[new2bike]

Hello MTBR'ers :thumbsup:

I read the "NOOBS read this forum"

Im looking for a bike to ride in the neighborhood and local trails for fun/fitness. Have been looking at some bikes and was tempted to just go to WM and get a $100 bike. I dont have all the money in the world but would like something better than that. (tho honestly dont really know what better means) Read: Typical bang for buck.

Long story short: A man was dragging a bike out on trash day and I grabbed it. Its a Diamondback Ascent. I remember being a kid and wanting a DB bmx type bike, so it tugged at me and I had to save it... thinking it was some divine intervention

Moral of the story: Is this bike worth putting money into? Or is there another option out there for $200 or so that will get me through the first stages of riding? (used is OK)

(A quick look at the bike, it needs tires and front brakes are not functional...not sure what else to look for) Any info on what I would need to replace on this would be great.

If you are still reading this, thanks. Any advice is appreciated.

Edit: Read further down, new plans!

 

[joel787]

I'm new to this myself...man honestly i started with a $600 bike and now I'm having more fun with a $150 bike from CL..ride what u got, upgrade as it breaks then drop some cash if u like it

 

[rangeriderdave]

How good are you with tools? You tube ,Park Tools and Sheldon Brown could help . It looks like the front brake cable is just off the brake,easy fix. If you can get it in rideable shape without putting more than 100$ or so into it go for it,as long it is the right size for you.

 

[tgriff]

That thing is sweet! As long as the frame is in good condition I don't see why not. Take it to your local bike shop and have them take a quick look, maybe? Depending on the trails you ride, you may decide to spend a couple hundred on a used front suspension hardtail - I'm sure there are some good deals out there (check pinkbike.com).

 

[ou2mame]

Looks like the front brake cable needs to be replaced nothing serious. Ebay some tires and pedals, a cable.... Make sure the rest works and ride it. Bikes are pretty simple especially from back then lol.. Check it over and ride it man

Sent from my ME301T using Tapatalk

 

[slapheadmofo]

Looks like a pretty sweet score to me - a little elbow grease and some fresh sneakers (assuming the tires currently on it are dry rotted?) and you should be good to go!

 

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Great bike to learn basic bike mechanics and maintenance on. A DB Ascent was my first mtb but mine was an awesome key lime green!
Sent from my Lumia 920 using Board Express

 

[new2bike]

Thanks to all!

Sounds like it may be a solid user for now:thumbsup: I have plenty of tools too.

Are the brake cables and pedals all universal fit?
Can I go to a 1.95 tire on this?

I have a bike shop in town, I may have them give it a once over to let me know what all I need.
Thanks again!

 

[AndrwSwitch]

To my eye, the tires are okay.

Most brake cables aren't universal. Make sure you get some for a mountain bike, or flat bar brake levers. I think the universal ones are kind of annoying because after I cut off the part that goes in a road brake lever, it's harder to run the cable through the housings.

Pedals aren't universal either. But they're close. Almost all decent-quality pedals and cranks use a 9/16" threaded hole. It's a little hard to find the other kind, but if you go super-cheap, it's something you can run into.

I don't know if you can fit a 1.9" tire. I'd be surprised if it was a problem, though. Look for clearance problems around the straddle cable for the brakes, between the seatstays, between the chainstays, and near the front derailleur clamp.

In your shoes, I'd do this project in two steps: first, I'd just replace the stuff that's actually missing or broken. Then I'd move on to upgrades, like nicer pedals or tires.

Good luck!

 

[J.B. Weld]

I'd say it could be a good project and learning experience but it will need some work and does have some limitations. The tires are definitely shot, you can see the fraying sidewalls in the second picture. Tires, tubes and cables will probably cost a minimum of about $70. Most likely it will need some bearing work, wheel truing, etc.

If the bike needs any drivetrain parts due to worn chain and/or freewheel, bearing work, etc. etc., it could quickly get well over $100 in parts to get it road worthy.

Also it looks like someone has been messing with the gearing. It has a road bike derailleur, roadish cranks (maybe just missing the granny?) and a 5 speed freewheel, It would probably be OK for streets but would not have near enough low range for most trails.

I'm not attempting to discourage you from fixing it but I've renovated many old bikes and it was pretty common for them to turn into a can of worms. If you have a good shop nearby I like your idea of getting it assessed.

Turn that seat clamp around!

 

[ElwoodT]

how tall are you? that bike looks small to me. If the frame doesn't fit you, I'd say you are better off starting somewhere else.

 

[new2bike]

Update:

LBS wants $153 to get her up to speed. Unfortunately, I cant bring myself to do it and will have to look elsewhere. It is a bit small for me now anyway as ElwoodT said. 6' 235#

LBS showed me a TREK 3500 no disc for $440.
Im just a Joe Schmoe that will ride some trails and street 4 times a month. I cant see spending that kind of money at this time.

Went to WM and looked at $200 Genesis 29er, which fit me well but I keep hearing chants of JUNK in my head from the MTBers! Even tho im not sure id ever really "take it to the limit"

Looked on CL and there are bikes, but I dont really know what im looking at. So many years, models etc

Really daunting ordeal :madman:

Edit: Say, something like the $269 Motobecane 300HT? Knowing what im doing with it, is this worth the coin?

 

[kjlued]

I would get the Motobecane way before the Walmart bike.
However you may find that you are carrying the Motobecane (or Walmart bike) to the shop for minor adjustments if you are not confident in how to do them. (Actually more likely to happen with the Walmart bike)

The LBS bike is assembled by a professional bike mechanic. If they don't do it right, they will fix it. Then 6 months down the road they will usually give you a free tune up. Some even offer more than just one tune up.

So don't just look at that $150-$200 more you spend at the LBS as mark up.
They helped you find a bike that fits, put it together correctly and service it for free after the sale.

 

[new2bike]

^I understand. Plus the cost of building the Moto brings me close to that mark anyway.
I think ill just look for something solid on CL (tho I dont know much)

I did find a clean Raleigh M80 "7005 oversize aluminum competition geometry"
For $200obo
Is this a solid rig? (comparing to all said - WM - Moto - $153 in the old DB - etc)

 

[ou2mame]

Stay away from the Walmart bikes. They're problematic at best, maybe even just dangerous. I have friends with bikes direct bikes and have never heard a complaint. I've put them together and they're fine. Generic frame with lbs quality parts is all.

Assembling a bd bike is pretty simple.. Steering stem, pedals, wheels, adjust. I think that's basically it. It's not like you have to spoke the rims or anything crazy. You just need a wrench and a few allen keys. Takes me about an hour if I'm not rushing.

Dropping money on adjustments... Not worth it. You are basically paying to not learn how to do it yourself. That's not an investment. Take that money and get some grease and a few tools, and just watch a few YouTube videos.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[joel787]

+1 on the BD $269 Motobecane 300HT, i have a BD bike, easy assembly (i did my tune with youtube)... get the DiamondBack as a project or sell it cheap.. Wallmart bikes need extra $ to be decent (rims especially, bending and whatnot) , so not really worth it... but man ride whatever the f+ u want, its all good

 

[new2bike]

Yep, looks like BD is the way to go. I will be putting this one together and learning along the way.

Ok, just to beat the dead horse further..... With $350 limit to BD.com....what is the best bike for the money? ..Then there is the 429HT for 399...

 

[AndrwSwitch]

The Raleigh M80 wouldn't be bad. Depending on condition, of course.

If you're not planning to ride singletrack, look for something mid-90s or newer with at least an 8-speed cassette and preferably V-brakes or discs.

Suspension is a bit of an issue for some bikes in that age bracket. I'd say just look for something with a suspension fork that doesn't make any weird noises when you hold the front brake and try to rock the bike front and back.

If you can figure out how to assemble a BD bike, tuning this one shouldn't be much harder. Most of what you pay for at the shop is that they're spending the time, not you. For me, that's worth it once a year or so.

 

[ou2mame]

They get better at the more money you spend... The less you spend, the lower quality the components. There isn't one perfect great deal on bd, there is just whatever is in your price range. I would say that they are about 30% cheaper than lbs bikes given the same components.

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[Richard_]

Keep searching Craigslist , have a budget and cash ready when the right deal comes along , I picked a new DB OverDrive for $260.00 guy wanted $300.00 , put new pedals and quality fork after riding for a while , I'm into to it not for less than $500.00