I think one of the points being made here is that if you ask enough people, you will be warned by someone to stay away from most of the major brands.

I personally have seen broken cannondales, specialized, giant, ellsworth (not personally, see above), trek, mongoose.. I'm sure there are more. Does that mean they should be avoided? No.

****ing ******* *****es

Don't wrestle with the pigs, son. You get dirty and the pig has all the fun. If you look at this bozo's posts they all follow the same form and end in the same place. He's one of the main reasons that the Mountain bike forum has around 150 viewers while the Road forum has 600. Ignore him. He'll go play somewhere else.

As for bikes to avoid, if it comes from a big box where they sell toilet paper, avoid it. Everything else is pretty good.

Annoyance avoidance:

1. Click on member's name in upper left corner of post
2. Click on "View Public Profile"
3. Click on "Add [member name] to Your Ignore List"

Whoever wrote this forum's software is wise indeed.

Posting complete speculation as fact, like this, is probably what drives him crazy.

More good advice. Made me laugh!

Another way to look at is, the more you spend on a particular type of bike, the better the bike you're going to get. Obviously. But for certain types of bikes at low price points, they all tend to suck. Don't go to your LBS looking for a full suspension mountain bike for less than $500. None are worth buying. Some might even say $1000, though I think there are a few good choices between the two. But you can find a very decent hardtail for $500. Every type of bike (hardtail, road bike, hybrid, full sus, etc) has a sweet spot pricewise.

I think it's best to go looking and especially riding. Then, come back and let us know what you're thinking and then we can give you some informed opinions on those models.

5 yrs ago was the last, it appears. ;)

If you go to a LBS you'll have the best chance of getting a decent bike. Look for the best bang for the buck that's within your budget. Maybe look at left over models at a discount to get more for your money. If I found a bike I liked, in my price range from one of the major companies, I wouldn't hesitate to buy. The LBS you're working with should also play a part in the decision, IMO. A good bike from a bad shop may be less satisfactory than less bike from a better shop.

VERY true.

Wishful thinking? :rolleyes:

+1
I didn't think Pete was that far off on this one......sometimes the answere you get is in like kind to the question asked.

Different bikes for different people, and everyone has differing experiences good and bad.
How do you answere a question like that.
Besides it just the opposite of the too often asked WHAT BIKE TO BUY.
Some people don't like a particular brand now because of a bad experience a long time ago.{even though the bike may be completly different design now}

However ,there were a couple of realy good posts to help the OP if it was in fact a ligit question.

Everyone was pretty much of the same opinion that huffy is to be avoided. I just wanted to know if there was anyother brands that clearly sucked.

It appears that the more clear version of what Pete was trying to say is "as long as you avoid an x-mart bike, you should be ok."

Ah, good times, good times!

To the OP: don't worry about brands at the moment. Go to whatever bike shops you have near you. Take whatever your max budget is, and ride as many bikes as you can within that budget range. Buy what feels best to you, regardless of what a bunch of people on teh intarweb tell you. Within certain price ranges, the bikes from most companies are going to be pretty damn similar in build and spec; then it comes down more to fit.

Bonus for you if you go and research for yourself on the manufacturers websites, and search said web for reviews before buying. You can find enough anecdotal stories about bike breakage, pissy customer service, poor warrantee handling, etc. about nearly every bike company out there.

I don't know about Mountain Cycle, but there hasn't been an issue for KHS. The company is still going strong and has helped us (our team) with various things in the recent past.

Really? Then why DO you post all those patently gorgeous photos for everyone to ooh and aahh over? Aren't we possibly fishing for a bit of affirmation there?

Crackandfail
http://inlinethumb04.webshots.com/33...425x425Q85.jpg

Pete's one of the few on here that I enjoy reading his post. It's a hell of a lot better than "Hardrock or Trek 4500".

Awesome thread, I read the whole thing and laughed my ass off. Pete does make a point on the bike shopping. Every day there's two or three of them. You should get an auto response that just says "Go to LBS" when you post one.

I do come here for the support or help!

i think its about time we see some more of those pretty pictures

Can't say I agree. Local bike shops differ big time on quality, service and bike knowledge. Having worked in one and having friends that work at various ones in the area it's a crap shoot. There are great shops and some really crappy shops. If you don't know what to look for, chances are they are selling you the bikes that have been sitting around for 2+ years that they can't sell and they will talk them up like it's the biggest deal, when in reality your paying full price for older or less value models because they don't have a certain line in stock.

That's what forums like this should do, bridge the gap so you can walk in just not buying whatever your LBS is selling.

I try to avoid all brands. I also avoids bushes, trees, walls, cars, buses, trains, and pretty much anything that my 5" of travel can't soak up.

I've come very late into this thread.

IMHO, the brand is of secondary importance, given that most MTB's come out of the same factories in Taiwan. More important is the frame style/size (does it fit you?) and the selection of components.

For a newbie who is going to buy a new bike from an LBS for all around off road use, I would sugggest a hardtail with a 24 or 27 speed drivetrain, trigger shifters (like Shimano RapidFire) and either V brakes or mechanical discs. Don't worry if the rim & hub quality isn't the greatest. You are going to beat the wheels up anyway & you can easily upgrade when replacement time comes. Same with the seat, bars, & pedals. For some reason, sellers often brag about the stock tires. Why? they'll be history in 6 months or less.

Shifters & derailleurs should be at least Shimano Acera quality. Avoid really cheap components like Shimano Tourney (I haven't taken my own advice here - my own bike has a Tourney crank & front derailleur).

Often, the salesperson at the LBS will give you good advice if you give them a hint that you want good quality and best value for your money.

If your LBS seems to carry a big selection in a common brand (Giant, Mongoose, GT, Kona, rek, or whatever), the reason could well be that their customers are well satisfied with that brand. Most LBS's can carry whatever brands they want to these days.

John Alldredge

Bwahahahah.

Digging up old threads, is the "it" thing the past few days. Esp threads having to do with crappy bike brands.

Think I'll push my walker down the hall past mtnbiker66's room here at the Old Mtn Bikers' Home and tell the OP he's finally got the definitive answer he's been waiting for.

As others have said, avoid anything from a superstore, Dicks, Kmart, Walmart, Meijer(midwesters), etc. Whenever someone asks me about getting a bike that is the advice I give and everyone I know who goes to the superstores walk out with junk.

Perfect example, a few years back(~2000) after i bought my old Trek, my buddy wanted to start riding. I told him to wait a few months, save his money and buy a quality bike for around $400+. He was impatient and decided to go to walmart and pick up a NEXT brand bike. He spent about $150(could have waited a month and afforded the $400 bike). When he first got it all he talked about was how I got ripped off because he got the same bike for 1/3 the price...that is until 1 month later, almost every bearing on his bike was junk. His derailleur wouldnt move his chain more than a few gears and his brake cables were all stretched out.

Needless to say that bike was a paperweight after one month and I still have my Trek as a back up bike and it is still functioning great with just basic maintenance.

When it comes to bikes, you absolutely get what you pay for. Dont skimp wait the extra months to save the money if you have to, you will not regret it.

You can do ok at Dicks if you know what you are looking for.

:thumb:
Dude in general, just stay away from the "Marts" As far places like Dick's goes, if you don't have a lot of cash to spend right now, you can get a alright bike to at least get you started. But if you can afford $300 plus, start looking in your local bike shops.