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| *Vultures Knob>>>Bicycle Shop |
Want to get a mountain bike, need advice? |
i am new to mountain biking and i am having some indeciciveness as to what bike to get. i know a lot about bikes because i used to fix them alot and ride with my dad, but i never did any real mountain biking. i am stuck between the iron horse warrior 1.3 at dicks for 300 bucks or the haro v2 at my lbs for 360. as far as i can tell both have decent components and are overall good entry level bikes. they have okay shocks, front disc brakes, alum. frames, i am leaning toward the iron horse just because its cheaper and i dont have to wait for them to oreder my size. does anyone have experience with either of these bikes? i am just looking for someone to point me in the right direction because i am weary about buying a chain store bike. thanks for all your help!! Check out a local bike shop first. There are plenty of entry level bikes in your price range. I bought my first bike a few weeks ago - a Trek 4300, and I think I did alright. Yesterday I went with a buddy and he bought a bike at a chain store. Later that day we went riding after I adjusted a few things on his bike. He has dual suspension. It sucks. He has shocks on the front of the bike. It's non-adjustable and way too light even for his light body weight (for his size at least). Chain store bikes come one size fit all. Granted that size fits a lot of people , but it might not be right for you. I was fixed on what I wanted to buy which is why I went to a very small shop which only carried two or three different bike brands. I also joined two forums - mtbr and bikeforums.net. They have quite a few threads dealing with which bike to get. Even with good components, a chain store bike might not be assembled or adjusted perfectly so the quality means nothing. Go for what fits right. Don't jump the gun either. I've read that the Specialized Hardrock is a good beginner bike, and I went with a Trek 4300 as I mentioned. It's pretty solid thus far and cost me $360 plus tax. In two weeks, I'm bringing the bike back to the shop for my free 30 day tune-up and adjustments. When you ride a bike for the first time, the cables and components stretch and flex a little bit since they're a bit stiff right out of the factory. In addition, (supposedly) brand name bike shop bikes have decent resale value. Or worst comes to worst, you end up with spare parts for when you upgrade to a higher end model. Good luck with your decision, and if it feels right, go for it. Don't buy a Huffy! Mountain biking is a serious sport where I live in Utah. Not only do we have the Rocky Mountains to play in; but the slickrock & sandy deserts of Moab. Here's my advice. 1) How much are you willing to spend? If you are not rich, you can still buy a used upper end bicycle. 2) Make a list of which components you want? Do you want disc brakes? What shifters and derailers do you want? Do you want full suspension or a hard tail? What size are you looking for...16, 18, 19, 21? How heavy? 3) Shop around and test drive different brands. Everyone's bodies are built differently. Some of my friends ride Treks and they love them. I ride a Giant with hydraulic disc brakes, and have taken that bicycle around the White Rim trail in Southern Utah three times. 4) Once you buy a bicycle, there are shops that will adjust the bicycle to fit you. For a fee, they will adjust your seat, and handle bars to your body. 5) I highly recommend that you use thorn liners and slime tubes for your new bike. |
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