[Pancake]

I have finaly decided to get a new mountainbike, but i have no idea what to go for. I'll mainly be riding it in hilly forrests and to and from school. I have around 800$ to spend preferably less than that. I've been looking at this bike i-Drive 2.0
what do you guys think about it? And which size should i take? i am about 5' 10" and i way aproximatly 120lbs
What good bike brands are there? And what kinds of accesories will i be needing?

 

[dirtpaws]

Hey a fellow featherweight! I am 5'11'' 130 pounds.
The base Jamis Dakar model is a good bike and is around $600. I had the 03 model and really liked it. I only sold it because I wanted to build up a dirt jumper hardtail.
You need to replace the stock rear spring for a softer one. But other than that, it's good bike worthy of future upgrades.

 

[Pancake]

Thanks for the fast reply That bike deffinatly looks like a good choice. What do you think a new rear suspension will cost?

What about disk brakes? are they necesary or is it just a gimmick?

 

[NCBigHit]

I think that GT looks like a reasonable bike to start with. Definitely seems like a good deal for the money.

However, I think you should try to actually ride the bike you are going to purchase, especially since 5' 10" seems like a height that could be best fit by a medium or large frame size. I would also say that you may not need full suspension. At your price point, you will get more bike for your money with a hardtail and you will develop better skills by learning to ride on a HT. Check out the Specialized hardrock or rockhopper series of bikes. Other companies to check out include Giant, Kona, and Ironhorse. They all give good value with their bikes. I would suggest going to as many local bike shops as you can and trying out as many bikes as you can to get a feel for what fits and what you like. Come back here and post questions as you develop them...the people are really nice.

As far as accessories, a helmet is a must, and you'll want a water bottle, or camel back (a backpack hydration system). A set of gloves is a good idea as well. Other than that, you should be good to go. Have fun shopping!

 

[NCBigHit]

What do you think a new rear suspension will cost?

What about disk brakes? are they necesary or is it just a gimmick?

A new spring should be like 20 bucks. Disks are definitely not a gimmick, but they are not entirely necessary. If you do a lot of riding in wet nasty conditions, you'll thank yourself for having disks, but if not, you prob don't NEED them...disks are certainly nicer than rim brakes, just not a necessity.

If you get a bike with rim breaks, just try to find one that has wheels capable of accepting disk brakes in the future, that way, if you decide to upgrade, no big deal.

 

[dirtpaws]

Thanks for the fast reply That bike deffinatly looks like a good choice. What do you think a new rear suspension will cost?

What about disk brakes? are they necesary or is it just a gimmick?

A replacement spring sells for around $20 new. eBay springs are less if you can find your size.

 

[jeffj]

The ‘to and from school’ part caught my eye. If you are talking about around a college campus, I would be very careful about the type of bike you expose to the ‘elements’ that are found there.

A truly trailworthy bike worth $800 will stand out like (insert favorite saying here). They can become the object of abuse from jealous people or just plain a******s, not to mention the weather. I would look for a goodwill type bike for school and keep your precious trailbike away from possible harm or theft.

I have a daughter going to UCSB this fall and we will either get her a Costco bike or look for a beater. Her Jekyll will remain at home even though it would be nice to have since she will be close to all kinds of great riding.

 

[Pancake]

The bike will mainly be used in Denmark (the country), where the ground is wet and muddy nearly all the time so i guess disk brakes would be a good idea. In denmark people aren't that jelous about cool bikes so i don't think vandalism and stuff like that will be a big problem but i'm getting some sort of locking machanism anyway... I already have about 1 years experience on my dads hardtail GT timberline and that is a great bike, thats one of the main resons i think that GT i-drive looks like a good offer. I just measured myself and i'm actually 6' and acording to my doctor i should grow an inch or to more. So i should go for a Large bike right?

Thanks for all the, so far really good and usefull replys

 

[Cary]

I don't know if they are available there, but I would take a look at the Jamis Exile. Given you are riding both street and some dirt, a hardtail may be a better choice. In your price range a hardtail will get you better components than a full suspension bike. I specifically recommend the Exile as steel frames will tend to ride smoother and be more confortable than an aluminum frame at the price range.

 

[dissonance]

When I got my first real bike I decided I'd start with a hardtail because my budget was also $800 and if I was going to dive into full suspension then I wasn't going to do so with a bottom of the line one. I ended up with a '04 Giant Rainier that I'm really happy with. Has SRAM X.7 trigger shifters and RD (both excellent) and Deore FD. Avid levers and disc brakes. Marz fork (even though it's not that great like most of the forks that come on bikes at this range). Easton stem/seatpost/handlebar, decent WTB Speed V Race seat, Sun Rhyno Lite rims, etc. I'm real happy with it.

 

[NCBigHit]

If you're 6 feet tall, you're probably gonna be a large. The fact that it is constantly rainy might be another very good reason to at least give consieration to a hardtail. Full suspensions have pivots, and pivots do not like rain and grit. If you get full sus, just plan on cleaning it religiously and carefully, and make sure that GT still makes replacement bearings and stuff for your frame cause in the muck, the pivots will wear out eventually.

 

[Pancake]

I just stumbled across this really cool ironhorse bike... you think this is an good?
http://gallery.bcentral.com/Gallery/ProductDetails.aspx?GID=4038672&PID=2109217&page=1&sortOrder=0

 

[NCBigHit]

That is definitely a pretty good deal (I'm assuming you realize that is a frame only). However, you never mentioned wanting a downhill/freeride type of bike. If you are going to be doing mostly XC and around town type stuff, this would probably not be the best choice. However, if you look at Supergo.com, there are usually deals on other Ironhorse bikes. The hollowpoint might be a good all around bike. The other bikes at supergo to consider are the Weyless bikes...people seem to like them a lot and they are definitely the best deal going.

 

[the_internet]

I'll second the GT or a good hardtail for a couple of reasons.

I'm not as tall as you but only weigh about 140 lbs myself. I have a Giant NRS3 full suspension and also a GT avalanche 0.5. For me the dual suspension does not improve the ride that much and the shock is a fiddly thing. Comparing them side by side the GT feels much faster and more nimble.

Also you will get much better components on a hardtail than a dual suspension for the same price. I would think you would need to double the price of a hardtail to get comparable performance.

All of the above is why I'm considering getting rid of the giant.

But that's just my opinion....