Mountain Biking - two questions(anyone who looks please help me)

Are there any good mountain bikes for about 700 or 800 dollars? I am looking for something i can hit trails with mess around, try some freeriding and use for transportation(nothin too far just a few miles).

Also I was looking at the specialized fsr comp 2003 and i really like it but its a bit pricy. do you know anywhere to go to save money on that? or maybe reccomend another bike for a deal.

thanks guys

For $700-800, stick with a hardtail. For suspension, the "decent" price point is about $1,000. Less than that and they're heavy and loaded with cheap parts.

If you like Specialized, check out their P.2. Very cool bike, indestructable and built for abuse. Other similar bikes are Haro's Escape 8.2, and dozens of others.

L8R

thanks

what kinda hardatail would you check out? I really like rocky mountain but i have heard they are overpriced(I assume cause they are handmade) What could i get for a really good value in the 7-900 range

I picked up a Jamis Dakar for the Little Mrs last summer at Performance for $649.00 (keep an eye open for the sales ads). Nice little dual squishy. Decently spec'd out too. She absolutely LOVES it. Keep in mind though that she weighs about 112lbs and is certainly not "freeriding".

For moderate XC use it's a fantastic bike...shop around though - the "decent" price point for all bikes (dual squishy and HT) seems to drop every month!

For $800 you can pick up a REALLY well built and spec'd HT bike.

thats about the range i have been looking in as well...

some of the bikes that caught my eye (mind you, i was looking for disc brakes :D )

Specialized Hardrock Pro ($580), also the P.2 as mentioned above
Giant Rainer ($800) <-- nice bike
Gary Fisher Tassajara Disc ($799)
GT Moto ($700)
Haro Extreme 8.2 ($800) <-- nice bike, strange colors

also, check at your Local Bike Shop (LBS if you havent picked that term up yet), they almost always have a couple of last years models left over, and they will usually sell them at a slight discount.

there are a bunch of bikes in that range that dont have disc brakes as well, but like i said, that was one of the things i decided i wanted.

oh, and no, i have not purchased one of these yet... i'm buying a house the end of the month, so money is tight... for now.

Good Luck!!!
~Mike

I'd check out your LBS. I got my Trek 4000 for $100 off. Also, my buddy just got a Kona, originally retailing for $1300 for under $1000. Of course, in both cases they were the previous years models, but you can get a deal.

Also, you should ride it before you buy, because it could look like exactly what you want, but when you get it it doesn't feel right or doesn't fit. Since you can't ride something bought over the internet, at least ride some bikes at the LBS. You can always look for a better price online later.

Draft

The Haro Escape and P.2 are both definately freeriding bikes. If you don't think you're going to do much freeriding, you should probably consider an XC bike. Both of those two weigh a ton for a trail bike.

at my lbs(haha i like that new term) they offered me a brand new 2002 rocky mountain grind for $715. Is that a great deal? The types of riding I will be doing are getting from point a to b trail riding,i wanna try to get into a little free ridiing too. I really like this bike is it right for me?

I bought a Diamondback Apex last month for $625. It's got Shimano LX and XT components, good fork, and I love it.
I don't free ride but they claim it to be for "serious mountain riding." I guess Diamondback is not a household name like Gary Fisher, so you don't pay for the name like you do with other brands.

www.diamondback.com

anyone have any comments on the rocky mountain(what i said above)

oh forget that...i just found out that the grind only has 8 speeds..........I dont think that will be too good when I am on the road.

Originally posted by slickmobster
oh forget that...i just found out that the grind only has 8 speeds..........I dont think that will be too good when I am on the road.

8 spd is claimed better for cleaner shifting on the trails. But yes the grind is only 8 speed which can easily be converted to 9 speed. :)

but if i am taking it on the road also this wont be good right?

i don't see any real disadvantage to 8-speed. heck, my main bike is still 7-speed friction shifting, and it does whatever i need it to do without complaining.

Check out this bike. Europa DS (http://cortinacycles.com/Cortina-2003-01/pages/F_EUROPA_DS_PAGE_1.html)

It is a steel framed dj/ds bike that can be used for just about every thing. I know the frame goes for $200 and then it will leave you $400 to build it up. If done right you could have a sweet rig.

Also, check out the P2 the a2 mantioned or even the Kona Scrap. You can get a fully built Scrap for $700 and it is a very strong frame and comes with good parts. Click here for the specs Scrap (http://www.konaworld.com/kw_index.cfm)


:beer:

My favorite in that price range is the Fuji Tahoe (http://www.fujibikes.com/mountain/bike.asp?category_short_name=mtb&myArray=24,21,22,25,23,26,27,28,29,30,31,33,35,36,37,38,40,41,42,34,32,39&myArrayID=11) it's got a nice mix of Deore and LX components as well as Avid Mechanical disc brakes. We have one at the shop and I have to admit I like it better than the Giant Rainier (http://www.giantbicycles.com/us/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?bikesection=8817&range=122&model=10635) that we also carry. It just feels better to me IMHO.

how many speeds dont matter as much as the cog range on the cassette.

Honestly, I'd rather have 8-speed stuff. The chain was thicker, and had less of a tendancy to break. The cog spacing was wider, and my 8-speed XT shifted smoother than my 9-speed XTR. BTW, I've been a bike mechanic for 18 years, so yes, they adjusted correctly!

L8R

hey thanks for the help everyone. I hope it doesnt seem like I am blowing off everyones comments cause im not but I do still have a few questions about the grind. I think it is a really great bike and I want it. I can get it on sale for 715. The only thing thats holding me back is that its 8 speed. Also I need to know how it will work on the road because i will be using it for traveling. When they say 8 speed does that mean times 3? cause on a bike it has 8 clicks on one side and 3 on the other? is this right? also anyone have an Aim sn?

Originally posted by a2psyklnut
Honestly, I'd rather have 8-speed stuff. The chain was thicker, and had less of a tendancy to break. The cog spacing was wider, and my 8-speed XT shifted smoother than my 9-speed XTR. BTW, I've been a bike mechanic for 18 years, so yes, they adjusted correctly!

L8R

a2, I agree, my 9spd chain wore faster than the 8spd, and it shifts not any better, and Ive gone from a full STXRC to an LX shifter and FD, XT Rear.
its just that much finer a movement of a cable.

I have had a Rocky (Fusion) for over a year and I really love it (well, I love the frame; the AceraX components blow). I've also had friends with Rockys (much better models than mine) and they all love them. Unfortunately I have no experience with the Grind so I'm not much help to you there. However, I do believe that the Easton Frames that RM uses on their hardtail XC bikes is better than the "RM Custom" frames they build the Grind and Flow on.

As far as 8 speed goes, I wouldn't worry about not having enough gears for the road. My 8 speed is more than enough (especially when I get a 44T instead of the 42T chain ring I'm running now). The only thing to worry about is your upgrade plans. If you don't plan on significantly upgrading your components then the 8 speed will do just fine. On the other hand, if you do want to upgrade components then the 8 speed drivetrain creates a bit of a stumbling block for you. Since LX, XT, and XTR are exclusively 9 speed, if you decide down the road you want XT shifters then you have to replace your whole drivetrain to be 9 speed compatible (unless you find some old 8 speed XT stock). That's the dilemna I'm in now. I want to upgrade my AceraX crap but I can't do it piece-by-piece; it's either replace it all (shifters/levers, cranks, chain, cassette) or stick with the stock components.

Here's something else to look at while your shopping http://www.ibexbikes.com/03bikes_index.html
I got their budget Ignition 2 and its very nice for the price.

hey i was looking at my lbs and they had the haro escape 8.1 it seemed like a good deal. what do u guys think? what about the shocks i have heard they suck

by the way the bike cost 619 the fork is a manitou six and it has disc brakes