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| *Vultures Knob>>>Mountain Bike |
What do i need to know when I buy a mountain bike? |
My bf wants to buy a mountain bike, and we needed to know what factors we should consider before buying. We already know the frame is important. What else? He's 6 6", so we need to be specific. Any ideas? Advice? -Buy the bike from a bike shop. Never buy from Walmart or Target. -Know your budget ahead of time. $350 is about the bare minimum for a basic trail-ready hardtail mountain bike. $500 should buy you a good trail bike with decent components. -Consider the type of riding he's planning on doing. 1) All Street 2) Some Street, some dirt trails 3)All dirt trails. This should be the first question the Bike Shop asks - At 6'6" he's probably an XL frame, but make sure to test ride the bikes. Some shops offer a 30 day guarantee so you can take it on the trails and really test it before you settle on it. -I would make sure it has either SRAM or Shimano for the shifters, derailleurs, cassette. -Disc brakes aren't worth the money; especially for beginners. -Don't forget to buy the accessories...Helmet, Spare Tube, pump, patch kit, water bottle. Learn how to replace a tire. -If you ride on dirt, you'll have to clean & oil the chain every couple of rides. DO IT. It will make your chain/chainrings last much longer. Ask the bike shop exactly how to do it when you buy the bike. I started with a TREK 4900 hardtail. It took me 3 years of heavy trail riding before I was better than my bike & was ready to upgrade. The 4900 would have suited me fine if I hadn't fallen in love with Mtn biking and discovered the joys of 40+ mile dirt rides. Trek has a lifetime warranty on frames. + There's a lot of great bike shops in town, but I think University is by far the best. They don't work on commission, are very knowledgable and there's no pressure...You can test drive any of the bikes too. They took great care of me long after I bought a bike there, free of charge..... He needs to get fitted at a good bike shop. He might be too tall to fit a stock bicycle which normally stop at 22". He might need a custom job. Look into the 29" wheel mtn bikes ("29ers") which are the new trend now. Ideal for tall folk, because it makes you feel less on top of the ride and more "in the ride". I would look into Gary Fishers since they make 29ers that run long in the top tube, which may work for your BF. Big boy needs a big bike. He might need a custom frame. His weight might be a factor in the type rim/spoke/tire he uses. Go to a good bike shop. for a tall guy, get a big frame - 20" to 22". other important thing to look at on a new bike: drivetrain- almost all new bikes have a triple crank, 8 or 9 speed rear is optimal. 7 speed is low end these days. suspension - air suspension is very comfortable and adjustable, although fairly expensive. get suspension that has some adjustability, this way the bike can be tuned to the riders preferences and you know you are buying something good. tires - most guys like going offroad, so look for tires that are at least 2.10" thick and have a fairly knobby tread. too smooth and he will not have much fun on the trails. shifters - dual control levers are my favorite, but you probably wont find those on any bikes in the store. trigger shifters are begoming very popular also. please dont get twist shifters (the old school style) i guarentee he wont enjoy those. brakes - rim brakes are nice on the road, but when you go offroad, they lose a lot of power, especially when they get wet or dirty. disk brakes provide a huge difference in power and reliablility. dont buy a bike with Promax brakes, they suck. look for Shimano, Hayes, Avid, or Magura, all good brands. handlebars- these make the difference in the handleing. flat bars give a more direct connection to the bike but arent very comfortable. riser bars (curve upward) are most common these days. they are comfortable, stable, and allow the rider to still keep good control over the bike. a long seatpost so he can jack it up if you cant find a big enough frame! derailleurs - the device that changes the gears in the back (where its most important). dont get anything cheaper than a Shimano Deore (almost all SRAM mechs are good quality, x7 is entry level racing) upgrades are Shimano LX, XT, and XTR, (he probably wont use XTR). if you want to get him a good bike for not alot of money, get a hardtail, (without a rear shock). these bikes are strong, reliable, and require minimal maintenence. a descent rig will run around $400. make sure you get a large or XL frame (20-22") or get a very long seatpost. good luck |
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