Thinking about finally getting a new bike, but I know very little. I am pretty sure that I want a hard-tail mountain bike. It is most likely that at least 75% of my time will be spent on the mountains and single track.
At this point I am staying open to a range of price points, but what I don't know is the differences between a $400, $600, and $1000 bike. I probably wouldn't go much over that. I probably won't put tons of miles on it. 3-4 mountain rides a month(but we know how things can change), but I may use it to commute around town a little. Maybe bike to the gym or to Kroger. An occasional tri, or adventure race is also highly probable.
My last bike was a 1996 Trek Singletrack 930. It was fairly light and suited my needs fairly well. It didn't quite receive the care it deserved while I was in college though, and is a little small for me, so upgrading is not a consideration.
Can someone breakdown what is important, and what is worth the money for a casual rider like myself. I liked having a light bike(I am sure mine wasn't the lightest, but some of my friends have very heavy frames) other than that what are the real differences?
Well the MOST important aspect of buying a new bike is the frame! It is the foundation. A few things you need to focus on when looking for the right frame.
Frame:
Geometry/fit - getting the correct size frame and geometry for the kind of riding you will be doing.
Frame material - steel or Aluminum are your only options (Ti and carbon are too expensive for your budget) Steel is a more forgiving material, more comfortable. Aluminum has a fatigue life....it will eventually fail, it will take a long time, may never happen while you own it. Aluminum is going to be lighter than the steel. Aluminum is going to be much more rigid. So you will feel each and every trail obsticle.
Wheel size compatibility - Most frames can only accomidate 26" wheels or the future standard 29" wheels. If you go with 26" you have more options, the bike will steer a little quicker, it will be a little less stable at speed. If you go with a 29" wheel the bike will steer a little slower and is a little more sluggish when accelorating. It will roll (maintain momentum) far better than the 26" bike.
Sooo the moral of the story. If you can buy the top end frame of any particular manufacturer with lesser parts for $1000 then it is a better buy than the 2nd tier frame with higher end parts for $950. IMO.
Surly Karate Monkey. Google them. Steel. Big wheels. You can probably come close to $1000
Buy the nice frame and go with secondary parts. Seriously, the cassette, cranks, shifters all will wear out, but the frame will last forever (reasonably).
Thanks for the input guys. Flee, so you suggest the big wheels and steel; I was thinking the other way until I got to the end of your post. I am going to hit up the LBS today and see what they have to offer. Do you guys suggest buying parts separetly or or a pre-built bike from the LBS. Are disk brakes worth a little extra cost?
Thanks for the input guys. Flee, so you suggest the big wheels and steel; I was thinking the other way until I got to the end of your post. I am going to hit up the LBS today and see what they have to offer. Do you guys suggest buying parts separetly or or a pre-built bike from the LBS. Are disk brakes worth a little extra cost?
I forgot to mention another advantage to the 29'rs in my original response. They are superior to 26" wheels when cornering. The bigger wheels give you a larger contact patch on the dirt. So they are harder to break loose when cornering. One of the MAIN reasons I love them. I like to go fast, particularly in the corners and better cornering on the 29'r makes life grand.
If you buy parts seperately you will spend a bit more dough. Many of the small bike manufacturers offer parts kits these days. You can check out Surly for the Karate Monkey, and On One has some steel 29r options as well.
Big wheels and steel is a perfect setup. Talk about a bike that can last forever if you want.
But...going to an LBS you will likely NOT find a steel frame from one of the mass produced bike companies. If you are going to be looking at the LBS you will need to scope out the Gary Fisher line. They are aluminum, but the big wheels will take the edge off of the harsh ride of aluminum. So big wheels and aluminum is a fine combination. Soon other big names like Specialized and Trek and Giant and others will be offerning big wheel bikes. I think Orbea is also got one coming out really soon......maybe Silly can say whether they have hit the stores yet.
Disk brakes are one of the best inovations in mountain biking in my opinion. Their aren't many things as important as your ability to stop/slow down. This is true in a safety aspect, but there is an added bonus. Disk brakes facilitate better brake modulation. This means it takes less effort at the lever to modulate your speed, for cornering and technical terrain. Much better control of the bike. Basically, IMO, disk brakes make you faster. Weird ehh?
The cable actuated/mechanical disk brakes, like the avid BB7's are a great choice. They are powerful, work great in the mud if you ever get stuck in the rain, they modulate well, they are easy to set up and they dont cost alot. BUT, there is NOTHING like hydraulic disks. They are superior in every way over cable actuated/mechanical disks. Hydraulics are set emm up and forget emm.
Please let us know what you go with.....and post up pics.
Looked at the LBS and they have mostly Trek and Gary Fisher. Going to a few not so local ones this afternoon. I had read up on the Treks but not so much on the Gary Fishers yet. Hopefully there will be more to look at this afternoon. But I gotta get rolling, they close early on Saturdays.
No, not in my opinion. You have to be a reasonably advanced rider to take full advantage of disc, and then they have to be reasonably nice disc brakes (read: expensive). They look cool, but good Vs stop better than cheap discs IMHO. Not to mention less maintenance.
As for a bike, I would recommend a ~$500 pre-assembled. Sure, you can get a really sweet ride for a grand, but then again you could also buy a lot of cheesestakes for that last $500. Putting it together yourself will yield a product you're overall more happy with (you tend to research and buy parts that fit your riding style rather than take whatever comes on the bike), but as was afore mentioned it can be more expensive. You would also then sink time into buying parts offline and less time on the trails.
I, too, used to have a '96 era Trek (6000 Alu), but when I went to buy a new bike a few months ago, I went '06 Specialized Rockhopper for $460. I ride on average, in season, 3-4 trail hours a day. My only complaint is that the Rockhopper is a bit on the heavy side, but there is just no way I could have assembled a bike of its quality under $500. The thing is bombproof, and very trim (no maintenance problems yet).
Alas, though, an off the shelf bike which (admittedly) plenty of folks ride doesn't have the bling factor of a 29er or a cool name like Voodoo or Airborne. But, I have a blast on the thing, and now I don't worry about the bike anymore but instead enjoy the trails. I mean if you can afford it, sure, get a Ti B-29 and go berserk on it. I'm sure you'll love every minute. But I don't think the difference will be worth the dough (for you).
I built my own bike, just the way I wanted. It had a constant chainsuck problems. Who could I blame, but myself? I couldn't exactly return it, either.
Go for a pretty decent frame with workabout components and upgrade the parts as you go along and break them. Many manufacturers use the same basic frame at a variety of component levels.
The cheapest way to shave 5 lbs off a bike is to drop that 5 lbs off your body.
Of this selection, I am kinda leaning towards the rockhoppers, but mostly due to testimonials of friends in the past who have liked theirs. The fit and feel of all of them is good. Should I continue to look for more options, or is my bike on the list? I might need help justifying the $800 bike over the $500 one(same frame on the rockhopper), which would you suggest for once a week on the mountain and about that much on the road?
I jumped over here because of the link on the multi-sport forum.
Those bikes will be great for off-road triathlons and duathlons but will be slow for a road tri. Not a problem, off-road is where it's at. Now about your list.
You haven't listed a bad bike in there. For a starter bike things like disc brakes are okay if you have the funds but aren't a necessity (I raced for 6 years without them and never felt hindered). Besides, brakes just slow you down. The most important thing is to have a frame that you are comfortable with. I test rode bikes in the $3000 price range before buying a $1400 Giant NRS. I bought it because it "felt right". Make sure you are able to test ride the bike first and that the bike shop "fits" you. That bike I rode for 6 years had about the same quality components as the Trek 4500 or Specialized Rockhopper. The bike is still in my arsenal awaiting a change to single speed. My son also rides it.
The local bike shop will also know better than us the conditions in your neck of the woods and be better at getting you set up. Also, as you get into it you will probably want to get a road bike so you might want to save a little money on the mountain bike and plan on a road bike down the road.
Hope that helps some.
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Obviously any tri that I did would be purely recreational, maybe competing against a friend, who would likely have similar equipment. An off road tri would be more desirable than on road anyway, and adventure races are probably more likely for me.
I probably wouldn't venture to getting a road bike, at least until they make it feasable for me to get to work from home. Blacksburg is fairly cycle friendly, but I live in an adjoining town and there is no good way to make the connection. It is either the bypass or a big busy road like Markham by Maccaroni Grill, but partway lined with barriers and no shoulder. One little footbridge and then paving along some railroad tracks would make it real easy to get from one town to the next, and they talk about it once and a while, but it is more likely that I move before it ever comes to be.
Forget the commute for now. Head out into the country for some nice long bike rides with a picnic in the middle. Or find a riding group to go with (safety in numbers)!
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Today's mighty oak was once just some nut who held his ground!
As for the LBS advice, one sells Specialized, the other sells Trek; so I don't expect anything useful on that topic. I think I have bumped off the Trek 4500, I would take the better frame of the 6500 or the rockhopper fo the money. Just not sure how much I want to pay for the components. Obviously they are scaled up with price, not sure what is best for the once a week rider; but I hate under buying and wishing I had better.
Next question - Additional Costs? I need a new everything but bike rack(can get by on the one I have). Helmet, pump, probably won't go clipless for a while. What other expences am I going to have, and how much do I need to save for them?
At this point I think it's about personal preference. None of the bikes you listed will cause you problem--or should need any additional money into them. Some shots of my new Rockhopper (no comp or disc--bottom of the line):
Very similar in set up to my first bike and nice pictures. Of course the bike is a little too clean for my taste. I hope you're enjoying those hills aed. Looks like nice riding!
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Today's mighty oak was once just some nut who held his ground!
Buk, go for the best frame you can get, to echo previous comments here. If your riding once a week, like me, you don't need the most tech crankset and carbon pedals.
Down the road you can always upgrade parts as you feel the need and have the budget.
I've been riding the same Giant 840 for 3 years now with almost no problems. I've done a fair bit of gnarly single track and including some good crashes. No problems with the aluminum frame (and I've weighed more than 200lbs for most of the 3 years) nor stock cranks. I do have Manitou Comp forks on it but that's because the shop mistakenly put $350 forks on a bike I bought for $600
I loved the frame geometry and so far I haven't seen any need to upgrade parts.
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Working "hard," or the perception of working hard, doesn't really mean anything. Sweating, vomiting, and breathing hard could be a good workout or a tropical disease kicking in.-Dan John
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Working "hard," or the perception of working hard, doesn't really mean anything. Sweating, vomiting, and breathing hard could be a good workout or a tropical disease kicking in.-Dan John
A nice dog, a Weber, and a new bike...looks like you've got it made! Great bike. I need a new bike for tris - but I'm looking at a road bike. Anyone have suggestions for a good ride under $600?
In the market for a bike
29" wheels. If you go with 26" you have more options, the bike will steer a little quicker, it will be a little less stable at speed. If you go with a 29" wheel the bike will steer a little slower and is a little more sluggish when accelorating. It will roll (maintain momentum) far better than the 26" bike.
The most important thing is to have a frame that you are comfortable with. I test rode bikes in the $3000 price range before buying a $1400 Giant NRS. I bought it because it "felt right". Make sure you are able to test ride the bike first and that the bike shop "fits" you. That bike I rode for 6 years had about the same quality components as the Trek 4500 or Specialized Rockhopper. The bike is still in my arsenal awaiting a change to single speed. My son also rides it.
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