Mountain Biking - Best FS XC bike for <$1300?

I might finally be getting a job, & the first thing I'm saving up for is a full-suspension bike. I do mostly XC, with not enough of any other kind of riding to consider getting a different kind of bike. My budget is actually much lower than $1300, but I'm looking for a used bike anyway so I figure with enough patience & searching, I'll be able to find a good used bike for my budget. So fire away with opinions!

Note: I know Google is a magical tool. But I'm still fairly new to MTBing & don't know about many brands beyond Specialized, Trek, GF, & Felt. Hence this thread.

Do you have any mtb resort/outfitters close to you? Around here, they blow out thier rental fleet every year for ~half of retail and you can get some killer deals. Usually late August or early September though....... coming up, but at the end of the summer. :(

First off, don't let people here tell you decent FS can't be done at that price point. There.

An example right off the top of my head is the Kona One20. Kona is blowing out '09s still for an MSRP of $1000. Its original list was $1,300. Your Kona dealer should be able to hook you up with the 09 closeout deals.
http://www.konaworld.com/sale.cfm

Giant has their Yukon FX. Its list is still under $1K. Some here may dismiss it but IMO it's a solid value.

If you go used, shop carefully at things like Specialized FSRs - - Enduros, FSR-XCs, etc. Even the older ones are good performers.

Good luck.

^ what, no Yeti endorsement? :P

3 I would suggest all full suspension and especially if looking at used or older model:

Santa Cruz Superlight

Specialized FSR XC Expert

Trek Fuel 7

If looking for a HT:

Specialized Stumpjumer HT

I suggest Specialized and Trek because there are alot of those bikes out there - they are easier to get than say a Superlight. The Trek is actually more "all mountain" while the XC and SUperlight are classic XC bikes. I have already endorsed Specialized as a brand. Can't go wrong with their bikes (and I ride a Santa Cruz and still endorse Spec.!).

I have no idea if this is still available but you should with some ooking find something similar:

http://eddys.com/itemlist.cfm?pageId=616

'09 Specialized FSR XC Comp
Reg: $1,499.99
Closeout: $1,299.99
Product Rating
4.0 stars (8 Reviews)
(Lg at Stow only) Open the door to adventure with Specialized's FSR XC Comp. This rugged off-road rig features 120mm of plush, fully active FSR suspension and a plush, coil sprung 120mm RockShox Tora fork for superb control and traction out on the trail. Its light and agile M4-aluminum frame,… [more]

^ what, no Yeti endorsement?If he said he had a frame-only budget of $1,300 I'd be all over it :D.

Well that's good...don't want you to start slipping!

First off, don't let people here tell you decent FS can't be done at that price point. There.

That's why I mentioned used outfitter bikes. They turn them over every year, so you get a >1year old bike for half or less than half of retail. For example - towards the end of last year I bought a 2009 Marin Mt Vision 5.8 for $1400 from Yuba City Outfitters, and a month or so before that I almost pulled the trigger on a Cannondale Rush for >$900 at Mammoth Mountain when they were closing up for the year last September.

Just do a little research and know what you're looking at. If you want new, that Kona looks like a nice deal.

I would say the one I am building up now but, I just added receipts up!!!!!!!:cry::cry::cry::cry:

What I thought would be a $1200-$1400 build has surpassed that! I must work for the government and feel like spending money without question......:innocent::innocent: I do work for the government so I feel okay again!

^^ Builds just seem to go that way - - not what you thought you had going on paper. Last two DH bikes I've built I swore were going to be at or just a smidge over 40 lbs. by adding all the stray grams on my spreadsheet. Oops. That's where you console yourself that you got it the way you wanted it without compromises.

Thanks everyone! The Kona looks like a great deal, & I think I have a Kona dealer up in Atlanta. It will probably be a few months before I can afford a decent bike so if I can find a MTB outfitter close enough to be worth the trip, I might start looking for a used rental bike. Though I might have to find a more knowledgeable biker to come with me to help check for wear & tear invisible to the untrained eye.

So that leads me to my next question, which I guess is directed towards BurnNotice more than anyone right now as I seem to recall him saying he's from somewhere in the Southeast. Does anyone know of a MTB outfitter/resort in the Southeast US? I'm in central GA about an hour south of Atlanta, so I feel like my options would be pretty limited in that category.

Also, does anyone here own a Giant Yukon FX? I was looking at those & had heard they have solid frames, which is my main concern for a FS bike. I realize the RS Dart fork & entry level rear shock aren't going to be amazing, but I figure I could upgrade those & other components as they break/annoy me to the point where it's worth the money.

Sam-

I know of none that is a true bicycle outfitter as far as high end bikes. However, the shop I deal with called Carolina Fatz rents Santa Cruz bikes out and there are multitudes of mtb trails and such in and around the Asheville area and connecting counties. CF also sells demo Santa Cruz bikes! Me, they are too rich for my blood.

I wish we had a dedicated mtb resort area only. Unfortunately, skiing is the main grub taker in this area! MTB has plenty trails and are well thought of around here but no dedicated resorts for it that is contained to an area with miles of trails for bikes only. But I bet you would like Bent Creek; Tsali; and DuPont State Park for MTB for sure! These are all within an hour of one another.

I wish we had a dedicated mtb resort area only. Unfortunately, skiing is the main grub taker in this area!

I'm not familiar with your area, but here in California many of the major ski resorts are also major mtb parks in the summertime. Gondola/lift served downhills are a real boon to their operations.

Might be worth checking out?

I just bought a new '09 Giant Yukon FX a couple weeks ago for around $700. From what I can tell, it is solid. The only thing I kind of wish it had different was a lockout on the rear suspension, but as you said, it can easily be replaced later on. I have had it on the trails a few times and have not been left wanting anything more. I think I could probably do without the lockout on the rear suspension too if I pumped it up a bit more, but I like feeling of where it is at now. I bought this as an upgrade from an old Trek hard tail with a crappy worn out suspension fork just for reference. From what I can tell though, it is overall a pretty solid bike. I don't know that I would try any downhill stuff that is too crazy with it, but it is not built for that anyway. I have jumped it some though and it has done just fine. If I were you, I would look around for something like I found, a shop that had last year's model leftover and just wanted to move it. I think the only reason they had a medium sized frame though is because it was a tiny shop in a middle of nowhere town were cycling isn't popular. Worth a try though.

Sam-

I know of none that is a true bicycle outfitter as far as high end bikes. However, the shop I deal with called Carolina Fatz rents Santa Cruz bikes out and there are multitudes of mtb trails and such in and around the Asheville area and connecting counties. CF also sells demo Santa Cruz bikes! Me, they are too rich for my blood.

I wish we had a dedicated mtb resort area only. Unfortunately, skiing is the main grub taker in this area! MTB has plenty trails and are well thought of around here but no dedicated resorts for it that is contained to an area with miles of trails for bikes only. But I bet you would like Bent Creek; Tsali; and DuPont State Park for MTB for sure! These are all within an hour of one another.

I might have to give CF a call if/when I get my money together & see what they have. Asheville is only 3 hours from my house & I've been in that area a couple of times for kayaking (oh know, I'm bringing it up AGAIN). Might also have to head to that area for some biking since I'll be able to afford a short road trip every now & again:)


I just bought a new '09 Giant Yukon FX a couple weeks ago for around $700. From what I can tell, it is solid. The only thing I kind of wish it had different was a lockout on the rear suspension, but as you said, it can easily be replaced later on. I have had it on the trails a few times and have not been left wanting anything more. I think I could probably do without the lockout on the rear suspension too if I pumped it up a bit more, but I like feeling of where it is at now. I bought this as an upgrade from an old Trek hard tail with a crappy worn out suspension fork just for reference. From what I can tell though, it is overall a pretty solid bike. I don't know that I would try any downhill stuff that is too crazy with it, but it is not built for that anyway. I have jumped it some though and it has done just fine. If I were you, I would look around for something like I found, a shop that had last year's model leftover and just wanted to move it. I think the only reason they had a medium sized frame though is because it was a tiny shop in a middle of nowhere town were cycling isn't popular. Worth a try though.

I'm looking a lot into the Yukon FX. The budget I set for myself (which could go up or down pending what my hours are like) is $800. I would also like a lockout on the rear for those long climbs, but that's not going to be a deal breaker for me either. And it would also be cool to be able to incorporate a remote lockout on that upgrade if possible. If/when it becomes certain that the job is mine, I'll start heading to LBS's & test ride the Yukon.

Carolina Fatz was the number one Santa Cruz dealer a few years back. I have seen them on the floor and they are impressive pieces! Jason, the owner, sells and rents them and has demo models every year I believe. Great bunch of folks there and they care about bikers. Plus there shop is just down from the BRP and Bent Creek area! Makes for a nice combo.

I can't remember what all brands and models I've seen, but I've seen some shops blowing out demos online. I think one of them was a Sortie 2, and maybe a few others. Might be worth looking around.

On another note, Sam, I get a kick out of imagining you speaking your posts with a Georgian accent. Please say you have an accent.

^^Haha, if you're a native of TX, I doubt you would be able to pick up on my accent. People who are used to southern accents have no idea that I've lived my entire life in GA based on the way I talk. But when I talk to people from anywhere else in the world, they pick up on it immediately. Playing video games online, you'd be amazed at how many times I've been called an "inbred hick".:lol:

Also, assuming the Sortie 2 is a quality bike, that may have been the best suggestion yet! http://taylorsbikeshop.com/product/08-diamondback-sortie-2-41545-1.htm

Well, no personal experience with it. I'd read the reviews on mtbr.com. I seem to remember one or two of the year models of a specific DB having problems with frames cracking, but that might have been the Mission versus the Sortie. Just dig around a bit.

Yeah regardless of what I end up getting, I'll undoubtedly spend hours researching it before making the buy. It's irresponsible not to in this day & age of being able to find out pretty much anything you need to know just by typing it into google.