Mountain Biking - My first bike in my 25 yrs of life! =)

So my friends recently bought some MTB's at walmart (schwins). We want to ride with them, recreationally, nothing pro. So my husband bought me my first ever bike this Christmas.

He went to a pro shop and bought me this

http://www3.cannondale.com/bikes/10/cusa/model-0FSW9.html

I read the introduction thread, but honestly I don't understand all the bike jargon. Hardtail? Full suspension? I had to go back to the pro shop and ask them what's the science in using the gears and speed shifters! ( i still don't fully comprehend, so I guess trial and error will come into play lol )

I was wondering, is this a good bike?

If so would it be a good choice to get the men's version of this bike for my husband?

Were not pro's or anything as you have probably guessed by now. Just want to get a good enough bike.

Thanks in advance.

That level of bike is fine for someone just getting into the sport; if you get really serious about the sport you'll probably want to move up the ladder in various ways. It'll take a while to absorb all of it, terminology as well as just learning how and where you can ride your bike. Just remember to keep grinning and welcome to the madness.

Rigid bikes are those with no suspension. Hardtail means the bike has suspension in the front only. Full suspension is front and rear.

Lots of things about bikes at sheldonbrown.com, some technical, some not.

Excellent.

Yes, get one for your honey, too.

Welcome to the dirt. Great bike to get started on. I hope you and your husband really enjoy it.

awesome present!

I rode a much much worse bike my first few times on trails. Have fun and keep riding!

I would have loved to have something like that for my first bike!! I rode an a $180 full suspension Huffy with rear v brake and front disc, it probably weighs around 50lbs!!! I would definitely recommend one for your husband too.

CONGRATS THAT IS A NICE BIKE.... seriously you wont go wrong with a quality bike from a bike shop as opposed to a walmart bike. definitely get him one. if in a year you guys are really usingthem alot i would say take the leap and upgrade. that is a good bike though and will last years and years if taken care of.

Thank you all soo much. After your inputs I did go buy him the men's version.

http://www3.cannondale.com/bikes/10/cusa/model-0FS9.html

I'm make sure to come report back with my first bike ride. Hopefully I can figure out the shifters. Thanks Much.

Just a little tip for you if you can't keep up with Hubby.


Go back to the shop and ask them how to let his tyres down and by how much? And how to adjust his brakes so that they just bind on the rims. Should slow him down enough so you can keep up with him.

Now if it is the other way round and hubbie can't keep up with you--Keep a carefull eye on your tyre pressures and brakes.


But definitely bikes that will not turn you off mountain biking --but start saving. The next bikes you want will cost a lot more.

I would say the important thing is to get familiar with the shifting and riding on paved roads or trails then once your comfortable get online and start looking up some trails. it is a whole new world out there. I am finally rediscovering the trails after about a 10 year hiatus. it is quite amazing as well as a great workout once you start doing the more technical trails with hills and obstacles.

Start with some short rides to get you legs and lungs in proper working order,and work on the shifting. It'll be second nature before you know it.

Your hubby did good. It's so much smarter to go to a bike shop and buy a "real" bike from a reputable manufacturer, than going to a department store and buying a shiny piece of junk. Sure, the Walmart bike is cheaper, and probably has more features, but they're usually all of very low quality. They won't work smoothly, and won't work properly for long. And the bike will usually weigh a lot more, which is significant.

This Cannondale looks really good for a first bike. It should meet all your needs for awhile. If your needs don't expand too much it may meet your needs for a few decades! If you really get into bicycling, however, you'll probably want to add to your stable. Who knows. But for a first bike, I don't see anything wrong with this one.

Buying it at a bike shop is part of the thing your hubby did right. You can go back and talk to knowledgeable people about the bike and cycling in general, and they should be happy to help you since you bought the bike from them in the first place.

Buying the men's version for your guy would make just as much sense, however I'd mention two possible caveats. One - are you the type of couple that would enjoy riding matching bikes, or not? My wife is completely against wearing matching outfits (so, of course, I tease her about it as much as possible, and suggest wearing the same stuff all the time.) I don't know how she'd feel about matching bikes, but I think her initial reaction would not be positive. On the other hand, I've seen couples on matching bikes, and guessed that they thought it was "nice". Two - is your husband going to be content with the same bike, or is he going to want a better bike than you because he's "the man?" (If he feels that way, he should get over it. That might be all the more reason to buy him a matching bike - so he could get over it.) Cheers.

Congrats on the new bikes and happy riding!

Nice bike! Just wait until you feel the difference between that and the Schwinn. And don't worry about not being a pro. Most of us aren't pros, but we still have a heck of a lot of fun out there. Like '66 said, a couple short rides is all it'll take to get used to the shifting. More likely than not, you'll come back from your first ride and be like "Oh, that's how to shift. I wonder what I was so worried about."

And don't be afraid to ask questions. I'm a girl who fell in love with mountain biking a little later in the game too (I think I was 21?) and I've learned a lot from this forum. There's a wealth of knowledge here, and you'll soon figure out how to cut through the crap advice to find it!

But definitely bikes that will not turn you off mountain biking --but start saving. The next bikes you want will cost a lot more.

So true. So true. I just started mountain biking and went with a Cannondale F4 so I could get into the sport inexpensively. I'm a roadie, so I just wanted to see if I'd stick with it before I put more money in. Not unlike my progression on the road...I'm already looking at upgrading!

Congratulations on your first bike and have fun out there! :thumb:

The first smart thing was going to the bike store, not a *mart store. The second was logging on here!

This is a good place to ask various questions that will inevitably appear. Poke around. Ask questions. Poke fun at people.