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New Bike...buyer...need some help

543 views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Javier 
#1 ·
Hello all,

Looking for my first MTB and have been looking around, stopped at my local LBS, reading the forums etc. And I will say I am very confused. Trying to be informed as much as possible before bothering everyone. I will be the first to admit my knowledge is very limited.

This is what I am looking for:
Budget: $650.00...and I understand that is an entry level budget.
I will not be doing anything too crazy for now, like to ride, have some small kids and what to get around, maybe crank it up a bit in the future...but basically i am not jumping off any cliffs.

With that said I looking for a bike that will last a long time, handle some abuse and not cause me trouble.

I was looking at the Trek's maybe the 4500's, Gary Fisher Advance Disc, Felt Q620, Scott 55, Giant Yukon...just to mention a few.

What I don't understand is some say the components on some of these are junk, forks are junk, tires are junk, etc.! When we are talking "junk" or "crap" what are we really saying? Am I wasting my money on say the Trek with the name and supposedly cheap components?

I mean really I understand the budget is entry level but it is still a chunk of money and want to feel, when i walk away that i just didn't spend close to a grand and my bike will need love and fixing for the next several years. When I started this search I was wanting to pay more for a bike and get some quality, I have always owned the $100.00 box store crap bikes....and I thought spending up to $650.00 would do that....?

I am not into names but am from WI and I think Trek is a WI company but it sounds as if you are paying for the name? I don't mind buying something else if the components are higher end. Just trying not to overpay for something.

Any thoughts? Great bike for an entry level budget?

Any help would be great!

Thanks,

Hoyt
 
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#2 ·
hoyt99 said:
What I don't understand is some say the components on some of these are junk, forks are junk, tires are junk, etc.! When we are talking "junk" or "crap" what are we really saying?
What we're really saying when we use the word "junk" is that we are suffering from a bout of bicycle-snobbery. So just ignore us when we talk like that.

I'm not familiar with all the bikes you mention, but I am familiar w/some. Giant tends to give good value for the money. My daughter rides a Giant Yukon from a few years back, and she's very happy w/it.

I can tell you that I personally find the Gary Fisher G2 geometry to be a good fit. And Fisher is owned by Trek, which might matter if you want to support a Wisconsin-based company.

My nephew rides a Trek 4500. So far as I know, he's had no trouble with the bike.

My advice right now would be to test ride as many of the bikes on your list as you can. Get a feel for them. See which frame feels best on you. Go from there. Narrow your choices a bit. Things won't be so overwhelming then.

p.s. If you spend $650ish, you'll notice a huge improvement over those $100 department-store bikes. Trust me on that. The difference will be night-and-day.
 
#3 ·
Don't worry about it.

Junk is good.

I got three bikes that many would consider junk. To me they are my treasure.
One has Shimano GS100 components, the second one has Acera/Altus, the third one SRAM x7/x5.

In my experience, lower end components in the last 20 years or so work very well for the average rider. No glitz or glamour in materials, no superlight weight, but they get the job done.

So, get a bike with a decent frame (and yes, you pay extra just for brand names) and, since you are not jumping off cliffs, I think you will be surprised to see how long your junk components last.

JEB
 
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