There's good brands, but then there's the big issue of preferance. With a budget of 400$, you won't be able to afford the really high end stuff anyways. I'd recommend you find a couple of bike vendors near you and try a couple. Some places will let you run around in them a bit. Keep in mind you gotta get some gear on that budget.

Also, if you don't intend to use it on trails, then definately get a ROAD bike, they perform so much better on pavement. If you're not sure but you still intend to do alot of pavement cycling, check out hybrid bikes.

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When bread becomes toast, it can never go back to being bread again.

Trek, Cannondale... You have to know your measurement (frame size), what kind of stuff you want - keep in mind, many customize the crap out of the bikes. From fork, to gears, to breaks, to wheels, etc. Some dude at my work sank close to 15G's in his custom mountain bike. Granted, it's a sick ass fucking bike with a 2 wheel (YES, 2 WHEEL) drive but to him it's worth it, I guess.

If you're not going to be doing crazy down hill jumps and mostly road or off-road riding, consider getting something like mentioned earlier - hybrid bike. For hard core downhill, I'd probably recommend something sturdy to start with. Some of the "cheaper" spring/gas suspensions are flimsy and can break or not handle well.

For $400 you can buy a pretty decent new mountain bike, BTW. shop around and look online. May be worth your while.

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I had a pretty damn good Gary Fisher that cost $850, but then some ******s stole it out of my basement. So I got a used $350 Trek... world of difference (shifting, feel, control, chainslip, etc.)

There are two important things to know about mountain bikes: the components and the frame. The frame determines how the bike feels - geometry, weight, etc. The components are what determine most of the price of the bike and also how long it lasts (with proper maintenance). If you can afford them, go for Shimano Deore components (I think it goes Acera - Alivio - Deore - Deore LX - XT - XTR). My Fisher had Deore/Deore LX components and, man, it was worth it.

For brands: Treks, Giants are on the cheap side, Gary Fishers, Marlins are more expensive, Cannondale is even more expensive, then come Kona, Haro, and other such brands that make bikes that are targeted towards the more professional user (not your everyday Mary-Jane riders)

For $400 you will not have a good fork. If you do 70% pavement 30% offroad, get a hybrid, if you do 30% pavement, 70% offroad, get a mountain bike (and, maybe, smoother tires for pavement rides)

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i've got a Specialized rock hopper. it's really smooth ride, and quality all around, and isn't as expensive as a cannondale or the whole lot. was $500

quote:

Originally posted by oldblue1224 i've got a Specialized rock hopper. it's really smooth ride, and quality all around, and isn't as expensive as a cannondale or the whole lot. was $500

Yah, forgot that one.

IMO, Specialized > Trek > Giant by a very slight margin

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i've been looking to buy a road bike these last couple of days and i want one that's not fixed gear. I went to a few bike shops in the area and looked online on craigslist and ebay. I can't find any new ones for under $500. i wanna get a new one for about $200 or something. do you guys know of any? i don't really know the bike industry as much as the car industry, so excuse me on any simple errors i might have.

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Rocky Mountain, Specialized, Kona, Gary Fisher, Trek, Marin, Scott, GT

tbh you should look at a good quality used Hardtail bike. It'll do the off roading to a good standard, is better than a full sus for on-roading and usually they're very light. Don't get a jump-based one because whilst built strong as fuck, the extra frameage will be a detriment to the actual riding.

Personally although for my height I should have 17.5" frame I'm more personally comfortable with a 19.5" frame plus a long headset. I find it puts less strain on my back than the shorter. In many ways, goto bike shops & do trial runs on the bikes to find the setup that suits you personally, buying something blind isn't a good idea. I bought my last bike through mail order, going by the size i "should" have and it just didn't suit my riding style at all.

quote:

Originally posted by DjArTiN! i've been looking to buy a road bike these last couple of days and i want one that's not fixed gear. I went to a few bike shops in the area and looked online on craigslist and ebay. I can't find any new ones for under $500. i wanna get a new one for about $200 or something. do you guys know of any? i don't really know the bike industry as much as the car industry, so excuse me on any simple errors i might have.

simple error? the budget! for $200 you'll end up buying the ones out of walmart/best buy/ halfords(we have them as a chain store here) etc. The parts will be tacky and the ride heavy & awful. People seem to think disc brakes for that budget is good for example, but the simple fact is that a reliable set of hope's or LX/XT discs will cost the 200 alone. Basic price for a good bike is £400 (800$)

wow, i guess i have no other choice then to save up some money and buy one at those prices

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budget budget budget

what do you intend on having the bike for? What do you want to do? Light trail riding, all around use? Are you climbing steep hills, ripping down rocky terrain? First assess what your needs are, then you need to look at your budget.

I'd say for decent mountain bikes that are affordable, go with Giant. You may find some in the 200-300 price range that is decent enough to go around. I warn you though, once you get out there on your bike you'll have that instant I need better feel. So really think about it.

If you want to go up a grade, look at Trek they make some nice bikes. Specialized and Cannondale if you got the cash to spend on some quality performance.

Geared Road Bikes - same applies budget wise!
I'm riding a Bianchi Coast 2 Coast right now, loving it to be honest. Some note worthy road bikes are bianchi, cannondale, schwinn, felt. more top of the line and ultra expensive are orbea, guru, cervelo, and look.

also if you've built a bike before and know about it's components, then I'd say check out bikesdirect.com - just an FYI though, the prices are cheap but they are boxed bikes, meaning you'll have to assemble them yourself. Not an easy task to be honest

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