Mountain Biking - Need help with buying a mountain bike (Diamondback Response OR Trek 820)

Hi I am new to the Oregon area and I was looking for a reasonable mountain bike that was also suitable for some basic commuting. My budget is around $300 and I like both the DiamondBack response and the Trek 820. Both are around $330 bucks. Can you tell me which one is a better bike? I am an entry level mountain biker.

thanks

my buddy with whom i ride with rides a trek 820. he's a big guy 6'4", 180 lbs. we ride mostly XC. He also uses it to commute to work + school. he has had it for a couple of years now, and it seems to do the job nicely.

lightweight. has the option of putting caliper brakes on it for road tires (if you ever want to convert). he swaps out his fat tires with skinnies when he comes on longer road trips with me.

fork isn't the greatest; not at all. his is totally shot now (after 3 years). the pedals aren't great; they broke quickly. the seat isn't fantastic either. otherwise, his bike has been rolling for some time now!

Bikes in the same price range are pretty equivalent (bikesdirect.com aside), especially the frames at that pricepoint. Get whichever has the better components and fits you better (MTB geometries are relatively all over the place compared to road bikes).

Edit: a major difference in these bikes is aluminum (DB) vs steel (Trek) frames. Also, the DB has better specs: 100mm fork vs 63mm, 8-speed vs 7-speed rear, cassette vs freewheel. I'd get the Diamondback. You'd be paying a premium on the Trek name, but get a worse package.

The other bike may be better; i didn't mean to steer you in any particular direction. just speaking from my friend's experience, the 820 is an alright bike.

Diamondback. Better components and frame.

Hi I am new to the Oregon area and I was looking for a reasonable mountain bike that was also suitable for some basic commuting. My budget is around $300 and I like both the DiamondBack response and the Trek 820. Both are around $330 bucks. Can you tell me which one is a better bike? I am an entry level mountain biker.

thanks

What are you going to use it for, mostly mountain riding? get the D-back, or mostly commuting, get the Trek 820.
We have a Trek 820. It's a great all-around bike, but a little out-dated as a pure mountain bike.
The two bikes you've chosen are different enough that you should decide the main function it will perform and buy the bike that fits that function.

i am planning to mountain bike once or twice a month, but it may increase in future. I will communte 2 miles per day on an average. I guess from all the postings, it seems like diamond back is the winner.

lightweight. has the option of putting caliper brakes on it for road tires (if you ever want to convert). he swaps out his fat tires with skinnies when he comes on longer road trips with me.



There is no reason to replace V-Brakes with calipers on an MTB frame.

There is no reason to replace V-Brakes with calipers on an MTB frame.


Uh, there sure as hell is.

There is no reason to replace V-Brakes with calipers on an MTB frame.

the v-brakes don't work with a 700c or 27" rim. if you were to swap out the wheels (like my friend did), you'd need a different braking system.