the1amradio

My dad is 60 and wants a bike to ride down fire roads, nothing really rough, just KIND of off road. He's just looking to taste-test mountain biking with a cheaper bike first so he's been looking at some used ones. Right now he's looking at:
2002 Trek 4500 - $125
2001 Iron Horse Desperado - $50
1999 Specialized Rockhopper - $50
I could be wrong on the Rockhopper's year.

Any idea what he should buy out of these three? They're all local and in decent condition as well as in his size. Also, chances are he will upgrade toward the end of summer, so it would probably become a light-duty singlespeed for myself.

251

I'd suggest looking at his riding position on these bikes. I'm not familiar with the geometries of those frames/bikes, but he may not want a classic long and low XC fit. This can be hard on the lower back and a little awkward for someone not used to it. I wouldn't go hybrid/cruiser sit up and beg crazy, but you may want to avoid having the bars below the saddle height. Make sure the suspension fork is functional; fire roads can be rough and may fatigue his hands/wrists pretty quickly. A functional suspension fork should minimize discomfort. Frame material and component level are irrelevant for his purposes.

the1amradio

he felt comfortable riding all three and none were too low. He's 5'10 and I think most of the bikes were like 17ish i think. none of them had him too leaned forward when the seat was at a height tall enough for him get proper leg extension.