saturnv7890

Hey i just got into mountain biking, this is my first post here btw, and i just got a new mountain bike.
this is the bike i got, am i allowed to link sites like these? If not i'll remove it...

I kinda wanna upgrade it but i'm not sure. If i do upgrade it, i want disc brakes in the front but i dont have mounts. I guess i need a new fork as well..
how do i know what will be compatible with my bike?

Another question (s)
I wanna learn how to do a wheelie (or manual, whatever it's called) and a bunny hop. I found a site with videos on how to do them but i just can do them at all. Any tips?

thanks in advance!

WannaGetGood

For that, I would jut upgrade the whole bike. That bike screams out Wal-mart.

clifford_bgrddg

wheelies, manuals, bunny hops, etc. all take practice. they can all be explained, but none are easy. manuals and wheelies have taken me so long to learn and to find the balance point, but i can still only do them for maybe 20 feet at best.

btw, a manual is riding on the back wheel while standing up, out of the saddle, without pedaling. a wheelie is riding on the back wheel, seated, usually pedalling

achc

i agree w/ "wannagetgood"...get a bike change...its not worth upgrading that

Jason222

If you choose to upgrade it, the parts you'll get will be worth more than what you paid for the whole bike. I don't mean to be cruel, but that was a terrible choice of a bike. Although, you probably didn't know better, so it wasn't your fault. Return it if you still can. Go get a real bike.

lugged

Wow.

ANY choice of bike is a good choice. Yeah, this bike isn't high end. But it's a bike, and that's all that matters.

Upgrade all you want, then when you really get into it, get a good frame and transfer your upgraded parts over to the new frame.

But don't feel inferior because you bought a bike at Dick's. We all have to start somewhere.

Flak

First off, welcome! Good choice picking mtn biking...loads of fun.

That said, I wouldn't upgrade anything on that bike. Its not a very good and if you stay with the sport, you'll likely outgrow it ability wise very quickly. I suggest you ride it stock to get a feel for the sport. Once you have that down, you'll inevitably want a newer/better bike and i would put the upgrade cash towards that when the time comes.

Alot of people are going to give you shtick for picking that bike, dont let it get you down. X-mart bikes like yours are not well recieved because they are known to be of poor quality and tend to fail. But as lugged says, any bike is better than no bike. Ride the crap out if till it breaks, or your skills outgrow it....by then you'll have a better idea of what exactly you want in a bike and your next purchase will be a good one.

Good luck!

lugged

Ride it like you stole it. And, it's not even grand theft!

Jason222

If he does choose to upgrade, he's going to have to look for special parts, because the majority of parts are NOT compatible with those extremely low end bikes. If you choose to stay with that bike, do not upgrade anything, it's definately not worth it. A cheap fork, maybe a rockshox Judy, will still cost you the same price as the whole bike did. Or more. And I doubt that regular forks will even fit into that headtube, as most X-mart bikes don't use a steer tube, the use those 1 piece garbajo crappers.

Your safety is even compromized on very low end bikes. As most say "Not meant for offroad use" even though they are supposed to be 'mountain bikes'.

wethepeople

To do a manual go out and practice for 6 hours.

repeat every day for 6 months.

Jason222

gmoneyhobbit

its not fault he doesnt have a 400 dollar bruiser

withaph

I'm new to these forums so I'll speak my piece and shut up. I've been a roadie for over 20 years and just got into Mtn Biking last year. I took my own advice which was buy what you can afford, ride it until the bike is holding you back, then upgrade. I've got the Bunny Flop down with the scars to prove it. I've got a Scott Yecora Disc, still waiting for the bike to hold me back.

saturnv7890

thanks you some people for those positive replies...
I did know i wasnt buying the best bike but that was all i could afford.
I'll take your advice flak and save up and when i outride my bike, i'll buy a better one.

for now, its the best i could afford and i've had no problems with it.
I wont upgrade it like you guys said not to and i'll enjoy my new sport.


Thanks guys! (well, the ones that were nice...)


EDIT: Hey it's wethepeople from mrcc! wats up?

Jason222

Great grammar. Makes a lot of sense.

I think he's trying to imply that I started on a 400 dollar bruiser? Well TOUGH, because I didn't. I started on my Trek BRUISER 2, which was 920 with tax.

JagdNeun

Ditto, what Flak said.

Siu Blue Wind

Jason, not everyone is well to do and can afford a bike as nice as yours. I'm sure that you worked hard for your bike and you appreciate it but other people may have worked hard for theirs and I bet they appreciate it as much as you do yours.

Everybody has to start somewhere and I think for him this bike is good enough for him to learn on and find out what he really needs. Maybe mtb is not his thing. Maybe it might be. For a first bike, it sure it better than what I had as a first bike.

Please try not to slam what people have. We know you have a top notch bike and it is nice, I agree. But sometimes people just have to make do with what they have. When you cut down something someone is happy to have, I think the majority of what you are accomplishing is hurting someone's feelings.

It seems that whenever someone here talks about their bike that is lower in cost than yours, you say something not so positive. If you want to slam someone, slam me because I know my bikes are not the greatest.

My friend has a $2500 bike and my nephew has a $7000 bike. But neither one of them cut my bikes down. They were just happy that I was riding and are willing to help me develop my skills. People come on here to learn, not to get slammed.

Please try to be nice, okay?

Thanks.

Pheard

So now were comparing bike prices? Mine was free!@!!!!!

Siu Blue Wind

And NoF3ar is happy and he didn't even have to pay money for it~

---And that, is appreciation!

Chone

Damn right you are.

gmoneyhobbit

lil 222 why dont you go pop off on someone with a better bike than you and not people that have a lesser bike? ... inferiority issues much?

Pheard

Dude, gmoney. Jason is giving the advice that everyone on bf forums gives someone who bought an xmart bike. There is no good reason to waste money upgrading a bike that most likely won't even be comptable with most parts.

gmoneyhobbit

i said that because he was talking down to the owner of that bike... not because he said not to upgrade it.. i wouldnt upgrade it either. just dont blatantly talk down tosomeone who is new to the forums and sport.... so i told him to go to someone with a better bike to talk smack to, see where that goes... Nowhere

skiahh

Saturn, there's some good jewels of wisdom in there and it appears you've picked up on them. Unfortunately in this sport, you'll find those that, generally, without good reason or any foundation will look down on you simply for what you ride. If they deem it to be inferior to what they ride, they will shat upon you and your bike. Mostly to make themselves feel better about their mediocre equipment....

wethepeople

I started on a Mongoose Villain the was $50.

That bike brought me so close to a junior sponsorship.