What Bike to Buy

Bike purchasing advice

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More directly, it's unlikely you'll get all that new in your price range. Fortunately for you it's a buyer's market on the used front, so you may be able to find it there

 

Thanks, L.E.F.H!!!

 

To answer one question - disc brakes mean that when you pull on the brake lever, there are small pads that squeeze onto a metal disc that is attached to the hub. Rim brakes squeeze directly onto the rim of the wheel. Rim brakes have several drawbacks and are considered obsolete for MTB and, increasingly, road bikes.

The connection between the lever you pull and the brake caliper doing the squeezing can be either through a cable or through fluid pressure (hydraulic). Cable is cheaper, but hydraulic is better in most ways.

 

Thanks Phantoj! Appreciate the info as I get my knowledge up.

 

Ferrari options with a Prius budget

Fuel consumption is a performance metric

 

Huh?

 

Check Trek and see if they have any deals on a Marlin. You can find them in that price range. They are great bikes for dirt or street. The Marlin is a very basic model so you will probably end up with a crappy fork. However the stock fork is more than enough to get your feet wet in mountain biking.

The biggest challenge is correct bike fit. You can't have fun on a bike that's too small or too large. I highly encourage you to work with a bike shop so they can properly fit you.

 

Check Trek and see if they have any deals on a Marlin. You can find them in that price range. They are great bikes for dirt or street. The Marlin is a very basic model so you will probably end up with a crappy fork. However the stock fork is more than enough to get your feet wet in mountain biking.

The biggest challenge is correct bike fit. You can't have fun on a bike that's too small or too large. I highly encourage you to work with a bike shop so they can properly fit you.

This. Trek Marlin is fine for getting up and running for street and light trail use. Thats what I started on last summer (Marlin 7 Gen 2).

Should be able to get a new Marlin in budget, but I’m assuming it won’t have a dropper (can add that later).

Not sure on the Gen 3, but the Gen 2 had some limitations (tire width) that made them an unappealing upgrade platform, for me…at least.

 

Being completely honest here.

You miiiiight be able to find a used full suspension bike like you're describing right now, depending on your location. But a used full suspension bike in that price range, will likely have some work that needs to be done to it, and as you're new to biking, it seems somewhat unlikely that you'd be doing it yourself, so any maintenance would also cost a fair bit.

How long do you intend to mostly use it as a road bike? You mention a year or so?

If so, I'd personally recommend a hardtail of some sort. That you can definitely get in your budget used, but potentially even a new one. It will have less maintenance needs/costs, you'll get better components for the price, and will ride better on the pavement. It will also let you get your first taste of dirt, and let you know how serious you are about it/what kind of riding you enjoy.

Then afterwards when you're more into riding on dirt, you can either sell the hardtail and buy a full suspension bike, or if you have the space, you can then keep the hardtail and maybe make it more of a road/gravel/townie/trainer bike (if thats something you are wanting) and buy a full suspension bike.

Also, I agree that fit is the most important thing.

 

Thanks, ocnLogan!

I'll update the post to let people know that I AM open to buying a lesser hardtail, as long as it is a frame that I can g=keep as I upgrade any of the other parts. I specifically chose a hardtail because I know it'll be less expensive than full squish, and less maintenance for a newbie.
I appreciate all the feedback.

 

As long as you find a bike with modern standards, you should be able to transfer things over to a new bike in the future.

The problem with used bikes, and cheaper bikes, is they often use outdated standards (like different hub widths for the wheels, or different fork steerer tube sizes), making it more difficult to find parts for them.

I did something like what you described, but on a budget full suspension bike. I bought it for like 30-40% off, and over 3 years bought/upgraded it with new wheels, brakes, and fork. On year 4 when I bought a new frame, I swapped all the nice parts over, and put the old less great parts on the old bike, and sold it.

Also keep in mind things like saddles, grips, pedals can all be easily swapped, and are generally considered preference/fit related items.

 

Sweet!

 

If you find literally any bike with that spec list and it fits under that price go for it. What country are you in? I suspect you should find a Vitus Nucleus

 

Stateside, NY Tri-Sate.

 

@nwberm Thank you for the Vitus suggestion. Idk that it's the one, but it's definitely my current frontrunner. The demo vid was good enough to make me feel that the bike could handle way more than I'll give it in the first few years. And, if I need to et deeper, I'd start upgrading when my $ is better. Gonna rabbit hole to see what real owners have to say about it. If they give it good reviews and it's future proof in all the right areas, it may just be the one. 🤞

 

-Make sure it has a rear derailleur hanger. Odds are, if it has thru axles, it will have that. Seth's Bike Hacks (now Berm Peak) has a great video on what qualifies as a "legit" MTB. He mentions what you listed plus a couple more.
-You can get by with a straight steerer tube headset, but tapered is the way to go. You can't go beyond entry level with a straight tube headset. Im sure there are exceptions, but tapered gets you in the door.
-The dropper. Since you are getting a hardtail, you wont have to worry about room for a dropper post. It shouldn't have wacky bends on the seat stay that would prevent room for one. So while it's a "must" you can get one afterwards. It may be external routing, but it can be done. Maybe leave a wee wiggle room for this one a potential bike ticks all the other boxes.

 

YES!!!! BeerMotor! Thanks for that, I appreciate the feedback. It's one of the items I forgot to list. My youtube rabbit hole journey taught me the differences between a 1, 2, or 3X Drivetrain. Though I haven't figured out which one is most beneficial to me as a beginner on my "First" bike. Berm Peak (in a 2yr old vid) sings the praises of also having a front derailleur: (Why the Front Derailleur is Still Better for MTB)

Adrenaline is Life (in a 6 month old vid) suggests that a 1X Drive is the better way to go... I have So much to learn; most of all learning whose advice is best to follow when/why... : Best Budget Hardtail Mountain Bikes

And I can't remember which vid told me to make sure my rear derailleur has a clutch so the chain isn't loosely slapping around all over the place, though Adrenaline makes a similar comment.

 

This one of the ones I was thinking of:
Berm Peak, MTB 101

Check out his Ozark (Walmart) build videos and of course his flip bike uploads.

 

This one of the ones I was thinking of:
Berm Peak, MTB 101 YEP! Saw this video.

Check out his Ozark (Walmart) build videos and of course his flip bike uploads. Saw this one, too, but I'm staying far away from a walmart house brand MTB. Even if he did give it its props for certain features and upgrades from previous versions.

Again, I really appreciate all of you engaging and helping me get up to speed (subtle pun intended).

 

 

Thx @SouthSoundRider !!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Loved it!!

 

I'd suggest you find a local shop with good reviews, that you feel comfortable in, and trust.

 

Thx PuddleDuck! Love the handle btw