Good Mountain Bike?

[BigL-Horn]

I was riding my bike today at Walnut Creek, when my seat post decided that it had enough. Somehow, I avoided both the back flip and the prostate check and made it out of there unviolated and unscratched. In the process, I also bent my back rim (the bike's, not mine). My current bike is about 5 yrs old and obviously not a very sturdy one. It's fine for the road and hike and bike trails but not the kind of trail I got into today.

Anyway, I'm planning on buying a new one this week because I wanted to ride the Tour de Fat this weekend at Rocky Hill Ranch. Any suggestions as to the type of bike and/or a bike store in Austin? I'm going to check out Buck's Bikes and Cycle 360 tomorrow. I'm hoping to get out for under $500 for a bike that can hold someone who's 6'3" and about 285.

Thanks,
BigL

 

[AkakHorn]

BigL,

I like Cycle 360 myself .... smart guys and pretty good prices. As for a bike, I like Giant a lot .... get a good bike for a good price.

 

[unpaintedhuffhines]

I bought a Specialized Rock Hopper at Bicycle Sport Shop for about $650. For the type of riding you are doing, that bike should do you just fine. Shocks, nice components, good frame. I would recommend spending at about that level. Once you get below the $550-$650 range, the quality starts to really drop.
The Link

 

[hornface]

Konas are supposed to be tough as hell. You pay for it though.

 

[Campus Loop(y)]

Call UTPD re: the bikes left on campus. Each year students leave them behind and abandoned around this time or year. They either forget about them, get cars, don't have room to take them home or just don't give a **** since they have a new one. Whatever the reason is, there are some bad *** bikes to be had. A friend nabbed a Gary Fisher for about $75 at the auction a couple of years ago. He was there early and got a deal. It was totally loaded for speed and light as hell w/ many top of the line components (shocks, light seat, comp. gear gruppo's, etc...).

Give 'em a call and maybe it will be worth your effort. However, the chance does exist that you may have only Huffy's and Wal-Mart specials w/ baskets and squeaky horns to choose from.

 

[Macanudo]

What about Pawn shops? Any good deal there?

 

[hornface]

Pawn shop bikes can be assumed stolen, or might have small un-noticable cracks in the frame, that you won't notice untill crash, or hit something.
This is by far the best deal I have seen in a while:http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?PAGE=PROFRAME&PROD_ID=40507