[Rancho]

alright here we go

I wanna start mt biking, i got like 26 trails locally and need more info on the type of bike I would need to buy. Im looking at Specialized bikes and some Kona and KHS. Im not sure if i need full suspension or hard tail for these trails. what kind of bike, in the 1000-2000 dollar range should I be looking for? What other things should i take into account when buying this bike?

 

[lobolator]

$1000 gets you a sweet hardtail
$2000 gets you a decent full susp.
I'd say get a hardtail for less than $1K, learn on that, you'll learn handling skills that aren't as obvious on a squishy bike.
Then go from there.
For example, I rode a GT hardtail for 5yrs at my current location, then bought a 'hardtail like' XC FS that I rode for 4yrs, until converting the GT to SS......and well, that's another story.
And get some sort of disc equiped bike.
AND MOST IMPORTANT...it's gotta feel right (fit right). Ride any bike you are serious about buying. If they won't let you....go somewhere else!
Good luck.

 

[Maida7]

I highly suggest you buy a starter bike. Something 700.00 or less. A "hardtail" (front suspension with a rigid rear. Ride the starter bike for at least a year just to see if you like the sport and if you're gonna stick with it. It's would be even better if you stuck with that starter bike for 2 years.

This next part is very important: DO NOT upgrade any parts on your starter bike. Save your money. At the end of a year or 2 you will know if you really want to be a mtn biker and you will also know what kinda bike you truly lust for. If you resisted the urge to upgrade and saved your money, you will also have the cash to buy your dream bike.

Go to your local bike shop now and let them sell you a starter bike. Remember under 700.00

 

[Rancho]

thnks for the help guys.

so hardtail for beginners? could i get full suspension with lock-outs for the rear?

 

[chumbox]

It's not that you can't ride FS straight away it's just that you spend a lot more $$$ to get a good one so if you are just starting out and find you don't like riding then you have wasted more $$$. A good hardtail is much cheaper than a good FS bike. Specialized, Kona and KHS all make good bikes but if you are not sure if you even you will even love MTB then start on the cheaper end. $700 should get you a pretty sweet bike to begin on without blowing all ya cash. Even try closeouts like at www.jensonusa.com

On the flip side sometimes you find you love MTB but don't like FS or suspension at all... that was my dilemma.

 

[Pedal/Paddle]

Lots of good advice. Couple more points to consider:

1) Starting on a hardtail will make you a better rider as you will learn how to pick lines, unweight the rear wheel, etc. etc. Typically easier to learn on a hardtail.

2) Don't forget you will need to budget for some accessories. A helmet is a must, a good pair of shorts w/ a chamois will make a HUGE difference in comfort. Gloves, camelback, might need a different saddle if the stock one doesn't agree with you, etc.

3) Whatever you get make sure that it fits! Do not let them try and sell you some leftover stock and try to "make" it fit by extreme seat height changes or the like.

Have fun and welcome to the club!:thumbsup:

 

[Zipp0]

Why not buy used? You can often find very good deals on used high end bikes out there. Just like a car, a bike loses value the second it leaves the showroom. I bought my first bike new (low end) and have since put together a high end XC race bike and decent road bike, both used. Also, buying used is a good opportunity to learn to work on your bikes yourself, which is a good skill to have.

 

[jroland]

try checking on ebay for a used bike or craigslist

 

[DanMach86]

I dislike people who say do not upgrade your first bike..

Look, if I am putting 10k miles on something, I will upgrade the living crap out of it if I want too. I can understand certain things, like putting a 400$ fork on it, or changing wheel sets to save .75 lbs. That is certainly not worth it.. but if your rear derailler has an issue(such as mine did) the difference between crap and nice is 75$. Spend the 75$. You'd blow that at the bar over a weekend, or have an awesome shifting bike.

The *real* advice to heed about upgrades on any bike. Make sure it is worth it.

200$ bike + 100$ Derailler is dumb.

700$ bike + 100$ Derailler is not wise, but far from dumb.

But yes. Go with a hardtail. There fantastic fun. I know the full-suspension DH rig is very tempting, the idea of flying off jumps and landing 8 feet below is tempting..

but its also likely to get you hurt fast. You will have more fun then you can imagine on a decent hardtail that fits you right.

Hardtail guys always get more respect anyways.

 

[Zipp0]

I dislike people who say do not upgrade your first bike..

Look, if I am putting 10k miles on something, I will upgrade the living crap out of it if I want too.

I started upgrading an entry level bike (good frame) about 5 years ago. I eventually replaced almost every single part, including the last thing - the frame, from a HT to FS. The only thing that I have left that is original are the shifter/brake levers. Now I have a XC race bike with exactly the parts I want, and I can strip the bike apart and put it together myself, having learned a little bit on each upgrade. About the only thing I haven't done yet is build wheels.

Anyway, if you start with a good frame, upgrades can be just fine. Just don't put Crossmax SLR wheels on a department store frame and think you are ready for the World Cup.

 

[nachomc]

I dislike people who say do not upgrade your first bike..

Look, if I am putting 10k miles on something, I will upgrade the living crap out of it if I want too. I can understand certain things, like putting a 400$ fork on it, or changing wheel sets to save .75 lbs. That is certainly not worth it.. but if your rear derailler has an issue(such as mine did) the difference between crap and nice is 75$. Spend the 75$. You'd blow that at the bar over a weekend, or have an awesome shifting bike.

I think you're missing what they're saying. They're saying not to buy a lower end bike with the intent of just upgrading it like crazy to make it the bike you want. Like you said, don't buy a $400 bike and throw a $400 fork on it thinking it will suddenly be a race hard tail. But yeah, if the derailleur breaks, get a nicer one. If the shifters break, they're not too expensive between what you have and the next level or two up so go for it.

 

[The Yetti]

And disliking people for saying just that... wow... How about just disliking what they say....

 

[usmcruz]

you should post this in the women lounge.

 

[Ken in KC]

post of the year...

you should post this in the women lounge.

This is funny. Thanks for the laugh.

 

[Bikinfoolferlife]

alright here we go

I wanna start mt biking, i got like 26 trails locally and need more info on the type of bike I would need to buy. Im looking at Specialized bikes and some Kona and KHS. Im not sure if i need full suspension or hard tail for these trails. what kind of bike, in the 1000-2000 dollar range should I be looking for? What other things should i take into account when buying this bike?

Not knowing anything but that you have no experience, I'd say go with a hardtail, it's better to learn on and you get more bang for the buck that way too, plus it's easier to setup and maintain. Getting a bike to suit your trails, well, that isn't really a good way to go about it if you don't know how to ride trails in the first place (and you don't describe the trails anyways).

Go look at as many different brands as you can and test ride as many bikes as you can to make sure you can compare and get one that fits properly. Finding a good helpful shop in the process is a good thing, too. If you can find a way to actually demo a bike on a trail, that's even better than just riding it out in front of the shop.

If you're serious about spending that much to start, get a bike with a good fork, drivetrain and wheels, rather than a cheaper bike that you'll simply have to "upgrade" to get those things, your budget should allow for it. Keep in mind that many of the major manufacturers have the same basic frame with higher levels of componentry available as you move up the pricing ladder. Downside is once you buy a bike the depreciation is large and immediate, so make sure you want to spend that much to start. Helmet, gloves, tools, clothing, shoes and other accessories might be good to set some money aside for in your budget as well.