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MountainBikeReview.com's Forum Archives - General Discussion
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I'm a beginner, I posted a question on the begining board... (13 posts)
|  I'm a beginner, I posted a question on the begining board... | NBABUCKS1
Mar 27, 2003 2:34 PM | | I know it's somewhat fast to be posting here on the main board, but if this forum is anything like the one's I'm on, the Beginner board does not get a lot of visits from the regulars.
I'm just throwing this out there for help from some of the people on this board. I really do apprecite it
here's a link NBABUCKS1 "Extremem n00bie here, looking for advice..." 3/27/03 2:22pm
Thanks a lot in advance, and there is a WOB tax on it!!!
Kevin |
| re: I'm a beginner, I posted a question on the begining board... | Yeti_Rider
Mar 27, 2003 5:29 PM | | there are a lot of options in that price range and they're all more or less the same bike. At that price point, most manufacturers are all making an identical product and the changes will be a slightly different component here or there. Keep in mind that the 500-1000 price range is also one of the most competitive price ranges so this is where most of the product is sold anyway.
For the money, I'd highly recommend a HT and not a full suspension. The money you'll save by not getting FS will be better distributed in to higher quality components on the bike. Plus, the bike will be lighter too.
You can get a decent used bike, but if you're not familiar with working on the bike yourself that might be a bit riskier only because you'll eventually have to perform some maintenance. If you get a new bike from a reputatable LBS then you'll be able to get some service for free anyway. Keep in mind that generally the only way to learn how to do your own work is to do your own work though. You will need to buy some tools, but just buy what you need as you need it and over time you'll accumulate all of hte necessary tools to do most anyhting on the bike yourself.
Just start researching what is available at your local shops. ask lots of questions and ask what the differences are between different models. I'd go for the best drivetrain components you can afford and sacrifice a little on other parts like the seatpost, seat, bars, etc. those will all work and can be easily upgraded but it's a bit more costly to upgrade the drivetrain all at once.
all I can really say is research, research, research and you'll come out okay. You can get a great bike for that price now so your options are plenty.
Michael |
| welcome to a wealth of resources | pfunk
Mar 27, 2003 8:53 PM | | I started using these forums for information back in Jan. and I've found it very helpful. You are correct that beginner's corner doesn't get a lot of traffic. You might also look at "what bike to buy". There probably a few threads already on this same issue. Searching the archives is a good idea as well.
A lot of Research and buy a hard tail are two thing others posted. I agree absolutely. Go to all the bike shops in your area and ask them about what they have in your price range. Full suspension in that price range would be a bad idea.
You might look at Giant and Trek. They have offerings in your price range. I'm sure there are others as well. My first mtn bike was a 2001 Giant Yucon se. It was under $500 and it got me through 2 seasons. Now that my riding has progressed, I'm ready to upgrade and just bought an fs bike. $500 is a good place to start. It will keep you running long enough to figure out whether the sport suits you (as it can be a big investment), and you'll develop your own opinions about what you would change.
anyway, hope that helps. |
| welcome to a wealth of resources | pimpbot
Mar 27, 2003 11:49 PM | | I got a Yukon now and it's a dyanmite frame for a low-rent mass market kinda bike. Of course, the only original part at this point is the stem.
Yeah, you'r enot going to find a decent FS bike for $500. I've been looking myself and it seems the cheapest one out there that I like is the Jamis Dakar. You can get one for about $700.
$500 will get you a nice Hardtail. Take a look at Trek, Giant, Gary Fisher and Specialized. Ride all the ones your LBS's have and let your body decide which one you like best.
Keep in mind that the most important thing is upgradeability. You'll end up swapping out some parts you don't like or break. Disc Brake tabs on the frame and fork are a good idea. If you upgrade to discs tho, you need disk specific hubs to mount the rotor. |
| Don't agree about the upgradeability point ... | Philber
Mar 28, 2003 9:20 AM | | I don't think upgradeability is important on a $500 bike. Having gone that route, I think it's a waste of money. Two years later, you end up with a lot of money sunk into what is still basically a crappy bike. And you don't have any money left to buy a new bike. I don't really think there's many upgrades that justify putting money into a $500 bike.
I say spend what you've got on a good hardtail that fits you. Fit is by far the most important thing. Don't buy a bike that's too big, no matter how great a deal it is. Fit, fit, fit. Then don't spend any money upgrading it. Ever. Only replace stuff that breaks (and it will).
Then, take whatever money you might be tempted to spend upgrading (when you're reading these boards and mags and being fooled into thinking that you just HAVE to have that latest this or that), and put it in the bank. Then, two years down the road, you'll have gotten great value from your $500 entry-level bike, and you'll have $1,000 to put down on a new one. By that time, the value of new bikes will be far better than it is now, cause it always is.
Having bought many bikes at various price points, and upgraded several of them, I think upgrading piece by piece is a fool's game. Upgrade by a whole bike - that's the best value by far. |
| yeah, you may be right in the long run, but... | pimpbot
Mar 28, 2003 11:49 AM | | ...it's much easier to come up with $40 for an XT deurailer than save it all up and drop $1500 on a whole bike. Personally, I want to ride now, not put up with low-rent parts for 2 years whilst I scrape together my pennies. Soon, I'll just get a new sweet frame and move my parts over. Yeah, I'm ultimately spending more dough, but I'm also riding a pretty nice bike right now. Basically all I did was spend $50 for a part here or there, usually about once a month. And believe me, it's way easier to justify $50 to the SO than $1500. And dangit, I got other things to spend my dough on too. For instance, the house needs a new spanish tile roof to the tune of $15k and the old beater car isn't what it used to be.
And I have to take issue with this 'crappy bike' statement you put forth.
No, my Giant Yukon SE is not a unique piece of high art, a fine hand-crafted workmanship, but it is certainly not crappy. I have no dellusions of thinking I got an Ellsworth Truth for $400. I understand that it is a mass market kinda bike. But it's reasonably light (26.5 lbs), performs well, and has stood up to my crazy antics and 215 pound tucas for three years so far. I just love the geometry of this beast. I carves like my mom on Thanksgiving, it's nimble, climbs well (for a hardtail) and the most important thing, I have a blast on it. I could care less about what the sticker on the frame says. All I care about is how it performs and how it holds up. |
| question for you | pfunk
Mar 28, 2003 12:27 PM | | What fork are you running? Mine came with a rock shock jet. For the longest time, I had no idea what a difference a decent fork makes. That's one of the few things I did change out on my Giant (and new brakes), but not until 3 or 4 months ago. Right before that, the jet was just toast. It would compress and stick there. Then I'd be at the bottom of a hill, and like a minute after I stoped, the shock would "pop".
I got a 2002 Marzocchi Atom 100, and man what a difference. The geometry was thrown off, so climbing suffered a bit overall, but it made such a difference on technical decent. I can actually hold a line now, thru almost any terrain. I found it made a big differnce in ascending technical single track as well
Too bad I won't be riding the old giant at may by the bay. I'll be on my loco tomorrow. I want to build the giant back up, but that will take some time as the good stuff is now on my new ride. All in good time. I agree it's a trooper of a bike, and deserves some respect.
Here she is in her prime. (Taken just before I tore her down a few weeks ago)
 |
| question for you | pimpbot
Mar 28, 2003 3:19 PM | | I replaced that Jett POS just this fall with a Rochshox Duke Race. Pricepoint had them on sale for like $230 and couldn't pass it up. OMFG what a difference it made. I was (am) way too heavy for the Jett and it would bottom out and top out all the time. The Duke is great, you can tweak it all day long. I also wore out the granny gear, which was rivited to the crank arms, so I got XT cranks, I replaced the wheels (again too heavy for them, I had to true them each ride just about) with Bontis with XT hubs, upgraded to 9 speed with a XT cluster and LX shifters and did a buncha other stuff. It's no longer the same bike, except for the stem and frame. |
| question for you | Pimpbot
Mar 28, 2003 3:43 PM | | As far as the Jett goes, I had the same issue. I had to take the lowers off, clean and relube with Judy Butter about every other month or it would hang up. I found some TriFlow on the uppers helped keep the stiction away to a certain degree. At some point I'm probably going to use them on a beater bike build, or give them to a bud. |
| wups | pimpbot
Mar 28, 2003 11:50 PM | | Wups, let's try again |
| My low-rent bike | pimpbot
Mar 28, 2003 11:58 PM | | Here my low rent bike in it's current form... |
| Wups | pimpbot
Mar 29, 2003 9:08 AM | | I guess the photo upload thing isn't working |
| welcome to a wealth of resources | pimpbot
Mar 29, 2003 9:14 AM | | Okay, I was wrong. The most important thing is fit. |
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