i just recently sold off my bike because it was too big for me...i want to start taking up trail riding, but i do not know what bike to get....i will mostly be using the bike for daily commutes and some workout...but i want it to be versitile enough to hit the beginners trails...so if anyone can give me any advice id really appericate it...you can IM me on AOL @ RonLMS1
need a new bike...
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A bit more info...
1500-2000 can get you a hell of a lot of bike, either a nice full suspension, or an even nicer hardtail. I think it would help if you told people more specifically what sort of riding you hope to get into. When you say trails do you mean XC type stuff with rocks and roots but no large stunts or drops? Or do you mean downhill trails? Do you want to learn to huck eventually? I ask only because your profile said your favorite type of riding is freeride but when you say trails people mostly think XC.RonLMS1 said:
the place i ride has a few uphills & downhills....there are also drops too...i dont know what huck means so if you dont mind explaining it to me id appericate it...i also need the bike to be able to ride on the road too so i dont know much about full suspensions but someone had recommend a hardtail because i said i ride alot of uphills and full suspensions are not good for that.NCBigHit said:
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Hucking is basically the same as doing drops...sorry about that. If you are going to be riding roads, and you are just learning anyways, a hardtail may be just the thing. I think that learning to ride, whether it is XC for freeride, on a hardtail is the best way since it forces you to learn good bike handling and technique. There are a variety of hardtails that could easily be set up to work pretty well for anything from road/trail use to drops if you decide to go that way.RonLMS1 said:
That said, I don't think it is accurate to say that full suspension is bad on uphills. They tend to be a bit heavier than the equivalent hardtail, but many designs make up for their weight by improving traction by keeping the rear tire on the ground over bumps and such.
If you are gonna plunk down that kinda cash, you should be able to ride the bike on a trail before you buy. I think you should ride as many bikes as you can before making a decision.
As far as companies to consider, I'd suggest specialized, ironhorse, and giant since they all offer pretty good bang for buck in the price range you are talking about.
Keep the questions coming...there are many on this forum that know far more than I and everyone is really nice.
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Whats your build? You Tall and lanky or short and stocky?
Personally I don’t think you need to spend that much for a bike to get something worth while. It doesn’t sound like you are a pro or anything (I’m not saying that I am either) so I bet you could find something under $1300 to fit your needs more than adequately. Here are some suggestions of “practical bikes.” I think people today go out and buy something that is way too good for them. I hate seeing lame bikers riding around on bikes that are 5000 dollars and won’t do a 4 foot drop or some jumps. I rode BMX for many years and you can do some amazing stuff on a rigid heavy bike, and you honestly don’t need a deck-out 1000 something dollar bike to be good. I’ve made minor upgrades to my “alright” bikes and have whooped the crap out of people on 2000+ dollar bikes.
If you are a slightly lanky guy and are looking for some XC riding get a gary fisher tassahajra. It sounds like you have money so I’d get the high end one. There is also a Specialized Rockhopper that would be more suitable for a shorter beefer person like myself. Both those bikes are pretty decent XC hardtails. I’ve ridden both on trails and I like the gary fisher better. I had an Old rockhopper and rode it to death (its now a singlespeed), I really liked that bike a lot (the new geometry isn’t as good as the older one). I have done 5 foot drop offs and even jumps at bmx places (very retarded on an XC bike). I’ve never ridden a very good dual suspension bike that I liked and I would say if you are into XC riding you might want to steer clear of all of that. Unless you ride up in New England or something where its rock everywhere (I have done a lot of riding in Maine and NH and I sometimes wished I had a dual). My friend swears by the kona dual suspension bikes so that’s also a possibility. Know nothing about them.
If you like the more aggressive style riding and are a shorter guy (under 6’) you can’t go wrong with a P2 or P3. I currently have a P2 and it does everything. Urban assault crap, Dirt Jumps, Drops, Downhillish stuff, and if you got the engine even some XC stuff (you really need to be in shape if you are planning on doing any long distance stuff). However you will be riding a 30 something pound bike, which makes hopping, and getting up hills a task (I don’t care cuz I can still hope up like 2.5 foot things without using my bashguard). The bike is indestructible once you break the front forks and replace them with Dirtjumper forks. Also the price is unbeatable for what you get. Parts are relatively cheap to replace. People also like the kona version of the P2 … its quite comparable but I think specialized has a better deal.
My advice is that you are probably looking at a hardtail for around 1000. You pay much more than that and you have to figure in the maintenance cost. I break a lot of stuff on bikes and maintaining a bike can cost sometimes upwards of 300 a year on a high end bike. My friend pays that much for his bike to keep it in perfect order and he only does XC riding. Bikes these days come with crazy amount of stuff for under 1000 and I think unless you are a VERY serious rider (i.e. someone that races and trains everyday) there is no reason to get something that high end. I’ve been riding some sort of bmx/mountain bike for over 10 years and I’m only 21, and I haven’t had to spend over 1000 dollars to do all the crazy retarded crap I do on a bike. I do bigger and crazy stuff on my 900 dollar p2 (upgraded some stuff) than almost any yuppy out there on their something $grand bikes. As for XC stuff, yea having a low 20 something pound bike is nice, but not necessary. With minor upgrades (ie clippless pedals), and a little effort you can easily keep up or pass your buddies on their something $grand bikes and make them feel stale.
Personally I don’t think you need to spend that much for a bike to get something worth while. It doesn’t sound like you are a pro or anything (I’m not saying that I am either) so I bet you could find something under $1300 to fit your needs more than adequately. Here are some suggestions of “practical bikes.” I think people today go out and buy something that is way too good for them. I hate seeing lame bikers riding around on bikes that are 5000 dollars and won’t do a 4 foot drop or some jumps. I rode BMX for many years and you can do some amazing stuff on a rigid heavy bike, and you honestly don’t need a deck-out 1000 something dollar bike to be good. I’ve made minor upgrades to my “alright” bikes and have whooped the crap out of people on 2000+ dollar bikes.
If you are a slightly lanky guy and are looking for some XC riding get a gary fisher tassahajra. It sounds like you have money so I’d get the high end one. There is also a Specialized Rockhopper that would be more suitable for a shorter beefer person like myself. Both those bikes are pretty decent XC hardtails. I’ve ridden both on trails and I like the gary fisher better. I had an Old rockhopper and rode it to death (its now a singlespeed), I really liked that bike a lot (the new geometry isn’t as good as the older one). I have done 5 foot drop offs and even jumps at bmx places (very retarded on an XC bike). I’ve never ridden a very good dual suspension bike that I liked and I would say if you are into XC riding you might want to steer clear of all of that. Unless you ride up in New England or something where its rock everywhere (I have done a lot of riding in Maine and NH and I sometimes wished I had a dual). My friend swears by the kona dual suspension bikes so that’s also a possibility. Know nothing about them.
If you like the more aggressive style riding and are a shorter guy (under 6’) you can’t go wrong with a P2 or P3. I currently have a P2 and it does everything. Urban assault crap, Dirt Jumps, Drops, Downhillish stuff, and if you got the engine even some XC stuff (you really need to be in shape if you are planning on doing any long distance stuff). However you will be riding a 30 something pound bike, which makes hopping, and getting up hills a task (I don’t care cuz I can still hope up like 2.5 foot things without using my bashguard). The bike is indestructible once you break the front forks and replace them with Dirtjumper forks. Also the price is unbeatable for what you get. Parts are relatively cheap to replace. People also like the kona version of the P2 … its quite comparable but I think specialized has a better deal.
My advice is that you are probably looking at a hardtail for around 1000. You pay much more than that and you have to figure in the maintenance cost. I break a lot of stuff on bikes and maintaining a bike can cost sometimes upwards of 300 a year on a high end bike. My friend pays that much for his bike to keep it in perfect order and he only does XC riding. Bikes these days come with crazy amount of stuff for under 1000 and I think unless you are a VERY serious rider (i.e. someone that races and trains everyday) there is no reason to get something that high end. I’ve been riding some sort of bmx/mountain bike for over 10 years and I’m only 21, and I haven’t had to spend over 1000 dollars to do all the crazy retarded crap I do on a bike. I do bigger and crazy stuff on my 900 dollar p2 (upgraded some stuff) than almost any yuppy out there on their something $grand bikes. As for XC stuff, yea having a low 20 something pound bike is nice, but not necessary. With minor upgrades (ie clippless pedals), and a little effort you can easily keep up or pass your buddies on their something $grand bikes and make them feel stale.
Look for a good used hardtail (that fits you, obviously) for $400 or less, and ride it until you figure out what you really want. I rode a $200 old school steel Stumpjumper for a few months and sold it for what I paid for it after I figured out what I wanted.
The only thing I would've done differently was to get a newer starter bike with a 1" 1/8 head tube, which would've allowed me to upgrade the fork and transfer it over to whichever new bike I decided to get next.
I went with a 2000 Enduro Pro FSR that I use for my commute as well. It may not be the most efficient pedaling bike, but I hop enough curbs and rail lines that I actually prefer it to the hardtail with skinnier tires. I also have a short singletrack section in my commute which makes it worthwhile.
If you know you want a dual suspension bike, check out Center Cycle in the Seattle area (www.centercycle.com). They're blowing out 2003 Enduros for $1000. You'll have to have a friend in seattle pick it up for you though. They shipped a few early on but Specialized stopped them from doing it.
The only thing I would've done differently was to get a newer starter bike with a 1" 1/8 head tube, which would've allowed me to upgrade the fork and transfer it over to whichever new bike I decided to get next.
I went with a 2000 Enduro Pro FSR that I use for my commute as well. It may not be the most efficient pedaling bike, but I hop enough curbs and rail lines that I actually prefer it to the hardtail with skinnier tires. I also have a short singletrack section in my commute which makes it worthwhile.
If you know you want a dual suspension bike, check out Center Cycle in the Seattle area (www.centercycle.com). They're blowing out 2003 Enduros for $1000. You'll have to have a friend in seattle pick it up for you though. They shipped a few early on but Specialized stopped them from doing it.
thanks alot...im going to go to my LBS and see what they have to offer...hopefully ill come out with something that is good enough to get me started...another question i have is disc brakes...alot of people at the park i ride recommend them to me but never gave me a clear reason other than it breaks better...do i really need disc brakes and if so does it matter what company or type i get?
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Need is always a relative term.RonLMS1 said:
Disks provide stronger braking power than rim brakes, especially if trail conditions are sloppy. They also allow better modulation, so you can get to that point where you are slowing down as much as possible, but not skidding. The downside of disks is that they are a bit heavier, and can be tricky to set up and work on compared to rim brakes. You definitely do not "need" disks, but you may well want them later. I would say at the very least, make sure that the wheels you get are capable of accepting disk brakes should you decide to upgrade later.As far as brands, I have had good experience with several brands of brakes. If you get mechanical disk brakes, where the brake is actuated by a cable, you'll want to make sure they are Avids. Hydraulics, which generally offer better modulation, but can be more complicated to workon and set up, will be found on pricier bikes in the 1500+ range...I have used shimanos and hayes and both have served me well. Come to think of it, if you are spending 1500+ you should pretty much expect disk brakes...but if you find a bike you love for less and it has rim brakes with disk compatible wheels, by all means go for it.
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