hey guys, i'm looking to buy my first mountain bike...but my knowledge on mtb's is really low..so i'm not sure what i should buy. my price range is under $300, and i'm 5'7-5'8, if that helps. thank you

At that price range your best bet is to check ebay/craigslist for a used one. There really isn't much new bikes from any of the lbs brands that go for less than $300.

To aid you in this at 5'7/5'8 you would be in the range for small/medium sized frame(depending on the make.)

Well, would you recommend any beginner bikes? I'm really not sure what kinds I should be searching for..sorry!

It's hard to recommend a good used bike since there are so many possible models and so few available in any given area. See what you can find on craigslist in your size and reference it by looking up the model on bikepedia.com, then researching the parts if you don't know what's good. Feel free to ask about models or components in this thread (although I do not recommend linking directly to an ad in case it's a killer deal and some member snaps it up).

As mentioned above, you just won't find a new bike in that price range that's worth riding. Also, let us know what type of riding you plan on doing. Do you want to ride smooth fire roads? Bumpy singletrack? Rocky terrain with mad jumps and drops?

Hey, i'm mostly going to be riding on smooth roads, but i'm probably going to ride on some trails once in a while. well, after searching some more around the forum, I think i'm going to save up a little more money. But what bike would you recommend? Regardless of the price, what's a solid first bike?

I've been out of the scene for a long time, but the Specialized Rockhopper has always been a great entry level bike. You might even be fine with the Hardrock line if you're going to avoid any rugged trails and want to upgrade eventually.

I think the Hardrock is a better value than the Rockhopper. The advantage of the Rockhopper these days is that it has a lighter, equally strong frame & slightly better components. But the Rockhopper starts at around $600 if I'm not mistaken. For $550, you have get a Hardrock Sport Disc with Avid BB5 brakes, double-wall rims, & a fork with lockout (nice for riding on paved roads). My LBS recommended the Hardrock Sport Disc over the Rockhopper unless I planned on at least going with the Rockhopper Comp Disc, which is $220 more. If you have the money or can find a good deal on a newer used Rockhopper (within 2 or 3 years old), I would definitely go with that. There's no denying that it's a better bike. But since your initial budget was $300, I think the Hardrock would be a better value since a Rockhopper worth the money would cost over double what you have now. The Hardrock Disc is also a very good bike, but it has cheaper brakes, no lockout on the fork, & regular rims (double walls are much stronger & will cost less in time when you don't have to get them trued after taking a 4 ft drop).

I think you reply to every thread that gets started here.

^^Says the man with 8,600+ posts

And I only reply if I have something valid to say. If a veteran comes in & starts asking about how to weld a disc brake mount on the back of their frame or how to maintain their hydraulic disc brakes, I don't say **** 'cause I don't know ****.

8,500 of my posts are like the one above...and this one.

I don't really know why I'm here most of the time.

If price is your main concern, look at this bike:

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/hay1200xi.htm

It is a hardtail with a SUNTOUR suspension fork with lockout.
WTB Velociraptor tires
SHIMANO components
Mechanical Disc Brakes
WTB Speed Disc Double Wall Aluminum rims....
NEW FREE SHIPPING...No Tax... $370.00
Dont get mad BD haters.

BD is definitely a good deal, but you need to either know how to assemble it, or be willing to pay a shop some good cash to do it for you.

How "disassembled" do they ship it?

It is mostly assembled and cables run. You have to mount the bars, wheels, saddle and such. For first timer, pay the $75 to you LBS that you trust to make sure all is tuned up. I enjoy learning how to do it myself and to tune and maintain it myself later.

I bought the Fantom 29 Pro SL and the things I need to put on the bike were: Stem, handlebar, front brake, poploc, seat, front QR skewer, and pedals. Then mount the shifters and brake levers. Finish with the grips.

Yes, it is mostly assembled, but you need to adjust (or at least check) the headset, brakes, derailleurs, and all fasteners.

Haha, well I try to help with what I can, when I can. If feel likes it's helping build up some good karma.

From what I've heard, it's 90% assembled, but only about 10% tuned. Assembly is easy, tuning is difficult to learn. So they brag about how they've done most of the easy stuff for you, & then leave you surprised when your brakes, derailleurs, & cables all need major tuning. It's still a good deal, but not as good as advertised if you aren't a decent bike mechanic.