For 600 bucks you can get most entry level/Intermediate bikes. I have a full suspension bike from Klein. I've owned a hardtail from GT, Cannondale, and Kona. All those companies make amazing bikes. Kona's are usualy over priced. If your looking for bang for the buck then go with GT. I've never really had ne problems with their bikes.
If you care about the components of the bike then building your own bike is a good idea as well. All the popular companies make good bikes it's really up to you on what feels best when ur riding.

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"The Beauty Of All Wheel Drive"

just go to your nearest target, mongoose is the way to ride

quote:

Originally posted by lMIlk just go to your nearest target, mongoose is the way to ride

yeah i was thinking that a cast iron huffy may be the way to go...heh

does anyone know anything about k2s bikes? ive always been partial to them, but im not really sure why. all ive owned is a snowboard by them and it was only soso...can they make decent bikes? or should i just forget it? cannondale here i come...maybe/

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'That's like telling a Kodiak bear to stop fcking older men.'

I Have a 2001 Specialized Stumpjumper M4, and absolutely love the bike. I dont do any hardcore offroading, or downhill, so the specialized was perfect for what I needed. The link to the 2002 M4 is below:

2002 Specialized Stumpjumper M4

This is my Bike, except I upgraded to Hayes Hydraulic Disc Brakes:

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I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
Albert Einstein

i saw that, but its a little out of my price range! i cant really use it out in Michigan either, especially since i dont need it to get stolen at college, and im not in Colorado all year...i wish tho! late/

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'That's like telling a Kodiak bear to stop fcking older men.'

ya, i mtb when i can

afaik, gt is bankrupt (in '98 or something)...nice bikes tho imo i think for 600...should stick to hardtail...dunno if you can get fs that cheap...but they'd be rather dodgy i think...also a fair bit heavier if you're going to do xc riding often

konas are very nice...my friend had a '97 gt avalanche with indy shocks...then picked up a '99 kona (forgotten name, hardtail tho) & it's very NICE!!!

also...maybe worth considering second hand if you have time to look around...i'm killing myself 'cos i found a '98 gt lts for AU$600 (about US$300)...but i'm about to buy a 19" flat monitor...so funds r very close

...just picked up my bike from the shop today for a new rim i buckled

i have a photo...but can't find the cable for digital camera!

anyway...here's an old photo when i got the bike

'97 gt ricochet



edit...ok...here's the pic...4 years later...1 new headset...2 rims...& some bar ends



you can tell i don't ride h-c
/edit

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Peace 'n Love! • Mikey • Sydney, Australia.

Last edited by Fraggle on Apr-19-2002 at 10:17

This is my bike:

This is the one you get at the shops but I changed several things,
I bought Ditchwitch Sunrims, Wellgo pedalls...

Im not a typical XC rider so Im about to change the "body" of my bike. Im buying a dual bike. I ride every week, practise trialing &
I usualy go to the near mountain to some downhill & dual rides.
Im gonna post a pics of my new hardcore bike.. equiped with magura raceline breaks, brand new Maxxis tires...

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Love the music, not the drugs, stay tuned in!
wanted tunes:
Paul Lancaster - Bad girl (Fretwell dub)
Scarcubem - Linien
Roger van Lunteren - Rainy autumn sunrise

...experienced the Sasha Magic...
Album of the moment: Aural imbalance - Different perspective

Very nice bikes...I was thinking of getting one too...considering my CAD $200 Canadian Tire bike is failing on me soon...

Torontonians out there, can you recommend me some bike shops to go to? Like great prices, people....

Any recommendations of bikes would be appreciated too!

Thanks in advance!

Bike Depot. North East corner or Yonge st. and Steeles Ave. It's next to the Money Mart and across from the Acura dealership. I've purchased 2 of my bikes in the past there. They have good service and pretty good prices. Their bike tech's are pretty good too.

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"The Beauty Of All Wheel Drive"

wtf! I totally overlooked this thread...

gonna do this fast, because I'm short in time....


Yes, I drive one myself too... most of the time I'm off the road, for what that is worth in holland (FLAT!!)... atm I have a little injury, so not biking at all

dunno what's your goal with the bike and how the terrain looks like, but If you are build 'a bit heavy' you should avoid rearsuspension, because it only needs more energy to ride... (unless the terrain is VERY rough, then it might be comfortable)...

lot of mud: wide tires, lot of dust: smaller tires.

if you have 9 gears at the backwheel, I personally would NOT take the expensive stuff of shimano (ONLY the gears....euhm... what's the word....(me=not english)... because in hard conditions the wear of VERY fast.... I replaced them by cheaper but harder ones....


for the rest DO use shimano stuff...

well, gotta go now REALLY fast...

ps, I have a GIANT, which is probably an unknown brand in the US/canada, but very common in holland/europe

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Progressive

Hard = goed

quote:

Originally posted by kolkiewolkie wtf! I totally overlooked this thread... gonna do this fast, because I'm short in time.... Yes, I drive one myself too... most of the time I'm off the road, for what that is worth in holland (FLAT!!)... atm I have a little injury, so not biking at all dunno what's your goal with the bike and how the terrain looks like, but If you are build 'a bit heavy' you should avoid rearsuspension, because it only needs more energy to ride... (unless the terrain is VERY rough, then it might be comfortable)... lot of mud: wide tires, lot of dust: smaller tires. if you have 9 gears at the backwheel, I personally would NOT take the expensive stuff of shimano (ONLY the gears....euhm... what's the word....(me=not english)... because in hard conditions the wear of VERY fast.... I replaced them by cheaper but harder ones.... for the rest DO use shimano stuff... well, gotta go now REALLY fast... ps, I have a GIANT, which is probably an unknown brand in the US/canada, but very common in holland/europe

heh! well im definitely looking for a hard-tail(front suspension only) due to price issues. and yeah, im not that big, but i dont do enough off roading to worry about all the power lost with rear shocks.

im basically looking for something all around, but i want something nice, since even tho my Bianchi had NO suspension, its still a awesome bike even tho its on its last legs. ive grown accustomed to a certain level of bike.

as for terrain, most of the time it wont be a problem, it will just be roads and the like. this will be back in Colorado tho, and with the Rocky Mountains i do need something that can do anything.

and as for GIANT, they are one of the most popular brands here! i think they are made in the US, but im not sure...late/

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'That's like telling a Kodiak bear to stop fcking older men.'