If you wanna do serious mountain biking, don't buy one for less than 600$ CAN.

If you do, I guarentee it will break in the first 6 months. Especially a Crappy Tire brand. Go to your local bike shop and look around. I ride a Trek that is worth about 1300 dollars with the upgrades I have put on it.

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"Laces out Dan!"-Ray Finkle

heh...for that much, u won't be getting anything "decent"

Ray's right...tho i'd prolly save up for something >$1000

anything less than $600 u gonna be stuck with cheap steel frame, dodgy components, pos suspension if u're lucky to score that even and certainly made in taiwan

(nothing against taiwan or taiwanese...just used for an example)

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

if you are a bit heavy (like 75+ kg, like me) don't take rearwheelsuspension unless you really, like REALLY are going into rough terrain.. else it only will cost you a shitload of energy


like said before, quality doesn't come cheap.. go for good brands gearing and breaking (shimano stuff for example)..

if you are going to use it in terrain and you have 27 gears (9 rims behind) DON'T take the expensive stuff from shimano.. allthough it should change gears smoother, it is also less strong and less wearresistant.. I had to replace all the gears after only 400 km (275 miles!)... the shop assistent told me that I should take sheaper gears.. allthough they should not change as smooth as the shimano stuff, you barely notice it, AND it is ALOT more wearresistant (drove 300 miles with the new stuff and no sigh of wearness)


also make sure, when you buy a new one, you get the proper framesize.. they differ (dunno how much) and before you know it your bike is WAY too big or too small, which isn't very desirable

good luck

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Progressive

Hard = goed

if your just looking for a recreational bike and your arent going to do hardcore riding id recomend the Trek 820. thats about US $350.

if your serious you should spend upwards of US$600. id recommend the GT Avalanche 2.0. thats about US $850

heh...don't think u'll be able to find the avalanche too easily!

...seeing gt have been bankrupt for a good couple of years or more now

unfortunate (for me at least)...having a '97 ricochet (next one up from avalanche)

full suspension...err...add another $500-600 for a decent one...never get a cheapo fs mtb, a similar priced hard tail is far better value than a cheap fs one

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

quote:

Originally posted by Fraggle full suspension...err...add another $500-600 for a decent one...never get a cheapo fs mtb, a similar priced hard tail is far better value than a cheap fs one

i was never a big fan of double-boings. just bounces around to much. and then you see some people who ride TRIPLE with the suspension on the seat stem. i couldnt ride like that so i always buy and reccomend hard tail. though if some1 has $4000 to kill i would reccommend the Litespeed Unicoi

I'd only recommend a full suspension bike if either you willing willing to put down lots of money for a good quality fox or even rock shock air or spring rear shock, or if you were gonna do hardcore downhill MTBing

You know what are cool? The Cannondale Lefty fork! One side only, stiffer than most forks, electronic lockout on your handlebar, YUM!!

This week I am going to buy a Manitou fork for 240 bucks marked down from 500, WHEE!!

My current fork is a piece of shit RST 281

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"Laces out Dan!"-Ray Finkle

Ah....good question!
I've wondering about this myself.

Good post! I'll be watchin' this one.

I'm bike info inept!

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"...End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path...one that we all must take.
The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all change to silver glass...and then you see it...
...white shores...and beyond...the far green country under a swift sunrise."

im getting a new bike soon myself.

probably gonna go with the Klein Attitude if i can find one around here. from what ive seen its pretty good. costs about $900.

what you think Ray?

quote:

Originally posted by Ray_Finkle You know what are cool? The Cannondale Lefty fork! One side only, stiffer than most forks, electronic lockout on your handlebar, YUM!!

i remember when those things came out a few years ago. i was like WHOA !! i do more XC riding though. so my suspension dont put that much emphasis on suspension.

Good choice man! Klein bikes are some of the finest bikes out there and that is no exception.

You can't go wrong with Klein.

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"Laces out Dan!"-Ray Finkle