Help me buy a bike.

[DirtRoads]

I am in the market for a ~1,000$ mountain bike. Right now I'm rocking a 1997 GT Tequesta with all original components that I got as a hand-me-down from my dad. I've been riding more in the past few years and am ready to upgrade to something that actually fits me.

Right now, my main qualifications are a 29er with disc breaks and probably a 21 inch frame. I'm going to a 29er because I already have a 26er and it would work better with my height (6'3" depending on humidity). I plan to stick to a hardtail for cost reasons.

Through my online wanderings, I have come to like the looks of the Trek Cobia and Mamba, but haven't had the opportunity to test ride one yet. At the bike shop today, I was checking out a Specialized Hardrock Expert 29er that looked pretty comparable to the Trek models. Unfortunately, it has been raining all day and the shop requires dry pavement for test rides.

So my question is, what other comparable bikes should I be looking at? I haven't bought a bike for myself in years and years and am overwhelmed by all the info out there on the net. Right now the plan is to test ride and see what I like. If there are any pertinent words of wisdom, please share.

Thanks for the help, but who doesn't love to talk bikes :sombrero:?

-Drew

 

[chp-sk8]

bikes

If you are looking for a nice used bike...pm me. If you want new, lookat the ONE, Redline D440, D660, Fisher-Paragon, Orbea Lanza, Bianchi,and of corse the Surley. You can also build one reasonable if you shop around. Where are you located?:victory:

 

[FreeManDan]

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/gary_fisher_collection/29er_hardtails/xcaliber/

The bike store I frequent had them for 1400 for the xcal and 1800 for the paragon, but the in fall time they start marking them down depending on demand. I got the paragon (same frame) but traded it to a riding buddy and I was nothing but satisfied with that bike (excluding the tires it came with, cause I'm picky). The paragon is just one grade up in breaks, fork, derailleurs, teeth of the crank set, and the hub on the front wheel...thats just about it. Only thing I woulda liked dif woulda been a 15mm through bolt. I don't know how much better the jucey 5s were than the juicy 3s cause I'v never tried Juicy 3s, but the 5s some would say are kinda touchy, I have Juicy Rs on the bike I ride now, they are a dream when it comes to exact controllability of your breaking force.
Really the difference in the components of the paragon and x caliber is a matter of preference and wether or not you are picky.

 

[DirtRoads]

I'm located in middle/west Tennesse. I'm from Memphis and go back there about once a month but I go to school in a town south of Nashville. For used bikes, I haven't found anything local that meets my criteria or price range. I considered doing a full build but decided I didn't really want to spend the time on researching, shopping, ordering, then building. Maybe for the next one.

I really like the looks of that X-Caliber. Unfortunately I think it is just out of the price range for me unless a great deal is found.

Thanks,

Drew

 

[Christophe Noel]

We just received our latest shipment of Felt bikes, and I think the Felt Nine Sport is a really nice bike for $950. I think Felt is the sleeper brand of 2011. Really awesome bikes that often slip under the "What's cool" radar. It's really hard to go wrong with any of the main brands. Obviously the big brands like Trek, Specialized, Giant, Cannondale, Felt, and others will have fine rides. I think for anyone to suggest one of those offerings is better than another is at best splitting hairs.

My advice as someone who has spent almost twenty years in the bike biz, refine your search to a couple candidates and buy the one you think looks the coolest. I would also advocate searching for the lucky purchase, and maybe find a sale deal.

 

[jmacjgm]

I have loved the Surly, Karate Monkey frame for a number of years now. It is so versatile.

 

[DirtRoads]

Well I looked at a few of those other brands online this morning but there aren't any local shops that had any in stock. I went to another shop a few towns over and test rode a Trek Mamba, Specialized Rockhopper Comp and a Specialized Rockhopper pro. I really really like the way the specialized bikes felt.

I plan to get either the Rockhopper comp, expert, or pro 29er. Of these models, which is the best way to go for getting the best and most worthwhile components? The difference between the comp and the pro is like 350-400$ and I'm not sure if it is worth it. The expert upgrades into a Rockshox fork and the pro upgrades to Juicy 3 brakes.

I'm thinking the expert is the way to go because of the fork and also Shimano brakes for closer to 1,000$. Is there anything that the pro has that I won't be able to live without? Is upgrading to the pro just buying into marketing and not really going to make an amazing difference? Either way, I'm getting excited :victory:.

Thanks,
Drew

 

[alexfm]

I test rode a Trek Mamba, and I liked it, and Im actually a bit taller than yourself. (6'4.5") The Trek was really nice, But another bike you could look into is the Marin Alpine Trail 29er. I test rode one at REI and I really liked it, and it ws about $800 if i remember correctly.

 

[DirtRoads]

I actually rode that marlin bike last fall when I started looking. I went back by rei yesterday but I like the specialized bikes more, personally. But thanks for the input!

 

[Christophe Noel]

The good thing about buying bicycles is the fact that you really do get what you pay for. This is even more true when you are deciding between different bikes within a particular brand. With bikes you're seldom paying for added features when you bump up to the next model up, you're usually just paying for refinements. There is also a point of diminishing returns. Is a $5000 bike better than a $1000 bike? You bet, but that doesn't mean it's five times better. So, whether you decide to bump up to the next model is not a matter of getting the better value. At the upper reaches those top models are often a lesser value.

 

[DirtRoads]

Flounder, that was very well stated. So I guess go with a bike that has the features you want and whatever grade components that you "must have" and then find that point where it is a smarter choice to upgrade later as needed?

 

[Christophe Noel]

Upgrades are always a terrible value. The worst thing you can do is buy a bike and start swapping out parts thinking it's "upgrading." Many people simply can't resist the temptation to replace a perfectly sound $75 rear derailleur for a $125 rear derailleur. That's a non-upgrade, but it is a great way to get $125 out of your pocket and a perfectly fine $75 derailleur in your closet. If you must upgrade, do it as parts break (rare), or wear out. What you want to avoid is the temptation of buying a $1000 bike today thinking you'll turn it into that $1500 you wanted later.

It's also helpful to know that certain things like shifting performance from one level of bike to the next is not really that extreme. A properly adjusted $1000 should shift just as well as a $1500 bike, or even a $4000 bike. Now, the more expensive bikes may have a fork with nicer adjustment, and the overall package might be lighter, but the reality is, the performance differences between a $1000 bike and a $1500 (of the same type, i.e. 29er hard tail) are pretty similar. There are also certain tiers of bikes within a category. Many 29er hard tails in the $750-1000 range are pretty similar. The next step up might take you to $1200-1600. Then, there may be a big jump to $2000-2600. Then, there may be an even bigger jump to bikes over $4000. Point being, the categories of product don't always bump up evenly in intervals of a few bucks. What you'll notice is most $1000-1500 bikes will be aluminum frames, hydro brakes, mid-range forks and components, etc. When you start looking at that next tier over $2000, you see very similar bikes, but they might have carbon frames, better forks, slightly better components, etc.

At the end of the day, bike science is pretty unkind to those wanting to buy performance. You are the engine. Even if you had the wad to buy a $9000 hyper cool 29er HT, some dude on a 5 year old $750 rag-tag, hunk of neglected junk is going to blow past you. Happens to all of us.

 

[DirtRoads]

Now that right there is some straight shooting, something I haven been able to find on mtbr or any other boards; exactly what I needed to hear. I think this advice has made up my mind. I'm in it to have a blast anyway, got nothing to prove. I especially like that part about people looking at high dollar bikes for performance when it is all in the rider. Thanks flounder

 

[targa88]

Upgrades are always a terrible value. The worst thing you can do is buy a bike and start swapping out parts thinking it's "upgrading." Many people simply can't resist the temptation to replace a perfectly sound $75 rear derailleur for a $125 rear derailleur. That's a non-upgrade, but it is a great way to get $125 out of your pocket and a perfectly fine $75 derailleur in your closet. If you must upgrade, do it as parts break (rare), or wear out. What you want to avoid is the temptation of buying a $1000 bike today thinking you'll turn it into that $1500 you wanted later.

It's also helpful to know that certain things like shifting performance from one level of bike to the next is not really that extreme. A properly adjusted $1000 should shift just as well as a $1500 bike, or even a $4000 bike. Now, the more expensive bikes may have a fork with nicer adjustment, and the overall package might be lighter, but the reality is, the performance differences between a $1000 bike and a $1500 (of the same type, i.e. 29er hard tail) are pretty similar. There are also certain tiers of bikes within a category. Many 29er hard tails in the $750-1000 range are pretty similar. The next step up might take you to $1200-1600. Then, there may be a big jump to $2000-2600. Then, there may be an even bigger jump to bikes over $4000. Point being, the categories of product don't always bump up evenly in intervals of a few bucks. What you'll notice is most $1000-1500 bikes will be aluminum frames, hydro brakes, mid-range forks and components, etc. When you start looking at that next tier over $2000, you see very similar bikes, but they might have carbon frames, better forks, slightly better components, etc.

At the end of the day, bike science is pretty unkind to those wanting to buy performance. You are the engine. Even if you had the wad to buy a $9000 hyper cool 29er HT, some dude on a 5 year old $750 rag-tag, hunk of neglected junk is going to blow past you. Happens to all of us.

Sound advice.
Just getting back into cycling after a number of years. Went in to the local bike store. The choices can kill you.
Settled on a simple MTB Hardtail, so I can get out a ride...if it would only stop snowing...

 

[Christophe Noel]

To expand on my post above, if you had a choice between a $1000 bike and a $1500 bike, in most cases I would champion the lesser expensive bike. Certainly for a newer rider starting from the ground up. If you were a newish rider and spent your whole budget on a $1500 bike, you'd probably not have as great an experience as you would had you bought the $1000 bike and spent the other $500 on accessories. $500 is a great budget for nice shoes, helmet, shorts, and the other things that make the experience of riding that much more fun.