New to moutain biking
 

Hi,
My name is Michael. I am 15 and I run CC and I wrestle. Recently my friend has started talking me into trying it out. I am really interested in this because I know that I will reach my peak physical ability by doing this. I am currently saving up for a bike. If anyone could reccomend a $300-350 bike that is decent enough to start out racing please help me. What frame size should I get? (I weigh 103 lbs and am 5'2) Also what would be the most important gear to buy also that would get me started. Any advice is welcomed and will be greatly appreciated. I want to try and stay under 600 dollars TOTAL.
-thanks

Dude, it's great that you're getting into riding but I'd recommend thinking of 600 bucks as a minimum. For $300 you're gonna get a bike shaped toy, which I can assure you will be a total piece. You'll feel like you wasted your money and possibly turn you off to riding. I know it's tough to save up cash as a young gromit but try as hard as you can. As for sizing, measure you're inseam (feet to meat) and then look up standover height of any prospective bike, make sure it's smaller than your inseam. Since you're young you might want to get a size that's almost your inseam so you can grow into it. Other than that you might want to go to MTBR.com a read some reviews. It also has web links to internet shops which 9 times out of ten are cheaper than your local bike shop. Good luck and have fun.

More importantly, dont work out what size bike you want before you have ridden it!. Get the size that feels best for you, some people would enjoy a larger frame rather then a smaller one, leave the size determination untill last and after you have test ridden the bike.

What type of racing were you considering getting into? Like XC or Downhill etc...

Wow-- it's funny that I didn't even consider 'riding it first' as an option. Just goes to show how long it's been since I've looked for a bike that bike shops actually carry. Sad really. Long live internet retailers!

You'll ride a "Small", trust me....

Hey man i am 19 and have just got into riding too, i have bought a downhill bike myself which i love to bits. Im very new to MTB too as i have always ridden a BMX. There are plenty of web sites you can check out to choose your bike, thats how i started off. Another wicked way of buying a bike is looking in the best MTB bike magazines available to you, they may have lots of offers for reduced bikes. I found mine on e-bay with £100 off as it was coming to the end of the season, it was brand new and from a legitimate bike store. Hope this is some help to you, good luck bike hunting!

Ok i am thinking about a rockhopper. there arent really any shops around me so....I wont be able to test one unless i go to atlanta. I am going to be doing XC.

I just bought an '06 Hardrock and I love it.