Good Mountain Bikes?

[Mr. Football]

What are some good brands of Mountain Bikes? I'm not looking for anything too expensive, I just need something good for occasional rides around the hike & bike trails in the neighborhood for me and the wife.

Thanks.

 

[chuychanga]

There are lots of good brands and for casual cruising none are going to be heads and shoulders above the rest.

Trek is proably the most popular and is certainly a reputable line, but don't be afraid of something else. Trek is mainly popular because they sponsor Lance.

My advice is to buy it from a real bike store like Bicycle Sports Shop, Freewheeling, even Buck's Bikes or REI. Definitely avoid stores that don't have their own bike experts like Walmart, Target, Academy. Most bike shops have good service after the sale and will adjust the gears, tweak the brakes, or true the wheels for free if you bought it there. That'll be worth the extra cost of the bike, because nothing sucks more than riding around on a poorly tuned bike with rattling derailluers and jerky shifting.

A $300 bike is very noticably better than an $100 bike. Above $300, you'd only notice the differences if you were a dedicated cyclist.

Lastly, don't worry about the hard seats. Ride it for a couple of weeks and your *** bones will get used to it. It's not nearly as bad as most non-cyclists think it is.

 

[Mr. Football]

Would you recommend the Haro bikes they sell at Sun & Ski sports?

I was in Target the other day and I noticed they sold Mongoose and Diamond Back bikes. I remember the days when those were pretty decent. Do they suck now? I also saw Schwinn bikes there.

 

[suttree]

Get street tires unless you are really going to hit trails. Makes your ride much smoother and easier.

 

[chuychanga]

It's not so much the brand of the bike as it is the brand of components. Shimano is what you want when it comes to derailleurs, chains, brakes, etc... If Diamondback and Haro make bikes with Shimano components (I bet they do) then it'll be just fine.

Shimano has a hierarchy of component lines, starting with Sora, Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, and Dura Ace. Look for the name on the front and rear deraillers. As you go up the line the shifting gets smoother, the components get lighter, and the price goes up. Sora equipped bikes are high quality, but still inexpensive. Dura Ace is what Lance and most of the other pros ride.

Some bikes will mix up the components with Sora on the front derailleur and 105 on the back or whatever. That's fine, too. But even a bike with all Sora is good quality.

My last piece of advice is to avoid rear suspension unless you are really riding on rough trails. That stuff probably adds 5 pounds to the bike. If you don't think 5 lbs is significant, duct tape a 5 lb barbell to your frame next time you pedal up a hill. It's a big difference. It also robs you of power, because part of every stroke on the pedals transfers to the shocks, bouncing the bike up and down instead of simply propelling it forward. It's overkill for a hike and bike trail and totally worthless on the street.

 

[chuychanga]

Oops, I just realized that the Shimano groups I named are all for road bikes. The Shimano mountain bike components have different names, but the system is still the same.

I would think that Sun and Ski Sports would be a good place to buy a bike and they'd have plenty of folks who know their way around a bike.

Also, like someone said above, get some slick tires if you're are riding mostly on the street or smooth trails. It makes a big difference too.

 

[TxStHorn]

Here ya' go:

The Link

 

[happy fun ball]

I'm staying on the road until Campy gets back with the MTB.

ShimaNO, dammit.

 

[txzen]

Wow. Teach a guy a few things about bikes, he buys a Bianchi with Campy becomes and elletist prick within a few weeks. Amazing!

Anyway, look at Trek and Specialized, although Jamis and Marin can make decent bikes for little $$. Stay away from double suspension unless you pay good money.

 

[horn4life]

Hell I bought a giant a couple years ago with front lights, computer, , rear lighting, underseat carry bag for $140 from a Pawn Shop. Hell the bike probably only cost me about $80 when I consider I was definitely going to buy all of the above.

I do definitely suggest going to a top flight bike store and have them fit you so you know what feels right and what size is close. However from your description of your needs check out some pawn shops.

I also happened to notice that the inventory outside at the one on 183 near my house has grown substantially as Christmas drew near.

LOW BALL THEM if you find one you want to buy, pawn shops are nearly ALWAYS negotiable ESPECIALLY if they have had an item in inventory longer.