xenochimera

so i am thinking of joinning my school MTB team, and obviously i will need a bike for that. Since they practice at Paptapsco State Park in Maryland, and all use hardtails, i think that the trail wouldnt be too intense, so i have hardtails in mind. I am 5'10.5-5'11.25 and 154.3 pounds, the bike shop i visited said i should probably ride a 19' bike. So did some research and thinking of getting a Gary Fisher Tassajara, Giant Yukon, or a Specialized Rockehopper, and since the 06 models are coming out/out already, i guess the 05 models would be a bit cheaper. while searching for bikes, i also came across the Motobecane brand, their parts seem pretty solid, and also a lifetime warrenty, however there just isnt enough reviews around that can solidify what the company claims about their bikes. Gimme your suggestions.

Raiyn

Read the FAQ's
Opinions are like bungholes: Everyone's got one and they all stink.

What I'm trying to tell you is that you need to test ride some bikes because what we tell you won't mean squat if the bike doesn't feel right.

One thing I will tell you is that you should avoid Motobecane like the plague as a newbie.

bobflyer

check out www.mtbr.com for some great reviews on 05 products.. and check out the around $500 mtb thread..

MetalHead90

Yea the site posted above is great. But one thing that truly amazes me is that your school has a mtn biking team, I gotta move to your school dude.

ironhorse 76

g'day boys yeah i rekon the yukon aint that bad, but as someone else said just try them out and see how u go...

WISHBONEjg

I agree, you have to test ride some bikes.
When i bought a new bike, i wanted a Full Suspension bike,
i tested a few and new right away FS bikes weren't for.
Hardtails are more for my style of riding.

harris

the tass has pretty good components. the 06 tassajara should be about 700, but it has the best components. it has an air fork, /w compresion and rebound adjustments. my friend just got the matte grey 06 tass, its a pretty sweet ride.


harris

Raiyn

Is it so hard to type an extra two letters? Are you truly that lazy that you can't spell a three letter word correctly?

duckliondog

I say this a lot, and I take my own advice. Buy used! $500 goes a really long way used. I bought a used Stumpjumper for $250, and spent another $250 to give it new components and a superlight fork. It's a great hardtail now! If you're worried about the lack of a warranty, I can offer my own testimony for the durability of the Stumpjumper. I have two other friends that ride them hard and haven't had any problems with the frame.

Raiyn

That advice works great if you know what you're doing. It doesn't work as well for a newbie who won't know the intricate nature of sizing and component selection.