dminor 

No. As long as the rear shock is still in good condition (no leaks, holds air pressure if it's an air shock, etc.) and the pivot bearings are all sound. I owned an '05 Yeti AS-X and if I were in the market for one again for any reason, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a well-taken-care-of one.

dudermont

Hello,

Just looking for a few opinions on the 2 bikes I have narrowed my search to.
About me. I haven't biked since I was a teenager and want to get back into it. I plan on taking it on trails mostly. Start with the easier stuff and then push my limits more when I remember what I'm doing.

So the bikes, Felt Nine-80 or Norco Charger 9.1

Thanks for the help.

Silicon

I still am hesitating between 2 bikes.

Can anyone tell me which one you advice me to go for ?
There is about $100 difference. The most expensive one is a GT which I assume is a good brand.
I have read reviews of those 2 and they seem pretty good, that's why I would like to get your professional and experienced advices about it.

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...500_x_sale.htm
Windsor Cliff 4500 - $350

https://www.bikeshopliquidators.com/p...013-black.aspx
GT Aggressor 1.0 - $430

dminor 

Norco.

GT.

stumpbumper

Howdy cyclists,

I have not been riding in 10-12 years and never knew much about mountain bikes, but after having some real big fun with some friends on the trails over the weekend im looking for a new bike to get in on this sport.

I have been at my LBS the last few days trying to see what I like and what fits my needs, my style of riding will be some pavement to the trails and back, but mostly easy trails to medium rocky trails with some decent sized roots thrown in the mix, up hill and down hill.

Out of all the bikes ive ridden in my price range, im liking the giant revel 1 (large frame) the most, can anyone shed some light on this bike? im looking for quality for my money but i dont want to drop 1k on a beginners bike and end up not riding it and it just sitting, the one i have ridden shifts great, i like the gears, it pulls hills well and rides really well. how are these bikes? what are some pro`s and con`s of the giant revel one compared to other bikes in its class, and would it make a good starter bike for moderate trail use?

im thinking i may go buy this bike, unless there is something better in the same price range. thanks in advance for helping out, and im sorry to ask such a newbie question, but any guidance would greatly help.

dminor 

Revel 1 is a solid choice.

stumpbumper

thanks for the reply buddy.

I have a heavy motocross background and im comfy on two wheels, the revel 1 seems like it may be too light to hit any larger jumps on, do they have strong frames? i dont want to do any thing big, but getting some air and wheelies make me smile lol

dminor 

Little bit of air never hurts the trail hardtail as long as you don't get silly about it. Rims and spokes usually tell you it's time to dial it back before you need to worry about the frame .





My roots are moto too - - though possibly a bit before your time (the scrawny kid in the full-face Bell Star).

stumpbumper

thanks for your help man, and even more for sharing that pic, that is awesome. i went to the bike shop and rode a few more bikes, haro, another giant and ended up bringing the revel 1 home. i feel like i made a solid choice. thanks again dminor

SouthernShred

Hey everyone...

I've been riding my entry-level road bike I bought based on recommendations about 5 years ago on the boards here, a Specialized Sequoia.

I've went through some serious injuries but I'm well now and trying to get back into shape. Unfortunately, I'm pretty scared to ride on the roads in my new locale but I've been dying to get into MTB. My roots are BMX in the 80's and 90's.

I have a buddy who is a very experienced MTB'er and based on the rides in my area, he recommended I get a hardtail 29'er with full SLX, 80 or 100mm travel. Whether that is what I need or not is outside of my expertise.

In short, I've never done any MTB'ing other than taking another friend's Specialized S-Works full suspension out for a few runs. I have no brand preferences, I just want a good bike that isn't so complicated I can't learn on it and that will not make me want to upgrade it after 6 months and I have more riding skills. I don't really have a budget either...ideally $1500-$2000 max but it's not a hard limit. Hell, cheaper or used is always good too.

I'm 6'4" and 255lbs if that makes a difference. I live in Gwinnett County in the Atlanta suburbs in terms of locale.

Shannon

Silicon

Alright.

Asherlc

I have a friend who has a mid/late 2000's Marin Eldridge Grade he's offering to sell me for around $500. I've done a lot of road cycling, but not much mtb, and don't really know how to asses the value of an mtb. Is that a good deal in general, and more specifically, an inexpensive but not crappy beginner mtb for someone who (hopefully) will use it regularly?

bob13bob

Limitation will always be skill. You're a big dude, so go 29er. I'm go with airborne sabre or guardian depending on what you want to spend. you won't get better bike for the dollar new at any of the other brands except maybe bikesdirect.

bob13bob

way overpriced. politely refuse and just buy your own used bike yourself. this post will give you some guidance
https://forums.mtbr.com/beginners-cor...l#post10491459

SouthernShred

Well, I went nuts and bought a '12 Trek X-Caliber...got a great price, great fit and a few upgrades. Haven't killed myself on the trail yet but not for lack of trying...finally found the beginner trails.

Silicon

Great, I wanted to bike the GT Aggressor 2013, I ordered it from the last website that seems to have it, and then they told me it is out of stock for the year.
We are in the middle of the year 2013 and the GT 2013 are out of stock ?
They make very low stock to make sure they won't make too much profit by selling to many bikes ?

I am talking about GT but it is the same for many other brands, why all 2013 bikes are out of stock indefinitely in the middle of 2013 ?

Does anybody knows about the 2014 release (in particular for GT) ?

Johnny199r

Hi, first post, I just moved to Edmonton and really want to get into mountain biking while camping in the rockies. I'd like to spend more along the line of $600-800 for a good mountain bike. I'm a pretty big novice. Can anyone give me some tips of what to look for? I realize at my price range I won't get getting a top of the line bike.

Thanks, Jon

Asherlc

May speak to my lack of familiarity with MTB component ranges, but it seems like it`s on par with the $500 ebay stuff, if not more so. SLX/XT components, and Shimano crank (vs Truvativ or what have you). What else should I be looking for that this one is lacking?

Just to be clear, I believe it`s this model: https://www.bikeradar.com/gear/catego...grade-09-34085

missoulaz28

I am just getting back into riding after a 12 year hiatus and need to upgrade badly. Most of my riding is road/paved trails with ~15% dirt roads(forrest service/logging). I would like to get into doing some single track riding. I have been looking locally and have a couple options.

Marin Pioneer trail disc for $529https://www.marinbikes.com/2013/bike_...eer_Trail_Disc

Raleigh Talus 4.0 for $499 (comes with free tune-ups for life)https://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/moun.../talus-4-0-13/

Novara Torero 29er from REI $518.93 https://www.rei.com/product/825410/no...29er-bike-2013

I have also Been looking at a couple 29ers that look interesteng. I am assuming that I will get a better bike with the two above for what I want to do for riding.
Dawes haymaker 2900 $399.95 https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ymaker2900.htm
Mongoose xr-pro https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mongoose-X...-Bike/16913467 I get 10% off at WalMart, so the price would be $341.1.

I am a heavier guy at 5'10 225lbs if that makes a difference on what bike to look at.

Any other bikes in the $500 and under price range I should be looking at?

ColinL

This is the normal release schedule for bikes. In the summer, inventory of 2013 models dries up and new bikes are released starting in August and September. Less popular models usually get released last, around December or even January, but they tend to have previous year inventory still available at least some of that time.

Go to a bike shop and do some talking and take some test rides. $600-800 is enough to get started and if you get more serious about MTBing you can get a more advanced bike, or possibly upgrade some parts on your starter bike. (Like the fork.)

krazymatt

Hello, I have recently become interested in mountain biking as I have recently began exploring all the great trails my area has to offer while hiking. I'm thinking I will be getting my wife and I some nice hard tail mountain bikes. Neither one of us has ridden since we were kids about 30 years ago lol. I know I want a hard tail trail bike with disc brakes as a starting point. I am thinking I am going to buy used. Is there anything to look for as far as disrepair on a bike? Any particular brands to either stay away from or look into? Also I always notice my friends always take their bikes in for tune ups. Now me being a total DIY guy and I have experience with some of the expert level of repairs on automobiles, is there any chance I can catch on to maintain and repair my own bike? Thanks for any advice!

echarlie

Considering purchasing a 2004 Gary Fisher Tarpon Silver Series. Was never ridden off road. Has had Specialized / Alex wheels added and Shimano BR-M415 disc brakes. The rear caliper needs to be replaced.

Is it worth $250? $200? None of the above? Lol

dminor 

No. Tarpon was an under-$300 bike to begin with. $75 is more realistic.

thesn00ze

Hi,

first, thanks for this thread and all people giving advices and helping newbies out.
Here's my question, I would like to start, actually already did but my P.3(05) is not suitable, with some light FR, something in a spirit of Specialized Enduro Series (no huge drops) but I would also like to use that bike on roads when I travel to rides (I'm aware there will always be penalization for FS on roads). I'm 170cm, 70kg (5.6/154 lbs) and my budget is max $1,500 - $2,000, though prices are quite different where I live. So far I was looking at
https://www.lapierre-bikes.co.uk/mtb/.../x-control-110 ($1,500)($1,350 without wheels)
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/bik...ber/cambercomp ($1,500)
https://www.lapierre-bikes.co.uk/mtb/...low/x-flow-312 ($2,000 - without wheels, with them it's $2,300)(some people told me that x-flow is way too much overpriced)

or you can suggest frame + comps (without wheels, I would use my old ones), I'm used to build my own bikes.
So far my favorite is X-Control

All advices are appreciated.

ColinL

There is a huge difference in fork and drivetrain quality between the X-Flow and the other two bikes. That is evident. As to whether it's worth that price difference, that largely depends on if you can afford or rationalize it.

Of the cheaper bikes, the Camber Comp has a better fork and I would buy it over the X-Control for that reason.