I've been road cycling for about 5 years now, and I knew that sooner or later it would happen.

Yes, the dreaded disease of N+1.

Not just that.....but a [gulp] mountain bike.

And are you ready for this? It has disc brakes. Not just disc brakes, but mechanical disc brakes..... [I feel so ashamed]

So, it's like this: I've been wanting something with wider tires so that I can ride off road on my own property [rolling pasture and woods], 'cause it's so darn hard to find the time for decent road rides. Impossible to find anything worthwhile on Craigslist here, despite having kept my eye on the list for over a year.

I had even toyed with the idea of getting a Walmart BSO [shudder]; couldn't find any cheap non-suspension MTBs on Bikesdirect, but last night I got the bright idea to take a look at Bikeisland.com [the scratch & dent outlet for Bikesdirect], and ended up finding this baby, and the price was right!

BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping

Did I mention that I didn't want to spend a lot?

So, for $300 I get a semi fat-bike/mountain bike/Rube Goldberg contraption, which will be more than adequate for my light useage, and allow to ride on a moment's notice, regardless of the weather, etc. etc.

Whaychua all think?

(Wish that it had V-brakes, but I saw in a review on Youtube, that the cheesy mechanical discs actually work pretty well....)

Didn't post this in the MTB section 'cause....I'm not really a MTB person (after I get this bike, will I have to start smoking pot and drinking beer?) and I probably wouldn't understand their lingo....

Hmmm....funny, I didn't start a thread when I got a late-model Venge Expert with upgrades....but the acquisition of a $299 wannabe fat-bike BSO warrants an announcement!

For $300 you got yourself a mid fat with decent mechanical brakes. That's not a bad deal at all. Address the chain clearance issues and you are set. Post pictures when you get it.

From the ad: "Once built the chain rubs the inside of the drive side dropout when on the smallest cog on a 8 speed cassette. This is a factory design flaw that can be fixed by adjusting your limiting screw so the chain can't go into the smallest cog or you could change it to a single speed or you could do something else we have not thought of."

I will have to rethink my recommendations about buying Gravity-brand bicycles.

Luckily for your uses top-end speed shouldn't be an issue.

"List Price: $ 699" hahah you can get above entry level specialized for that! enjoy the rides

Hehe, yeah, guys, I'm not worried about the chain rub in the smallest cog. I virtually never use the smallest cog on my road bike. The idea that I'd be capable of using it/need to use it on a mid fat bike is laughable!

I did see elsewhere on the web, where someone says that they fixed the problem with a washer on the axle and a little elbow grease.

Yes! A near fat bike for $300- I couldn't pass that one up!

Will definitely post pics when I get her, and do a review (Of what value the review will be, I don't know, since I've never ridden a MTB before....). I've had a Bikesdirect bike before (My first road bike) so I know what to expect, and am quite confident that I will be well-pleased.....especially at that price!

Now I'm actually HOPING that it snows this year! (Oooooo, I have a feeling that I shouldn't have said that!)

LOL, yeah, they should really stop that nonsense. It makes them look shady by saying such things. "Compare at $1199.."- yeah, you can compare....just don't expect the same thing as what you're comparing to... (I'd bet if they'd stop that nonsense, their sales would actually increase, because they're probably scaring off a lot of potential customers with such marketing. I know I was very hesitant to buy from Bikesdirect the first time i bought one of their bikes, when I saw that stuff... "SALE!!!!"Yeah, it's always "on sale".... )

So, your saying they're in the same category as all the Harley riders ???

No, no. I said beer and pot, not heroine and LSD!

Wow! Ordered it last night after 10PM.....they're shipping it out already! Tracking info says the box weighs 35 lbs. - This baby's gonna be fairly light for an el cheapo! (Provided that the air i put in the tires isn't too heavy.)

What a weird bike. The chain rubs and it won't fit 4" tires, and they got their paint color from 1989. But it's still 135/170 with a wide BB and the parts spec doesn't seem objectionable. It's like they failed their first attempt at a fat bike and they're selling it anyhow. I wonder how bad the rub really is, if it would be a problem at all if it were a double or 1x.

Yes, that is a complete design fail. Both on the tire clearance department and the drop out design. But the OP is getting a 26+ bike for cheap, so there is that.

Using a different hub or a narrower q-factor crank may help with the rubbing, but it is hard to tell if anything can be done without seeing the bike.

I'd recommend swapping the tires, as they are likely to be heavy, hard rubber items with high rolling resistance. Something like the Surly Knard or Dirt Wizard or WTB Ranger would improve things. The tires would cost about half what the OP paid for the bike though.

Also, if the OP decides to upgrade the wheels they should figure out if the fork is set for front or rear brake spacing. Most 135mm front hubs use front brake spacing, but there were some for rear brake spacing. (Confused yet?)

What is the matter with mt bikes and disc brakes, all the cool riders have them. 10 bikes in the garage, just enough. Commute, winter commuters, touring, mt bikes, fat bikes etc.

Seems to me you just caught up , You know you need 1 skinny tire bike and 1 fat tire bike ,,,,now you're all set,,,,

From what I've seen looking around the web, the rub must be pretty bad, 'cause I've seen a few people mention that if you shift into the small cog, not only does it rub, but it gets stuck there, so that you can't shift back out of that cog. Knowing me, even though I'm sure I'd be content not to use that cog, I'll probably just HAVE to attempt to fix the issue at some point [Cue: a jack; sledgehammer; grinder.....]

I generally don't do upgrades....especially where they cost so much in relation the original object. I know, though, that tires are often the weak point with Bikesdirect.

I have seen where these bikes can fit a 4" in the front with no problem.

I've always been a staunch opponent of discs on road bikes. I have always said that they can be a good thing on MTBs though- I would just imagine that being el cheapos, and mechanical, one would probably get better results at this price point with V's. (I'll let ya's know though- a Youtube reviewer says that these dics feel really good for mechanicals- that they actually have "bottom" to them- not just eternal squishiness. I had an ATV once with a mechanical disc...and it was worthless- so naturally I was/am a little worried about this)

Yep! Now I'll be set for just about any riding conditions/terrain I could encounter around here. And considering that I do NOT like road riding in the winter, and am extremely allergic to trainers.....

You are hereby required to post exhaustive pictures.

What took you so long? Enjoy!

I'm reading an MTBR thread that says 4in tires might fit as long as you use 50mm or less rims Anyone Have One of Those Gravity Knockout Frames?- Mtbr.com

The frame is cheap and available in more colors if anyone wants to adopt a project. Comes with fork, headset, stem, and seat post clamp for $150 BikeIsland.com - Bicycle Parts, Accessories and Clothing at Affordable Prices with Free Shipping But considering the frame + wheel set is about the same price as the complete bike maybe don't bother.

Possible to just adjust the derailleur to not go to the little gear, just so you don't lose track one day and jam it up? Or maybe crimp the tube a bit to give yourself more chain room, the way older vintage bikes did on the chainstays by the seat tube?

In any case, still seems like a bargain!

I bought a mtn bike from Bike Island 3 yrs ago. It was a one of their mid priced hardtails, that had the lowest level of components out of three different builds on the same frame. I've had three years to figure out what I want, and I've been upgrading it (new fork, new wheels and tires, new Deore drivetrain next) into what I think is a nice riding mtn bike.

Good luck, and ride it like you stole it.

Yes SIR! Will do. [Translation: I plan to- but in reality, I open the box, before you know it, the bike just ends up assembled and I'm trying it out before the camera ever comes out. Of course, if post-assembly pics are O-K....] No, but I'll try...I'll really try!

N+1=N-1 somewhere else! Hmmm...haven't played my keyboard much in the year that I've had it.... (I'm kinda the opposite of a hoarder!)

Yes, basically, you're buying the frame and the wheels/tires, and they're throwing all the other stuff in for free. As for the tires, it's going to be interesting come the day when/if i need new ones.... Then again, even 3" is probably more than I'll ever need. It's funny: This bike doesn't quite fit in any of the established niches, but it's as if it was made specifically with me in mind.

My thoughts exactly. For now I'll just lock out the small cog via adjustment- but I know one day curiosity will get the better of me (there are a lot of cats around here!) and the sledgehammer/grinder/jack will be liberated from the toolbox.....

Thanks! I know what to expect from Bikesdirect, and for $300 for an almost-fat bike, it's hard to go wrong. ('Specially considering that the only other real alternative at this price point is a Walmart BSO.). I had started out with their $300 road bike, and I had absolutely no complaints with it whatsoever. Which bike did you get? For a little more than the Knockout, the Bullseye Monster looks to be a solid bike for those who might be a little more serious about MTBing than I.

I'm guessing that's exactly what happened. Got the first batch in, started building them up and "Houston, we a problem..."

V-brakes aren't really compatible with plus bike tires, so you're better off with discs.

That's one heck of a beater for bashing around the trails!

Yep. I know at one point, they were selling these on the main BD site for $599 (Don't know if the rub problem had manifested itself at that point), and I think previous to that, when they had first come out, they were even more. I'm just glad that the thought occurred to me to look on Bileisland last night! This looks like the perfect bike for what I'm wanting it for, and I really wasn't wanting to spend much more than $300 just for knocking around my hayfield, so this was a match made in heaven. I really didn't like anything on the main BD site for $300. They all seemed to have front suspension, and if there's one thing I don't want, it's an el cheapo MTB with suspension!

Ah! Great point, which hadn't occurred to me.

Right?! I'm already thinking that I may have to hit some of the funky backroads and park trails around here now! There's a gravel road 3 miles from here that I once rode on my road bike- it wasn't fun. I have GOT to try that road on this baby! (Riding it home up a big long road climb, which I can hardly do on the road bike....probably won't be so much fun. Then again, with MTB gearing....)

I think it's a great idea, but you should have gone the whole hog and got hydraulic brakes, they are GREAT. I just did the same thing a week ago, I'm sitting here looking at it now and wondering when I'm going to get started riding it

It looks like a fun bike.

you're not even close to the inevitable.

You haven't bought a bare vintage frame yet.