Mountain Biking - Bad decision? you be the judge:

I bought my Trek 820 back when I did not know much about cycling or if I would even like it. Now, I know that I love it, and I am wondering If I really shot myself in the foot with this bike. It works fine on the trails, and it rides very well and is bullet proof. It obviously has all the fun of cheap components(Altus rear, SIS Front, RST shock, SR Suntour crankset, Promax V brakes). I personally think that it rides more than well enough for the trails, I just worry about people not taking me seriously and what not. At a New Years day group ride, I smoked a lot of the guys on uphills, guys riding high end bikes and the like, and was the first to summit a 6 story parking garage, but It looked like no-one took me seriously. Maybe I'm just being vane, but who knows. Any thoughts?

heres my thought:

shut up and ride what you got

if you're 'smoking' so many people then whats the problem?

who cares. Go ahead and continue to smoke the guys on $2,000+ bikes. On a local trail there are always guys riding high-end mointain bikes. Intense spider's, Cannondale Jekyll/Scalpels, Rocky Mountain Elements, you name it and I bet that someone on my local trail is riding it.

I ride a 1998 C'dale super v 500 with old parts. Crappy half broken rear derailleur(still shifts half the time!!), no-name brakes, bottom of the line headshock. I can beat about 80% of the guys riding high-end bikes.

bottom line is, it doesn't matter what you ride as long as you ride .

Do you care what theh think? I do understand though.

I kind of have the opposite problem. My bike is fairly high end and I suck :)

Do you care what theh think? I do understand though.

I kind of have the opposite problem. My bike is fairly high end and I suck :)

Then you should give it to trekkie820 :D

help boost his morale :p

Nah...he doesn't need a good bike. :)...I am old and need the suspension when I do drops and stuff :)...

Thanks guys

You definately made the right decision. If people don't take you "seriously" because of your bike then unfortunately its their loss. And unfortunately there are people out there like that. You were experimenting at the time you bought the bike so think about this... what if mtn. biking wasn't for you? Then you would have wasted quite a bit of money. Now you can upgrade your bike if you feel a need to. and you didn't spend a ton of money on something you weren't sure about.

Nah...he doesn't need a good bike. :)...I am old and need the suspension when I do drops and stuff :)...

Maelstrom's problem is that he's just too damn tall; loves those really long seatposts on his big hit bike :p :D and he need's the big link. I've been after him for quite some time to knuckle down and buy it.

To answer your question. I think you did that yourself. Ride what you have and never let someone knock your equipment.

There is nothing better than smoking a guy on a bike that cost twice as much as yours. Trust me they are shaking their heads and wondering why they suck so bad.....
Go get em !

There is nothing better than smoking a guy on a bike that cost twice as much as yours. Trust me they are shaking their heads and wondering why they suck so bad.....
Go get em !

Just make sure they know you're racing them, or they'll just be wondering why the panting guy went screaming past them as they were out for a nice quiet ride.

Just make sure they know you're racing them, or they'll just be wondering why the panting guy went screaming past them as they were out for a nice quiet ride.

You know, it could also be true that those guys on high end bikes just got into riding and that nice guy at bike shop was sooo convincing they ended up with $2000, XTR loaded, triple butted, full suspension monsters :D

I myself did almost the same thing trekkie820 did, bought my trek 830 (sic!) when I didnt know a thing about mountain biking, and I'm still using it, thou I'd rather have something else now (donations welcome :D ).

I just worry about people not taking me seriously and what not. At a New Years day group ride, I smoked a lot of the guys on uphills, guys riding high end bikes and the like, and was the first to summit a 6 story parking garage, but It looked like no-one took me seriously. Maybe I'm just being vane, but who knows. Any thoughts?

And this is a disadvantage how? Let them underestimate you. That's how some races are won. ;)

Just make sure they know you're racing them, or they'll just be wondering why the panting guy went screaming past them as they were out for a nice quiet ride.

I was just gonna say. Unless its a downhill section I ride slow. I don't care about beating people uphill...

Maelstrom's problem is that he's just too damn tall; loves those really long seatposts on his big hit bike :p :D and he need's the big link. I've been after him for quite some time to knuckle down and buy it.

To answer your question. I think you did that yourself. Ride what you have and never let someone knock your equipment.

Not gonna let it go eh?...so when you coming up here to ride. I always need to meet more people to beat me down the mountain :)...

Who cares

Who cares

Obviously he does.