Ok, I don't like speaking up on matters like this. The next person who posts a flame message in this thread will have to answer to one of the moderators here. The flaming stops now, end of story. For your information, that means anyone. It is as a general consensus that the bickering in this thread has gone way too far, it stops now.

Edit thread will be closed for a short bit for some repairs, thread reopened now watch it people.

Correction Closed.

My list of around $500 bikes.

Fuji Outland '03
Specialized Rockhopper
Trek 4500
Diamond back Response

These may not be the best bikes but they are in my opinion

the KHS alite series. all but the lowest end of the series come disc ready even tho they may come without discs. my 500 comes in at about 32 1/2 lbs with discs and it only cost me $440 (minus a discount of course :)) good entry level ride

by the way Raiyn, a proponent is someone who supports something. maybe your looking for opponent?

Let's resurrect this sucker!

Quick post:Lookin' at two bikes.

First bike.

'05 Rockhopper on closeout $519.95, no disc, not a comp, not a sport, carries a RockShox J3 SL Fork (is this the Judy?) w/lockout, SramX-7 components, fits me at 19".

Second bike.

'05 Rockhopper Comp on closeout $575.00, no disc, carries the Manitou Splice Fork and that's really all I know on this one, havn't seen it in a week.

I guess my concern would be the fork. Any feedback?

that seems like at good deal for the rockhopper comp. i think the regular price was around $800. i could be wrong, but i think the frame and the wheelsets are a little better on the comp vs the normal version.

i thought all the models in Rockhopper series uses the same frame. please correct me if I am wrong.

Yeah I also thought it was the same frame, I dunno about the wheelsets though, he may be correct on that note. Can anyone else shed some light on this for me? Frame the same? Wheelset?

Thanx.

Hey, Im more around 300 to 400 dollars. Im lookin for a street/flat land bike. Im 5'9 bout 180. Any suggestions. Im looking at all sorts but looking for a good deal that i can find thanks

iam totally new to bikes and dont really know what is good and what is bad so i need some help.

hmm, i dont know if they sell the same bikes in the united states as they do here is Australia either.

i went to a few LBS today and saw a few repco and schwinn bicycles, most of them werent really good though >__<

iam a bit tight on the budget since a already bought a lot of christmas presents already but ill try asking the bikes Giant and Trek out today or tomorrow, (see if they have it)

for the meantime, can anyone recommend any bikes with a price tag of around $345 USD, a bit over is ok

Thanks alot!

ok, ignore what i said earlier ><

i have limited it down to a few bikes after some hardcore searching :D

-Trek 3900 "06" $345
-Giant Boulder "06" $260
-Giant Rincon "06"

there are 2 prices there, if anyone could give me their opinions on the bikes (brands) and price, that'd be great! ;]

Cheers.

You might want to check out the Specialized Hardrock as well...it should be right around your price...

i just want to know if there is a big difference between the Trek 3900 and Giant boulder.

Is it worth the $85 just to get the Trek 3900?

Thanks! hopefull buy a bike in a few days :]

I got my Trek 4300 for $350, that would be a good bike in my opinion.

Thanks.

what the hell...is there like a big difference on the bike prices in the US and Australia?

the Trek 4300 here is around $455 US...><

sucks...T__T

I've been lurking around here for a while - especially this thread.

Since I finally bought a new bike, I thought I'd add my .02 with my first post here.

My last MTB purchase was an '87 Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo (before they added the "Gary") I rode a lot for a few years, did some NORBA racing, stopped riding, had some kids, gained some weight, etc. etc, blah blah...... and recently decided to get back on the saddle and hit some of the great local single track (SoCal) and even put in some pavement miles. I wanted a hardtail, didn't need discs, wanted to keep things fairly light, and needed to keep it cheap - $500 sounded about right. After riding lots of bikes I coincidentally ended up wanting a Fisher. I REALLY liked the long cockpit of the Genesis geometry, and didn't mind spending a little more for it if I had to. So after lots of teeth gnashing, I decided to spend the extra bucks on a '06 Tass, which works out to about $700 out-the-door. I almost went with the Marlin, but thought the extra 100+ was well spent (and frankly, I didn't like the paint schemes on the Marlin...)

So here's the deal/lesson: Lots of folks on this board have said that at this price range it is better to buy used, so in my periphery, I kept my eye on Craigslist and Ebay, but was fairly committed to buying new. So ....literally hours before going down to do the deal on a new Tass, I see that some guy has been selling a whole bunch of them (Rentals?, I'm thinking) on Ebay. So, instead I end up getting a '05 Tass Disc (MSRP $869) for minimum bid of $400+$40 shipping - $25 ebay/paypal coupon = $415. I waited to get the bike before posting this, and I can say that it is VERY lightly used (the seller said 3 months of Rails-to-Trails riding at a rental facility in a resort - and that's what it looks like). I saved $300, got hydraulic discs and clipless pedals (and a cheesier fork....oh well), and the bike needs nothing. I am very happy with my new ride, and can now add to this thread:

- Ride LOTS of bikes and only buy what feels right to you. Geometry makes a difference.

- Don't discount the used market. There ARE deals to be had.

(BTW - there are more of these '05 Tass Discs available for those so inclined, a quick ebay search will find them.)

Thanks for a helpful thread. (sorry for the epic first post...)

_matt

Yeah,

Are you talking about Russian money with $500?

get a $800 full suspention

Figured I would bump this thread since I am still looking. I have a thread in general but just in case.

I am brand new to biking so I know nothing. I figure to start my max is 500+tax though I could go 600+tax if truly worth it. I have about 4 LBS in the area but only two that have been extremely friendly. Then again it may be due to the fact I am still uncertain about buying or was when I was looking. Most of my riding will be road for now and maybe some packed trails since I have a couple close.

At the two shops so far I have looked at the Trek 4500, Fischer Marlin 2005(now sold), Raleigh 2.5 I think and Fischer Wahoo. So far I am leaning towards the Trek 4500 since it was the best fit. The one shop is getting in a Trek 4900 and possibly a Fischer Piranha. The one shops who was really not helpfull carried Specialized, Raleigh and I am not sure who else. Basicly when I told them I was looking they showed me the Raleigh and said thats the one for me and had no interest in showing me the other models when I asked. The other one who was a little more helpfull carries the GT Avalanche, Giant and Schwinn.

Is the 4900 worth the price jump for a noob such as myself? The 4500 is $479.99 and the 4900 is $599.99. The piranha would be $649.99 so a little more than I want to spend.

if the trek 4500 fits you the best go with it. its a decent bike and fit is the most important consideration for selecting a bike. if the Piranha fits you, that is a great choice, and in my opinion worth the extra money.

have you considered Kona, 2006 Cinder Cone retails for $699 (you may get some discount from the local shop). Also, the Blast is $599. I know they are down-speced from 2005, but I find Kona frames absolutely amazing. Kona frame construction, handling and durability is top class. give it a try if you can and want to.

Avalanche and trek 4900 is also pretty good. I really liked Diamondback Response Sport 2006. its around $400.

sorry for adding more confusion. best of luck.

Turns out they won't be getting in the 4900 or the piranha anytime soon. They did leave a message stating they have or could get a Fischer Tassajara and give me about 10% off which would bring it close or a little cheaper to the $649.99 of the Piranha. I will have to check the Kona since I believe they actually carry Kona or so they say on their site.

EDIT: they do carry Kona but had no Cinder Cone or Blast that I saw. They have the Fire Mountain.
I plan on going in tomorrow most likely after work to test ride the 4500, Tassajara and anything else in my size.

GF Tass is a proven great bike (bias and generalization intended); if it fits you, its worth a shot.

for Fire mountain, if its a 2005 model, it should be a great bike. Kona did something to the Fire Mountain for 2006. as you may have noticed, Kona changed their XC line frames and gave it a more boxy look, but the fire mountain did not get this update, I dont know why. also, I think the fire mountain has a different geometry for 2006 than the rest of the pack. so, if you buy a 2006, please do some research. 2005 sould be fine, with some price reduction. best of luck

According to the geometry specs on the Kona site, in 2004, the Lana'i and Fire Mountain were different than the others, in 2005, only the Lana'i was different and now in 2006, both the Lana'i and Fire Mountain are different. And it's weird because, for a given size, the measurements are the same except for the head tube and seat tube angles (at least for 2006). And it's even more strange because the Lana'i and Fire Mountain have the more aggressive angles.

yeas, i got confused with what Kona was trying to do. any, good explanation?

No, I figured it would be the other way around. I thought they would have the most aggressive geometry on a frame like the Kula but it's no different than the Blast and up...and all have pretty slack head and seat tube angles (for an XC bike).