+1

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.

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.

Several times in the recent past, I have perused the racks of mostly junky bikes in big box retailers like Academy Sports and have ferreted out a GEM or two in the MTB section.

You have to kinow what to look for of course, but there is the odd nugget to be found in the gravel pile, I'm thinking,

For example, I found a very classy Iron Horse MTB (only one, alas) in my local big box last winter. Mostly Deore gruppo, mechanical discs, hardtail (I failed to note the fork brand & model - foolish me!) for $399 (USD, this was in Texas), "marked down" from $599.

Even for $599, it wasn't a bad buy, I was thinking. I had to RUN out of the store to keep from pursuing this further!

Now I NEED(?) a mountain bike (I'm back in single track country in SW Ontario) & I'd like to have that Iron Horse!

Today I was looking in A Canadian Tire (no exact US equivalent - but a bit like what Western Auto Stores used to be like in the USA) & amidst the real junk was a passable Schwinn MTB with a Acera 24 speed gruppo, suspension fork, a front hub that could take a disc brake for $299 Canadian - not bad, I thought. Certainly enough MTB for an old duffer like me to play on on local dirt roads & bunny trails.

John Alldredge

One thing that rubs me the wrong way here John...it seems you are giving advice to a forum full of people that come here for good advice before they invest in a bike...yet it doesn't appear to me that you are all that qualified to give this advice.

There is no point in feeding a dead animal. This thread was pointless from the get-go. (2yrs ago) Your advice may have been somewhat pertinant back then.

Yes...kinda.
Definitely not.
I suggest a noob borrow a bike for a while to see if they're interested in riding on the trails at all. They may hate it. If they do like riding trails, I suggest a Specialized Hardrock in their pricerange to allow them to discover what kind of riding they enjoy most while saving money for a mid/high level MTB. A Hardrock will do it all in some way or another. It won't hang with Kabush on the climbs, or Petey on the descents. You wouldn't wanna try to mimick Aaron Chase's every move with it. But it will give you a taste of what's to come. "What part of that ride did I like best? The exercise, the scenery, the gnarly jumping?" After this is decided, one may graduate to a bike that caters to this particular style and will hopefully last a long time.
I would never in my days recommend Shimano Acera. Why? When it craps out and starts shifting poorly...it will come back on me b/c I recommended it. For a good affordable group by Shimano...it pains me to say Deore, but it's acceptable. On the SRAM side...X.5 is the bottom-feeder of choice. The part that leads me to question your authority on the matter is that you're using a Tourney crankset and front derailleur, yet you're recommending Acera. I question whether or not you have any direct experience with other products outside of what you have read or been told.
On the other hand...if you don't know what you're doing...often the salesperson at the LBS will sell you what they ordered "too much of" in hopes to not lose money for the year.

I don't disagree with "everything" you're saying, but are you experienced enough to give this advice?

I never knew that all bikes came from the same factory in Taiwan. I learned something new today.