mwoj

Yep that is it, any info on it and is that a good price?

Edit: It is a 2011 Trek 3700 Disc, which seems like a decent beginner bike after reading many reviews. Is the $270 price tag too much?

juniorcat

I ride road, but all the local trails are calling to me ... thing is, I have zero MTB experience so I'm in the dark a bit, especially on fit. I know I want full-suspension, hydraulic brakes, 26" wheels - but not sure what size frame to get. I'm 5' 4" (sometimes 5' 3 1/2") and have a bit of standover clearance on the 17 (I'm looking at Trek EX6). The shop said it would be fine - ideally I should get a 15 - but they'd change out the handlebar stem. There are no more 15's in the state. I'd get a helluva deal on the 17, but not sure if it's worth it?

So - how important is clearance, and how much should I have?

dminor 

Standover is very important with an MTB - - especially when you're new to off-road. Always better to have as much 'forgiveness' as can be had.

It sounds to me like they just really want to put you on a bike they have rather than putting you on the right bike. Fit is more than just reach and leg extension issue that can be solved by stem lengths, etc. Within reason, yes; but stem length affects the way a bike handles, in how quickly or slowly it steers. Frame height affects handling too, in that a too-large frame for you is going to react awkwardly to rider input with its higher COG, etc. In other words, it is much more than just running your seatpost lower.

If you can't get a 15" Fuel EX6, I would look around and see if there is another similarly-spec'd/featured brand at another shop that you can get in your proper size.


BTW, you are going to get a lot of hidden-agenda questioning on this forum as to why you feel you want full suspension. Ignore them. You want what you want and do not have to justify that to anyone.

juniorcat

Thanks, dminor - I think you're right about the shop trying to sell me what's in stock, since they've done this before. They're great about saving me cash on stuff I "think" I need and they let me know I don't need it - or they give me free labor and minor parts - but they are fairly aggressive about getting bikes out the door.

As for full suspension ... I'm not married to the idea, but was told that for what I'd be doing, I would want it. Here's what I plan on doing - wide trails, no jumping, no boulder-laden single track. Basically, just some fun, forgiving trails with some climbing/descending fit for beginner/intermediate MTB'ers. I'm 100 percent roadie right now (average 3K/yr), so the MTB world is foreign to me and any advice is greatly appreciated!

dminor 

Ah, in that case, keep an open mind. With your background, you may find the instant-reponse-to-input of a good hardtail to your liking.And you will generally get more bike for a given price point than in full suspension. Pinch me, am I saying this? This is coming from a die-hard, come-what-may FS advocate. Just keep an open mind, good luck and post what you end up with in 'Post Your Rides.'

Zephyr11

I'm 5'3, and there's no way I could ride a 17" bike comfortably. Not only would the standover be non-existent, but I'd also have to have the saddle slammed, and the reach would be ridiculous, even with a short stem. If you really like that shop, you could see if they can order you a 15".

Coming from the road, I think you'll appreciate the geometry of a cross-country bike over something more all-mountainy, regardless of whether you go hardtail or full-suspension. I actually think you'd feel more at home on a Top Fuel than a Fuel EX. Given the riding you're describing, I'm surprised you were pushed so hard towards full-suspension in the first place...I think either will work just fine. The other thing to be aware of is someone is going to see your roadie background and say to go 29er. Which would be great and I'd agree...if you were 5'10. Don't go 29er.

juniorcat

Thanks dminor and Zephyr - I had a feeling the clearance would be a biggie. Also, when I told the guy I am 5'4", he immediately said "size 15" and then changed tack when it was discovered there were no 15's.

Now - what brand is Top Fuel? I'd like to check that out. A few others highly recommended the Santa Cruz bikes. And yeah, I agree Zephyr ... not a chance I'm going with a 29er. Seems completely wrong for me.

I just dropped a load of cash on a new road bike this summer when my old one saw its last mile, and I am signed on for a Trek Travel trip next year - so my bike budget is somewhat strained. Any suggestions for a good MTB 2K/max that would do well for one with lots of roadie miles but no MTB miles? As I said earlier, I'm looking for easy-ish trails at first, but would like the bike to provide some room to grow into harder stuff. I just don't see the need to spend more than 2K, especially since I don't even know yet what my interest level will be - does that make sense?

This thread is such a great resource for those of us who only have a couple LBS's in town!!

Zephyr11

Only suggested Top Fuel because that was Trek's full-suspension XC bike and it sounded like you were at a Trek place. But I don't even see it on their website so they may not offer it anymore. Santa Cruz is cool...you may be able to put together a Superlight within your budget. Just go and try out a bunch of bikes within your budget and see what feels good.

juniorcat

Component question that I'm sure has no answer ... which is better, SRAM X5 or Shimano Deore?

And while I'm at it ... does single pivot suspension make for less efficient pedaling? The shop guy said this about the Santa Cruz bikes?

dminor 

I'll answer the single-pivot question: it is . . . (drumroll) . . . yes and no. It all depends on a number of factors including pivot placement and the shock itself. The short answer is that single pivot, in the case of bikes like Santa Cruz, Transition, Yeti, etc. especially, is not a detriment. Most savvy manufacturers have pivot placement down, finding the optimal spot to give decent low-gear firming-up of the suspension to aid climbing while remaining active to cancel trail chatter. Plus, so many good shocks have some sort of pedalling platform damping built in, that it makes up for any liabilities the single-pivot platform has.

I can't compare X5 to Deore but I can say I found X5 plenty decent. I got a setup cheap of eBay for an XC hardtail I didn't want to spend a lot of money on and I felt it shifted almost as crisply is my X7 and X9 combos. It's not as robust and will probably wear out quicker but that was not my concern at the time.

juniorcat

Thanks, dminor - have to say I have no idea what "single pivot" is but once I heard "single pivot" and "less efficient pedaling" in the same sentence, I thought I should ask around.

I think it's time to stop thinking and start buying my MTB already! I won't know what I'll like until I get out there, and chances are I will love whatever I get!

Rob944

Long time roadie here looking to get a hardtail 29er. I know I want a Shimano equipped bike as I prefer it to the Sram systems. Looking for opinions on 4 that I like. I no particular order:

1. Gt Zaskar 9R Elite:
https://www.gtbicycles.com/2013/bikes...r-niner-elite#
Nicely equipped, can buy locally from a good shop, $1500

2. Scott Scale 29er Elite
https://www.scott-sports.com/us/en/pr...cale-29-elite/
Really like what I have read about this bike but have not yet found locally. Have seen online around $1300.

3. BMC TE29er 2012
https://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...e#.UMaqRZPjmpU
This would be strictly mail order,$1200ish. Looks like a great deal for the $$$.

4. Gravity Point 6 from Bikesdirect
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...y/29point6.htm
The best equipment and the best deal at $1200.

I am a little leery of mail order. I have a BD road bike and knew enough how to put it together without problem. I am not as confident about a MTB or getting the fit right.

I have not researched the geometry on any of these. I know I need a 21" frame. This will be a trail/XC bike for me, nothing heavy duty and not competing.

Any opinions appreciated. Thanks!

Teon

Have been reading some of the sticky threads here on components and such.....some great info!! I am a road biker who builds and restores vintage era bikes for myself(1980s era)...love building and riding. I used to have a 26" mtb (no suspension) that I used a lot when camping and when I wanted to do some dirt/trail riding.....but got into the road biking heavily, and sold it a couple years ago. Have found myself wanting to build a 29er, as I have really liked a couple of my friends' 29ers, and felt that I would probably really enjoy the bike as a change of pace to my road bikes.

So my question is.....any frames that you all might recommend? Have been looking at nashbar stuff, performance bike access frames, as well as some used access and diamondback overdrive frames on ebay and craigslist. I don't need anything super fancy, just something that would be fun to build with decent components that I would find/buy/trade for over time. I would like to keep the frame cost below 200 bucks, as I know there will be a good bit of cash involved in the buildup. My main concern is I don't want to get a complete piece of crap frame, and then over build it with medium range components that would be nonsense on a poc frame. I don't particularly want to get a complete bike either, as I would rather build it from the ground up, as I really enjoy doing that sort of thing. Am wanting to build a hardtail with front shocks.

Anyways, any sorts of tips and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

RECOG

Ok guys, here goes.

I haven't ridden a bike regularly in years. I have been wanting to get another one for a while now, but am at a loss as to what I should get. My budget is roughly $200 for the bike itself. I don't mind spending money on it down the road. Right now I'm mainly going to be doing this for excercise/recreation. Now, when I say, I used to have a bike, it was a bike from walmart, so I am by no means knowledgeable about bikes at all really. Since there are more things I have questions about than that I know, I'll start with what I do know.

I want to get a mountain bike. I know that I want it to be a single speed/fixed gear type. I know that I want disc brakes. I know that I don't want a total piece of crap, but I don't want to spend too much either as I am currently a broke college student. I was talking to a buddy of mine that has been biking for a while and this is what gave me for some good options:

for a 26 inch, he recommended scott, trek, and marin brands. for 29 inch bikes, he recommended the brands Haro, 29er, and said if i could find one i should jump on getting an on one.

Now, I am still very early in the buying stage of this, and I am planning on trying to get what I want used, that way I can get a little better stuff for a little better price.

I know that this is really vague, but any opinions would be extremely helpful, as I understand that there are a lot of other factors involved in this purchase.

10 Wheels

How tall are you?

https://houston.craigslist.org/bik/3453579183.html

https://houston.craigslist.org/bik/3484554044.html

RECOG

6 foot. I dont know my leg length though. One of those links has already been deleted, however the one for the trek is still for sale. It looks nice, although I am kind of set on getting one with shocks. I guess i left that part out in my original post. Really, I don't have to find this bike before christmas, so I'm just going to hold out for a really great deal. I'd be willing to buy just a frame if i found a nice one for the right price and start out with that.

jazzrulez

hey guys! I'm new to the site/sorry if i'm posting this in the wrong place (i suck at forums) but this site came up in a bunch of my google searches and y'all seem friendly and helpful

So i'm looking for my first mountain bike, i'll be using if for the trails/hills at my school and to get to class but i'm a poor college student so i'm looking for the best deal. I found a Giant Chinook on craiglist for $75 in my city and wanted to see if anyone had some opinions on it?
is it a good starter bike, should i keep looking? here's a pic! Thanks!
https://images.craigslist.org/3Ke3I13...1eac241d59.jpg

1bluetrek

Ok folks, Here's a question. I have a Gt Avalanche 2.0 disc, size large. It's way too big for me so Im thinking new frame. Since apparently lower end frames are not for sale thru folks like Specialized, Trek, etc. Has anyone here bought a Nashbar frame, or the Sette frame from Price Point? I think they are both 6061 AL frames. Are both disc brake compatible?

Ldosorio

Hi, I want to change my bike (2005 Giant XTC) and will go for 29er.
These are the options I have short listed: 2012 Cannondale Flash-3 and 2013 Specialized Carve Comp. both are new bikes and have basically the same configuration: rockshox Recon Gold front suspension, 3x10 Deore/SLX (Flash) vs 2x10 X5/X7(Carve) group. And the same price.
Is the year of manufacturing important? Does 2x10 really makes my life easier?
Any suggestion or comment on this regard will be appreciated.

live_dont_exist

I'm planning to get a bike. It'll be an occasional 2 or 3 time a week commute. 5.5 miles either way. I'm quite certain I don't want to spend anymore than 200-300$ on it. I could buy one from Craigslist but I'm not the most experienced around..and a guy at a shop I went to said that there are many stolen bikes on there. I thought of getting one from Target but the 2 bike shops I went to said they were awful. So... ..one of the shops I went to (proper bike shop) is giving me the Torker Alpental for around 270$ (https://www.torkerusa.com/bikes/recre...12-alpental-26) and said he'd tell me a bit about maintenance of the bike as well. I do want to learn how to maintain my bike myself. What works out cheaper though? Target bike + Bike maintenance course? OR the slightly more expensive Torker Alpental? Is the price of the Torker reasonable? What about the deal itself? I'm around 5'9" and have been riding a borrowed Trek Navigator 300 now and then. Thanks

dminor 

Torker is a base bike shop "price point" brand. It is distributed by wholesaler SBS (Seattle Bike Supply) only to brick-and-mortar local bike shops. They are most known for their economical, sturdy unicycles and cruiser bikes. But the other bikes are solid buys - - a basic component spec and probably a tad heavy but a dependable and, most importantly, serviceable bike. A Target bike is a 'throw-away' piece that will disappoint you quickly.

live_dont_exist

Thank You Dminor. Is 270$ a fair price to pay? Also how much do bike maintenance courses typically cost? How much would you say a basic (I want to maintain my bike) course will cost? Do you know any good places in Boston that teach these courses?

dminor 

It seems reasonable to me for getting something at box-store price that should be better than box-store quality.

Can't tell you from experience what classes should cost. I know that the owner of my LBS teaches classes in the local community for free or for a nominal fee (depending on the venue). I also believe your REI offers bike maintenance classes. I checked the Boston REI and did not find any on their calendar but you could call them to see if/when they offer them (maybe closer to spring?). Ours looks like it offers a free basic one in April. You may also check out the area community colleges, parks and rec departments and local bike co-ops for classes. One of our LBS has classes for $25; another has free ones. Hope that helps.

live_dont_exist

I'm kinda new in the USA so I'm not familiar with REI. I googled and saw REI was a famous outdoor gear shop. Is that what you mean? And by LBS do you mean local bike store? That advice helps though, I will keep it in mind. Thanks.

bob13bob

I would at least give youtube a try. the basic maintenance is not that hard. this may save you time from driving/riding back and forth to class since you can do it from home.