Help choosing an XC bike on a tight budget

[cmags]

Hey fellow riders, new member here. Been doing some reading and watching of the Noob videos. Good stuff here.

I've been riding bikes my whole life, and as a kid would pull bikes out of the trash to fix up ride and sell. It's been years since I've ridden frequently though I've always had some kind of bike for the occasional ride to get the dog running faster than I can go on foot.

I'm trying to get into some actual trail riding, as I've begun hanging out more with a friend who is really into the sport. He's got a real nice Specialized 29er, CF frame, etc. my old Mongoose D60r department store bike just isn't really up to the task of keeping up.

Unfortunately my budget is really tight. I've been selling some of my other toys on Craigslist and just flipped another CL bike that needed a tuneup. So I'm eyeing used hardtails on CL. I'd like some input on what bikes will actually be quality entry level bikes (assuming good condition when I look at 'em) and worth the money. Here's my budget/needs info:

1) Your budget: I've got about $150 to get something that's not entirely junk. Maybe could cobble together a little more. So new is nearly out of the question.

2) What bikes, if any, are you already considering? Ok, Here's what I'm looking at on CL so far:

Iron Horse Warrior 1.3 - $160 - mech discs, rock shox dart fork, two years old, purchased at Dick's Sporting Goods, sized at the store for a 5' 7.5" rider - exactly my height. Might be able to talk her down to 140. Unless I learn that this bike is junk, this is my top choice at the moment. She posted a stock photo of a warrior 1.3.

K2 Zed (not sure which, can't read the pic) - manitou fork (?) - $175 - looks to be an older model, I see a 1" threaded headset on it in the pic.
images.craigslist.org/5F85P05Ma3L73If3Hdc7ee800ebd02dc71b31.jpg (not enough posts yet to post pic)

Another K2, medium frame, 4 years old, $150.
images.craigslist.org/5Gf5H35J83G73o43H5c780845cd35ab261a2a.jpg

2011 Nishiki pueblo, also a small/medium frame, from *****, has warranty? He's only asking $110.
images.craigslist.org/5Le5E75M73E93Ib3o1c7l2e278ebf601810ce.jpg

2012 Diamond Back Sorrento 16" - $130 - currently sold at *****.
images.craigslist.org/5I85F55M43F33J73Hec7f5dad1923f4601026.jpg


3) What type of riding do you intend to do? XC sounds about right - the bike will do double duty riding rail trails with my wife and kid and dog, and then some moderate single tracks with my buddy.

4) Do you have a preference over a hardtail or full suspension? Hardtail, because I know in my budget range, the FS bikes are going to be poor quality. From what I've read, cheap rear suspension is crappy, but cheap disc brakes are just mechs rather than hydros, and are usually fine, and likely still better than equivalently cheap rim brakes?

5) Age, weight and height. (In many instances very important for a variety of reasons). 29y/o, 5' 7.5", 30" inseam, 150lbs

6) What sources will you consider buying from? Craigslist is my best bet I think.

7) Do you want people to offer you alternative suggestions to issues such as budget, bikes already considered, and sources? Sure.

Thanks for your time in helping out a noob!

[cmags]

My next question would be whether a brand new entry level bike such as this:

bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/450ht_new_xii.htm

Would be worth saving up and spending double. It seems that a used bike will be better bang for the buck, but that Motobecane is shiny.

[JoePAz]

150 is not alot of budget. You might be able to get a used entry level bike in this price range, but you will need to be really careful as there is also going to be alot of junk in that price range to sift through. I would be worried anythign 1-3 years old will be junk since it never started out that good. The best bet is probabyl something much older, but well taken care of. For example I have my old bike from 1998. I bought it new for $550 and rode it everywhere. Nothing broke on it and is rock solid. I moved up to newer bike in 2003 and it has sat since. Sat, but always garaged and zero rust/corrosion etc. In fact is now sitting on my bike trainer inside the house. How much is that worth? Who knows, but considerig the age $150 might be about right. It will out ride any modern $150 bike hands down. Of course I don't plan to sell this bike as has use in my trainer and as a spare bike for friends etc.

Still that is kind of bike you want.

[cmags]

I hear what you're saying. My concern in that case is, how easy (or difficult) is it to find replacement/upgrade parts for something that old? Can you still buy suspension forks with 1" threaded steer tubes or do you have to have them modified? ($$)

Obviously an older bike like that won't have newer features such as disc brakes or trigger shifters. I recently tried to swap the Shimano trigger shifters from my newer bike to my old aluminum hardtail, but found that even though the front der was also Shimano, it didn't work. Shifting from 1-2 on the shifter would throw the der from lowest to highest in one shot. The arm on the der was longer than the one on the newer (but crappier) bike.

In being honest about what I'm really going to use the bike for, it won't be very heavy/hard/fast trail riding. Just some multi-use paths to get out to enjoy the ride at fun pace. I just want to be sure that I'm not going to get something that would be dangerous to ride offroad. Seems that the Ih Warrior has gotten decent reviews and has held up well for other members here, so I'll probably go for it unless there's a specific reason not to go not to, or one of the others is much better (like that older K2 Zed - is it that much better for being older and the same price?).

Thanks for the thoughts tho, I might swing through the CL listings again expanding my search scope.

[JoePAz]

My 98 bike has 1 1/8 steer tube and trigger shifters and 80mm fork and aluminum frame. It is an 8 speed rear however and of course uses V brakes. Bikes like this are out there. They just make be a bit harder to find. Even today this bike is a great entry level bike You don't need disc brakes as v-brakes work very well. I would rather get good bike with V-brakes than a crappy one with discs.

As for parts. Parts will be harder to find, but what do you plan to replace? Remember it is a $150 bike so don't get to caught up with replacing parts.

[cmags]

Cool, didn't realize that the introduction of the 1 1/8" threadless came about that long ago.

But you're right about replacing parts - I probably won't need to be swapping out a bunch, but in case something breaks, I want the option to fix it rather than toss the bike.

Is there any type of list or way for a noob like myself to learn what components are good and what's crap, etc? That's where the difference is in the bikes, right? I doubt I'll be riding hard enough to damage the frame, or notice the difference in weight on it as compared to something else.

Some others I've seen if I push my budget a little further are Treks - 3500, 4500 in the $200-300 range (variety of ages), a 2000 Raleigh M80 with some upgrades (including disc brakes) for $250, and a Rocky Mountain Trailhead bike for $280. That one looks like a really nice bike, but its gonna take some work to pull that kind of money together and it will likely be gone by the time I do...

[cmags]

I value the advice but I think I want to get a newer bike. I think starting off with a clean, not yet abused bike will do me better in keeping up long term maintenance than something with more unknowns. This philosophy has served me well in cars.

Going to look at a 2010 Giant Rincon tomorrow for $200 unless the person with the $160 IH Warrior contacts me back. They all seem to have similar quality low end componentsbut are name brand and upgradeable if they break. also hoping to hear back from someone on a Trek 4500.

Any opinions on those three specifically, compare/contrast?

Sent from my PG06100 using Tapatalk

[JoePAz]

I value the advice but I think I want to get a newer bike. I think starting off with a clean, not yet abused bike will do me better in keeping up long term maintenance than something with more unknowns. This philosophy has served me well in cars.

Going to look at a 2010 Giant Rincon tomorrow for $200 unless the person with the $160 IH Warrior contacts me back. They all seem to have similar quality low end componentsbut are name brand and upgradeable if they break. also hoping to hear back from someone on a Trek 4500.

Any opinions on those three specifically, compare/contrast?

Sent from my PG06100 using Tapatalk

Giant Rincon Reviews
Giant Rincon XC Hardtail Reviews

[cmags]

Thanks for the link, I had read those before.

Turns out I will be heeding your advice afterall. That Rincon deal fell through, and I found a similarly priced 2000 Raleigh M80 with Shimano Deore components all around, Rock Shox Judy TT fork, upgraded to shimano discs front and rear (still waiting to hear back on whether he knows what ones). Looks like a solid bike with plenty of life left, and very upgrade-capable. Here's to hoping it fits and feels right (its an 18" frame, on the tall end of my range, but the stem looks short (and I can always get a shorter one).

Does this look like a decent ride?

Raleigh M80 Disc

[Thnx]

Nice Raleigh

[Chiaroscuros]

OP -

New forumite here.
It's funny, I'm getting into XC and trail riding for the first time and what bike did I pick up used as a fixer-upper? Mongoose D60R.

Basically I've decided to upgrade it in stages and learn/beat on it!
I read in the MTBR reviews that it's a solid frame, and pretty upgradeable (no disc brakes though).

Upgrades/modifications so far:

Ergon GP1 Biokork grips
Cateye Enduro computer
Koolstop MTB pads
Mavic Crossride UB wheelset (rim or disc brake)
Seat and seatpost from my Rockhopper
Michelin Country Trail (front, emergency purchase, sounds like it's a pretty bleh tire...)
Kenda Small Block 8 (rear)
Bontrager Select ISIS crankset
Truvativ GigaPipe Team SL ISIS BB
Shimano M520 pedals
SRAM 850 chain
Shimano Deore front derailleur
Shimano Deore rear derailleur
Shimano 12-28 7spd cassette (front shifters/brake levers are integrated, so I stayed 3x7 for now)

Yeah, it's a bit of money to throw at an old frame/design, but I paid $160 for the bike used and I look at it as a challenge/learning experience! Also, I was looking for an inexpensive used bike that wasn't Made-in-China...

Best,
Daniel

[cmags]

Nice, sounds like you've got the basics covered. The bike is solid, a bit heavy, but did pretty well for me for a number of years just tooling around town and basic fireroad type trails. I probably could have kept it but wanted a hardtail. I'd recommend setting the rear spring to half or 3/4 tightness, otherwise the bike will bob on the uphills. But other than that, should be a fun project.

$160 isn't too bad depending on the condition. I sold mine for $120 but most of the bolts were covered in surface rust and there were some good scratches/gouges. I also put my 15 y/o FS Elite's basic MTB tires and saddle on it and kept the Kenda hybrid tires and nicer gel saddle.

[Chiaroscuros]

cmags -

My first real MTB was a gift from my dad back in 1994 - full rigid Rockhopper, made-in-Taiwan. Over the course of the 17 years since then I haven't had to spend much $$$ at all personally on my bike...mainly helmets and accessory gear, etc. I've been mainly riding pavement with minor forays into the woods (partly due to lack of suspension!)

I decided this year that I was interested in trail riding. I figured that I'd look at something with full suspension, and I'm not interested in frames made in China. So, right there my budget goes to $1000+ for a Taiwan hardtail and probably $1300-1500 for full suspension, right?

As long as I'm able to use if for at least a year or two, this D60R for $160 plus $700-$800 in parts over time doesn't look so bad...I'm probably north of $500 so far in direct upgrades. Might buy a bare frame next time and transfer over the parts that make sense. Some of the other parts can probably slide down to my Rockhopper, which is likely to become my 'road bike' in the future.

Best,
Daniel

P.S. Just hoping I don't break some little piece on the Goose that I can't replace...is there any chance of getting parts support from Mongoose on their older bikes?

[cmags]

I remember everything being pretty standard on that bike - and it looks like you've replaced nearly everything but the shocks and brakes, both of which are standard parts. So unless you break the frame, everything on it is replaceable. And if you do manage to break the frame, you're better off getting a new bare frame as you suggested.

Enjoy it, and post up some pics of the build!

[Chiaroscuros]

cmags - Current build is up as pic in my original post.

Front and rear lights are from my Rockhopper:
Nite Rider UltraFazer 5.0 front
Blackburn Mars 3.0 rear

-Dan

[BodyLinksystems]

glad people are finding things they like. I am in the same boat