mountain bike question

[rattlsnak]

I saw the ultimate bike thread but way to many pages to go through and decipher as it has all different kinds of bikes in it.

I'm looking to buy a nice mountain bike in the $300-600 range. (used is fine)

I've been out of this game for a decade or more. Can someone explain how they measure these now? Or what I should look for? I've heard every number from 17's to 29's to fat bike etc.

And what about suspension? It seems I used to see a lot of bikes that had a rear shock but not so much anymore?

I will not be doing any racing or 'serious' hard core riding. Just riding in the woods and marked off road trails around here locally. There are hills and rocks and ruts/roots on a lot of the trails however.

Any brands to stay away from? or to try to obtain?

[85eurocarrera]

I'd suggest find a local bike shop and go from there. So many choices. Most shops I go to are chill places to hang out and they'll get you on the proper equipment for your needs. I like Giant.

[Evans, Marv]

I'm in kind of the same situation as you are with regards to being out of the game for a decade. I have a Giant full suspension bike which I bought in '04. Before that I had a hard tail Trek. After buying the Giant and riding it, I decided I liked the hard tail better & kept riding it & put the Giant in storage. Two weeks ago, I got it out & took it in to be checked out & suspension adjusted for my weight. I'm going to give it a try since I have lots of trails & dirt roads around here. I looked on CL & my bike goes for around $400 to $500 now used - originally something like $12,00 to $1,600. There are lots of bikes on CL. Joe's advice about the bike shop is good. Maybe you can manage to try some out before buying.

[LeeH]

Frame measurements are from the center of the crank to the top of the seat tube - your 17" number.

Some mountain bikes are being sold with 29" wheels now, so you may see 29" or 29er listed in the description. This means 29" wheels vs the standard 26".

[nikita76]

My suggestion, because there are SO many more options now as ever before, even than 3-4 years ago. Think about where you want to ride the most, find a local bike store that rents bikes or allows test/demos and ride as many as possible. You can talk to a lot of sales people about the type of bike they think you should ride but ask yourself these questions every time you ride a different bike..."is this what I want my next bike to feel like? Is this how I want to feel riding?" THEN, you can decide on value and price point. Depending on how much you plan to ride, the better the bike OR the more comfortable you are on that bike, the more you will ride. At that point, buy the "NEXT LEVEL UP". That way, you'll grow into your bike, keep it for a longer time, and more importantly...RIDE MORE!!!

Good luck!

[porsche4life]

One thing on the 29" wheels is that they are better for going over things like roots and rocks and ruts in trail. My trek 29er eats up the trail. I love it.
In that price range are you thinking Hard tail? My trek marlin was like 750otd brand new.

[Laneco]

Adult mountain bikes are available in 3 wheel sizes. 26" was the old standard and still the most readily available. If you are looking for a bargain used bike, the 26" wheel bikes will be your best bet. 650B is about 27" wheel. A lot of people like these as the split the advantages/disadvantages of the 26 and the 29 wheel. The 29ers are very popular right now. 29 wheels are the same size (except wider) as road bike 700C wheels just FYI.

Hang out at a bike shop, look at used inventory, ask a lot of questions. There are quite a few "demo days" where a company like Specialized, Trek, etc., will bring in a variety of bikes to ride. Always good to hit those up. But in the price range you are looking for, used is probably your best bet. You can score some pretty sweet 26" wheeled bikes in that price range and might get lucky with some of the bigger wheel sets.

Most mountain bike frame sizes are measured from the center of the crank to the center of the seatpost/top tube union. Not ALWAYS true as some measure to the top of the seatpost tube etc. But to give you a rough idea... I am 5'5 and ride a 16" frame with 26" wheels. My husband at 6'2" is on a 20" frame. He's ridden both 26" and 29er wheels and LOVES the 29er.

angela

[nota]

I just scored a 1997 Gary Fisher Paragon list was $1200 weight 24 lbs 6061 alloy
26'' mtb
I got it for $40

needs three spokes on one wheel, chain lubed , a tube and new front shock rubbers [rs indy]

key things to look for on a used bike
weight pick it up if heavy pass
nuts not quick release on wheels or seat post pass
quality components alloy is good, steel pass helps to know the top of the line from mid range too
sit on it , does it feel right or too big or small pass
wheels true or wobbly fork and cranks with out play
shifts smooth brakes too

look it up on BikePedia
they list almost every bike made resently

[Aggie93]

I just bought a bike for my daughter and myself. Another resource if buying used: Home - Used Bicycles for Sale - BicycleBlueBook.com

Most CL bikes are priced too high. This is helpful to see a more realistic price range.

[LeeH]

Lots of nice 26" bikes are hitting the market because folks are going to 29ers. If you're willing to be a bit old school, you can get a good deal.

While while nota is correct that a bike should shift and brake well, and have true wheels, those things are so easy to fix. Sometimes people will dump very nice bikes because the gears are out of adjustment. 5 minutes watching Youtube videos will teach you how to fix these things.

Truing wheels seems like some sort of magic, but it's REALLY easy. I had a guy come off the price of a road bike by $50 when I pointed out the wobble in both wheels. "Yeah, you're not the first buyer to point that out. I'm tired of messing with it," was his response. Probably took me 10 minutes total to take care of both wheels.

[intakexhaust]

Could see how the wide range of offerings today is confusing. From your description, I wouldn't get all caught up in an exact category of bike, such as 26, 650b, 29, Fs, front fork, fat tire this or that. The bike industry has created this illusion that a mountain bike is some rugged capable machine. I like the many new high end trick stuff BUT its far from necessary. An old road bike, with a quality rigid steel fork can be surprisingly excellent.

The basic criteria.

1- comfort
2- weight (pass on anything over 25lbs)
3- quality strong wheels / good tire combo for swift and easy rolling. (You don't need exaggerated knobbies. Just like the old days, larger diameter has proven itself. The industry is making all the hoopla of going away from the 26" to the 'new' 29er yet the 700c has been around forever and the choice of tires in for them surpasses all of them.)

I was just out yesterday in back country exploring little used trails, some of it rutted, washed out gravel, various grades. Slower going pace but busted out a good clip on the hard pack gravel. Circa 1972 steel lugged bike, weighing 22 lbs, downtube mounted friction shifters, toe clips, 700c X 34c cyclocross tires.

A plush ride but I suppose one could rig to whatever suits yourself such as a flatbar and different shifters, whatever.

For the gravel and smoother single tracks, I'm fairly quick, often leaving guys behind on their fancy suspended 29er's. However they easily get me dropping on the descents but over the long haul, a simple quality old road bike set-up will work for almost all your needs.

Check out Roger De Vlaeminck cyclocross champ~ old school >


And here's one much further back - the 1930's

[rattlsnak]

Thanks for all the tips. Looks like I will increase my price range up by a few hundred if necessary.

Are the full suspension bikes worth it? I'm thinking I would like having the suspension in the rear but I see some others on here don't like it?

I think I'm to used too my motorcross dirt bikes!

[nota]

depends on your style and where you ride [how fast and how ruff the trail]
AND IF the rear set up is good with out pogoing [power robbing bouncing as you petal]

ride some of both
hard tails are lighter
if you go with a rear suspension look for the pivot point to be ahead of the petals/crank
pivots after the crank pogo more

[rattlsnak]

here's a few i ran across that were all on the first page or two...

Gary Fisher 2003 Sugar 4+

schwinn s-60 hydro h formed 21 speed 26" tires like new

Mountainbike for Sale

GT idrive 4.0 Mountain Bike LARGE MTB bicycle FOX SRAM serviced tuned

Raleigh 29er

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/bik/5005532427.html

[85eurocarrera]

Ocmulgee Mountain Biking Association (OMBA) - Home

[rattlsnak]

So I found a kick ass Scott bike for cheap. It was a $2,300 bike brand new and I picked it up for $500 from some spoiled rich kid who needed beer money.. Loving it so far!

[nzporsche944s2]

^^ That seems like a bargain as long as the frame size is the right one for you.

[LeeH]

Same bike is for sale in Tucson for $950.

[puddy]

I just picked up a Specialized HardRock last fall, it's an entry level bike. It's a hard tail with front suspension. It's the first mountain bike I've had in 20 years so it's light years ahead of what I used to have. It was under $600 cdn new. Great value in my opinion and has everything I need for getting into trail riding.

[slodave]

^^^ I picked up the HardRock 29er August '13 (2014 model). I think it was about $800 out the door with lights, pump, and helmet. I rode BMX until 16, a dorm mates MTB on a couple occasions back in college. Biggest complaint is that it's heavier than my friends 15 year old MTB (26", but there is a big diff). Both are aluminum. That said, just rode up in the hills today and had a blast. I ride it on the street on occasion as well (with knobbies).

I didn't want to spend a fortune on a bike and then put it away after a couple of months and let it waste away. I figured this was a good entry level MTB to get back into riding. I figured I'd either sell this at a later time to help fund a new, better/lighter bike or keep it and buy a new one.