Mountain Biking - Give It To Me Straight

OK GUYS HERE GOES...

IM a beginner...but its not like i know nothing about bikes...ive been around them my whole life pretty much...my dad now is a triathelete. which he has completed an ironman lol...anywho, ive been recently itching to buy a mountain bike. ive tried bmx but i never got to into it...

i wanna know what the best 500-700 dollar mountain bike is for my situation...i have over 100 acres of hilly woods...i wanna be able to make a up hill down hill track that has some jumps here and there but not too big, just 2 or 3 foot air jumps...im kinda into the downhill too...

ive been researching what to buy but its confusing...between hardtails,FS,trails,full mountain...i dont know whats the best for me...

if anything just tell me what kind of bike i should buy, and if you could give me some brand names that are worth the penny that could help too...ive looked at cannondale,giant,diamondback,ironhorse..etc...just dont know if you guys had a favorite...

thanks for your time i know ill prob get flamed for posting this but i though itd be worth a shot...

thanks steve..

I would go for a Hardrock, pro for that kind of money. It is also good to start off on a hardtail becuase you develop some skills that you do not learn from a FS bike.

I would go for a Hardrock, pro for that kind of money. It is also good to start off on a hardtail becuase you develop some skills that you do not learn from a FS bike.

This sounds like good advice..what year is your supra?:beer:

what year is your supra?

... Never mind, edited this out.

It is also good to start off on a hardtail becuase you develop some skills that you do not learn from a FS bike.

I don't much agree with that statment anymore. If all you're gonna buy is a dually, learn how to ride on a dually. If you're going to be switching back and forth, then that may hold a little weight.

I had to re-learn how to ride my trails when I bought my 5" dually b/c I was too careful in picking lines. I was trying to "over-skill" the trail.

On that note...I agree on the Specialized Hardrock Pro. It's a good, solid bike for your price range that will handle the style of riding you are describing. A pure XC bike would most likely be too fragile for your 2-3 foot jumps and DH stuff that you are wanting to do.

If you wanna go with a dual suspension ride...check out eBay and look up the Jamis Dakar XLT line. (sorry to all BikeForums residents who hear this from me time and time again...I'm a broken record) The Jamis Dakar XLT is a wonderful "bang-for-your-buck" bike. It's super-tough, affordable, and the suspension works very well. You should be able to find one for $700 that's spec'd decently.

thanks a lot guys you gave me some good advice, ill look into the bikes you suggested and ill give it a try...thanks and good luck

buy something in the arena of a freeride hardtail. more so than a more DJ oriented hardtail, if its gonna have some uphill, you'll want a little bit bigger frame so it'll be a little nicer to you on the climbing. butyet since you like DH you'l want it because its a little bit more robust than your average hardtail and for $500-$700 hardtail is most likely the way to go

Your price range is your biggest limiting factor. You can't touch a quality full suspension for that amount. So that leaves you with a hardtail. Then you have to decide if you want an average new bike or possibly you can buy an above average used bike via ebay etc. for that money.

its hard to trust ebay though. in the past ive been ripped off before and lost money...it hasnt been much its just hard to go back and spend a lot of money on something on ebay...who knows i may grow some balls and do it and hope for the best but i doubt it.

its hard to trust ebay though. in the past ive been ripped off before and lost money...it hasnt been much its just hard to go back and spend a lot of money on something on ebay...who knows i may grow some balls and do it and hope for the best but i doubt it.

Yeah I know that feeling about Ebay. Also, try used at www.nsmb.com, or www.pinkbike.com/buysell. You may be able to find a fully or a good hardtail there.

Your price range is your biggest limiting factor. You can't touch a quality full suspension for that amount. So that leaves you with a hardtail. Then you have to decide if you want an average new bike or possibly you can buy an above average used bike via ebay etc. for that money.

Beg to differ...I agree that a new FS bike in that pricerange is spongy poo.

A used one like I earlier suggested would be more than adequate and very nice.

I built my XLT for around $1000. I could go with an LX or X.7 group and nix the Thomson post and Easton bar and stem. Go for Mech Discs instead of Juicy's...that would have put me inside that price range for a brand new bike (that I built myself of course).

A used one or demo would be okay for the OP and cheap enough.


buy something in the arena of a freeride hardtail. more so than a more DJ oriented hardtail, if its gonna have some uphill, you'll want a little bit bigger frame so it'll be a little nicer to you on the climbing. butyet since you like DH you'l want it because its a little bit more robust than your average hardtail and for $500-$700 hardtail is most likely the way to go.

I think a dedicated "Freeride Hardtail" would be a little too much for the OP given his description of his riding. I do 3' jumps and drops on my XC hardtail. More of an "AllMountain" hardtail would fit the bill better. A 35lb freeride hardtail may be overkill whereas a 30lb trail bike could handle his small amt of abuse and still be comfortable enough to do the hills.

Remember, the OP said "i wanna be able to make a up hill down hill track that has some jumps here and there but not too big, just 2 or 3 foot air jumps...im kinda into the downhill too..."

I would go for a Hardrock, pro for that kind of money. It is also good to start off on a hardtail becuase you develop some skills that you do not learn from a FS bike.

The Hardrock also popped out at me right away. It is an XC oriented bike with a dirt jumping strong frame. For what the poster describes, he doesn't need full suspension.

As for what level ... buy the most expensive one you can afford. You'll spend less in the long run if you get good wheels, good cranks, good shifters and good brakes right off the bat.

Go to a few different dealers and try to find last years models. You'll get better deals on these. If not, the HardRock Comp Disc is coming in at $600, it is decently in the fork/brake (BB-5) area. The Pro-Disc is better at $820 coming with a Marzocchi fork and SRAM shifters (SX-5 which is last years X-7 stuff).

its hard to trust ebay though. in the past ive been ripped off before and lost money...it hasnt been much its just hard to go back and spend a lot of money on something on ebay...who knows i may grow some balls and do it and hope for the best but i doubt it.

Like any business transaction, you have to be careful. However, I have over 300 positive transactions on ebay, and got this for $600..
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b358/mystikmax6969/Jekyll/nov0706012.jpg

Like any business transaction, you have to be careful. However, I have over 300 positive transactions on ebay, and got this for $600..
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b358/mystikmax6969/Jekyll/nov0706012.jpg

You do like to post pictures of that bike. I quoted you so you can see it one more time.:D

You do like to post pictures of that bike. I quoted you so you can see it one more time.:D
LOL thanks:D , I knew Id get another reaction, but hey, if it helps the OP in getting a good deal, then I did my job;)

Hey. First thing you need to do is have some confidence! You seem to be doubting yourself and afraid people will bash you.. we in the biking community do not bash beginners and we encourage them. Only idiots will bash people for their riding ability or style.

I've walked down your line too, not knowing what to buy. I did end up with a 2004 hardrock comp. I feel this was a pretty good decision as you can always upgrade your parts.. after 2 years of owning the hardrock i've gotten through alot of upgrades, now it's rocksolid and can handle some hard riding. I feel confident on this bike and I know it is strong... so I guess that would be my advice to you. Get the hardrock and as you progress, you can always upgrade the parts. I'm still yet to upgrade my fork, cranks, and frame but that's basically all that's still stock on this bike.

thanks guys once again, im going out after the holidays to the bike shop to see if i can find one of these. ill let you guys know what happens and thanks for the advice.!