This is a strange argument. You're saying that you're looking for the best value and you think you may find it in a company that may (or may not) hide defects in their products that may result in death or injury. I do not feel comfortable buying a bike from a company that has knowingly hidden defects in the past. You are obviously allowed to choose this course of action but given what we use our bikes for, I think there are better choices out there.

I ride anywhere from 260 lbs to 270lbs. I have ABUSED my fork. It is AOK. The fork is adequete. And I don't think you'll get much better at that pricepoint. No it is not a downhill or jumping fork. But the Yukon is a cross-country bike.

MX-2 discs are trying to dial in. But once you do, you can lock up your wheels with a reasonable amount of lever pressure. Most pad/rim brakes are harder to tune than an MX-2.

The Yukon now has decent cranks over last year. The drivetrain has a Deore derailleur but the alivio shifters aren't so hot (no worries, most bikes in it's class come with the same shifter/brake pods). It would rock if Giant ditched Shimano and shipped with X.7.

The other downside is that you haven't established a relationship with a local bike shop. After you buy a bike, those guys will do a lot more for you. They'll tune up your bike and sometimes even swap out components that aren't quite working right for you.

eBay is for experienced bike guys who know EXACTLY what they want and know EXACTLY how to maintain it.

Say that in the rain with an untrue wheel.

My LBS is killing me. He still didn't get his order of Rockhoppers and I'm itching to take it out. I even managed to find a local club and joined it so that as soon as I get my bike in, I'll start taking it out with them.

Anyway, the other LBS has Gary Fischer Marlins and Kona Blasts in stock. I haven't ridden those yet because the concensus was that I should get the Specialized and was waiting to ride it first. I may go out to ride the Marlin and Blast tomorrow to see if I love either of them. My question is, is the Blast worth the $100+ over the Marlin/Rockhopper? What if I can get them to go down on the price of the Blast? Is it worth it? (Can you tell I'm itching to get my bike?)

im trying to decide between the hardrock and the rockhopper. my lbs has the rockerhopper for 450 is that good price? which bike is all around better? lighter?

i like how the rockhopper looks better. other then that, i dont really know.

Anyone have any thoughts on the Fisher Marlin VS. Trek 4300. Both the same price. I am leaning towards the Marlin but I am new to this. I will be test driving them this week/

i have actualy went thru this whole thread a few times, and i did ride them both around the parking lot, i like them both, so im trying to decide which to get based on which has better components , the rockhopper is 150 more so im trying to decide if its worth that ?

I'm looking for a cheap MTB. I have posted here before and was recommended to get a beater from a thrift store/pawn shop as I will mostly be using the bike to commute to campus, and some trail riding on weekends. Well, I don't want to do that because I will not know if a used bike is defective when buying it, and a second reason is that I want to get a bike with the right fit and establish a relationship with an LBS for future tune-ups, etc. Bikes do get stolen on campus, but I see a lot of good brands too. So I figure if I use a bad a$$ lock, I should be good.

So, I visited 5-6 bike shops, and found a Giant Rincon and a Specialized Hardrock Sport both for approximately $330. The salesman in the shop selling the Rincon told me that the Rincon has better deraillers and components. But in this thread, the Hardrock is highly praised while the Rincon is hardly mentioned, even though Giant makes Specialized frames. Why so?

Also, I can get last year's Giant Boulder SE for $220. $330 is really stretching it for me, so is the Boulder SE a good option?

I would really appreciate any input.

Well I have read through the thread and my question was not answered. I found a few things about a trek 4500 but I was not asking about that model. If anyone could be of more help that would be great!

The Marlin has the Fisher Genesis Geometry so you really need to ride them and decide what you feel more comfortable on. At the price point you are looking at the components are all going to be about the same. Comfort is the most important thing....

Thanks! I plan on riding them later this week.

It would be nice to be able to try both of them out riding uphill. I feel I climb easier with the Genesis frame. Maybe it is all in my head.

Well I got to ride a Trek 4500 and a Speicalized HardRock Sport Disc, and I must say that I am do not like the HardRock at all. The bike feels to bulky, in contrast the Trek was responsive and agile. I am still wanting to try the GF Marlin but as of right now I am going with the Trek.

Anyone else have any other bikes that you think I should try before I make my purchase?

I recommend you try out the Specialized Rockhopper. It is a parallel to the Gary Fischer Marlin other than the Genesis geometry. It is similarly spec'ed and is similarly priced. The HardRock, IMHO, is put together as a bike that does a bunch of stuff okay whereas the RockHopper is is a little more specialized (no pun intended) as a XC bike.

Well I would have but they didn't have one in the right size for me. Also there is a price increase with the rockhopper.

The Rockhopper I'm referring to is the base model not the Comp or Sport. It's list price is $500 exactly (check out the www.specialized.com web page - i can't give you a direct link because it is session driven). The list for the HardRock Sport Disc you tried out has a list price of $440 so there is a $60 difference.

I think that the Marlin is around $500 too. Too bad they don't have a Rockhopper in your size.

I misspoke the Hardrock I rode was a Comp Disc not a sport, either way I was not to fond of it. I might still give the Rockhopper a try and I am still haven't rode the GF Marlin yet.

Anyway does anyone else have anymore suggestions on other bikes to try around this price point? What does everyone think of the Giant brand?

I'm in the market for a new bike (400-500 dollar range), and test rode a few at my LBS today.

They carry Fisher, Trek, and Specialized.

I rode the Specialized Rockhopper and all three versions of the Hardrock, the Fisher Tassahara (or however you say it) and the Marlin. I didn't ride the Trek, as I've never been a fan.

What I noticed on all the bikes I rode (except the Tass, which is out of my price range), is that they all shifted like crap. Not so much the rear, those were all pretty good, but the fronts. On all the bikes I had to fidget with the shifter to get the front gears to shift right. Annoyed the crap out of me.

First one I rode was the Hardrock Sport Disc. First thing I noticed was that it weighs a ton. I guess this is to be expected at this price point. I also noticed that it seemed very noisy. I could feel this vibration coming through it, and it was making a noise like the chain was rubbing somewhere, but it didn't seem to be. I also noticed the front derailer tended to do what it wanted, it was very uncooperative. I thought the discs were cool till I rode it, then I realized that they didn't stop any better than standard brakes and were most likely a waste of money. Reading the boards here confirmed that. They wanted $439 for it.

Then a I rode the Hardrock Sport with V-brakes. I thought it stopped BETTER than the disc version. It also seemed quieter and didn't have the wierd vibe the other one did. Still shifted lowsy though. They wanted $349 for it. I also felt (on both Sports) that the front fork was a little spongy, although it did have impressive travel.

Next I rode the Hardrock Comp, and liked that one better.The Marzocchi fork felt better, and it shifted a little better, but still not to my liking. The red and black flamed paint job was killer though. This one was $549.

Then I rode the standard Rockhopper, at the bike store guy's suggestion. Seemed to shift a little better, but otherwise didn't do anything for me. $500 for this one.

I tried the Fisher Tass, mainly because I wanted to try out the Deore components. This one was 619, and shifted the best. Also had a better fork, and had a great ride. I also liked that all of the cables were run over the top tube. I DIDN'T like the color (I know, just being picky), the fact that it only came with 1.95 tires compared to 2.2 on the Specialized, and lastly, I'm not a Trek fan, and last I heard, Trek owned Fisher.

The Marlin was okay, it was $519. It shifted better than the Spec. bikes, but not as good as the Tass, because the components were downgraded. It also had a downgraded fork. Plus it had a hideous paint scheme. This teal color with red orange and yellow flames aorund the Fisher logo.

Anyway...

This bad shifting, how do I fix it? Is it just something I need to live with at this price point?

Just for background, my last bike was a '95 Marin Eldridge Grade. I bought it in 96 as a leftover. It had full LX components on it, with rapidfire shifters. It was on sale for 599, IIRC, and it was rigid. I had them install a Judy XC front fork when I bought it. Even at almost ten years old, it shifted better than the bikes I rode today. It was also a good bit lighter. It was Tange double butted Chro-Mo IIRC. I'd still have it if some fawker hadn't stolen it. Now funds don't allow me to get another bike in that price range.

So do I just have to suffer with crappy components on the lower end bikes I can afford? Or is it possible that a great tune up would fix the shifting? Or maybe I should try and get the bike shop to upgrade the derailers/shifter for me at time of purchase?

I'm thinking maybe get the Hardrock Sport for $349 and upgrade to LX shifters? Would that be a good option?

And actually, what controls shift quality, the shifters of the derailers? (oh, and yes, I know I've been spelling that wrong the whole time...sorry)

Thanks for any info.

I feel like a newbie, the last time I did any bike research was back in '96, and it seems like EVERYTHING has changed since then. I'm totally lost when it comes to the current stuff.

The shop should tune the bike for better shifting before you take it home. In this case, make them tune the one you like best before you buy it. Tell them it shifts lousy and you want to "see" it work better before you pay! Good luck!

Try not to be mashing down the pedals on the shift.