Originally Posted by
UndefinedBiker
I'm just hoping someone can give me a little direction as to what I need to be looking for or avoid. The bikes I've found I'd like some feedback on, please feel free to pick them apart, information is handy when approaching bike shops.
norco storm 7.3 forma 649$
Felt Nine 80 769.95$
Kona Tika 899.95$
and my friend suggested this, a bit out of my range but is it worth it?
Marin Bobcat Trail 5 1,099.95$
Hey, what's up?
First let me start off by saying that you can't really go wrong with bikes from any of those manufacturers. Norco and Kona make quality bikes, as do Felt and Marin, although I'm not too familiar with either company or their products; I'm more familiar with Norco and Kona.
Second, I think it'd be good to determine which wheel size you want to go with. The Storm and Tika have 650b/27.5" and the Felt has 29" wheels; the Marin is available in both according to their website.
Next, if you're buying the bike from your local bike shop (LBS), then I'd suggest going there and trying each bike out to see how each fits you and how it feels riding them--even if just around the parking lot. How the bike fits and rides should ultimately be your deciding factor. If you're not buying the bike from an LBS, then try to find LBS's that sell those brands and visit them to check out fit and feel before buying the bike from wherever you're going to buy it from.
As for the specific bikes you've mentioned, if you end up choosing the Norco, I'd suggest opting for the 7.1 over the 7.3, mainly due to the brakes spec'd on each. Hydraulic disc brakes are far and above better than mechanical disc brakes. You'll also get a better parts spec. Other than that, minus the Marin, they're all spec'd pretty similarly and are pretty good entry level bikes (the Marin, as the cost suggests is spec'd better than the rest).