[06E90Rostik]

I grew out of my cheapo 24'' Huffy, and I want to buy something more serious this time around. I don't want to get $3,000+ bike, but no $100-$200 ones either. I am willing to pay up to $500.

I looked at the bikes they have in Sports Authority, I really like Diamondback ones, K2s are looking good, there were few other decent looking bikes

So here is what I absolutely have to have in a bike:

-26'' (not quite ready for a 29er yet)
-hardtail (would consider full suspension, but nice ones are pricey)
-disk brakes both front and back (those became pretty much standard nowadays)

Also I would imagine shopping at Sport Authority would not be a best deal, so where do you people buy your bikes? If I buy it on Amazon or any other online place, will I still have to take it to a bike shop to get derailleur and other fine stuff tuned? (I would imagine they come in disassembled)

Any bike shopping info is much appreciated

[Alexander]

Used.... Nothing is wrong with a used bike. My Trail bike is about 10 years old. An GT Idrive Race. Now of course I've swapped parts out over the years, but nothing is wrong with a used bike. Look for a bike with an awesome frame, and maybe old shocks.

[06E90Rostik]

So you saying I can't get a decent bike in my price range?

And modding (upgrading) is a big negative, I afraid it will be like my E90, with every paycheck, I have to get something for the car

[Alexander]

Originally Posted by 06E90Rostik

So you saying I can't get a decent bike in my price range?

And modding (upgrading) is a big negative, I afraid it will be like my E90, with every paycheck, I have to get something for the car

God I wish my brother was still on this forum... He is the king. Not modding your bike, just a rebuild kit, persay. <--- sexy I know.


Ehh... $500 isn't too bad. I'd still try looking for a lightly used bike. I'm not up to speed anymore, but I'd do a google search best budget Mountain bikes or something. Stay away from Sports Authority. If you have a local Cycle Shop go there.

[06E90Rostik]

Originally Posted by Aonarch

Stay away from Sports Authority

Roger!

As far as researching, I spend a good hour over on forums.mtbr.com, and all I got is confused and frustrated. Talk about too much information, I think a total BMW noob would feel better coming here, then bike noobs reading mtbr posts.

[Derek Zoolander]

Specialized Hardrock or Rockhopper, Giant Rincon (mine), Trek 4300, K2... can't go wrong

[Elie335]

go for a giant bike.

[Red Bread]

How tall are you? I'm 6'1" and used to live in SoCal and rode some up your way and love my 29er. If you're tallish, I'd really recommend reconsidering the adult sized wheels. Used is nice, but it sounds like you're not that interested in doing your own wrenching, so new is nice as it usually includes service for a year or more. Performance Bike is a step or two up from the big box shops, and if you're anywhere near a JensonUSA or Cambria, they're both top notch shops, with tons of brands. For a good, cheap bike Kona is worth a look and offers reasonable deals for the money.

Please consider spending a little time in a shop working on fit, a good shop will be able to help you and let you ride a few different sizes to get a sense of what fits well and some of the best shops will let you demo the bike you're considering, or at the least, rent it for a day.

[lib]

I'm going to second the suggestion that you buy used.

$500 will get you onto a decent used hardtail. It won't be anything amazing, but it will definitely be a higher quality bike than what you can find new for the same price.

[achenator]

I worked in bike shops in a former life. Go to a shop and ride a few and get a proper fit. Getting a good fit is more important than saving a few bucks getting a used bike. I'd try to support a small dealer over Sports Authority. Many times the big guys pay their assemblers and mechanics by the piece. Less quality IMO. All of the major brands are going to be give a little get a little. One may have a better shock, one may have better brakes.etc. Many shops give a little free service at the beginning which may offset the savings of buying used.

[06E90Rostik]

Looked at all those brands, I now understand why people are suggesting used.

Also all the mentioned shops are in Socal, except for 1 CBO store in Santa Rosa which is about 100 miles from me. Should stop by next time I go west.

I am 5'11'', 6' on a good day. According to the guides I found online I should get 19-21'' frame. Is it just suggestion or should I really test each frame and see what it feels?

One thing I am afraid of buying used, is that being a bike noob I might not see what is wrong with the bike. I wouldn't know what to look for, what to test etc.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by 06E90Rostik

I am 5'11'', 6' on a good day. According to the guides I found online I should get 19-21'' frame. Is it just suggestion or should I really test each frame and see what it feels?

One thing I am afraid of buying used, is that being a bike noob I might not see what is wrong with the bike. I wouldn't know what to look for, what to test etc.

The good thing about local bike shops is that they'll usually be pretty honest with you on what's good and what's lacking on each of the bike's in your price range. Don't be afraid of shops that sell silly expensive bikes, they still do most of their volume on realistically priced bikes and should still give you good advice. People getting into cycling are how the sport grows and treating you right should be a higher priority for a good local shop than treating someone like me, looking for the newest, goofiest part. Don't be afraid to tell them you don't know a bottom bracket from a hose guide, or to make a joke about what those things sound like.

Sizing has guidelines, but it still is rider dependent. Some things, like how high to run the saddle, and where it should be in relation to the pedals are backed up by science and a good shop will help set that up for you. But top tube length and the height relationship between the saddle and the handlebar will be largely up to your comfort level. In the last fifteen or so years, I've ridden from what was called a 16.5" frame to what works out to a 21" frame.

You won't probably care about this, but the best way to measure a frame is actually with the effective top tube length, not the seat tube length. This tells you how far it is from the front of the frame (where the fork come up through the steer tube) to the center point of where the seat post comes out of the seat tube. Provided you get that right, and still have the ability to stand over the bike, you can sort out all of your fit issues from there. Don't worry too much about this at first, just listen to the shop and what feels comfortable, you can always make reasonably cheap fit changes later with handlebar and stem changes, provided you get the overall fit right.

One other idea, if you have a few good trails that you plan on riding, it's not bad protocol to stop at the trail head and ask a few riders which shops they'd recommend.

[06E90Rostik]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

The good thing about local bike shops is that they'll usually be pretty honest with you on what's good and what's lacking on each of the bike's in your price range. Don't be afraid of shops that sell silly expensive bikes, they still do most of their volume on realistically priced bikes and should still give you good advice. People getting into cycling are how the sport grows and treating you right should be a higher priority for a good local shop than treating someone like me, looking for the newest, goofiest part. Don't be afraid to tell them you don't know a bottom bracket from a hose guide, or to make a joke about what those things sound like.

Sizing has guidelines, but it still is rider dependent. Some things, like how high to run the saddle, and where it should be in relation to the pedals are backed up by science and a good shop will help set that up for you. But top tube length and the height relationship between the saddle and the handlebar will be largely up to your comfort level. In the last fifteen or so years, I've ridden from what was called a 16.5" frame to what works out to a 21" frame.

You won't probably care about this, but the best way to measure a frame is actually with the effective top tube length, not the seat tube length. This tells you how far it is from the front of the frame (where the fork come up through the steer tube) to the center point of where the seat post comes out of the seat tube. Provided you get that right, and still have the ability to stand over the bike, you can sort out all of your fit issues from there. Don't worry too much about this at first, just listen to the shop and what feels comfortable, you can always make reasonably cheap fit changes later with handlebar and stem changes, provided you get the overall fit right.

One other idea, if you have a few good trails that you plan on riding, it's not bad protocol to stop at the trail head and ask a few riders which shops they'd recommend.

Some seriously good advise, thanks a lot! I think I know where to start, there is a bike shop right next to the Trader Joe's I go to. It is called Mad Cat Bicycles madcatbikes.com Never been inside but always wanted to.
Looks like they only carry Giants. Is Ricon for $500 a decent deal? Derek how much you paid for yours?

[dth656]

i would suggest an entry level hardtail, every major manufacturer has one in the 4-500 range (trek, cannondale, specialized, etc), and they will all be pretty similar. at that price point, you'll probably get v-brakes or cable-actuated disks, and a steel or aluminum frame. immediate upgrades would be going to a hydraulic disc brake setup, and maybe a better fork (usually you can find this stuff online pretty cheap), but the bike should last you a longtime (i've had the same mountain bike since 94)


in that same price range, you could probably also get a good deal on craigslist, but make sure you take a bike knowledgeable person w/ you to check it out. not much that can go wrong w/ a simple hardtail, but it may require a tune up.

also, as others have posted, make sure about the fit. if you look online, there are probably a number of articles on how to ensure a bike is sized right for you, and the type of riding you will be doing.

when you are ready to move up to a full susp rig, check out santa cruz, titus, turner, ibis and a couple of other brands. i also have a santa cruz blur LT, and i've been pretty happy w/ it.

[dth656]

i would say the places listed are great for purchasing, but i've had bad service experiences at Cambria (the santa rosa one). they should have pretty good prices, however

Originally Posted by Red Bread

How tall are you? I'm 6'1" and used to live in SoCal and rode some up your way and love my 29er. If you're tallish, I'd really recommend reconsidering the adult sized wheels. Used is nice, but it sounds like you're not that interested in doing your own wrenching, so new is nice as it usually includes service for a year or more. Performance Bike is a step or two up from the big box shops, and if you're anywhere near a JensonUSA or Cambria, they're both top notch shops, with tons of brands. For a good, cheap bike Kona is worth a look and offers reasonable deals for the money.

Please consider spending a little time in a shop working on fit, a good shop will be able to help you and let you ride a few different sizes to get a sense of what fits well and some of the best shops will let you demo the bike you're considering, or at the least, rent it for a day.

[06E90Rostik]

I found another shop that seems good: Mikes Bikes. Did anyone had any experience with those guys? Their selection is better then Mad Cats Bicycle.

All I know is that I got some driving around to do this weekend

[Red Bread]

Looks like you have a Performance Bike at 919 Howe St. They tend to have a pretty good selection of reasonably priced bikes, it's at least worth a look.

[06E90Rostik]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Looks like you have a Performance Bike at 919 Howe St. They tend to have a pretty good selection of reasonably priced bikes, it's at least worth a look.

It's supposed to be on my way to uni, but I never noticed it.

Just googled them, I can't believe I missed them, they are right on the side of the street I drove for 5 years. Will stop by after work today.

[06E90Rostik]

After much research I have decided to build the thing myself. I look at it this way, upgrading is inevitable so why not just start with what I like? Because all those stock parts won't sell, they will be just lying around collecting dust. So why not just get 1 of each needed part that I will actually use and enjoy.

Moreover, building will be more fun of an experience (huge DIYer), and I can buy things after each paycheck, instead of saving up and buying complete bike. BTW my budget went up to $1,000, because I realized how ridiculously I sounded with my initial $400 for a good bike

Any thoughts/suggestions?

[dth656]

i did that w/ an older bike back in 02, it was a lotta fun. the only thing i had to ahve done at the shop was the headset and bottom bracket installs. (i didnt want to spend $$$ on a headset press).

you can probably find cheap buildkits and parts online (for example, pricepoint.com has good deals on older model hydraulic disc brakes). you could also pick up a frame used or cheap off of craigslist, or even new on close out (the only downside is that you dont get to test ride it first). however, if you know the geometry that suits you, you should be fine.

couple things to watch out for is the seat tube size (so you can get the right size, configuration front derailleru), bottom bracket width, and seatpost diameter (you dont want to get the wrong size parts)

[06E90Rostik]

Originally Posted by dth656

i did that w/ an older bike back in 02, it was a lotta fun. the only thing i had to ahve done at the shop was the headset and bottom bracket installs. (i didnt want to spend $$$ on a headset press).

you can probably find cheap buildkits and parts online (for example, pricepoint.com has good deals on older model hydraulic disc brakes). you could also pick up a frame used or cheap off of craigslist, or even new on close out (the only downside is that you dont get to test ride it first). however, if you know the geometry that suits you, you should be fine.

couple things to watch out for is the seat tube size (so you can get the right size, configuration front derailleru), bottom bracket width, and seatpost diameter (you dont want to get the wrong size parts)

I was thinking of going without front derailleur, simply running 1x9. Not only that I will save on front derailleur but also on front shifter. What is the good size for crank to run 1x9? (26" wheel)

[dth656]

wow, i dont have the legs for 1x9, but i see folks w/ single speeds cranking around Sf all the time. try the forums on www.mtbr.com, i've found a lot of useful info there--because crank length can depend on a lotta things (comfort, geometry, type of terrain, etc). do you have a frame yet?