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What bike to get?

856 views 14 replies 6 participants last post by  pkaija 
#1 ·
I am currently looking to get a new bike for my 15 year old son. He is about 5 foot seven. So far I have three options.

-Specialized hardrock 08
-Giant Rincon 08
-Trek 4300(not sure either 08 or 09)
I can get the Rincon for the cheapest, but money doesnt really matter

Out of those three, which one do you think will be the best... he wants it to be good enough for smalll to medium jumps, but still faster on the road.
Thanks for your help.
 
#3 ·
Honestly, it doesn't matter. Have him test drive the bikes and see which one feels best to him. If he is going to be trying to do jumps, how he fits on the bike is going to be important to how well he can execute those jumps.

When looking at components, you might want to find out what forks are on each of those bikes and read the reviews here for them. If he is doing jumps, then you want something that will hold up to the abuse. Same goes for the pedals. Plastic won't cut it when it comes to impact.
 
#4 ·
I looked at the forks and the Specialized has the LEAST amount of travel at 80mm. I'm going to say you want more if the bike it going to be abused. So Trek or Giant will be your better bets. From there I still think he should try them both out to see which one feels the best to him.
 
#7 ·
It is not all about the forks....it is about the other components as well.

I had the specialized, my wife currently has the trek. I would go for the trek.

I enjoy sizing down to her bike on occasion.

you may want to look into a Cannondale F1 or F2.



Post what you decide on...with pics.
 
#8 ·
After looking at all three bikes, i personally ruled out the Specialized Hardrock.

Down to the other two bikes' components;
In terms of speed, both bikes have an identical crank set (front cogs)
The Trek has an 11-32 Cassette (rear cogs), and the Giant has an 11-30. This means that the Both bikes have an identical high speed gear, but the Trek has a slightly "easier" granny gear, so the trek will be a tiny bit easier to go up hills on.
Read the reviews on the forks for the info on them.
Both bikes' pedals are strong metals.
There is very little difference in the Derailleurs.
In terms of tires, the Giant has a set of Mountain specific ones, and the Trek has a set of hybrids.
I wasn't able to find the specifics on the Trek's rims, but the Giant has a pretty durable set on it.
The Trek has V brakes, and the Giant has Disc Brakes. Disc brakes work better for trail riding, and V brakes work better for Road riding. Disc brakes perform slightly better than V brakes in wet conditions.
Those are the only components that NEED to be compared.

So, based on what your son is looking for, both bikes are extremely close, but i think the Trek will be SLIGHTLY better suited for his needs.

Defiantly post what you decide on!
 
#10 ·
Hold on...

pkaija said:
Should I get him the giant because it is alot cheaper than the trek?
You should NOT buy the bike based on what component spec is "best" and you've already indicated that the price doesn't matter as part of the selection process. So the process you should take is:

1. Determine your budget.
2. Have your son ride as many different bikes as you can from various OEM's within that budget.
3. Let your son tell you which bike "feels" best to him.
4. Select that bike.

Unless your budget is $1,500+, any fork you're likely to get will eventually require upgrading. Mountain biking is fairly hard on components, so you'll likely be replacing those at some point in the future. What's important is the fit of the frame for your son because that's the one part of the bike that is unlikely to break. And if it does break, he'll get a replacement that's the same as the one he broke.

Regarding disc vs. V: Those of us who have been riding longer than 5 years rode many high end bikes without disc brakes. V brakes are fine for mountain biking. Low end discs perform worse than medium-high end V brakes.
 
#11 ·
Yes, the Giant seems to be the better choice. He'll get a set disc brakes, a sweet set of tires, and at a lower cost.

The only real advantage the trek had over the Rincon was the slightly easier granny gear, and the difference between them is extremely insignificant. Add a new cassette for about $30, and the Trek has no advantage at all.

I compared at the geometry of the two bikes, and most of the angles and lengths were identical. The only differences I could find were differences of just a few millimeters, which translates to both bikes feeling the exact same if he were to ride them.

So in the end the Giant Rincon pulls ahead of the Trek 4300, in a lot of places. The one advantage that the Trek did have is very insignificant. You'll save money with the Giant, so you can use it to get him a better seat, or pedals, or another upgrade.

But, Ken has a point, get your son to test out a BUNCH in your price range. Also, ken is right with the fork, if your son gets into mountain biking, that will have to be replaced.
 
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