swampdog

I am looking at getting a new moutain bike to get in shape and have some fun. I plan on riding short distances on the road. There are lots of good intermediate trails where i live so I would like to take advantage of them. I will ride the occasional downhill and singletrack. I have looked at all kinds of bikes from beging hard tails to full suspension. I would like to not spend more then a $1000 but i am not stock on that figure. At this point I can not justify the money to buy a good full suspension so it seems smarter to buy a better hard tail then a lowerend full suspension. A few bike I have shown intrest in is the specialized rockhopper comp disc 29er, the rockhopper pro and the rokhopper expert disc 29er. I like the specialized because of the xxl frame which feels better sense most bikes top tube seem to short. I am wondering if full supension is a bonus or a necessity? The bike shops in my area sell trek, garyfisher, specialized, and giant. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have looked online at way to much and have my self confused now.

Gyro

My cousin bought a Trek 3700 in March, a bit under $400 if I remember right. He's 6' 2 and at the time weighted 350 lbs. He's got over 300 miles on the bike and has had no problems with it, other than the seat shifting from his weight. He's happy with it and now weights around 305.

donalson

you are prime for a 29er unless you are a huckker type rider

if it fits a redline d440 would fit the bill... but I think even the largest 21" frame they have would be a bit small for you... good stout build and frame and the price is right.

so i'll recommend a XL surly karate monkey ... any decent shop can order a surly frame... spec it right and you could have yourself a sweet ride (although at 1000$ limit you're prob riding it rigid)

of the ones you mention... I can see why the 29er rockhopper would work for you... but if you look at fishers page the 29er 21" has the same long top tube (actualy .5mm longer)... but they are known to have some frame failures... but they also have a VERY good replacment policy.

the BIG thing though (outside of fit) is going to be the fork... the dart on the rockhopper isn't known to be very clyd friendly... i'm running a tora 318 soloair from a '08 fisher coia and it works great even under my +300# girth...

if SS is at all a good inexpensive option could be the redline monocog... the top tube length is right on and the price is nice

gw360

I'd strongly encourage you to look hard at the used market. If you are just getting back/getting into the sport, the bike that suits your needs and preferences for the first 3 - 6 months may not suit you once you adjust and mature as a cyclist.

You can pick up bikes that have 2 - 3 seasons on them for about 50% or so of new. Buy used and you can save yourself hundred$ towards your next bike. It will also afford you the opportunity to select the upgrades you want - such as tires, saddle, racks, etc. - which can quickly eat up a few hundred.

Finally, you'll also need to budget for some clothing and good shoes, which can make all the difference in your comfort and enjoyment level - and that correlates directly with how much time you'll spend on the bike, and how much benefit you'll get from it.

swampdog

The problem I have is there is very little options in the used market that fits me, and at the bike shops they usually care one big bike in a lower model so I am not able try as many bikes as i would like. I just cant spend $1000 dollars with out riding it first. Full suspension necessity or bonus? I just dont want to buy a hard tail and a month later wish i would of bought a full suspension. Thanks for the advice i will have to look more at used and check out the redline and the surly.

Tom Stormcrowe

swampdog, PM me your location. I keep a search spider trolling Craig's list and other used bike sources looking for extra large and heavy duty bikes.