Mountain Biking - looking for my first mountain bike

I made sure to look through the stickies before i posted as to make sure i dont get into a subject that gets touched every day, but im looking to get into mountain biking. I'd like to spend under a grand all together. Im looking well rounded bike that i can use to learn on as well as later use on some more dangerous trails. i would also like to be able to ride it to work. I went to REI today and looked at some bikes but i had no idea where to start.

For trial riding I suggest these two: Norco Rival $859 Cdn. | USA$691.00 or Kona Shred CDN $899.00 | USA $649.00. Im not sure how good these two are on road but they would be good bikes to start out with and grow on. Look around at your local bike shops for ideas and see what suits you.

thanks for the help, anymore input would be greatly appreciated

Those bikes look like they might be a bit uncomfy to ride to work...just my 2 cents.

i work 3.2 miles from my house it will be a ten minute ride

Stay with the hardtail design if you are running the bike on street also.
Full suspension bikes, good ones are over your budget, and cheap ones tend to bob a bit and rob some of the pedal stroke power.

A good idea to stay with a major mtb producer such as Specialized, Kona..maybe even Trek.
Perhaps do some reading on component lines, if you are a heavy guy, disc brakes are a good idea...guess they come on most bikes now..really, one on the front is all you need.
You HAVE to ride a few bikes (go to a lbs) find a frame geometry that suits you, and figure the frame size you need.
IMO, mtb's should be a hair small, you want more control over the bike, a longer stem if needed.
http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/ Product opinions.

Rei had this bike..http://www.rei.com/product/47842976.htm?vcat=REI_SSHP_CYCLING_TOC
specs:http://www.rei.com/product/47842976.htm?vcat=REI_SSHP_CYCLING_TOC#specs
O.k..good stuff, but any good company will match probably....Suntour crankset?

The cheaper bike has a better crankset probably.

The cheaper K2 have lesser grade components

http://www.rei.com/product/47842970.htm?vcat=REI_SSHP_CYCLING_TOC next step down....resin pedals? Plastic?
specs:http://www.rei.com/product/47842970.htm?vcat=REI_SSHP_CYCLING_TOC#specs

K2 ZED 4.0- 2005 is probably a good bike, I'd still go look at Specialized or Kona.

Norco, Jamis also make fine bikes that I have ridden.

G-luck>jef.

im an average sized guy. 5'8 173 pounds medium build, ive been doing a lot of weight lifting lately and have been putting on some muscle. ive found my cardio excercise to be lacking and i wanted soemthing fun to do that could keep me outdoors.

I've never owned one, but I'm under the impression that Jamis still represents the best value in lower range bikes. Lots of new riders in clubs I've belonged to had them.

Hello,

For under 1000 dollars, there's some good options. For all around (just everything, not huge drops, not the longest and most epic trails) I'd suggest a rockhopper (nice trail bikes, I hear, I think Raiyn would have more details on it) or the Norco Rival, or if you can get a close out deal, last year's Kona cindercones and blasts would be great! All of these bikes are pretty resilient and really fun to ride.

I own a kona scrap, but those are more for dirt jumping than anything. Not the greatest on trails and stuff, but they are decent.

By the way, don't even try going full suspension at this price. You'll get possible decent parts on a really bad frame at this pricepoint.

Indeed full suspension under 1 grand if full of surprises. Lots of ways they skimp to bring it down to that price. GO to your LBS, try several bikes, get familiar with size etc. write down the model of the bike and report to the forum or look online at http://www.mtbr.com for reviews.

Exactly....TRY out bikes, dont just buy on what other people say. I was going to buy an ASX based on what other people had said, even after riding it. When I went into the shop to buy it, I saw the rootbeer Bullit that had just been a frame when I had been there last. I tried it out, and it fit like a glove....and rode much better than the ASX for me. I also saved $700.

Try bikes around in a few LBS'....and you CAN find a good FS for under a grand. My friend got a FS Jamis with horstlink, hayes 9's, lx parts, and a fox vanilla RL for 1k.

I agree with Jeff Willaims... Treks can get pretty nice around the $800 range. I started on aTrek, it was great for trail riding and really comfortable on the road.

I like trek, they are also an independant company which i support.

yeah, i think i want to go with trek

I would look at the Jamis Exile or Dakota XC. Both are nice steel hardtails that have good component choices. The Dakota is slightly over 1K but if you can get one on sale should be close to that.

I would recomed anything from the Giant Recreational line. These bikes range from around $200-250 (Boulder) to around$800 (Rainier). I own a Giant Iguana ($600) and it rides very well on streets as well as offroad. It even has disc brakes :)

I have a Hardrock Pro that I picked up for around $700 and I ride it everywhere I go as my daily transportation, along with taking it off-road on occasion. I haven't had any problems yet. It has Avid BB7 disc brakes and FR-5 brake leveres. The cranks are Truvativ Blaze, which are actually ISIS instead of square taper. My only complaint about the bike is that it's a bit heavy @ 31 lbs, but it's still a pretty good bike overall. Needless to say, at under a grand you can get a really nice hardtail. Go ride a bunch of different brands and see which one you like best.

I would recomed anything from the Giant Recreational line. These bikes range from around $200-250 (Boulder) to around$800 (Rainier). I own a Giant Iguana ($600) and it rides very well on streets as well as offroad. It even has disc brakes :)

I would agree. The Giant Iguana is a great bike to start mtbing with...at least I started with it. It's held up great on and off road too. Plus it's not too heavy and the fork is ok.

Let me know what you choose.

Lots of people don't like Trek. But in all honesty, they put out some pretty good product. But like all companies, you got to find which bike they build that presents the best/better price-to-performance ratio.
Jamis makes some very good FS bikes in the $1500-$2000 range. But Specialized makes a large, very quality range of hardtail bikes that come in well under $1000. The rockhopper is popular, as is the hardrock. Kona makes good bikes as well. As icing on the cake, they look nice also. But be patient and go into many bike shops. BE SURE to get the skinny on the service plan. Some shops only give 1 month of free service, which is a rip off. Be sure to get at least 1 year of unlimited free service. Some shops will even install new parts for free. You buy the part and they install it. Installation, itself, is what's free. The larger shops will cut you better deals cause they can afford to. Look around a lot and it will pay off in you getting the best bike for your money.

thanks for all the help, im going to be saving for the next few weeks, so it shouldnt be long before i have a nice bike to polish until the trails are clear of snow and the roads arent surrounded by snow banks

Just get some studded tires and hit the trails now

i think i decided on a specialized rock hopper comp

http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=9589&JServSessionIdroot=tr4ow703qr.j27006

any thoughts?

i think i decided on a specialized rock hopper comp

http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=9589&JServSessionIdroot=tr4ow703qr.j27006

any thoughts?
A good solid choice. Not too flashy with good component specs. I'm no fan of Manipoo forks, but some people like them. Beyond that it's a good bike and is something that can grow with you as your skills improve or decide to upgrade things.

i found one on ebay for like 600 dollars, now all i have to do is see what size suits me best and purchase that bad boy

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=27947&item=7131210000&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Just curious, what made you decide to get the rock hopper comp?

i found one on ebay for like 600 dollars, now all i have to do is see what size suits me best and purchase that bad boy

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=27947&item=7131210000&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
They're quoting a disc only Manitou fork, but the bike shown has V brakes. Before you rush to bid, I'd get clarification as to what you're actually getting. It may be a lower spec fork included. Also, you'll want to confirm if the hubs and frame are disc compatible for future upgrades. Just looking out for the noob.

thanks much, i think im probably going to buy from specialized, i decided on this bike because i believe that the manufacturer was suggested to me, and from there i searched the website until i found the most suitible bike

thanks much, i think im probably going to buy from specialized, i decided on this bike because i believe that the manufacturer was suggested to me, and from there i searched the website until i found the most suitible bike

Nice choice...just remember to always test the bike and make sure it's really what you want/need. A website doesn't do justice for any bike.

Nice choice...just remember to always test the bike and make sure it's really what you want/need. A website doesn't do justice for any bike.
Very true

I got lucky and got a used bike from a guy that wanted to go full suspension. Contact your local MTB clubs and see if they have any sort of classifieds. I could never have afforded a Fisher Paragon new at the time, and the previous owner had upgraded some too. Just be careful.

My only regret is that I can only use the bike at my parents place, so I only get to ride about every other weekend. :( Not what I intended when I bought it, but such is life.

Specialized is always a good choice. My first Mntbike was a Specialized hardrock. Its like 15 years old and is still a great bike. But my biggest surprise was the Raleigh M-60. My daughter won it and owed me money so she traded it to me. It wasn't a bike I would ever have considered if I was actually spending money. Since I always planned on spending alot more when I replaced the Specialized. This is like a $500 bike.

But what a surprise. Its been like the perfect bike for me. I've done everything from riding the slickrock in Moab to two trips down the pacific coast. The last one being from Canada to Calif. I ride it to work and off-road all in the same day. And all I have ever done is had it tuned-up and bought tires.

At the least it is just a great all around bike and since it didn't cost an arm and a leg gets you started and lets you get some exsperience before you buy a highend cycle.

It reminds me of my father-in law he did all this research and bought this $1000 bike that he never rides.

Ooo, forgot to mention, consider getting a cheap thrift store bike if you have to leave the bike outside at work all day. That's why I can't use my Paragon more. I had planned to have one nice bike for everything (same as you, short commute), and then found out that I wouldn't have one nice bike for long if I left it on a bike rack at the university :(. At least someone told me before it was stolen. I only have room for one bike at my apartment, so I have to go for visits when I can (roommate claimed she was okay with bikes and dogs until she moved in, and the Paragon would cost too much to replace to risk it).

most importantly, will the bike include a water bottle and holder ?

most importantly, will the bike include a water bottle and holder ?
No but that combo's like $5