MTBs under $350? (Solved)
 

UPDATE:
Hey all! Thanks for all the help with this! I ended up ordering a Dawes Haymaker 1200 on Sunday, expected to receive it Friday, and got it today. Other than the front brakes, I put it all together pretty quickly.

Rode it for a few miles this evening, including down a couple flights of stairs, and all was good! Really enjoying it, and I'm glad to be back on a bike!

I'll try to remember to update this in a couple of weeks to let you know how its working. Maybe I'll include some videos too. Thanks again!

(Ignore the mess :D)

http://i.imgur.com/PaRiml.jpg

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Hey all!

I fully understand that "you get what you pay for", particularly when it comes to mountain bikes, but I really want to get more into mountain biking, and I think I'm a little beyond Walmart bikes. I used to bike a lot when I was younger, and I tore up those Walmart bikes pretty quickly.

However, I really don't have the money (poor college student) for an expensive MTB, and was wondering if there are any solid entry level mountain bikes for $350 or less? I know its a stretch, but I really can't go beyond that. I have looked on Craigslist, and I haven't found anything yet, but I will keep looking.

Is something like this (Diamondback 2012 Response) or this (Diamondback 2012 Sorrento) viable?
I've also been looking at the '12 Trek 820 and the Jamis Trail X1 (local bike shop has this for ~$350).

Are any of these a viable choice for an entry level MTB? Any other suggestions?

Thanks for your time!

www.bikesdirect.com

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ht_new_xii.htm $319
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ht_new_xii.htm $369
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ggressor_1.htm $299
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/fsx_1.htm $329

Wow. Is that site for real? Those prices seem almost too good to be legit...

Best troll thread ever. ;) But seriously (!) stick to craigslist and know what your looking at...I've got a tad more than $300 into this bike...

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=257364

BD is real and its been around a long time, plenty of happy customers. they do not ship to canada, you will be required to partially assemble and tune the bike, sometimes the wheels need to be retensioned/trued right out of the box...not perfect but cheap.

Yeah they suck as I live in Canada, booooooo!

Is there a noticeable difference between the 400ht and the 600ht? The 600ht LTD is currently $360 (clearance sale?), which seems to be an insane deal. Any reason not to jump on this? It definitely seems like a solid upgrade over department store bikes.

I don't mind doing my own assembly and tuning.


Thanks for the help!

EDIT:
They're sold out of 19s. =\ Back to looking at the 400ht/500ht LTD. Will I notice a difference between the two (is spending the extra $30 worth it)?

yes unfortunately their stock runs out of the popular sizes alot.

Rim Brake Trek 3500 is close to that.. in Oregon.. $440,[SRP]
lighter alloy frame 820 is steel frame.

lots of B.C./ Alberta residents buy bikes here to save on the GST/VAT..

Diamond-Gooses have degraded after selling off the name,
then sold out of big box wally-world..

If you're going to buy an inexpensive MTB, then there are basically four ways to go:

1) Monitor your local Craigslist for a HT MTB with a well functioning fork. Make certain that the bike fits and that its fork is operating properly. Also make certain that the bike has no structural issues, like a breached weld, dents, or rust (if it's steel).

2) Join a bike co-op and try to locate a MTB frame upon which you can build, after obtaining membership.
Of course, if the co-op fails to provide you a frame within a certain period of time, you may also rely upon independent methods of obtaining a frame thru Craigslist, yard sales, and online purchases.

3) Bikesdirect.com has some very excellent deals on all kinds of bikes, including MTN bikes. However, you will be expected to take on full responsibility of ordering the correct frame size and completing the build upon arrival.

www.bikesdirect.com/instructionhelp.htm

Watch this video a whole bunch of times before completing the build!

So basically you are saying to spend $1200(10 speed XT Group and not including putting a better fork, brooks saddle and the price of getting a frame powder coated into consideration not to mention having to get disc brake ready wheels as well because there is no v brake option with XT) on a bike that the MSRP is $360? I'm not even sure the boulder frame has disc brake tabs, and to get those put on it's even more money down the drain. Not exactly cost effective, it's not worth putting that much money into a bike that costs $360 new.

To the OP, search craigslist or ebay and find something that is decent and continue saving up for something better.

You're right option #4 totally sucks! :lol:

I've been looking at Craigslist for a few weeks now, but still nothing. Haven't found any decent 19s on Ebay either.

The 400ht has sold out of 19.5s, but still has 18s, though I think that those would be too small for me. I'm 5'9.5" with a 34" inseam (no shoes) and 150 lbs. I currently have a 17" department store bike, but its too small and is pretty uncomfortable.

If 19.5s were in stock, do you think they'd be too big for me? According to the geometry sizing for the 400ht, the standover for 19.5s is 31.6", which sounds acceptable, but I'm not entirely sure.

I'm now looking at these, since they have 19s in stock:
- 2012 Dawes Haymaker 1000 ($330)
- 2012 Dawes Haymaker 1200 ($380)
- 2012 Windsor Cliff 4500 ($350)
- 2012 Windsor Cliff 4700 ($400)

Are any of these straight-up "no's" at this price range? Is it worth putting down the extra money for the better version of these bikes, or will I not notice the difference?

Thanks again. Sorry for all the questions.

Many great suggestions, craigslist being best since you can get more for the money there. If you can spend a little bit more check out the Airborne Skyhawk here for 399.00 Nice bike for the price. http://www.airbornebicycles.com/prod...2-skyhawk.aspx Best of luck on getting yourself a new bike, it can be overwhelming with all the choices out there. Gene

+1 ^ This one looks good too!

Thanks guys!

@Slim - I can't respond to your PM (not enough posts), but thanks for the tip. I actually plan on going today. :D

I just got back from my LBS, and they recommended the Specialized Hardrock SE ($399; $433 with tax). How does that compare with the Dawes Haymaker 1200 or the Windsor Cliff 4700? I also tried out the Trek 820 (~$350), and didn't like it as much as the Hardrock (though both the Specialized and the Trek were 10 times better than my 17" department store bike rofl).

They also recommended a 19/19.5" frame size. The Trek 820 was a 21", and I had about 1 inch of clearance standing flat-footed in my shoes (I'm 5'10"). Anyways, it seems like I'd get a little more bang for my buck by getting the Dawes 1200 or the Windsor 4700 from BD. Your thoughts?

Both the Dawes and the Windsor appear to equally equipped. Both have decent reviews. Both have disc brakes and front suspension with lockout. I say, whichever one appeals to your visual sense the most. Get that one! :thumb:

I just noticed that the 2010 Dawes Haymaker 1500 is also available for $400. Is that a better deal than the 2012 Dawes Haymaker 1200/2012 Windsor Cliff 4700? I wish I knew how to compare components better. T_T

Thanks again!

Yes! Grab it!

I just read reviews about how much of an improvement the 1500 is over the 1200 Haymaker! :thumb:

* Apparently the Rockshox Dart 2 Fork is better than the Suntour XCT...

Thanks for the response (I have too many questions T_T). The 2010 Dawes 1500 only has a Dart 1 doesn't it? Is that still better than the Suntour XCT V4 ML found in the 2012 Dawes 1200?

Alright! Good catch!

The 2010 1500 Haymaker is not as good as the 1200 Haymaker because of the lockout feature on the Suntour XCT fork. The Lockout feature is really important and I quite frankly, think it's a deal breaker.

Someone else might want to chime in to disagree. However, that's just my opinion.

Hi Liberis!

If you live in a large urban area, there should be a bicycle co-op nearby. If there is such a co-op, just become a member and take your bike there. Talk to one of the workshop leaders and discuss your plan to upgrade with them. The co-op will usually have spare components that just might fit your bike. The seasoned veteran mechanics there will guide you while you install better components onto your bike.

If I were you, I'd gradually purchase upgraded components for my new bike until I had acquired everything needed for a new and better drivetrain. I would then set up a personal goal of finishing the upgrade at the co-op and I'd discuss the details of that goal with a co-op leader. Before purchasing any components, I would first get approval from a co-op leader about such a purchase. I'd do this because, first of all, you don't want to purchase the wrong component for what you're trying to accomplish. Secondly, sometimes the co-op leaders will know where to locate certain components at a discount, or possibly even at no charge to you.

If you don't have a co-op nearby, then my suggestion would be to just volunteer to help a LBS over the summer, after applying for a part-time position as an employee. Just tell the owner that you'd like to become a bicycle mechanic.

If that doesn't work, just make frequent visits at a LBS where the people appear to be friendly. Try to make friends with one of the mechanics. Occasionally show up with something for this mechanic. So you go to McDonald's one day. Pick him up a 5-10 dollar gift certificate. You get pizza for lunch one day. Get a personal pizza, just for him. Find out his birthday and don't forget his present on that day! Make sure you know what he likes on his pizza, before you buy it! Try to find out where this guy hangs out. You can then become like a personal buddy, if you just happen to be in that neighborhood one day, and decide to drop in. Don't look like your stalking though...Also, right from the start, pass on your favorite playboy magazine to him, just to let him know that you play the game straight! ;)

Additionally, I would continually ask the owner for a part-time or weekend position at the LBS, as a helper/assistant/jr.bike mechanic/flunky/gopher.

PS.

Once you've become familiar with bicycle mechanics enough to do your own upgrades, move on with your life! :thumb:

Thanks for the very detailed and informative post!

I am currently a college student, but I do work over summer, so I wouldn't be able to volunteer/work at an LBS/co-op (unless it was weekends). However, when I was younger, I used to do a lot of tinkering with my Walmart bikes (they broke a lot), so I'm pretty comfortable working on them, and I am not afraid to teach myself what I need to know (there are plenty of resources available online). I just wanted to be sure that I wasn't locking myself out of any potential future upgrades by going with the Dawes Haymaker 1200.

From your post, it sounds like I shouldn't have any issues, but developing a good relationship with my LBS/co-op is a good idea. I'm fairly certain my university has a mountain biking club, so I'm going to have to look into this.

Thanks again! I think I'm going to go ahead and get the Dawes Haymaker 1200, and we'll see where I go from there. :D