Hi everyone! I'm from norcal and I used to mountain bike with my brother and he gave me his hand me down mountain bike, its a specialized hard tail, don't exactly know which model it was, but we tried modifying it to make it fit me better but we failed. Now i haven't mountain biked for like 2 years and I don't know anything about bikes at all. I am only 5ft 3in. tall, and Im looking to get either another hard tailed bike or a full suspension bike. Can anybody recommend me a bike that's around $500? I'm probably going to go buy a used one. What should I look for? Thanks!

What you want is a steel, fixed-gear, rigid 29er.

you will NOT be getting a full suspension for $500. any full suspension bicycle selling for $500 (unless it is stolen and being sold for crack money) is not really meant to be ridden. go to your local bike shop, you can get a great brand new mountain bike for $500, and they will make sure it fits you.

Even on Craigs list a $500. FS bike is "questionable." But it can buy a decent HT on Craigslist or your LBS. LBS also comes with trail knowledge, clubs and other fun stuff.

PS: Them guys that advise RIGID 29ers possibly have shaken things loose at the brainstem. I remember the Rigid days, my chipped up teeth remind me as well.

I find myself accidently chomping down at times when I hit some hard areas. I may get a mouthguard for when I ride. Never thought of it until I read your post.

full suspension bikes are nice and ride a bit smoother but i think hard tails are better. hard tails tend to have a lot better control in my opinion.

I wish I would have gotten a mouthguard years ago.

HEY dminor do the bombers in your DH world wear mouth protection inside those helmets.

P.S. them guys that advise the rigid 29ers are probably sick and bored of answering the same damn question 400 times a day. look at the number in their post count. i bet half of those posts are replying to "what bike should i get? should i get this $89 full suspension downhill bike from target?"

you have never ridden a hard tail on a technical rocky trail i'm bettin....

if you consider the side of a mountain with more than a 5ft drop as a rocky trail then you are right that i have never ridden a hard tail on a "technical rocky trail" and i never will because i'm afraid of heights.

I have and find it quite exhilerating to feel each and every bump. Seriously! But I do have a new build I will introduce to the trails tomorrow that is a full suspension. We will see.

But lets address the tired of the same old "What should I get" post. Is that not why these forums exist to assist. If you hate the post don't read them. I don't read those I don't care for. I think it is great to have a resource to ask questions.

Here is an idea for the mods. Create a "What should I buy?" thread here so folks will have a place to post.

I agree, that'd keep everyone happy

i'm not too tired of the "what should i get post"....yet. that is why i gave a non-snarky answer to the question. i agree with your idea, there should be a "what should i buy?" thread/section. It's a great idea.

+1 to the What bike do I buy thread. There have been a ton this summer. I remember being new here and asking dumb questions. I like sarcasm, so it was all good.

Hey Pablosnaz, Fruita, CO eh? I "broke my teeth" on rigid HTs in Farmington, NM and trails up towards your neighborhood. I envy your area. Do you chase down any trout on your rides?

+1. But then again if such a thing existed, it would probably just get ignored & further piss people off.

Quoted for "stupid statement" entertainment value.

Naw. The cush obviates the need; and for those true white-knuckle experiences, the puckered sphincter wins out over the clenched jaw.

It actually already exists - - as the MTB FAQ sticky. And you're right, it gets ignored, since you didn't know that was there, did you? And probably 95% of the "What Bike to Buy?" threads are here because others ignored it as well. >sigh<

^I guess I should have ended my comment with something along the lines of "[/sarcasm]"?

Also, I don't mind when people post threads with 2 or 3 bikes saying "These are all suited for my style of riding. Which should I get?". I assume what they really mean is "Which would you get?" & then if any of the bikes look nice I tell them which I like best & why. It's when people just barge in & say "uhh.i dun no nothin about mountain bikes. which one should i get???" that bothers me. A whopping 5 minutes of literature in the aforementioned thread would give them a better answer than any one person could give provided the limited information of "I want to mountain bike. What do I get with $200?" I feel like this is where technology & too much sympathy for the mentally challenged is slowing the process of natural selection.

I'd just gotten back from a lunchtime run in the low 80s - - I think my sarcasm meter was cooked. Oops .

sorry i'm a bit slow....d you mean actual fish trout, or is trout a euphemism for something? i do fish for trout, but not while i'm on our awesome trails. let me know if you come back to ride here, we'll go ride and drink afterward.

It's all good. Sometimes the sarcastic tone is so clear in my mind that I forget I'm on the internet & my comments can be interpreted numerous ways unless I specify my tone.

ahh yes, the problem with "flat chat," where it's just words open for interpretation, and you can't hear the person's tone they are speaking in. happens to me quite a bit, my sarcasm is often mistaken. nice to see i'm not the only one it happens to.

I'll make a late answer to the OP (if he/she is still reading the thread) with some advice from someone who's also 5'3".

At $500 I agree with others that your best bet is used, although used MTBs in our size can be difficult to find. I generally do best with a frame size of 15" to 16", depending on the geometry of the frame. I prefer a classic 26" (559) wheel size on my MTBs to a 29er, again because of my height. You may or may not feel the same way.

Your best deal will be to find a used hardtail, I agree with others that a $500 full suspension bike is likely to be a low end cheap model or in poor shape. If you really want FS, save up more money.