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Newbie "what bike to get" question

1K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  Plains_Pedaler 
#1 ·
I've mountain biked before, maybe once or twice, but I want to start getting more into it. I want to buy a bike of my own but I'm not sure if I want to invest a lot of money with a very expensive bike. However I don't want to buy and be stuck with a poor performing bike. So my question is, is there a bike I can get that is fairly inexpensive but I can upgrade it at a personal pace to get it to perform like a high performence mountain bike? Sorry if my question is hard to understand and vague. :skep:

Thank you :D
 
#4 ·
Ok.

Given the budget, no full suspension...buy a hard tail.

You can go new or used. Used can get you more bang for the buck, but you have to be patient and know what your looking for.

New. Find a LBS near you and go ride some bikes. Your budget is enough to buy you a decent entry hard tail. Ride different bikes, different manufacturers...see what feels comfortable. All of the big brands will have a bike in your range....Trek X-Cal series, Giant Talon, Specialized Crave (maybe). Your other option is buying over the internet...Airborne Bikes...I think there are still some closeout Marin bikes out there as well.
 
#5 ·
I second Jason's recommendations above. You can't go wrong with the big named brands and with the new lines coming out there will be a lot of closeouts at your local lbs for 2013/2014 lines. You'll be surprised with the deals that are available out there for closeout bikes. My husband rides a 2012 Marin Indian Firetrail and he loves it. Saw this one on closeout for close to 40% off: 2013 Marin Nail Trail 29er Hardtail MTB Bike Shimano SLX 10s Fox Disc | Random Bike Parts

It's got some great specs that could last you a few seasons of riding. This could be a winner deal for you and you wouldn't have to upgrade for a few years or at least before things break down and will need to be replaced.

edit--note that the fork alone for the Marin costs about $600!
 
#9 ·
That will be a whole new bike which you'll know you'll need further down the road-- if you do end up liking riding. I went through this path too. Got a hard tail with 100mm travel as my first "real" mtb and then upgraded to a full squish shortly after. All you need now is a bike that will get you out there, riding and exploring the trails and learning what style you like and will likely be doing. For this an HT is all you really need.
 
#10 ·
You cannot upgrade a ht to full suspension. As eb said though, there is nothing wrong with a hardtail. They are more than capable bikes...they are just not designed for the extreme stuff (generally speaking).

The bikes in your range...esp the close out deals...are very nice and ready to hit the trail from day one. 1k is around the price point where you start to see this in bikes. Now this doesn't mean there won't be something that you want to change in the future, it just means that these bikes will come with decent mid range parts that are trail ready.
 
#11 ·
You can't? If you get a nicely equipped hardtail, and later down the road want to swap everything over to a full suspension frame, you can do that. There may be some cabling that will need to be changed, and minor other things, but stuff will definitely swap over.
 
#14 ·
The LBS is one of the best choices. As mentioned before you can find deals on 2013 bikes. I grabbed a Cannondale Trail SL3 (2013) for $699.00 (Plus I sold my first Motobecane so the bike came well under $600.00). The MSRP was like $1100.00 and most importantly you get to test your bike for fit and feel.

I'm very happy w/it - Good Luck!
 
#15 ·
I would check out your LBS as well. Go for a hardtail - that's what I went with to get started. Find a bike that will hold up well on the trail but is also in your budget, and ride the living hell out of it. Save up while riding the hardtail, and if you decide you DO want a FS bike you can buy one when the time is right. If you're anything like me, that's just what you'll do. LBS are the way to go for many reasons.
1) You'll more than likely get good deals on servicing/maintenance.
2) You'll more than likely get a warranty/replacement program. (I saw the Giant Talon listed above, I'm a Giant guy, and I know they do lifetime frame replacement.)
3) You'll get to know the owners and employees, who can teach you more and more about riding, maintenance, where trails are, etc. I walked into my LBS for the first time and after getting caught in conversation with the owner, I learned of four new trails in the area, one new one that was being built, the best bike brands for the buck, AND became a member of their trailbuilding organization. Most of em are great dudes, and you can make great friends out of it.
4) MOST IMPORTANTLY: You'll get to test ride the bike. Gotta make sure it fits you. Can't do that online.

Another brand I would look into: Fuji. They have some nice hardtails that can shred up the trails, although I don't know of any specific models at the moment. Good luck on finding a bike man! It's a hopeless addiction!
 
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