m0ss

I'm looking into buying a mountain bike to ride on some mild/moderate trails as a fitness/leg muscle building routine. I'm a complete newbie when it comes to mountain biking. I live in the Orange County area.

I'm considering the Trek 4300 w/o disc brakes in a 16" size. I went to go see the bike and he recommended a smaller size for me since I was planning to get more agressive when I become more experienced. My budget is somewhere around $400.

Is there anything I should know or any other options I should consider? Please enlighten me... any comments are welcome!

Thanks!!

pinkrobe

The most important thing [other than getting a hardtail], is fit. Ride several bikes, whether they're in your price range or not to see what feels best, and see what size bike the different bike shops put you on. It can be enlightening...

m0ss

Will do. I'll try different sizes at different shops. Is the 4300 a good model to start and build on?

blue_neon

When you say build on do you mean upgrade parts on it?

m0ss

no i meant it as building up my skill level.

Eatadonut

My experience with those is that they take a bit of a beating, and then start to quickly fail. Just personal experience. And make sure all your parts are tightened before you ride it (especially cranks).


In that price range, also take a look at the Specializeds, a little more bang for the buck, I think. And, they look cooler.

FreeRidin'

Specalized hardrock!! I bought an 04 frame from a friend and have totally pimped it out. It can be used from XC all the way to hardtail freeride.

pinkrobe

It will do as well as any other bike in that price range. You'll ride it, love it, ride it more, break it and want something better. Start saving for its replacement now...

m0ss

lol well i'm not planning on jumping off 5-6 ft cliffs on my bike... i'm planning just to take it on some rough/hilly dirt terrain to build some leg muscle... i would call that light riding... dont you think?

m0ss

oh and yeah, i will look into the specialized hardrock... that bike looks pretty mean as well... looks more agressive IMO than the trek 4300

Jason222

I'd look at GT's if I were you. More bang for the buck than both trek and specialized. If you want to build leg muscle fast, take your new bike and work on going up hills without walking your bike up them.

Specializerider

Ya ive been mountain biking for a couple months and have been riding my hardrock sport everyday and i got my first flat intertube yesterday
But i wouold really reccomend the hardrock!

cyccommute 

The 4300 is pretty low in the Trek line. I've seen them in the flesh (haven't ridden one) and the front in seems too high for serious off-road use. In my mind, they are more of a mild dirt road/bike trail bike than a true mountain bike. A high front end on a mountain bike will cause a couple of problems. One, for a smaller person (assumed since you are buying a 16"), a tall head tube will restrict standover height. You just won't have much space if you want to bail off. Two, mountain bikes with high front ends are harder to climb with. They want to lift the wheel easier.

Look at a Rockhopper ($520). It has a lower standover height than the Hardrock and is more cross country oriented. That makes it more fun for mild trails/singletrack than a bike that is aimed more at the urban assault crowd.