Mountain Biking - Which bike should I get?

Out of the Trek 800 2003, Diamondback Outlook 2003 and GT Palomar 2003, which would be the best?

Thanx

Pictures:

GT Palomar: www.bikes.com.au
Diamondback Outlook:
www.fraserscycles.com.au/Mountain_Bikes_Diamondback.htm
Trek 800: www.fraserscycles.com.au/Mountain_Bikes_Trek.htm

How many different answers to this question do you want? This is I believe the 4th time you have asked.:rolleyes:

sorry maelstrom, its just that no one really gives me a straight answer. all i want to know, is which of the 3 is best and why, but no one gives me that, they are always like "well the specs are similar and bla bla". well, all i want is which is best and why, thats all.

Thanx

I highly recommend the Diamondback Response. I bought one at the end of summer and have loved it. It's a solid frame and I have beaten on it fairly well. Since I am new to MTB I still tend to take a crash at least once per ride and have had no trouble with anything breaking. It uses midlevel Shimano components but should be an easy bike to upgrade. It's a good weight and the gearing makes some steep hills doable. I find that this bike is a really good start off bike. I know it's more than the Outlook but I think it's a better choice. I have mine in black and silver and the 22" frame. I hope this helps you a little. I really don't know anything about the other bikes. I'm sure they are all good bikes, so I say get the one that is the most comfortable to ride.

Originally posted by Diamond_Back_03
sorry maelstrom, its just that no one really gives me a straight answer. all i want to know, is which of the 3 is best and why, but no one gives me that, they are always like "well the specs are similar and bla bla". well, all i want is which is best and why, thats all.

Thanx

The problem is this...

all of the bikes are similar. They all perform similar, the specs are similar, they all of have generic or lower parts. I think the Diamondback is the only one the mentions the actual drivetrain quality. That is th answer. At this point pick the one you think looks the coolest and 'YOUR' best value and you will win. Test drive it and figure out which one fits best. Take those three things

1 - value
2 - best fit
3 - cool factor

in whatever order you like and you got the best bike. For me personally of all those bikes I think the GT looks the coolest...

Go with the GT, at least it uses a threadless stem, where the rest use a quil type stem. If not better in function and stiffness, it will at least look like it means business!

i agree the gt looks better, but it has SRAM MRX Grip Shift, and the outlook has Shimano EZ Fire 29, and also, the outlook is alloy 7005, and the gt is some other frame, which is not as strong, and the frame on the outlook is alot thicker, therefore stronger. so i think the only good thing bout the gt is the look, but the outlook is better value, what do u all think?

I think spend that money on a quality used bike and quit lingering on these unsafe pieces of garbage.

Sorry, someone needed to say it.

Unsafe pieces of garbage?! Not everyone can start off with a $1000 bike. I personally like the Diamondback. Again I think the Response is better than the Outlook. The black and silver Response looks mean too, has a thicker, frame, higher components than the Outlook. If those bike he listed are what he can afford than by all means get one of them. Buying a used bike is like buying a used car. You don't really know what kind of condition it's in. He's still buying a the bike from the LBS so he'll get the service he'll need and he's not getting a $150 FS from K-Mart so they are all probably good entry level bikes. Mountain Bike Action recommends the Specialized Rockhopper, Trek hardtail, or Diamondback Response as their choicefor beginner bikes under $400.

Yes, Unsafe pieces of garbage.

If you let the folks at Mt. Bike Fiction Magazine make all the decisions for you, you'd be in pretty bad shape. Let's say the guy buys any one of these bikes, if he's even remotely interested in riding, he'll be upgrading the thing right away because either the components perform like garbage, or the cheesy bits will just snap off. We've all been in the situation before.
The reason i reccomend a used bike, is because alot of riders are good people and want to broaden the sport. Quality bikes can be had for just a few hundred dollars, with LX level components or even better. It;s just a matter of looking. And it would be much cheaper in the long run.
Now, the guy is on this board, and is obviously interested in riding, else he wouldnt be here doing research. This is my opinion and i stand by regardless of what either you or Mt. Bike Action have to say.

Buy a quality machine my man.

but the thing is, some huffys at kmart (thats walmart in australia) use grip shift SRAm MRX, so it couldnt be all that good. alsom what the hell is chro-moly?

Chrome-molybendium (sp) steel usually very strong with a decent lifespan (If you treat it properly)

would alloy be better then this chro moly? and wat is the number after all the alloys, like 6061 or 7005? also, how do u make a bike ride smoother, apart from getting a better suspension. maybe a new chain or something. well, u tell me the answer

thanx

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_tp-z.html#tubing This site has a glossary that should tell you just about everything you should want about frame materials and design function.

I think surlyburly is right. I think you should shop used. And since it seems that you're looking into hardtail bikes you could really find some great deals. I'd go to www.mtbr.com and scroll down and click on classifieds. Then click on hardtail bikes. You'll see a list of several hundred bikes. Just look for deore, lx components with a rockshox or manitou or marzocchi fork (or even ridgid is cool)... anyway look around, post the links here, see what people think...good luck!

I say go with the GT. I agree, because it has the threadless stem on it.

Go for used.

What is a threadless stem??? And wats a quil stem???

Bikes are still made with both kinds of headsets, but threadless is becoming much more common. Basically, the big difference is in the way that the adjustable race is secured. On a threaded model, the race screws onto the steerer, and a washer and a locknut go on after it to secure it. A quill stem is used here. In a threadless system, the adjustable race is slipped over the steerer and is secured by a stem which is itself secured by binder bolts to the steerer tube. A cap is then screwed through the stem onto the star-fangled nut(in the steerer tube) to further secure the setup. I think I got all that right - please correct me if I'm wrong.

I wouldn't worry with the bikes you are looking at. Some people prefer the look of one over the other, and setups using threadless heasets can be a bit lighter if using expensive parts. They are also found on more bikes today than the threaded type. As far as I understand, there is not much functional difference. Again, this is probably not something to be concerned about on the bikes you listed.

And on the bikes you listed......
Personally, I would find a good LBS that sold used or save up some more cash based on the bikes you described. You will notice a world of difference for not much more cash and will be much happier in the long run.

-Moab

One more thing.........

You seem to be "new" to the biking scene and very interested in everything, which is good. Try looking at
www.sheldonbrown.com , www.parktool.com and searching this site for answers to your questions. After posting, I found the same things I said on Sheldon Brown's website and on this website after a brief search.
Good luck!
-Moab

Maybe a bit off-topic, but didn't GT go out of business about a year ago, then go back into business selling to Wal-Mart (kinda like Schwinn)?

Either way it's a shame, that i-drive they cam up with looked like the start of a good idea...

I think GT stayed out of department stores, and the I-drive is being continued on a limited basis. As far as I know, they did go out of business and file for bankruptcy as did Schwinn.

-Moab

They followed in Schwinn's footsteps but there not following in their path. If you have read a MTB Action or MB Magazine from the past few months (Aug-Dec), you will see that Hans Rey has been riding a brand new Ruckus 2.0 with the iDrive.

GT and Schwinn both were bought by the same company. That company decided to move the "competitive" MT bikes to GT and the wal-mart bikes to Schwinn.


I think GT stayed out of department stores, and the I-drive is being continued on a limited basis. As far as I know, they did go out of business and file for bankruptcy as did Schwinn.

The 2003 bikes are being mass-produced. But you are correct. They did go out of business and file for Ch. 11.

Oh yeah.. I forgot. Go with the GT.