I'm looking to get my first mountain bike. I have it narrowed down to from a couple local shops is a Scott Aspect 750, Kona Lava Dome, Trek X-Calibur 4, Trek Marlin, and a used Fuji Tahoe. The Scott and Kona are from a shop about 45m away and I went there for the first time today. The Treks and that used Fuji are from a local shop about 2 minutes outside my military base. I included the Fuji on here because I was interested in possibly buying used to get more bike for the money.
The kind of riding I am looking to do is beginner trail riding without getting too difficult with it. I'll be primarily riding with my wife who has a Trek 820 as her beginner bike. My budget for a bike is $600 and I'm not willing to spend more than $650 and would rather spend less if possible.
The guy at the shop was very knowledgeable but did not know exactly what year the Fuji was. After looking it up online I have determined it is most likely a 2012 Fuji Tahoe 4.0. The shop wants $500 for it. I was told it's a 26er, has hydraulic disc brakes, the quick lock for the forks mounted up on the bars, and other things. It's all stock from what he can tell. One issue I have with it is that it's only a 26er when the others are 29ers.
I looked at the Scott and liked it. That one was $540 after my military discount. I liked the looks but aside from that I don't know much about bikes to know any better. They were expecting the Kona Lava Dome to be in next weekend for $585 but he only told me about that one and showed me it on the computer. I believe the Scott was 27.5er and Kona was 29er.
Now the final stop was the Trek shop where I saw that used Fuji. This is my local shop and I've been in a couple times and it's where I bought my wife her bike. I like the shop and I like the people working there. I walked into there interested in maybe the 3700 Disc but was shown the X-Calibur 4 and the Marlin. The guy told me that 29er is in his opinion the way to go. To me I would not mind the agility and finesse of a 26er so that doesn't count it out, but I have taken into account the benefits of the big tire. The X-Calibur 4 was $575 but I see it online for $550 so I'm sure I can tell him that and the price would drop. The Marlin is $650 but he said he could do $600. The Marlin sounded like the superior bike but with me knowing as little as I do I am also considering the X-Calibur 4.
So that's everything. Given that slew of information, what would you suggest out of the list? The Fuji Tahoe sounds like the best value but it is a little older and only a 26er. The Treks should be a solid option with a wide dealer network if something should go awry, especially since I will be moving in a few months. Scott and Kona are brand new to me so I know nothing.
The kind of riding I am looking to do is beginner trail riding without getting too difficult with it. I'll be primarily riding with my wife who has a Trek 820 as her beginner bike. My budget for a bike is $600 and I'm not willing to spend more than $650 and would rather spend less if possible.
The guy at the shop was very knowledgeable but did not know exactly what year the Fuji was. After looking it up online I have determined it is most likely a 2012 Fuji Tahoe 4.0. The shop wants $500 for it. I was told it's a 26er, has hydraulic disc brakes, the quick lock for the forks mounted up on the bars, and other things. It's all stock from what he can tell. One issue I have with it is that it's only a 26er when the others are 29ers.
I looked at the Scott and liked it. That one was $540 after my military discount. I liked the looks but aside from that I don't know much about bikes to know any better. They were expecting the Kona Lava Dome to be in next weekend for $585 but he only told me about that one and showed me it on the computer. I believe the Scott was 27.5er and Kona was 29er.
Now the final stop was the Trek shop where I saw that used Fuji. This is my local shop and I've been in a couple times and it's where I bought my wife her bike. I like the shop and I like the people working there. I walked into there interested in maybe the 3700 Disc but was shown the X-Calibur 4 and the Marlin. The guy told me that 29er is in his opinion the way to go. To me I would not mind the agility and finesse of a 26er so that doesn't count it out, but I have taken into account the benefits of the big tire. The X-Calibur 4 was $575 but I see it online for $550 so I'm sure I can tell him that and the price would drop. The Marlin is $650 but he said he could do $600. The Marlin sounded like the superior bike but with me knowing as little as I do I am also considering the X-Calibur 4.
So that's everything. Given that slew of information, what would you suggest out of the list? The Fuji Tahoe sounds like the best value but it is a little older and only a 26er. The Treks should be a solid option with a wide dealer network if something should go awry, especially since I will be moving in a few months. Scott and Kona are brand new to me so I know nothing.
