Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

How to choose a mountain bike?

1K views 14 replies 12 participants last post by  ZQ8Dude 
#1 ·
Hi All. I am looking for a mountain bike. I ride mostly on the street but don't want a road bike. My budget is 500. What do I need to look for and how do I know what size to get? Also single or dual suspended? :thumbsup:
 
#2 ·
for the road you'll want a hardtail...no rear suspension as it will take away from pedaling power and you're not going to be hitting anything that will require a rear suspension. also since you aren't going to be doing much off roading the durability of your components won't be as big a factor.

a few months ago I got a 2008 haro flightline two for about $320 and aside from a couple pedal/crank issues it has been a great bike so far, and I've done more with it than you seem to be planning to. I originally bought it as a campus commuting bike but have started to fall in love with mountain biking too and have taken it on some trials with pretty good success. put some street tires on this thing and it should be good to go on road.
 
#4 ·
I would go for a mountain bike that takes 650 wheels then so you can use the thin road tires for around town and the knobs fro trail use.

I would talk to the LBS to see if one is running a sale like mine was they took $125 off mine since it was this year model and were getting in next years.
 
#6 ·
Like Rod said, go to a local bike shop, tell them how you ride and your planned use of the bike and test ride the bikes. Don't be surprised if the bike you pick either costs more or less than your $500 budget. The bike picks you. Just stay away from full suspension bikes. You don't need one for street riding.
 
#7 ·
Rod said:
It's much simplier than most people make it. You need to go to your local bike shop, ride a few bikes, and buy the one that you feel the most comfortable on. Like harry said they may be running a good deal at this time of the year.
It should be simple but I have a huge fear of "Salesman". They seem to always try to sell you something you don't want or need and completely blow your budget. :madman:

Thanks for the advice guys. Sounds good. We have an expo down here (south florida) in a week or so that will let me try out bikes and talk to bike reps. I'll see what they say. :thumbsup:
 
#8 ·
Make sure that you shop around at different bike shops. Some stores only carry particular brands, and with something as personal as a bike it doesn't hurt to take your time, shop around and investigate all of your options. All the big names, Specialized, Trek, GT, Giant, have great bikes in this price range, but some of the smaller names like Kona do also. Try and get the best frame possible on your bike for the money--the components can be dealt with, and if you ride a lot, will have to be dealt with later. Good luck, and I hope this helps.
 
#9 ·
Hey guys, I have been shopping around at local stores and have come across 2 bikes I like: Specialized Hard Rock (Rock Hopper is incredible but out of my price range) and the Trek 4300. My problem is they both seem kinda heavy. Anything else I should look at? Oh yeah and specials? There are none in Miami FL. My brother just bought 2 bikes for him and his wife which totaled $1500 and the guy at the store said he could not do any discounts. :madman:
 
#10 ·
id *very* seriously reconsider not wanting a road bike. they're retardedly faster on the road. riding knobbies on the street is like kicking yourself in the pants, there really is a huge immediately apparent difference on the road between road bikes and mtb's.

the hardrocks fine, as is the 4300. they are both heavy though. like someone said, its all about fit. if it fits, you're good to go.
 
#11 · (Edited)
if you really want light weight, check out the 08 or 09 Cannondale's F-CO2 series, I believe the 09 models are F7 Disc Only, F8 Disc Only, & F9 V-Brake Only.
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/09/cusa/co2.html

I bought my 09 F7 for $550 USD w/o tax, you should also look at 08 models and compare them...
Cannondale as a company has been very good to me, lifetime warranty on frames like other brands and they also offer Frame Exchange(check there site for more info)

anyway test ride them first. they are pretty light IMO.

Good Luck.
 
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