Hey guys, old time member (so old I can't even remember my previous username) that is now back. I had a major back injury and was out of biking for awhile, but now I am wanting to get back into it. A little history that might help with my question...

I started biking with a regular Trek 26" mountain bike to get around town and ride on a few mild off-road trails while I was in college. After two years of riding, I got into the whole fixed/ss scene. I noticed towards the end that I was riding ss more than I was fixed. However, with road bikes I always missed the ability to ride on all types of terrain. I don't live in a very bike friendly community so riding on sidewalks, grass, etc. will always be something I have to deal with. I decided on getting a cheap 29'er to see if it is the right style of bike for me, and also to make sure any pre-existing back injuries are not affected. I have narrowed my choices down to two bikes that are the same price ($399). The first bike in question is the Gravity G29:

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/g29fs.htm

Pros: price, front suspension, 29" wheels, single speed, decent entry level components.
Cons: not familiar with Gravity's quality, aluminum frame, not big on the styling.

The other bike I am looking at is the Dawes Bullseye:

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/bullseye.htm

Pros: cro-mo frame, 29" wheels, single speed, I like the styling more, and I have previously owned a Dawes SST which was a solid bike.
Cons: no front suspension, the components appear to be of lesser quality than the Gravity.

If you guys/gals had to choose between these two bikes for getting back into biking, and into the 29'er world, which one would you choose and why?


Also, if this should be in the mountain biking section, please move. I decided to put it here because they are both single-speed bikes. Thanks in advance for any help.

Honestly I would stay away from bike direct bikes. General rule of thumb you get what you pay for a $400.00 29er is going to ride like a $400.00 29er even if it seems like the deal of the century.

If I were to spend 400 dollars on a bike, it would be from bikesdirect.

The SR Suntour fork on the Gravity blows. You will probably be better off with the rigid bike

Why do you consider front suspension to be a plus?? It has a lot of drawbacks unless you do a lot of riding in the dirt, I say that not knowing a thing abut riding in the dirt. It's just that there's no plus to suspension on pavement that I know of.

I think I like the way the dawes looks better too.

I dont think the difference in components should be much of a concern.

the gravity's suspension fork does have a lock out feature.

the dawes is only available in 15 inch right now.

I think epicschwinn has the bullseye, and he seems to like it.

That fork ,and many others, does have lockout. It allows you to "lockout" the suspension and effectively ride rigid.

Thanks for the replies guys.

Let me start off by saying that I do understand that you "get what you pay for." I've been a huge car enthusiast my whole life, and I have learned my lesson the hard way a few times in the past. However, for just getting back into riding I feel a $400 29'er will be fine for its intended purposes. To be a bit more thorough on intended purposes, I will be riding this bike maybe 2-3x a week for a couple hours at a time. The bike will not be taken on any extreme paths, just some light/moderate bike paths. A lot of the biking will be done on the road.

With that being said, catonec pointed out the Dawes Bullseye is only available in 15. I feel like a moron because I completely forgot to check which sizes were available. I am 5'9 with a 31 insteam (if I remember correctly), so that should mean a 19 would be ideal size for me...correct?

gregjones, you could be correct. However, I guess I was just assuming that front suspension would be better for sidewalks, mild trails, etc.

hairnet, there is a version of the Gravity bike without the front suspension and it is $50 cheaper. Here is the link:

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/g29ss.htm

Thanks for the responses everyone, I appreciate all the help. Please let me know if you know of any other 29'ers in the same price range. I'm open to all opinions.

What's cool about the Dawes is that you can set it up with gears down the road because of it's dropouts.

Im looking for a tax return project right now and am doing the same research.
BD is the best bike deal anywhere for the non-elite. A lot of them are rebranded Fujis that might have some cheaper components, but on a commuter, who cares? You will have(?)/want to grease the bottom bracket and stuff like that and factor in the price of flat resistant tires because the Kendas and other junk rubber they ship with are glorified rim strips that will, I repeat, will leave you stranded on the way to an important 8:00 am meeting at work.
I typed "29" BMX bike" and a few different variations of that phrase into google and a lot of really cool stuff came up that I was unaware of.

You do get what you pay for. In the case of BD you are not paying the LBSs substantial overhead costs. You get far more bike for 400 from BD than you ever will from a shop.

That said, those bikes are not the same price. The Gravity is $50 more. The components of those two bikes are of similar quality. Good suspension forks are great, but they cost money. Basically with the Gravity, you are paying extra for a crappy suspension fork. I would go with the rigid Dawes. Better to ride a rigid than a cheap suspension fork. You could even upgrade the Dawes later with a suspension fork worth having.

I'm 5'10" and I like 15" 29ers. I had an 18 or 19 that felt like I was driving a bus.

That said, you should get a 26er. Cheap 29ers are big and heavy. A nimble 26er is what you need.

I'm still leaning towards a 29'er since I like the simplicity of single speed. I don't see too many off the shelf 26ers that are single speed. Given that I am 5'9 with a 31" instream, do you think a 15 29'er will be too small?

Those bikes actually are the same price. Once you add the Gravity to your shopping cart, the price is reduced to $399. However, I do understand what you are saying about no suspension vs crappy suspension. In this case, I will leave the front suspension out since my price-range isn't enough for decent suspension.

Use this fit calculator and find out.

not sure if it merits another $100 over the Bullseye, but Nashbar has a SS/29er/disc now. aluminum frame, cromo fork. help line said it will take up to a 40t chainring. came up when i was looking for a winter beater.

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...2_502354_-1___

Thanks for the replies everyone. After reading all 11 pages about the Gravity G29 on mtbr.com I decided to pull the trigger on one the other night. I ordered a 17.5" in black, without the front suspension. I also ordered a bike tool kit with it from bikesdirect since I'm sure I lost most of my bike tools by now. For $25, you really can't pass it up. The tool kit already arrived and the bike is scheduled to be here tomorrow. Coincidentally, it is supposed to be 50 degrees and sunny tomorrow! I will post some pictures and a review when it gets here tomorrow...after my first ride of course

I ride with a guy who has the Nashbar 29er SS and has been happy with it since he replaced the brakes with BB7s. Whichever bike you buy, you want to upgrade to BB7s. https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/parts/bb7kit.htm

After celebrating my promotion at work last night, the UPS guy woke me up this morning (still half drunk) to deliver my new bike!

The packaging was great. I really can't believe a discount bike website, such as bikesdirect, packages their bikes so well. There was so much packaging it almost took longer to get the bike out of the box than it did to assemble it.

Which brings me to the assembly of the bike. Assembly was fairly straight forward, but I also worked on bikes in the past and work on cars quit a bit. The bike was 70% assembled out of the box. The handlebars, seat post, front wheel and front brake line was all that came detached from the bike. After getting it all put together I noticed the front/rear disc brakes were rubbing. My hangover started to kick in at this point, so I decided to hold off on adjusting them. Fast forward a few hours and decided it was time to adjust the disc brakes and go riding. I spent about a half hour fine tuning the disc brakes. Since this is my first time working on disc brakes, this step was definitely the most challenging and time consuming. Finally got them dialed in and put some air in the tires. Now it's time for the test ride!

Still feeling the after effects of my poor decisions last night, I decided to just take the bike around the block to make sure everything was assembled correctly. Rode up and down my driveway a few times first before hitting the streets. The short test ride quickly turned into a nice cruise around town and even entering the next town over. The bike is FUN. I really can't think of a better way to describe it. The simplicity of single speed (which I have enjoyed in the past) combined with the ability to go on all different terrains was just an overall joy. I took the bike on sidewalks, through grass, off curbs, on horrible paved bike trails and even through some mud. The bike handled all of this without a problem. I'm over 200 pounds and can honestly say this bike is a complete beast. I went out expecting a two minute cruise and came back home an hour later with some dried up mud on my one leg. Believe me, I would have biked even longer if my body was conditioned for it. I did notice a couple negatives while on my test ride...

First off, as RobertFrapples mentioned above, the brakes should be replaced if doing any serious riding. For now I can get away with using the stock Tektros since my riding ability isn't good enough to warrant better brakes...yet. These will be upgraded in the future for sure.

Next, the handlebars and grips. The quality on them seemed fine, and they did not flex one bit. I personally want a set of handlebars that are raised up a bit more so I can achieve a more upright riding position. This is largely due to the back injury that I had not too long ago. For most people, these bars will probably work just fine. The grips could be a bit more comfortable, but I will need to upgrade them with the bars anyways.

Aside from these two things, most other parts will probably stay on the bike until they break.

Overall, the bike is well worth the $350. Was I expecting a competition grade bike for that price? Absolutely not. Was I expecting the bike to be lesser quality for the price? Absolutely. The value you get with this bike is ridiculous. Granted, this is after one ride on the bike. Either way you look at it, if you are unsure about entering the 29'er world (as I was), this is a perfect and cost-effective way to get your feet wet. I will say one thing about 29'ers; I'm hooked.

Photos will be uploaded a little later. If you have any questions or specific pictures you want, please let me know.

Again, thanks for the help everyone. The opinions of the online community definitely helped persuade me into getting this particular bike.

Yup! I actually bought the deadeye which is a bullseye without disc brakes because bullseye was out of stock. I put big disc's on it immediately anyway and have really liked it. It's heavy as heck but I haven't had a single mechanical problem outside of minor maintenance and I've had it for a year and a half and it lives outside most its life. It's the perfect beater and trail bike for blasting around and is no more or no less than I would expect for a $400 bike. My only complaint against is that the rubber dust covers on the hubs occasionally squeak but a drop of lube fixes it.

If I find myself in op's shoes again I'll probably look at the new 650b mountain bikes

can you give an update on your bike experience?
I just purchased a G29FS and would appreciate understanding any issues you may have run into.
thanks!

Sure thing.

I have now gone on about ten decent rides with this bike; I wish it was more, but nice weather and having off work just haven't been lining up recently. The only modification I made so far was an adjustable stem. I decided to go this route instead of new bars/grips so I could dial in my settings better. The bike has held up 100%. As previously mentioned, I am not a small guy (but getting smaller everyday!). It's a blast to ride and really does a great job at taking all the abuse I throw at it.

Since I am a bit more conditioned now than I was when I first received the bike, my rides have gotten longer and more intense. I go up/down curbs and on unpaved trails without an issue. No signs of any weakness on the frame or any of the components. I must note that I no longer find the bars/grips uncomfortable now that I have gotten a stem that I can adjust. Also, this is the first stock bike saddle that not only can I stand to ride on, but I actually prefer.

Overall, my opinion on the bike has not changed. It is holding up well, lots of fun, and a great value. I would recommend it to any casual rider without thinking twice. Here is a sweet picture I took via instagram...ya know, that site that makes everyone think they are a photographer!

I'm thinking of getting the Gravity G29 myself. I sold my folder (totally not for me), and I own a Lombardo Power2000 Minivelo & Puma Nevis (in BLACK, with a riser stem and different handlebars). I want a simple single speed bike to ride around the neighborhood, and it needs to be able to handle the numerous bumps, potholes, and occasional bike path I travel on.

I'm also a bigger guy (230ish) and need a stronger and more "cushy" ride. And I don't want a "comfort" bike. I'm an aggressive rider, a pedal-masher! It's the way I enjoy my rides!!!

Anyway, I hope to order mine by the end of the week. I'm liking the orange model. I wish it was silver,...but orange shall suffice.

I ordered a black G29, as I couldn't find an orange model anywhere. Oh well,...I'm still pleased as punch!!!