Mountain Biking - I'm a noob and I need a bike

Hey everyone,

I've decided to take up biking now that I've moved up to SF. I haven't bought a bike since my 1995 (circa) Jazz Voltage. My uses for the bike will be:
1. City use (Grocery's, etc) all within a couple miles of where I live, probably once or twice a week
2. Road biking during lunch for the workout
3. I'd like to start getting into mountain biking on the weekends.

Since I won't be hitting the roads hardcore, I'm thinking that a mountain bike is best. I'm looking to keep it around $500, but from reading around these boards there are a lot of choices in this range. Bikes that I am currently looking at include Giant Iguana, Specialized Rockhopper, Gary Fisher Marlin, Trek 4500, used 2000 Marin Alpine Trail (is this overkill?). What do you recommend? What should I be looking for? Do I need/want full suspension? At this price point it doesn't seem like disc brakes are that big a deal. Also, how much do bikes change from year to year? i.e. is a 2000 Rockhopper comparable to a 2004? I hesitate going used since these are mostly lower-end bikes I would think that something 3-4 years old would be nearing its end. Thanks for your help.

rockhopper. best bike on the list

i'll sell ya a specialized sworks m2 frame if the bike shop guy says it's still any good. ten years old and i don't know where it's been.

rockhopper. best bike on the list

Ahem. The Giant Iguana's not a bad choice either! Especially if you want a better frame.

Pretty much all of the bikes you named are okay, but the Iguana and Rockhopper are more popular and known to be slight standouts in one way or another...I think the Rockhopper has better componentry (but I'm not sure...you might want to check) and the Iguana has a great frame.

About that 2000 Rockhopper...actually, if it hasn't been really thrashed a $500 bike should last a good 10 years or more. I wouldn't worry about the age if I were you...just make sure the bike's in good condition (everything in working order; no cracks/fractures on the frame, components intact and working; brakes good, etc...). $500 may be not much compared to some other bikes, but it's hardly low-end.

Don't get disc brakes! For $500, you'd be much better off with linear-pull brakes (V-brakes). Plus, they're much lighter, no matter how expensive the disc brakes are. And get a hardtail. Full suspension bikes are much lower in componentry and quality at this price level than hardtails, and for your uses I think a hardtail would be better suited. They're more efficient, way better on the road (although your tires have a lot to do with that, too), and are much better at teaching newer riders how to handle technical stuff on the mountain.

Justmy 2 cents...where's the "cents" symbol on the keyboard, anyway?

*cough* there..uh... isnt one.

Get the mountain bike and get a all terrains tire that will have less drag on the road and still have the nobs for the trail. They have a semi-center tread surrounded by nobbies. I have some on my bike and I think their great.

I'm a y2k Rockhopper Pro rider and I must recommend the bike -- awesome everything. I outfitted it with an Avid Mech and now its downright amazing.



However, you can't go wrong with any of those bikes. Go test them out, and buy based on comfort and fit, you can always upgrade components later.

the Trek 4500 isnt a bad bike. two of my friends have it.
the cassette they got with it i heard sucked, and something got really messed up on it in the first 6 months. The Trek 4500 is a very good bike, but from my experince id say its high maintanence.

If you dont want to have to repair your bike like evry couple months, go with the RockHopper.

All of the bikes you listed are good quality frames for the money, IMHO. When in doubt, just look at 1) the included components, and 2) how the bike fits you. Actually, the fit is most important. Test ride all of them on the street, and off road if possible. Buy the most comfortable bike.

None of those mountain bikes are "high-end" by any means. If you get into serious mountain biking you're gonna want a more expensive mountain bike. However, any of them would be great for your intended purpose.