fishymamba

Hey guys! Wow almost been a year since I posted on this forum! I used road bike quiet a bit, but I suddenly stopped about 8 months ago. I'm not really sure why, it just didn't interest me anymore for some reason. And after sitting on my butt and getting fat for 8 months, I am going to get a low end MTB and try to get back into shape.

I do not really want to spend that much because I'm not even sure if MTBing is the sport for me because I have only done off road riding once or twice before. Around $500 is the max I want to spend, but the lower the price the better. From what I have been told from an experienced friend of mine, it is better to get a cheap hard dtail first and try out the sport, before I go all out and get a nice bike.

I was trying to find something used online, but I can't seem to find many in my size(I'm 5'2).

So I just wanted to see if you guys had any recommendations for what I should get. I won't be doing any kind of extreme riding because I have no experience so I just need something that is passable.

I found this on bikesdirect: https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...cane/550ht.htm
My friend said that I probably won't be able to find a better deal than this anywhere. Is this true? Are there any other BD bikes that are better for the same price or maybe a bit more?

I would get a brand name bike(Cannondale to match my CAAD 9 ) but they are just too expensive for me.

Any opinions?

Thanks for the help!!

Also, what accessories are recommended for MTBing? I already have a helmet, tools, pumps, water bottles. Anything MTBing specific I should get?

EDIT: Got a bike! update posted below.

ColinL

I actually recognize / remember you from the 41. I still ride my road bike a bit, probably average 75 miles a month, but I've almost entirely converted to MTB.

Are you set on new? You could do much, much better with a used bike for $500 than a BD.

fishymamba

I've been looking around for a used one for the last couple weeks. But I can't find any that are in my size. I think I will need one around 15", most I have seen are 17" and over.

I did find a couple that looked good, but I don't know anything about mountain bikes so I don't know if they are good or not.
I don't know if I can post craigslist links here or not. I can PM them to anyone who is willing to tell me if they are good!

ColinL

Yes you can link to CL or Ebay for questions. No, you can't link to your own stuff for sale on CL or ebay unless you have an upgraded account.

fishymamba

OK! Here are the ones I found. I'm not to sure about the sizing. I think they are all a bit too large.

https://ventura.craigslist.org/bik/4001741051.html
https://ventura.craigslist.org/bik/4015622195.html
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv...020066941.html

Zephyr11

They're all way too big for someone 5'2. I can't imagine you'll want something bigger than 15", and you'd probably be perfectly content on something as small as 13-14", no joke.

ColinL

are there any 26" bikes smaller than 15"? and if not... I guess there are 24" hardtails, but probably not any full suspension...?

fishymamba

The bikesdirect bike I posted in the first post is available in both 13" and 16". I'm guessing that I should get the 13"?
This is from the page:

Right now it looks like I will be getting it because I can't find anything else that cheap.

Zephyr11

Depends on the geometry. Small Jamis Komodo measures 12.5", but rides bigger, maybe comparable to a 15". Not a full-suspension, but it's no 24" either. Some of the women specific bikes come in tiny sizes too.

ColinL

I would be thinking hard about a Giant Talon 5 or Jamis Trail X3 rather than BD.

ColinL

And as long as you can standover one of the 15-16" frame bikes, I would think you could install a 35mm stem and have the right cockpit.

fishymamba

I'm going to go check out my LBS tomorrow. They are a Giant and Cannondale dealer, maybe they will have a super low end bike that I can afford.

trekker pete

Those prices seem a bit steep for used bikes, but, then again, you are in socal where the bike season is all year long. The felt might be a good deal since it is a brand new bike with lbs support.....if it fits.

I looked at a motobecane 29er on BD. I asked a friend about it who said he knew others that bought them. He said that it was a very nice frame for the money, but, the components, particularly the wheels were suspect. This is a major concern for us Clydes, but for you it might not be as big a deal, especially if you aren't going to be doing aggressive riding anyway.

fishymamba

Yeah, used bike prices are not really that good here, especially where I live because MTBing is very popular here.

For the bikes direct the main complaints I have seen are with the fork and wheels. From what I have read the fork is a bit too light which is not really a problem for me because I am not super heavy. And I don't think my weight will be a problem for the wheels either(I've been using a 1,295g wheelset on my CAAD9 for the last 3000 miles with no problems).

The other components seem fine to me.
Crankset is a pretty cheap standard crankset, but nothing horrible.
Tektro Dracko brakes are not the best, but some guy on some other forum put over 10,000 miles on them with no problems.
Shifters and derailleurs are SRAM X4 which are the lowest SRAM shifters available. My friend used the same ones on his cheap Nishiki bike fore a couple of years with no problems.


Compare this bike to the Cannondale Trail 7 which is ~$200 more, but it is available at my LBS
The cannondale has the same quality drivetrain, but one less speed. Same fork as the BD bike as well. Brakes on the cannondale are worse than the ones on the BD bike.

The Cannondale does have better wheels and a better cockpit. The frame is also better, probably quiet a bit lighter than the BD bike.

The other bike available at my LBS is a 2012 Giant Revel 1. It also costs $200 more than the BD bike.
Drivetrain is the same. Brakes and fork are one model below the ones on the BD bike. Cockpit and wheels are better quality compared to the BD bike. Same with the frame.

I think I'll take the today to decide what to get.

ColinL

The 2013 Revel 1 looks like the same thing as the 2014 Talon 5 I linked, except the Talon is a 27.5 bike.

You should be able to get some deals on 2013s..

Canker

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/hay1500xi.htm $450
That is a much better deal if you do want to go BD. Comes with a decent entry level fork, not a suntour. I don't know how great those mechanical brakes are but a set of BB5 or BB7s can be picked up really cheap and are damn good mechanical brakes. I'd take either of those over a set of cheap hydraulic brakes.

Daspydyr 

If you have a few minutes, check out REI.com. They have some deals on clearance and NEW but never sold stock.

https://www.rei.com/product/844741/ca...er-5-bike-2013
29er in a small size, might not work

https://www.rei.com/product/825408/no...rtal-bike-2013

I couldn't tell from the posts if you are male or female. REI has a number of women's bikes in S and XS on clearance.

fishymamba

Just an update guys:

I decided that I would just get the $350 bike. But once I put it in cart and tried to check out a message popped up saying that it was out of stock .

Ended up ordering the Dawes Haymaker 1500 that Canker posted(Thanks!!). It as a $100 more, but it comes with Deore components, which from what I know are better than SRAM X4. It also has WTB wheels compared to the no name ones on the cheaper bike.
The brakes were a downgrade, but hopefully they will be fine with me because I don't weight a ton. If they suck really bad, I'll get a set of BB5s from ebay!

Sucks that my LBS didn't have that much to offer in low end bikes. The only comparable thing they had was a Giant Revel with Alivio components and a really crappy fork for $480. I tried finding an REI close by, but it was a bit too far away.
Oh well, I guess my next MTB will be some sort of Cannondale hopefully

Thanks for the help guys! Time to start reading on how to ride a mountain bike! I should also refill my first aid kit.....

ColinL

That's a good starter bike. You'll have fun. Welcome to the club!

zenout

You will love mountain biking.Get a full suspension and please try to increase your budget.Look at the camber 29er from specialized.I just got one and its the least expensive with all the bells and whistles.You can upgrade the bike as you go along with great ease.Im so confident that you will love it that in the end you will save money buy buying a better bike now.i still rode bike but there is nothing like mountain biking for the thrill of it and the workout is much more intense.in a good way.I just cant see how 500.00 can buy a mountain bike.Finding one in your exact size and the perfect detail you want is a needle in a haystack.Here is a tip.Most bike shops are hooked up with g.e. credit.They offer 18 months no interest at all.Up front you need the 10% down then you also pay the sales tax up front.Make sure you pay it off before the 18 months is over because they will raise your rate to 22%Figure 55.00 a month or so.Go for it,we only live once.By the way,with 500.00 down your payment will be real low.

zenout

if you go Cannondale,stay away from the lefty fork.

Daspydyr 

Congrats Fishy!

fishymamba

Got the bike today!! Thankfully it arrived in almost perfect condition, just one small scrape on the down tube.

So far it looks great to me. I did have trouble with the brakes, the pads kept on rubbing with the disc. I used the cardboard trick to get it a little better, but it still rubs.

Online the specs showed the bike with a Rock Shox Dart 2, but the bike I got has a XC 28. Does anyone know if this is better or worse? The shock does seem a bit too stiff for my weight, especially if I lose any weight in the coming months(which I hope to do! Anyone know if there is any way I can make this shock softer? I saw some spring sets online, but I'm not sure what will fit this.

Another thing that will need replacing is the pedals. i think they will be fine for my first few rides, but they do not seem to have much grip. I'll get some better ones later on, not going to go clipless for MTBing.

Now on to the good things:

The Alivio shifters feel pretty nice, especially for such a budget model! Very sold response for each gear change, and the shifting is really crisp.
The rear derailleur(Shimano SLX) was set up correctly out of the box. The front(Deore) need a bit of adjusting, but it also works fine.

The wheels were true right out of the box, they seem pretty sturdy to me, but the only reference point I have are my Soul 2.0 road bike wheelset. I think they should be fine for my use.

The tires also seem pretty grippy and very soft. I'm not sure what pressure to pump them to, it says 40-60PSI on the sides, but they seem very stiff at 40. My friend said I should keep them around 25PSI, does that sound right?

The other components: seat, handlebars, grips, and cranks look to be of decent quality, nothing special but they should be fine.

The weight of the bike with pedals is 31.6 lbs. Not sure if that is good or not.

One thing that surprised was the look of the bike. I was pretty angry at myself for ordering it in orange, but in person it looks really good! Pretty big change from my black and white CAAD 9!

Overall, I am happy with the bike right now, but I have only ridden it on the street and my backyard. Planning on doing an actual ride tomorrow. There is a small trail and fire road 3.5 miles away from my house, so I might go practice there. Hopefully it won't get too hot!

What kind of clothes do you guys wear for mountain biking? Will a t-shirt and basketball shorts be fine for short rides? I do have some shorts that I use for road biking, should I use those instead?

Well that is all I have for right now! I'll update you guys if I ride tomorrow.

Here is a crappy picture, I'll try to take a better one with my camera in the morning. The color is a bit darker in person:

ColinL

Congrats! You came out good, actually, as the XC28 is a better fork than the Dart 2 / 3. There is a light spring available for it-- probably shipped with medium. https://www.sram.com/rockshox/products/xc-28-tk-mg

I like the standover clearance you've got, but I'm not sure about the bar height. How did it feel for you when sitting and in the attack position?

I see the WTB wheels and tires but can't read the tire model. WTB makes pretty good tires overall, for sure.

Regarding what to wear, yep, you can wear any athletic t-shirt. I wouldn't wear cotton, but any tech fabric is good. I would get a hydration pack instead of using bottles so you have more water and can carry spares and tools without a seatbag bouncing around. Athletic shorts are fine but you might want a liner short with chamois if you sit and pedal a lot. MTB shorts are made of tough material and I wouldn't suggest wearing road lycra because you will shred it even in a minor offroad fall.

DX-MAN

REALLY? Are you basing that on Deore being 9-speed and X.4 being 8-speed? Deceptive. X.4's reliability is every bit as good, where it counts.

I put X.4 on my daughter's new bike, to replace Deore triggers, as I find SRAM's system to be superior to Shimano; she loves the setup. I'm satisfied with its performance, as well -- to the point of considering it for my own retro-conversion. My Kona has been equipped with X.9 9-speed since I built it up, nearly 2 years ago. X.9 is wonderful, but comes in 9- and 10-speed, which I have come to suspect. So, by next spring, I'll be rolling 8-speed again, with X.4 triggers. I've broken ONE 8-speed between 1994 and 2007, and 4 9-speed chains since. I'm done.