o yea...im in nc, so its moslty simple trails with log hops and pyramids, and the occasional jump, but a burly frame would be nice in case i advance to free riding

Hardrock and use the $150 for some other crap. Maybe use it for a fork...

I'd rather have a decent set of V- brakes than a cheap set of discs. Disc brakes on a $500 and under bike is a marketing gimmick. Plus if you pay attention to specs between a disc version and a non the non disc will typically have better driveline components and or fork than the disc.

First MTB, a Diamondback Ascent about $375.00 from LBS. Took it off road twice
then bought a Stumpjumper. Since 86 the DB has had Fenders, lights and racks and has commuted (with me on it) about 30K miles - replaced the rear wheel once, bb once, freewheel four times, plus chains and tires. Original Nicad batteries (2 - 4AHr D's) even lasted 12 years. Think I got my money's worth out of it.

sun

sun

Diamondbacks aren't half the bike they used to be

Any Ideas??

Rez

Hmmm, hard to say. I know you didn't want to pass $400, but for $449 you can get the Hahanna

https://www.konaworld.com/shopping_ca...7&parentid=182

And then you probably won't need to replace as many things, and the bike should last you longer.

I got a 15" Hardrock last Friday. It's an awesome bike, I definately reccomend it. With those 140$ you could get (at least, this is what I'd get):
Chainstay protector lizardskin 10$
Saddle is kind of uncomfortable, I might replace it 30-40$?
The remaining 90$ I'd keep for repairs and/or to save up for a new fork (don't get me wrong, the RST is a good beginner fork but I have a feeling as I progress I'll upgrade it.

I just left two bike shops in Cambrdige, MA and looked at a 2004 C'Dale F400 and a 2004 G. Fisher Tassajara Disc. Both were around $650. I've read some poor reviews of the Fisher about the fork and the weight and heard good things about the low weight of the CDale. Does anyone have some expert advice on which to get...or another bike in the price range I should look at? Thanks.

That is the truth!!

Disc brakes at this level are unnecessary. The make the bike look ''cooler'' but offer little in the way of additional functionality.

no they arent i bought a few years back i think it was a 98 diamond back response SE i payed around $700 i think and then i remember later versions being totally downgraded and being less than what they used to be, after that i had a Trek Y-5 medium which later got stolen so i needed a bike in a hurry and just grabbed a Gary Fisher Tassajara to hold me through until i can get another full suspension. ( i needed something to play with lol ) however i am highly impressed with it and its quality i payed around $649 and i would recommend this bike for the around $500 thread as a matter of fact i think im going to stick with Gary Fisher bikes.

i have a tassajara the only thing is mine isnt with disc brakes it has regular brakes its a 2003 version tassajara i dont have any problems with the weight it rides smoothly the handling kicks ass , mine came with Rock Shox pilot xc forks which work for me but maybe you need more, but mine its a smooth ride, my only complaint is it came with some cheap ass pedals which are total pedal slip prone.

i like the way fishers feel over cannondales but thats just personal preference.

did you test them? fishers are good handling bikes test both of them.

for me its gonna be fishers for a long time to come.

I love how the topic name was changed! haha.

after looking at what you guys said, i went out and test rode the hardrock, rockhopper, and the trek 4500/4900. the hardrock seemed pretty heavy and bulky and noisy, but you could beat that thing to death. the rockhopper i liked the most because i felt i had control of it, plus the manitou fork. the v-brakes did just fine. i tried a 4500 with discs and it felt similar to the rockhopper, and i can get the 04' 4900 with rock shox pilot c and discs for $430. out of the rockhopper and the 4900 which would you pick and why?

Not much of a discount the MSRP on the 4900 was $570 and the things going on 2 model years old. (Early 06's will be coming soon) Unless those are Avid BB7's I'd go Rockhopper.

Ok, Giants are good strong bikes, and can handle some pretty rash stuff, but, evan the boulder SE dosnt live up to minimal mountian bike potential, my cusin has one, he is constantly eating dirt and refused to get bigger tires, make sure your bike is strong enough, or evan if the tire are think enof, their the only part toutching the trail, so, tires can be expensive, if you do buy the giant, i highly suggest you buy new tires with it, and get the hardlebars lowerd, that shold be ok for a newbie

I suggest he ride it first and make up his own mind as to what he needs. Not everyone rides in the same way in the same places

I need a bike mostly for commuting to campus and a little trail riding once a blue moon. Actually, I was thinking of going for a Walmart Mongoose DXR but I found too many negative reviews about x-mart bikes, and so I'm down to Specialized Hardrock or Specialized Rockhopper. I don't want to spend more that $300, but could prolly go to $400 and live on Ramen noodles for the next month. BTW should I be considering a Kona Lana'i? Does the Rockhopper justify the extra bucks? or is the Hardrock OK for all the biking I'm going to do? I just don't want to be thinking a year from now that I should have gotten the Rockhopper. Also, would it be better to get a used rockhopper for the same price as a new Hardrock? Keep in mind that I know nothing about bikes, and prolly couldn't find a defect (if there were one) in a used bike.

A lot of posters in this thread say that one should find an LBS before finding a bike. How does one go about finding the best bike shop. Incidentally, if anyone is in the Austin area, perhaps he could recommend one.

~siliconSmith

The Hardrock Will Be Fine, Im 100% Sure, Its Not A x-mart bike, its entery leval jumping bike, but dont be doin 7ft drops....

I have a Hardrock and it's great! I don't really know much about the Rockhopper so I can't really compare but all I can say is try and find a LBS and test ride them, see which one you like more.

Here's the deal. Commuting by bike to a college campus is a great thing until you get to parking it. That shiny new bike will attract theives like flies to a ruptured honey wagon. Even if it is a $400 machine.
What I suggest is go down to the local pawn shop even the thrift stores off campus and pick throught what they have. TAKE NOTES. Come back and report in the commuting section on what you find or even PM me.
When you have a serviceable "beater" + lock, helmet and other such items you can then save some money towards one of the other bikes on your list.

yea, you could easily find a cheap mtb that would be soutible for riding around too, just, dont do any jumps, NONE! because if you do on a 'beater' you will be 'beatin'

Hey you guys, thanks for all the advice!

Well, I had done some research online on craigslist, classifieds and websites of used-bike shops and found that used (non x-mart) bikes also sell in the $200+ range which is why I had decided to get a new entry level Specialized.
So I have three questions:

1. Isn't it worth it if you buy a good lock (which will deter bike thieves), and then, in the event that the bike does get stolen, you claim the warranty from the lock manufacturer?
2. Why are even used bikes so expensive, or am I not looking in the right places? i.e, how much should i pay for a good 'beater'?
3. Is a new x-mart bike better than a used 'beater' for the same price?

Then again, I haven't done any ground work and have just found all info online. I need to visit the local bike shops, once I get freed from midterms!

For used you should pay 50% give or take. Ifit is a classic, the seller will always try to get more. For 200$ you should be able to find what was a 400 to 500$ bike.

That's what I've been wondering for a while...