Mr.Stanley

Hi everyone,

I'm Stanley and I'm just getting into the mountain biking. I started out with a cheap target bike which was on sale for 69.99. and it was a 8 speed bike with two front shock which was just springs. Well the bike fell apart and I am looking for a decent bike. I was looking around wheelworld and found a 06 Kona Kikapu for 599.99 and I was wondering if that was a good bike to start with. Heres the link https://wheelworld.com/itemdetails.cf...andasc&id=3884

Oh yeah I live in South California so I can pick it up there.

edit: Haha I didn't notice I spelled need wrong. OH wells sorry for the mistakes.

-Stanley

CycleAloha

Welcome Stanley, I'm a newbie to MTB too....mostly a roadie!!! Anyway, I know Kona has nice bikes. My LBS is a Kona dealer so they obviously love them. I was just looking around and found some good deals on BikesDirect.

I know I will catch all hell for mentioning BD but b/f blasting, no I'm not a shill, my history should prove that. But for a newbie w/$300-$500 burning a hole in your pocket, pretty decent buys on the Motobecane 400 or 500 when they're available.

Mr.Stanley

Whats wrong about mentioning bikedierct if that what BD stands for? I was planning on upgrading the Kikapu in the further. I want a bike that will last me.I just don't want another bike falling apart on me again. I don't know too much about the Motobecane. But if is a better choice then I would for for it. Since the Kikapu has a full suspension I won't need to upgrade to another bike. I know I don't need a full suspension bike but I just don't want to get another bike later on.

taylor p

i would say that the kikapu is a great deal

timhines

Specialized Hardrocks fit that price range. Specialized stands behind their products as well. Worth looking in to.

Do some searches in the MTN BIKE forum here and you'll find plenty of advice!

jm01

+1...I'd check out Specialized, Marin, some Treks as well

Maybe its just me, but it looks like Kona has started using cheaper build components over the last couple of years. They still have those good frames, but seem to be a couple of grades below their competition at similar price points.

CycleAloha

Stanley, you will learn that alot of times when people mention BD they take a shotgun blast to the face...especially in the Road Forums. I'm a cheap-o though and actually bought my road bike online and get alot of my kit and other stuff from Performance and Nashbar. I live in HI so the LBS is very expensive but I do try to go there as much as possible as they are very helpful and good guys.

I guess since I ride a Specialized HardRock that I bought from my LBS I could have mentioned it too. As it's my first actual MTB I love the ride and for what I ride it's perfect.

Mr.Stanley

Hey thanks for all the info. I'll look into the Specialized Hardrock. I guess I also check out my LBS in Pasadena. They weren't open when I got out of class. Ahh they opened at 10 but they got some Brands I saw throught the window, like giant, Haro, and others.

Mr.Stanley

Oh yeah Um... I'm not sure what size bike I should get too. I'm 5'8 and 125 puonds. Yes, I know I am a small tiny guy. But big things come in big packages. Like they say.

santiago

That doesn't happen at the Mountain Bike forum. Here we don't get that excited if anyone mentions BikesDirect or Motobecane.

To the OP - that Kikapu is a great bike at a great price. Just make sure it fits you well and that you feel good on it. If it feels good, go for it.

cyccommute 

The only real issue I have with BD...or any on-line bicycle retailer...is that it's not a good choice for newbies. And they're the ones who are always asking if buying a bike on-line is a good way to go Mr. Stanley's post further down is a prime example.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Stanley

Oh yeah Um... I'm not sure what size bike I should get too. I'm 5'8 and 125 puonds.

If you aren't sure what size bike you ride or if you are outside the median range in bicycle fit, you probably shouldn't try to save a few pennies by buying on-line. I can look at a chart of geometries and tell what fits me. I can walk into any bike shop in the country, point to a bike and say "that one will fit." and ride off on it but I've been buying bikes for 25 years and I've purchased 26 of them. I know what I can change to get the bike to fit or if it can't be changed to make it fit.

Someone new to the sport doesn't have that depth of experience. They could order the right size bike on the first try but what if it doesn't fit? The buyer ends up paying freight both ways and there goes that savings. Then there are the mechanical issues. Cables stretch, derailers need adjustment, wheels need tweeking, bolts come loose, shocks need adjustment or tuning...there's about a thousand things that can and do go wrong. If you are new to the sport, you don't know how to fix that stuff but if you buy from a local shop, that stuff will get fixed as part of the sale (especially in the first few months). If you buy on-line, you end up having to pay someone to fix it...more money out of your pocket. Or you could try fixing it yourself which can lead to all kinds of ruined equipment before you get the hang of it...trust me, a ruined frame is a great learning tool

And then there's the long term stuff. What happens if you break a frame? (Okay, I don't really see how a 125lb guy is going to break anything but it could happen ) With the on-line merchant, you have to dissassemble the bike, ship it back, have it assessed, get the frame back and reassemble it. At the very least you pay for shipping at most shipping both ways and dissassembly/reassembly. With a brick and mortar store, you take the bike to them, they talk to the manufacture rep and the frame gets fixed (if it's not your fault for dropping it off a cliff ) Same goes for the other parts that might fail under warranty.

And finally, there the other intangibles. The bike shop guys are from your area. They know the trails and the roads. You're new and you don't know where to ride? No problem. They know this great little spot out off 4-bar Road that's a sweet spot for newbies. They might even have a group going out there on Sunday. Can an on-line retailer do that?

santiago

I wrote that we don't get that excited if someone mentions BD here, not that I think they are the solution for a newbie. I think the issue in the roadie forum is that there are many that believe any mention of BD is shilling. That doesn't happen here.

cyccommute 

Sorry. I kinda tacked my thoughts on newbies and on-line bicycle purchases onto your post in answer to CycleAloha's comments on them being good bikes for newbies.

By the way I agree on the Kikapu. It's a pretty good deal for a good bike. You'd be hard pressed to do better.

Mr.Stanley

Thanks a lot for the info cyccommute. Thats one of the reason why I didn't want to order online. I don't know what will fit me, but I am thinking about the kikapu at wheel world. I might stop by there some time this week. Too bad the only color they have is gold for that price. I wanted a bronze colored bike but oh wells.

CycleAloha

All good points by cyccommute and Santiago, online worked for me but not the only answer. You can't beat the one on one that an LBS provides.

Again, unfortunately I'm in HI where the prices for even entry level are a good 10-20% above mainland prices.

Also, for the fitting question as stated above there is no solid formula...again where the LBS comes in real handy.

cyccommute 

Krylon is your friend

Mr.Stanley

Ahh yeah I am excited. I just picked up the Kona Kikapu today from wheel world. I like how the bike feels but it might be kind of big for me. It was the 18 inch and that was the smallest they got. but oh wells I wanted it and gold doesn't look too bad. I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow if any of you guys want to see it.

trekboy

go all out and just buy it bro

Mr.Stanley

Well sorry I took so long to get the pictures but it was cloudy here yesturday and I wanted some good shots. Here are some pictures. not the best but it will do.

vertical800

Hi I'm a newbee. My question is does anybody know anything about the 2007 motobecane fly 9357

vertical800

Hi does anybody have ant input on the motobecane fly 9357

EJ123

What do you mean by too big? Like you're leaning in too far forward? One option you have is changing the stem out. The one now is a cross country style, but if you were to change it to maybe a freeride stem that is much shorter in length it may help keep you more upright.

Mr.Stanley

Well the stand over height seems kind of tall. That is the 18 frame I got but now I've been riding it more and it feels just fine. I guess I had to get use to the it. the stand over height on the bike is like 31 inches and thats my stand over height is 31 inches too.