Looking for my first MTB

[Robin Masters]

So, the last bike that I owned was a 20" Haro BMX style bike circa 1990, and after that I started riding a dirtbike and never looked back. Fast forward 23 years and now I have a 5 year old son that I'd like to ride bikes with. For a while I'm sure that we'll be spending some time on bike paths, etc., but I want my bike to be capable of actual trail use.

I'd like to buy a quality 29" hardtail MTB and so far I've ridden a Specialized Rockhopper, Trek Mamba, Trek Marlin, and a Trek DS 8.3. I've ruled out the Trek DS 8.3 because I don't think that it is really up to the trail use that I expect the bike to see.

I can get the Mamba for $929, the Marlin for $570, and the Rockhopper for $800.

I have some questions, and if anyone has any insight here it would be sincerely appreciated.
1. Are these decent bikes, or should I be looking at other options?
2. There is a $360 difference between the Mamba and the Marlin. Is an upgraded Rock Shox fork and hydraulic disk brakes on the Mamba (vs a Suntour fork and mechanical disk brakes on the Marlin) worth that much money?
3. Is there an obvious choice between the Trek options and the Rockhopper?

Any advice or insight on this would be very much appreciated.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Congrats on your new adventure.

To answer some basic questions - yes, all of those bikes are fine choices. In bicycles, as is true for cars, motorcycles and nearly everything else, you do get what you pay for. If one bike is $100 over the next, there's a reason for it. In a nutshell, the more you pay, the more REFINEMENT you get. Now, there is a point of diminishing returns, but that's not until you start tickling the $2500-3000 mark. So yes, a $900 bike is absolutely more refined than a $600 bike. Considerably so. Those refinements translate to a bike that's more crisp, user friendly, and perhaps more fun to ride.

This could be a lame comparison, but think of the difference between a $7000 honda motorcycle and a $10,000 KTM. Both have the same features, the KTM may just have more refinement. If that spins your beanie, then go for the bigger dollar purchase.

My suggestion? Figure out your max budget, including all of the extras you'll need. Then go shop for the best deal you can find at a bike shop that inspires the most confidence. Most importantly, once you find two or three bikes that fit your needs and price range....buy the one that looks cool. No kidding. If the logical choice is ugly and lame to you, you'll never love it. If you don't love it, you won't ride it.

Lastly, 2014 bikes will be released in the next 60-90 days. In turn, a lot of 2013 inventory will begin popping up at a nice discount. So, September and October might be a better time to start uncovering the juicy deals.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Flounder makes great points but I would like to mention in hardtails the diminishing point seems lower to me. You can get a very nice bike for $1,500 (thinking of a Trek X-Caliber, Giant XTC, the bikes with Recon forks, X7/X9 drivetrains, etc.) and a legitimate trail worthy bike for $750 to $1,000. For $2,500 ~ $3,000 you're into carbon 29'er hard tail race bikes. I would agree with his price point in full suspension, there is a steep increase from $1,500 to $2,500 in quality there.

Something you should consider is if you intend to ride it on the trails or not. Talking about actual single track. That to me is the biggest determining factor for your budget because things like the front shock, components and overall weight become more important. There's no reason IMHO to chase kiddos on a Cannondale F29 that will only ever see bike paths, total overkill.

As far as different brands, at the $750 level my feeling is the differences are marginal and less important than at the high end. All the frames will be aluminum, most of the components are going to be about the same, etc. So look for the best deal and like Flounder says, the one that speaks to you. Best fit, coolest paint, helpful sales dude. I think it's easy to get overwhelmed, so do some initial weeding out via the Internet (as you are obviously doing). Take a minute to define your use and be honest, everyone thinks in July they're gonna be the next Tour winner but by Christmas that fancy new ride has accumulated 3 rides and a lot of dust.

So to your question, the Mamba is a better bike and that $360 difference will get you a nicer bike, but if you're thinking paved multi-use trails I would not get talked into anything higher than that. The place where hydraulic brakes will start to become obvious is when the trail starts requiring you to control your speed over long descents, they'll fade less for example. Same with the forks, you need technical features to notice better rebound and damping. Ultimately for a recreational bike it comes down to weight and I think for a trailer tugger it's better money spent to punt on a shock and go with a rigid front fork than to go higher upscale to reduce weight.

 

[EMrider]

I used to be a motohead too and switched to MTB only for similar reasons. After many years of both, I find MTB to be far more enjoyable and compatible with a busy schedule.

A 29 hardtail is a great pick for a potentially wide variety of riding needs. It can do everything from bike paths to tech singletrack pretty well.

I do have a preference for supporting my local bike shops versus doing everything online. So if you find a good deal and like the shop, go for it.

But an option to consider is searching the local craigslist or classifieds for a quality used bike. Many people buy more bike than they need, let it sit in the garage for a few years, and then sell it. Do some research on what you would like and then keep an eye open. I have seen many people find GREAT deals using this approach.

Good luck.

R

 

[Robin Masters]

Thanks to you all for the replies. And to EMrider, yes I plan on buying from a local bike shop. The internet is great for a lot of things, but I want to establish a relationship with a local shop for maintenance, tune-ups, future purchases, etc.

To add a bit of information...
-Yes, I definitely expect the bike to see some actual single track use, so a fork (and bike) that can handle some real trail use is what I'm looking for.

-My 'bike only' budget is at the $1000 mark, but I don't have to spend it all if its not needed. Also, on the flip side of that coin, I saw a Trek Cobia that I could get for $1100, and if the air fork on that bike is worth the premium, I could swing the extra $100. I do not want to reach the $1,500 mark however. I have a separate budget for bike rack, helmet, shorts, shoes, etc.

-One other potentially important factor that I did not mention earlier is that I weigh 250 lbs, so if a heavy rider changes things, please let me know. Would the Rock Shox fork and hydraulic disc brakes be important upgrades for a heavy rider?

Thanks again for the insight here. All of the choices out there are somewhat overwhelming to a guy that has been out of riding for so long.

 

[NEPolarbear]

Robin,
Make sure that you are fitted for each bike that you test ride.
It will make a difference.
Also, keep in mind for your accessories.....helmet, gloves, etc.
I am partial to Specialized bikes.
Good luck!