New to mountain biking had to ride an 8 mile trail at work to find a fallen tree to cut down, borrowed bike from work as well and i had a blast, i work at an out door center which just built a velodrome and in process of building a BMX park (the dirt ramp racing kind), im 6 ft 200 pounds need a bike any suggestions looking at hard tails since the prices are cheaper and any good trails in upper SC lower NC, any other comments on equipment needed or advice greatly appreciated thanks, Billy
Check out the local bike shop, employees will be great help. Stick with a name brand like a Trek, Specialized, Giant, Santa Cruz...... There are many good quality manufactures out there.
All I can say is ride as many bikes from different brands as you possibly can before making a decision. The more you ride the better idea of what geometry you prefer the most. Don't let a bike shop pressure you into a bike just because "its the last one" or "this price is only today". They say that crap all the time. Coming from a bike shop employee. Also try not to ride a bike that is out of your price range. It is the easiest way to keep in your budget. Riding a bike that is out of your range will just make you want it more. Research is your friend when buying a bike.
All I can say is ride as many bikes from different brands as you possibly can before making a decision. The more you ride the better idea of what geometry you prefer the most.
I agree completely with drewdoeboy! Ride as many as you can within your price range and decide what YOU like. Ride them in the grass and get them off of the pavement as much as you can to try and reveal their character. I am new to the sport and just bought my first bike also. I was surprised how different each manufacturer's bikes were within different price points. I did find the right bike for ME by ridign as many as I could and deciding what I liked.
I will ask if you have any previous biking experience, for example did you do a lot of 20" and BMX style riding when you were younger or did you mostly ride on the roads? I think some of that experience can help some of us make recommendations as to bikes that might ride a certain way etc...
i use to do alot of BMX when i was younger then shifted into the skateboarding phase then stuck with sports through out high school so my last bike ride before the last one on the trail for work has been years but it was fun and i enjoyed it and thanks for all the advice good to see some friendly and helping people on here thanks!!!
Same here... Raced 20" and then skated and I still skate. That said I preferred bikes that rode small and handled well. This does not mean I bought a small frame, just figured out which geometry suited my taste's. I will admit I wound up doubling my budget when I did pull the trigger because I knew I would be hard on my equipment. With that said you can find something that suits your riding style. Have you established a budget cap yet?
Look for the 2014 Trek X-Caliber 8 or 9. Depending on budget, either of these bikes will deliver.
If you want a smaller wheel size than a 29, then Scott has the Scale 700 line and the Aspect 700 line.
Out of the two, I would suggest either the Scott Scale 760 or the Scott Aspect 710.
Be aware that these bikes use different geometries, so it is best to ride as many as possible to make sure YOU like how the bike feels.
Absolutely ride as many bikes as you can. Also read as many threads as you can, you can learn a lot and see through the LBS BS and make an informed purchase. Good time to buy with the 2013 models on sale. My first real mtb purchase I think I rode 14 bikes, try to go to demo rides, maybe rent a demo bike for a day. Buy the bike that is most comfortable and puts the biggest childish grin on your face.
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