[Lyle]

First things first, great site...it's a wealth of information! I've been lurking for a couple weeks and learning a lot...

Ok, so I am getting into the sport and am looking at hardtails in the $600-$800 range, give or take. I know that won't get me the best stuff out there, but I don't need that (yet).

I'm 6'3", 170 lbs. I'm hard on stuff. I'll be riding in some reasonably difficult stuff right away as I live right on Bidwell Park in Chico, CA if you are familiar with the area...

Here are a couple models I've been looking at and my reasons....any thoughts, comments, suggestions are appreciated!

GF Tassajara - I like the price, and from the reviews, etc it seems to be a great value for the money. I'm leaning towards the Gf stuff partially because of their geometry thing. I hear it makes a difference and its better for tall riders?

GF HKEK - Love the way it looks, like the idea of a better frame, clip pedals, better quality components.

Kona Cinder Cone - Seems to be pretty similar to the Tass except for the disc brakes. I hear they are more durable, which appeals to me.

I can find most of the big names here in Chico and I'm not against heading to Sacramento to find other brands, so fire away with your suggestions!

A couple questions:

In this price range, is it practical to piece one together, ie. buy the frame, components, etc separately?

What accessories should I plan on getting at the same time as the bike?

Should I make the jump up to a 29" bike? Is the GF X-Caliber the cheapest route here?

Sorry it's so long, thanks ahead of time for the answers!

Lyle

 

[richeyr]

To build a abike that sells for $800 stock will cost you about $1100 to build. It is always more expensive to build. I would throw out the tassahara if you can afford a more expensive bike. The jump from 600 dollar quality to 800 is big. Both the Cinder cone and HKEK are good bikes. Both bikes are not made for ramping and taking big drops though, if your into that kind of riding. Big drops would be anything over 2-3 feet repeatedly.

The 29" bikes roll over things easier because they have bigger wheels. However they are a little less agile because of the size of the wheel. Some people swear by the 29" bikes and I have researched them, but never ridden one. With that said, you or I may not notice a big difference in the slower handling compared to someone who has ridden for 20 years.

Your best bet is to read reviews on the bikes that interest you and think of what your maximum budget is. MAke sure to add in the price of a helmet, gloves, clipless shoes (if your bike comes with clipless edals), and at least a good pair of riding shorts. I like jerseys and shirts that wick moisture because they keep you dry and cool. These are all things to consider.

You may want to describe more of the type of riding you want to do.

 

[J-man]

richeyr you seem to know what your talking about. noone answered my post so here goes.
say you wanted to do 3-4 foot drops often but still want something that can go the distance XC with a budget around 1000$ what direction would you go. I was thinking the kona shred what else should i be looking at?

 

[richeyr]

J-man
Bikes you may want to look at would be the Kona Stuff and maybe the Kona Hoss. I don't know much about the shred. Kona builds great frames. A normal hardtail can take 3 foot drops for a while, but it depends on your weight and the fatigue of the frame. The frame may last 6 months or 2 years. Freeride bikes are made stronger, but are still capable climbing big hills.

 

[J-man]

thnx, i ended up with a 2004 kona stuff, since it was the same price as the 05 shred (same frame different comp) i hope its the right size its a 15 , i was thinking i was a 17 but i could lay my member on the 17, im only 5 7.

 

[Lyle]

Thanks for the reply. I am leaning towawrds the HKEK. My reasoning is that for the same money the Cinder Cone comes with Disc brakes, but you skimpa little on other components. I'd rather have slightly better main components and then put some good discs on it down the road.

Any recommendations for the shoes? Inexpensive but decent...

Thanks again for the reply!

Lyle