Mountain Biking - in need of advice

Hey I am new at the sport, but am very interested in it. I am not sure If I want to Downhill race because of my budget (im a teenager still in school so my cash flow is low.. plus I have to pay rent so that doesnt help much either) I would like to Downhill but I fear i might be forced to X-Country which wouldnt be so bad. I need to know if I need a new bike.. I currently have a 2001 Gary Fisher Mamba, Post modern sporty front shock, sucks I need advice on new one, steel headset, Maxxis 2.1 Rims, Hutchinson Python Air Light tires, alloy hubs, SR XR128 crankset, 28,38,48 chainwheel, semi-cartridge bottom bracket, Z51 Chain, Shimano TY32 Front derailer, Shimano Acera SGS rear derailer, 7 Speed 13-28 Rear cogs, Shimano EF28 Shifters, Profile Design reinforced 30mm riser bar, Shimano EF28 brake levers, Alloy linear pull Brakes, and BMX platform pedals. What can I do? Oh yea, and I am REAALY rough on my bikes... I have a large problem with breaking things on it. ive gone through 3sets of rims, a handlebar, crank, and 8 pairs of tubes, 2 pairs of tires, and broke off a pedal. :rolleyes:

First of all, your budget is going to be your limiting factor when it comes to DH, unfortunately, "You have to Pay to Play!" DHers are constantly dropping big $$$ for new gear. If you go XC, yes you will have a big initial outlay, but XC riding isn't as abusive on your gear as DH. Unless of course you're destroying your bike on every ride!

Since you're a teenager with low income, I'd suggest a Freeride bike. Like a Specialized Enduro, Rocky Mountain Slayer, Kona Bear, Giant AC, Gary Fisher Sugar +, Haro Extreme, Santa Cruz Bullet, Intense SLX, ....etc. There are soooo many to choose from. Basically a beefy full-suspension bike that you could still occasionally race XC with, and could handle the punishment of recreational DH. Yeah, you're going to spend upwards of $2,000 for the bike, but it'll last you a long time. Granted there are cheaper bikes, but it sounds like you'll be buying parts a lot and should consider going for strength over weight from the beginning.

BTW, check the "used" market out there. You could probably score a better bike for your hard earned money!

L8R G8R

If you're willing to stick to XC racing you can get a good race-worthy hard-tail for $1000 or so. But for a race-worthy full-susp you're looking at more like $2000 or more and DH would be more like $4000+.

So, you really need to think about your budget, how badly you want to race and what kind of racing you want to do. I would think any decent bike (LX or better components, name-brand fork & wheels) should get you started practicing and let you do okay in beginner races.

Originally posted by a2psyklnut
First of all, your budget is going to be your limiting factor when it comes to DH, unfortunately, "You have to Pay to Play!" DHers are constantly dropping big $$$ for new gear. If you go XC, yes you will have a big initial outlay, but XC riding isn't as abusive on your gear as DH. Unless of course you're destroying your bike on every ride!

Since you're a teenager with low income, I'd suggest a Freeride bike. Like a Specialized Enduro, Rocky Mountain Slayer, Kona Bear, Giant AC, Gary Fisher Sugar +, Haro Extreme, Santa Cruz Bullet, Intense SLX, ....etc. There are soooo many to choose from. Basically a beefy full-suspension bike that you could still occasionally race XC with, and could handle the punishment of recreational DH. Yeah, you're going to spend upwards of $2,000 for the bike, but it'll last you a long time. Granted there are cheaper bikes, but it sounds like you'll be buying parts a lot and should consider going for strength over weight from the beginning.

BTW, check the "used" market out there. You could probably score a better bike for your hard earned money!

L8R G8R


Great advice for Psyk...It seems like an all around bike would suit your needs the best. You can do XC rides on it and still do some DH'ing with it. Looking at the used market is also a great suggestion. You might be able to score an excellent bike for a decent price...

just out of curiosity.. would it be possible to XC at all just kinda to get started and to be sure I really like the sport untill I buy myself a really nice bike? I have a 2001 Gary Fischer Mamba.. specs above in my origional post...

Its not about the bike ;) I have taken family and friends on sub-$200 bikes, they loved every minute of it! They didnt care there bike weighed in at 40lbs, or if there shifting wasnt as smooth as it could be. they were having fun, isnt that what matters?

Just go out and ride, you will love it