Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

I feel like a relic....

678 views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  Juan Speeder 
#1 ·
....but I guess I'm just a newb again.

Alright everybody I need an education. I have been riding for about 12 years (with an 8 year break in the middle) so everyhting has changed. I currently ride a 1994 Diamondback Ascent LX. I know its sad but I'm working on it. Anyway, I have recently starting competing in some adventure races and am looking for a new bike. The problem is I don't know the lingo anymore (Alivio, Acera, etc.). I'm just looking for a basic education and some recommendations from someone who is not trying to sell me a bike.

A few basics:
I am from South Georgia so the terrain is relatively flat, a few hills but its definitely not the Rockies. I'm 6'0", 180 lbs. and I ride 25-50 miles a week and I plan on racing about 4-5 times in a season. Mostly sprint distances on your standard singletrack. I think I've decided against full suspension based on my location and type of riding but I'm still looking for some advice on how good a bike I need. I mean I know an LX/XT bike is good but do I NEED it with as much as I ride. Conversely, I plan on continuing to ride and race so I don't want a bike I'm gonna have to replace in a year or two. Would an Alivio/Deore bike suffice.

Any help you all can offer would be greatly appreciated.
 
See less See more
#2 · (Edited)
My advice

I wouldn't go any lower than deore that stuff works good and its cheap also if you are going for a hard tail get something with a good 4 inch travel fork like a Fox float I always use air sprung forks because they are lighter and more tunable. Try to get the best wheels you can aford because they are an expesive upgrade later. A bike by any manufacture that fis that description and fits you should be perfect for what you need. Provided you come down with a case of upgradeitis.
 
#5 ·
Stick with XT

Team_G2M_navigator said:
....but I guess I'm just a newb again.

Alright everybody I need an education. I have been riding for about 12 years (with an 8 year break in the middle) so everyhting has changed. I currently ride a 1994 Diamondback Ascent LX. I know its sad but I'm working on it. Anyway, I have recently starting competing in some adventure races and am looking for a new bike. The problem is I don't know the lingo anymore (Alivio, Acera, etc.). I'm just looking for a basic education and some recommendations from someone who is not trying to sell me a bike.

A few basics:
I am from South Georgia so the terrain is relatively flat, a few hills but its definitely not the Rockies. I'm 6'0", 180 lbs. and I ride 25-50 miles a week and I plan on racing about 4-5 times in a season. Mostly sprint distances on your standard singletrack. I think I've decided against full suspension based on my location and type of riding but I'm still looking for some advice on how good a bike I need. I mean I know an LX/XT bike is good but do I NEED it with as much as I ride. Conversely, I plan on continuing to ride and race so I don't want a bike I'm gonna have to replace in a year or two. Would an Alivio/Deore bike suffice.

Any help you all can offer would be greatly appreciated.
It's almost as good as XTR and half the price. Also look at 2004 or 2005 Specialized, they give you a lot of bike for the money. To bad you don't have a Supergo bike store near you.
 
#6 ·
What price range..

What price range are you looking at? That defines everything else. If you are looking to spend $600, it's no good suggesting $2000 bikes and vice versa. Are adventure races team events? What are the other guys riding?

D
 
#7 ·
Bike-o-saurus said:
What price range are you looking at? That defines everything else. If you are looking to spend $600, it's no good suggesting $2000 bikes and vice versa. Are adventure races team events? What are the other guys riding?

D
Right now I would like to stay in the $500 to $1,000 dollar range but, my general question was more diected toward how much I should expect to spend. I am a firm believer in "you get what you pay for" so I kow that a $2,000 bike will be better than a $500 bike but....would the $500 bike be sufficient for what I am doing? Yes, Adventure Races are team events. The bikes other people are riding run the gammut. I've even seen a Huffy out there.

Thanks all.
 
#8 ·
Team_G2M_navigator said:
Right now I would like to stay in the $500 to $1,000 dollar range but, my general question was more diected toward how much I should expect to spend. I am a firm believer in "you get what you pay for" so I kow that a $2,000 bike will be better than a $500 bike but....would the $500 bike be sufficient for what I am doing? Yes, Adventure Races are team events. The bikes other people are riding run the gammut. I've even seen a Huffy out there.

Thanks all.
In my opinion, at least if you're looking at hardtails, the point where you get the most bang for your buck is in the $1000-$1200 range. Here you find fairly lightweight bikes with no questionable parts, good reliability, and you will find that they are totally raceable (that is- your equipment will not hold you back at all).

If you are looking at dual suspension (a good idea if these adventure races that you mention are of the 24 hour/multi-day variety) add ~$500 to the price for equal quality parts.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top