Mountain Biking - Should I get this bike

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clichty
08-16-07, 10:38 PM
I am a road biker and am looking for a way to still be able to ride in the cold Minnesota weather this winter. Therefore I have decided to buy a mountain bike, since I have done a little of it before and like the thrill of trail riding. From the really nice post about buying a Mountain bike in this forum I have narrowed it down to these three hard tail bikes. They are from bikesdirect and I do think they would be best for a college student's budget.

Motobecane 700 HT
(http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/motobecane_700HT.htm)
I like this one because of the XT RD and the Deore components.

Motobecane 600 HT (http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/motobecane_600HT07.htm)

$50 less than the 700 HT, due to the drop in components.

Windsor Cliff 4700 (http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/windsor_cliff4700.htm)

A better FD than the 600 HT

My choice right now is the 700 HT. Should I pull the trigger?

Podolak
08-17-07, 05:57 AM
I am a road biker and am looking for a way to still be able to ride in the cold Minnesota weather this winter. Therefore I have decided to buy a mountain bike, since I have done a little of it before and like the thrill of trail riding. From the really nice post about buying a Mountain bike in this forum I have narrowed it down to these three hard tail bikes. They are from bikesdirect and I do think they would be best for a college student's budget.

Motobecane 700 HT
(http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/motobecane_700HT.htm)
I like this one because of the XT RD and the Deore components.

Motobecane 600 HT (http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/motobecane_600HT07.htm)

$50 less than the 700 HT, due to the drop in components.

Windsor Cliff 4700 (http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/windsor_cliff4700.htm)

A better FD than the 600 HT

My choice right now is the 700 HT. Should I pull the trigger?

I'd stick with the better components for not much more $$.
ong
08-17-07, 04:58 PM
Is there a decent used bike market in your area? At that price point (~$400-450), you might be a little better off with an older hardtail, assuming you can do a little wrenching yourself. Last winter I picked up a cosmetically rough but very sweet 1999 XTR/XT Voodoo Bizango (fully rigid) with nice Mavic wheels for $380 or so....

Weak points with all the bikes bikes are the Dart fork, Tektro brakes, and off-brand wheels. Good V-brakes will probably be less of a pain to keep adjusted than low-end mechanical discs. Drivetrain isn't bad at all (anything Deore or LX or higher will be fine, generally). I don't think they're bad deals at all -- it's just difficult to find a really off-road worthy bike at that price point. You'll probably go through a bit of a cycle of breaking and replacing some of the components, although there's nothing wrong with upgrading as you go. Good luck!