bubonik

Hey!

So im a new user to the forum, just found this place and it looked informative.

A bit about me and my riding plans. New mountain biker, long time bmxer as a kid/teen. Have gotten really fat since those times though, I'm 6' 5" and 280 lbs that is completely out of shape with a bad lower back and neck. I'm looking at an all purpose bike thats comfortable, need it as a commuter, short trail exploration and eventually a long distance trail bike. Budget is preferred at or around $750, new bike preferred. Looking at a early January purchase.

Commute 5.5 miles each way without any stops. Lots of rain in the area, Portland Oregon. Tires will be changed to semi slicks.

Short trails are usually around 7.5 miles but I'm not sure what kind of riding it is yet.

Long trails will be both on and off road, lets say 50+ miles with hills.

Local department store is getting rid of their 2010 stock and they have this bike going for ~$750 in the 19" sizing.

https://www.diamondback.com/bikes/mtn...n/sortie-1-10/

dminor 

Welcome!

You may also find this BikeForums subforum helpful: https://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl...-(200-lb-91-kg). Your situation sounds similar to XCSKIBUM's. Hopefully he'll find this thread and post his insights. His latest thread is here: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-Since-January

Not trying to run you off from here of course - - just wanted to give you some additional resources.

As for the bike, the Knucklebox DBs seem to be a solid choice from what I've read. You will get a range of opinions here that run the gamut; so just filter it and take the best of what you read and go from there.

bubonik

Thanks for the reminder! I know im a big guy.

The bike on the other hand will work just fine for me?

never

At 6'5", a 19" might be too small.

bubonik

Thats alright, I have to pass up on this one. I went down there tonight and the price is now $999 just like all other retailers, was basically lied to last night. So is this still a good purchase for a full suspension 2010 or 2011 bike?

bubonik

So I'm willing to bet you guys get a lot of posts similar to mine. Is this the right kind of bike for me type of bs. Just remember that everyone knows nothing at one point and we all need someone to ask. Cant always trust sales reps. Although you weren't very helpful for me, I did appreciate the welcoming from dminor.

Well after doing some more research, still new to this stuff. I realized that the bike in the 19" sizing was in fact a 2008. So I am preparing an order through Performance Bikes for a 2010 Sortie 1, for $999.

I was able to ride a 2010 mongoose teocali comp 19" at the local shop and was pleased with the ride, was told it has basically the same parts. Is this true? I wasn't pleased with how I could not adjust the pressure in the fork.

If anyone has recommendations for slicks, im all ears.

crackerdog

For beginners it is always best to go to a few local shops. Try different bikes, talk to different salespeople. If they all say you need X size bike, then I would guess they are right. Your local shops especially Portland should have some good suggestions because they know the local weather and you can start watching what other people are riding. It takes a lot of research when starting out and since we can't sit down over a beer with you (that you buy) it is pretty hard to make recommendations on a whole new bike for a beginner.

Zephyr11

Before you complain about us giving you bad advice, consider this. We have next to no information about you. We know your height, weight, budget, and how you plan to use the bike. That's it. We don't know what kind of trails you plan to ride. Trail exploration can mean so many things. Sometimes I explore trails on my 4" weenie bike, because I've been told there's a lot of climbing but nothing super tech-y. And sometimes I take my big ole' hardtail, because I know there's going to be some stuff to play on and I want a slack bike with cheap components where I'll care a lot less if I trash a derailleur. You're an ex-BMX guy, so my first instinct is to tell you to get a geared DJ that will handle jumps, stairs, and drops. But then you say you want an all-purpose bike for commuting and long trail rides, and a DJ will Suck with a capital S for that. So give us more information about how you want to ride this bike.

Sizing is all relative. One company's 17" is different from another company's 17" since every company seems to measure differently. Plus geometry makes a huge difference. Reach and stack are more important measures than seattube size due to differences in geometry (reach is horizontal distance from bottom bracket to headtube and stack is vertical distance between the same two points). Why? Because your butt's not always in the saddle. But you don't know what the best measurements are for you anyway, and unfortunately we can't figure it out online, since everyone's proportions are a little different. So you need to go to shops and try bikes out, then buy whichever one fits the best. The best bike on paper that doesn't fit you in real life is a bike that will sit and never get ridden.

Are you sure you can't adjust the fork? I didn't Google the bike, so I don't know what's on it, but with an air fork you can add or remove air, and with a coil fork you can put in a different weight spring. And if it's a cheap fork, there's not much you can do to fix it. Also, some people might come on here and say to get a fork with lockout, but lockout is overrated. A good fork won't bob and negates the need for lockout. A cheap fork's lockout doesn't work. So don't worry about lockout. A fork where you can adjust the rebound is a plus though, and your shop should be able to help you dial that in (you can fine tune it as you ride it).

Finally, this is your first bike, right? 99% chance you don't know what you want (so we definitely don't know). You might think you know, but as you ride and get experience, you'll realize your first guess was wrong, and you'll want something a little different. A bike's not something you buy once and have forever. It's something that you upgrade and replace as you get experience. Also, there's a good chance you'll trash your first bike. As you're learning to ride, you'll fall and trash its components. You'll trash stuff on later bikes too, how much depending on what direction you go with your riding, but no matter what, expect to abuse that first bike. Most likely, you won't always keep up with maintenance as well as you will with later bikes either. I trashed my first bike and I'm not the only one. So don't buy this bike expecting it to be the be-all-end-all.

Hope that helps some.

bubonik

Ill agree with this. I decided that the best thing for me to do was to take a different approach. Not drop a bunch of money on something I know nothing about.

I am looking at a used bike, found a 2008 gary fisher wahoo disc for $200 locally and ill be looking at it tomorrow. I know going in that it will not be a good bike, but it will help me figure out what I need in one and why I need it. Also if it gets stolen I wont care.

As a commuter I will be converting a cruiser that isnt very fun to ride here because of the tall gearing and hills.

I figure by next turkey day I can make a more informed decision about what I need and why. Also purchasing a previous years model to save cash.

I also apologize, I was frustrated.

Zephyr11

The Wahoo is not a bad bike. It'll most likely be a while before it's not enough bike for you (skill-wise anyway, but you may find you want another bike before it's *truly* not enough bike for your riding). Just make sure it fits, because if it doesn't fit but you buy it because you think it's a good deal anyway, you won't ride it. Good luck!