2011 bike in 2012 and got a discounted price. All in all I spent 900 for the bike and custom forks/brakes. Remember shop locally and develop a relationship with the shop owner. When you buy from a non bike shop you get a bike put together and maintained by Joe schmo with a wrench. I am fairly mechanically inclined and bikes still baffle me at times.
 
I'm in complete agreement with your remarks. You can get a damn fine bike for less than $1000 to $600 that will encourage you to enjoy that activity rather than loathe it with a cheap (even if purchased new) bike obtained from one of the mass market retailers. Also, agree with the LBS observations... get a feel for the shop - you'll assess quickly if they too are enthusiasts themselves who have a passion for the pastime rather than are just looking to score a sale. The big box vendors are looking to push a skew number out the door and often don't even know how to assemble, tune, or fit a bike to a customer.

A quality LBS knows that if they treat you right the first time you'll be a valuable marketing tool for them and you'll be back for accessories and service later; you'll be a "customer for life." If you're obsessive-compulsive like me they'll treat you real nice since they'll be able to put their kids through Stanford based on you purchases alone. I've got 3 bikes... a road, mountain (26"), and cyclo-cross.

Here's another option. When I was testes-deep in the activity and would come back to the US on leave I would rent a bike from a local, reputable shop, generally their mainstay seller and most often a TREK. That would be a good way to get a feel for the bike you desire up front. I also bought a quality "used" mountain bike from a reputable shop that was a trade of a high quality bike for an even better ride for that customer. I saved huge for a quality, well cared for bike for my daughter that only required some minor tweaking to fit her. This fits in with my strategy, that applies to your other passion of OHV's, "spend your money wisely once."

Also remember, these bike shops are often locally owned by fellow citizens like you. Support American retailers! Keep bike mechanics employed and off the streets and trails!

This should be stupid-simple for you; you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a decent LBS in California. From a simple web-search I counted 9 LBS within a 20 mile radius of your listed location.

What the hell are you waiting for?
 
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