Entry Level Biking
 

Okay, I am sure there are many forums about this but I am a pretty poor college student that will just be getting a bike to ride to class, work, and trails on the weekend. I really only have about 400 tops to spend on a bike, and that would be putting the entire thing on credit, so I couldnt save up for more before you ask. There is a really expencive bike shop in town with bikes like Raleigh, Schwinn, Marin, GT, and Haro, but almost all of them are out of my price range. There is however a shop that sells discounted bikes (they fix them up and sell them for people, and take a big cut of the price).

Now out of this place they have quite a few hardtail bikes but many of them are brand named. The ones I can afford and I am seriously considering are listed:

HONDA XC 100C (REFURBISHED) for $379, it has an aluminum frame, Deore Shifters, 27 speed, front disk brake, DNM Torch, and some minor paint scratches and stuff, but I could barely tell. It was pretty comfortable riding it around the block.

SMITH & WESSON PERIMETER for $299, it has an aluminum frame, Shimano Alivio, 24 Speed, linear pull, Ret Cappa T6, a luggage rack, and some minor scratches on some black paint. It was comfortable too, cheaper than the honda, but kinda worried about the quality

Last a SMITH & WESSON PERIMETER (REFURBISHED) $399.00 it was pretty much brand new (no scratches or anything), it has an aluminum frame, Sram 3.0, 24 Speed, Linear Pull, RST Cappa, and supposedly a sample (I dont know what that is though, so it doesnt really alter my decision). This was very comfortable but at the absolute max of my price range (meaning no water bottle, or lights or anything for a while)

There are more, they do have a website of some of the stuff they carry: http://www.bicyclesurplus.com/index.php



Anyway I know that doesnt give many of you much to work with since you might hate all of those, but it is either that or I can continue riding my little brother's bike which is one you buy from target with what feels like a wooden seat and the frame is small enough where my feet hit the wheels when I turn or hit bumps. So I am kinda in a hurry, but I wanna make a good decision

Mainly though I am looking for a good bike that will be good on the trails and back roads every weekend and good enough to make the 8+ mile total ride to class and work and back every day

If you want a respectable rig for cheap, check out Ibex's... www.ibexbikes.com and look at their hardtails. You'll get a new rig, which is important if you don't have both the skills and the necessary tools to do extensive maintenance... because you just never know when you're buying used. You have to be prepared for anything.

Yeah I am from Iowa, and I work right by the bike shop, many of the people I work with buy their bikes from the shop, as far as not knowing what you will get, they seem to have a pretty good staff that will fix stuff or help out. So far no bad reviews from the people I work with that have bought stuff from there. Also I wanted to stick with buying something I can see first and ride to test it, preferrably not online sorry:rolleyes: However thank you for the options and if I run into an Ibex for under 500 on campus somewhere I will check it out

Honda makes cars/motorcycles. Smith & Wesson makes guns. Neither make bikes.

Honda factory employee and 06 Masters World Champion (50-54) Ida Isao:

http://www.descent-world.co.uk/image...orlds06_18.jpg

Hot Damn!


outside of some of the nicolai stuff, those are the most bad ass DH bikes I have ever seen.

gotta be like what, 15k or so?

Looks like a 125 my freind had from the early 80's. Minus the engine.

Rumors I've read peg it at about 10K with fork. Other speculations are putting frame/gearbox w/o fork at just under $5K. More insider talk is that the production RN01G will debut at InterBike:
http://www.sicklines.com/2007/06/12/honda-rno1g-almost

http://www.sicklines.com/gallery/dat...honda-RN01.jpg

The original G-Cross that Minaar piloted was said to have cost around $75,000 in development expenses.

It's also interesting to note that Minaar's bikes have sported Showa suspension as will supposedly the RN01G. But note that Isa's bike has a Kayaba fork . . . hmmmmmmm

For $390 you can get a Specialized Hardrock.

I stand corrected. But S&W is still a gun company.

They make mountain bikes geared more towards outdoors and hunting as well. I still wouldn't buy one though.

Does it come with a gun turret? I'd buy one if it had one of those. And a place to hold my doughnuts.

I saw one years ago in a hunting magazine. They had optional gun racks. I'm sure they could be used to hold many doughnuts. They were basically a black XC bike. Decent components but nothing special. Anyways to the original poster go for a specialized hardrock. It's one of the best deals going on a mtb.

I realize this but when I say "makes" I refer to it as a S&W bike as you refer to a pacific cycles wally special as a schwinn.

EDIT: If I remmber right they looked alot like specialized bikes of the time.

They still looked like specialized entry level XC bikes which is the market they were most likely aiming for.

I would check out some of the less expensive giants and specialized like mentioned above. or maybe some of the lower priced treks.

Judging by the components you listed it doesn't seem like any of those bikes are a real steal. Also check out craigs list and have someone who knows bikes go with you when you look at them.

An acquaintenance has a "Specialized" brand "Rockhopper" he wants to unload on me. It has a GQ code before the serial number. I believe it is a 1997. It has 26 inch road tires and an extra set of new mountain tires, an air pump, is 21 speed and has a rack on the back. I have ridden it twice, it starts, stops and shifts. He wants $100 bucks for it. The bike seems to fit me fine. I am 5'6" and weigh 160. I will be using it to ride around town, to the park to run and maybe actually do something off road one day (doubtful). I dont know diddle about bikes and really dont want to kow more than what I need. That said: I would like to know if the price is reasonable and are their any particular problems with this make and model which I should be aware? Pax, Mick -- Abilene, TX dolphin_79605@yahoo.com PS: I have it for about a week to check it out and see if I like it...

While you have it for a week take it to your lbs and have it looked over. Mainly for cracks on the frame. XC frames like a rockhopper have a certain "trail life" to them. Is your freind smaller like you? If so it's probably fine. If not beware cracks and broken welds.

do you know where i can find one for that price?