School me on mountain bikes.

[motoman]

I'm interested in picking up a mountain bike to get back into riding. I can spit out names of road bikes all day long but when I comes to mountain bikes I couldn't tell you much. Definitely not new to riding, used to race at that Tuesday night crit back in high school and my first 2 years in college.

I've been fit for a bike before and I'll go get fit for a bike in the next couple of weeks. When it comes to mountain bikes I know there's hard tails and full suspension. Will a hard tail get through the trails just fine around here or will a full suspension be more comfortable?

Right now I'm looking at $700 - $800 for the bike itself. Will that get me into a decent starter bike that can take some trail abuse? Any suggestions on starter bikes? I've been looking at Richardson Bike Mart (I know they're pricey) and Performance Bikes, any other suggestions for shopping?

[Duncan]

I bought my Trek 4 series (4300 with 100mm lockout front susp) with hydraulic/disc brake for $618 out the door at RBM (about a year and a half ago). I am thoroughly pleased with it (I am by no means an avid biker though, so maybe my opinion isn't what you are looking for). A buddy of mine has a Specialized (same type setup) and I honestly cant tell the $650 difference between the two (his was twice as expensive)...

I have only gone to the Isle du Bois trail at ray Roberts, this Trek has taken a beating out there and it still going strong.

[no4njnk]

You will be fine with a hard tail, some people like them better than the starter full suspension bikes but its all personal preference. Just go with what fits you for your price and go from there. If you can pick one up with a "brain" rear suspension that acts as a hard tail on smooth roads but switches to a full suspension when it starts to get bumpy then that would be the way to go.

[ThreeFingerPete]

Spend the $100 to get fit for a bike, and then find a closeout bike or buy online. For less than $1000, it's going to be bear to maintain if you ride often.

Most people ride the entire dfw trail area with a hardtail. I actually ride a rigid single speed on most trails. Any full suspension bike you buy new for $1000 is going to be a glorified pogo stick.

$1000 will buy you a nice used bike, which is by far the smartest way to spend the money. Bike shops stay in business selling cheap bikes that require a boat load of maintenance / upkeep. If you wanted to buy a nice hardtail that would be solid for normal riding, $1400-1700 is more the price range you'd be looking at. This would be the enthusiast level.

There are smoking deals to be had. Get your bike fit, have your numbers written down and snipe a good deal on a year or two old mid level bike. Hydraulic brakes, 9 speed drivetrain, a decent fork, etc. Buying a new entry level bike is a big compromise on all accounts.

Or if you know a friend who builds bikes, snipe used parts and build a great bike for ~1000-1500.

[ThreeFingerPete]

You will be fine with a hard tail, some people like them better than the starter full suspension bikes but its all personal preference. Just go with what fits you for your price and go from there. If you can pick one up with a "brain" rear suspension that acts as a hard tail on smooth roads but switches to a full suspension when it starts to get bumpy then that would be the way to go.

The only company that offers a "brain" is specialized. Most other suspensions use some sort of platform in the rear shock valving, which gives you an adjustable threshold for initial compression valving.

[Beej]

Spend the $100 to get fit for a bike, and then find a closeout bike or buy online. For less than $1000, it's going to be bear to maintain if you ride often.

Most people ride the entire dfw trail area with a hardtail. I actually ride a rigid single speed on most trails. Any full suspension bike you buy new for $1000 is going to be a glorified pogo stick.

$1000 will buy you a nice used bike, which is by far the smartest way to spend the money. Bike shops stay in business selling cheap bikes that require a boat load of maintenance / upkeep. If you wanted to buy a nice hardtail that would be solid for normal riding, $1400-1700 is more the price range you'd be looking at. This would be the enthusiast level.

There are smoking deals to be had. Get your bike fit, have your numbers written down and snipe a good deal on a year or two old mid level bike. Hydraulic brakes, 9 speed drivetrain, a decent fork, etc. Buying a new entry level bike is a big compromise on all accounts.

Or if you know a friend who builds bikes, snipe used parts and build a great bike for ~1000-1500.

what he said.

[TruestreetTim]

I haven't rode much around here yet so I'm unfamiliar with the terrain. 29'rs are great unless you prefer a traditional 26" wheel. These are close to your price range and will get you on the trails in fine style.

http://tinyurl.com/bsjhzpg (29")

http://tinyurl.com/chmyzfh (26")

[ThreeFingerPete]

I fucking hate Clear internet. Try number #3 at this post.

Those felt bikes look good, but the wheels, cranks, cassette, fork, etc are all pieces of shit, with the fork taking the Crown.

I repeat. Shops stay in business by servicing and replacing parts on entry level bikes.

$1300 will get you a bad motherfucker of a bike with no compromises if you can bring yourself to buy it without riding it first.

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/23435-018_SETR51-3-Parts-429-29er-Parts/Sette-Razzo-XT-10-Speed-29er-Alloy-Mountain--Bike-offer.htm?utm_source=SLI&utm_medium=datafeed&utm_campaign=FTP&zmam=3075515&zmas=1&zmac=43&zmap=018%20SETR51

[TruestreetTim]

I fucking hate Clear internet. Try number #3 at this post.

Those felt bikes look good, but the wheels, cranks, cassette, fork, etc are all pieces of shit, with the fork taking the Crown.

I repeat. Shops stay in business by servicing and replacing parts on entry level bikes.

$1300 will get you a bad motherfucker of a bike with no compromises if you can bring yourself to buy it without riding it first.


http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/234...p=018%20SETR51

I always looked to my frame of choice as components are customizable and upgradable to your personal preferences.

As for my suggestions; they fit the budget given. I would have chose different, myself, given a higher price point.

[motoman]

I fucking hate Clear internet. Try number #3 at this post.

Those felt bikes look good, but the wheels, cranks, cassette, fork, etc are all pieces of shit, with the fork taking the Crown.

I repeat. Shops stay in business by servicing and replacing parts on entry level bikes.

$1300 will get you a bad motherfucker of a bike with no compromises if you can bring yourself to buy it without riding it first.


http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/234...p=018%20SETR51

Been there before with the Clear internet, I dropped it like a bad habit and went back to Time Warner.

I certainly don't mind spending more money on a bike if it means better components all around.

[ThreeFingerPete]

All major name frames are of similar quality. Assuming fit / geometryis similar,Choose the bike based on component spec. You can turn a $400 bike into a $1000 bike with a few minor upgrades. its not uncommon to buy a factory bike as a parts bike to deck out a different frame, and then sell the factory frame.

[ThreeFingerPete]

What I would consider must haves in a bike that I intended to ride:
Decent air fork. durable, easy to adjust
External bearing crankset, lighter, easier to repair, cheaper BB options
decent wheels
Avid or shimano hydraulic brakes. Better, smoother breaking with zero adjustment compared to mechanical brakes. Easy to service, find parts for, etc


Start there, everything else is cheap.,i.e. Bars, seatposts, etc

[motoman]

Will building one myself save me any money?

[ThreeFingerPete]

Will building one myself save me any money?

If youre pretty specific, then you can have exactly what you want. It will not save you money.

Buying a complete used bike is where you will find steals.

There is a guy selling a nice single speed comparable to mine for $1800 like new, ive got ~2500 into mine and nothing was purchased anywhere near retail.

[Binky]

No idea how big of a frame you need, but here's another option (XL frame)

http://dirtdawgs.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=28227&start=0

Building a bike from scratch is going to get you just what you want, but saving money will not be one of them (unless you already have all the parts)

I bought a Trek 3900 to start, rode that thing every two days on trails all over the area. I replaced virtually every part on that bike at least once, sometimes 3 times (drive train). I saved money at the start, but in the end I spent about 1300 once you considered all the repairs/replacements. That was in 6 months.

Bought a Gary Fisher Rig (29er) for about 1500 I think plus a nice set of built wheels and I've only had to replace the chain in 3 years. (frame cracked in year 1, but they warrantied it and sent me a whole new frame overnight)

Budget 8-1000 for a bike that will handle the trails and be usable, but if something breaks replace with better than average parts.
Budget 1500 for a bike you won't have to mess with
Budget 2k + for a pimp ass ride.