kgoings

I ride road a lot, 2014 Cannondale SS/EVO 105. Several of my friends ride mtn also so I was thinking of picking up a bike to join them. I don't have a huge bankroll and wanted your thoughts on these two bikes from bikesdirect

Mountain Bikes - MTB - Full Suspension Motobecane 550DS

and for a little bit more money

Save Up To 60% Mountain Bikes - MTB - Full Suspension Motobecane 750DS

gearhead82

Honestly, those bikes look horrible. It looks like the same frame used on Walmart "bikes." I think if you're looking in the $500-$700 range you would be a lot better off looking for a hardtail mountain bike.

kgoings

Thanks any suggestions?

gearhead82

I'm not an expert, but probably something more like this: Save up to 60% off new Mountain Bikes - MTB - Motobecane Fantom 29COMP or Save up to 60% off new Mountain Bikes - MTB - Motobecane Fantom 29PRO

Or if you can swing a few $$ more, this is a seriously nice bike for the price: Airborne Bicycles. Goblin

fietsbob

They bypass low paid shop mechanics like me, so you are on your own . I put together Treks for the shop.

osco53

OP go to: Mtbr Forums

sign up and log in, do the newb thing and read the FAQ for new riders..

If you buy an Internet bike like those in your original post you will be sorry but the bike will look cool hanging on the garage wall,
year after year,

I love my mountain bike, and my LWB recumbent,,, and my single speed....

But the mountain bike, you must choose with extra care...

For Instance,, decent hard tails can be had just shy of a thou.
Decent Full suspension bikes for virgins start north of $2000,
If your Athletic and like fast try way north, say $3000 and up.

The Giant Trance for instance: Trance 27.5 3 (2014) | Giant Bicycles | United States
I want a Trek remedy or Fuel for my next toy XD

Depending or your location, all things being equal most start on Hard Tails..
because you gotta get it right on a hard tail. After you get your skills up to par you
wont be as likely to get hurt on a full squish that often helps a new rider,, 'Get away with things'

Understand ?

A roadie goes real fast down that white line,,,

Us Dirt rats go real fast In the tree's,
over big rocks,
Inches from 60 foot drop off's,
Down near vertical shoots,
Roots,, oh my !

Um, Balls to the walls just inches between our handle bars and things that will break us up real bad....

I carry a first aid kit and when asked how far I ride I say, "100 ounces", cause that's
how much water I carry when I go into the mines.

Zephyr11

I'd suggest paying a little more up front to buy from a shop, especially if you don't know what you're looking for. Gives you the opportunity to try out as many bikes as possible and find the one that fits and feels the best FOR YOU. Every bike's geometry (even two bikes that are listed as the same size) is a little different, and those little differences can make a big difference in fit and feel.

Daspydyr 

It sounds to me like you already have some bike knowledge. I would watch Craigslist for a good used Mountain Bike. That South Mountain system is gonna be a blast.

FrenchFit 

That Motobecane Fantom Pro is a decent bike, I owned it for a few months then built up my own. If I were buying new the two things I'd look for are 1) 29er, and 2) lightweight. Heavy MTBs suck, and that would pull me away from any low-end f/s.

You might find with a 29er you need to go a size down. Too big 29ers are no fun at all.

NormanF

A Marin Muirwoods 29er is just "right." A 26" MTB just feels slow and heavy on the road. On the other hand, a 29er can do everything a 26" MTB can do.

No real reason to get a 26" these days.

Pendergast

What are the trails like where you'd be doing most of your riding?

What type of bike do your friends ride(Rigid? Hardtail? Full suspension?)

Will the bike be strictly for off-road or would you be using it on roads(paved or gravel), too?

Canker

Wheel size doesn't matter that much. The name of the frame really doesn't matter as long as we are talking hardtail. What matters is the front fork. A ****ty front fork makes for a crappy experience. I'd much rather have a rigid than some lowend pogostick on the front end. I haven't been on any of the current crop of entry level shocks to know how bad they are but I have road a Rockshox Recon which is kind of the upper end of entry level and it is pretty good. If you can swing a little extra cash get something with a rockshox recon like the Airborne Seeker for $929 do so. .
Airborne Bicycles. Seeker

atallen223

I liked Domenic's in Tempe on Rural road. My first mtn bike was a gary fisher hardtail for about 600 that I bought from them. It was a perfect bike for starting out. If you go in they won't try to sell you something you don't need.

energyandair

You are used to a road bike that is in the multi $k range. You will hate a low end mountain bike.

Fortunately, if your 2nd hand market is like ours, it is a great time to buy a really good quality older 26" mountain bike.

20 years ago, you could pick up really great older road bikes for next to nothing because everyone wanted mountain bikes.

Now we can get really great older 26" hardtail mountain bikes for next to nothing because everyone wants road bikes or 29" mountain bikes.

I suggest you target a 10-20 year old mountain bike that is the same quality level (for the period) as your current road bike and has been a garage ornament for most of its life. The frame will be high end double or triple butted steel or high end aluminum. As they were really fashionable in that period, there are quite a few around. It should be easy to stay under $500 and if you get lucky it will be under $100.

You may find that it keeps you happy for years. If not, it will be easy to resell at a small loss or a small profit when you upgrade to the latest and greatest, or you find that you just don't need it anymore.