Mountain Biking

[ridenfish39]

Yeah I use to love to lift weights but gave it up due to getting my neck fused and a broken lower back. Unfortunately I eat like I still lift...LOL. Trying to get back into a little better shape.

Wasn't meant to offend , just being honest about your choices. You don't want to be breaking shit constantly and having to replace it anyway. At your size I'd stick with an aluminum frame too. When you knock the weight off then get something lighter. Fwiw....I'm 6'2'' and 165 and I still break a lot of shit lol. Ive been through it all over the 20 plus years I've been riding and racing

 

[KIMMER]

LOL you won't offend me. I give myself more shit than anyone. I'll let you know what I get. Thanks for the info!

 

[irishpwr46]

went to a ski mountain for the first time last weekend, brought my hardtail 29 and had a miserable time. ended up renting a full out downhill bike (khs lucky 7 or something like that) and had an amazing time after
this is my go pro on my buddys helmet

 

[psfracer]

went to a ski mountain for the first time last weekend, brought my hardtail 29 and had a miserable time. ended up renting a full out downhill bike (khs lucky 7 or something like that) and had an amazing time after

Yep, case and point of what I am trying to say. Best bike depends on type of riding.

 

[KIMMER]

I wish the lockout on rear suspension worked well enough to make it feel like a hardtail. Problem is I ride with one guy that has a cyclocross and its a hitch to keep up.

 

[TenSpeed]

I wish the lockout on rear suspension worked well enough to make it feel like a hardtail. Problem is I ride with one guy that has a cyclocross and its a hitch to keep up.

It will lockout close to feeling like a hardtail, but the weight of it will still slow you down, and that is where the CX bike will leave you. I am pretty sure that the link to that bike I sent you sold yesterday.

You can get into a full suspension that weighs about what a hardtail weighs, it will be light, and so will your wallet.

 

[Scout734]

...another mountain biker here. Took a trip to Sedona in late September, what an awesome place to ride! I have two Niners... the RIP in green and the Jet in orange.

 

[Timmbo]

Thinking about getting into mountain biking on the weekends as an occasional break away from the gym routine for staying in shape. We've got some really good trails here in TN and I'd like to have a fairly decent bike to start out with and 1000.00 bucks is my limit. I don't see myself getting crazy into the sport right now so I don't want to spend much. Just want the best bike in the 1000.00 or less price bracket.

This Diamondback seems to get good reviews. I'd appreciate any other suggestions as I know zilch about mountain bike quality.

http://www.amazon.com/Diamondback-Bicycles-Overdrive-Mountain-29-Inch/dp/B00FFUAV90/ref=pd_sbs_sg_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=01X722EG44RZ8V1YJ60N

 

[TenSpeed]

Ehhh, that isn't bad, but there are better bikes out there for under a grand. The components on that bike are not that great, and if you decide that you like to ride, you will see their short comings for sure.

First thing I would do is if you are serious about this, go to your local bike shop, and get properly fitted. It doesn't matter how sweet the bike is, if it doesn't fit, you won't like it. Another thing about the local shop is maintenance/tune ups. A lot of shops offer at least one free tune up, maybe more, sometimes for the life of the bike if you buy from them. They will work on that Diamondback, but they will charge you. If you build up a rep with a shop, you are often likely to get discounts on stuff, or they will work with you on getting a cheaper package deal, like some tools, helmet, gloves, etc at the time you buy.

The other thing is buying that Diamondback before you test ride it. Unless a local shop carries those, you are buying without riding. What if you get the wrong size or you don't like the ride? I remember test riding a Gary Fisher before he sold out to Trek, and I hated the ride of it. Ended up on a Specialized and I liked it much better. The Gary Fisher was nice, but the bike felt weird, the geometry was a bit off for my body type, etc. 7 bills is a lot to drop to not be sure.

 

[psfracer]

Yeah believe it or not, you don't really get a lot of bike for $1K. Sounds crazy but yeah. I went to the Santa Cruz website and they did not have a single mountain bike for $1K or less, all $1699++ just to give you an idea.

So with regards to bikes similar to the one you posted below $1K, look at these below. As TenSpeed already mentioned, look at the components, this is where the difference is most of the time, along with the front fork.

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/mountain/rockhopper/rockhopper-comp-29

http://www.konaworld.com/blast.cfm

Now, MY ADVICE would be to save a little bit more money, and find something on sale to get a lot more bike that you won't grow out of after a summer of riding. Take this one for example:

http://www.trekbicyclesuperstore.com/product/trek-fuel-ex-5-29-194047-1.htm

A $2K bike on sale for $1,400. Look at the bike, look at the components, the fact its full suspension vs a hardtail, etc, and see how much more bike you are getting for $400.

^^^^Just a couple examples above, but check into Specialized, Santa Cruz, Giant, Kona, Trek, etc. Go to websites to see what is on sale and go from there.

 

[Timmbo]

Thanks for the reply guys. I think I better just go to a couple bike shops first like you all suggested and try some out. My body size puts me in the Medium bike frame range. A friend of mine that rides sent me this local link to a Stumpjumper for sale:

http://nashville.craigslist.org/bik/4849270447.html

 

[psfracer]

Yeah there are deals to be had with bikes that are for sale used, that maybe were two or three years old, used for a couple bike rides, then just sat in the garage.

Just don't get too old of a bike. Technology has changed bikes in a big way over the last few years. I wouldn't even look at anything older then a 2010 bike.

 

[TenSpeed]

That Stumpjumper is WAYYYY over priced. Nice bike, but way too old, especially for full suspension. You are looking at redoing the shocks at that point, dropping more money into an older bike. Not worth it for me.

That Trek Fuel EX5 is a pretty good deal, considering it is new vs the Specialized, and only a little bit more. Finding a decent full suspension bike at that price, new, that is pretty rare. X5 drivetrain is doable, would be better if it was an X7/X9 combo but the 5 is decent. If that fork is an air fork, that is a pretty solid bike for the price.

Looked closer at the Stumpjumper. Bike has a lot of upgrades on it that I can see, Thomson bits, etc. Still priced a bit too high, and the fact that it is 9 years old would steer me away from it. Technology has changed in full suspension quite a bit in that time frame.

 

[Timmbo]

Speaking of the Trek...what about this Top Fuel model? Its a 2010. I appreciate you guys popping in and out of this thread.

http://nashville.craigslist.org/bik/4832030592.html

 

[TenSpeed]

That's a pretty well equipped bike. Not too old. Might want to go test ride that if you get the chance.

 

[psfracer]

TenSpeed--what do you make of the 275 vs the 26 or 29? I have stayed 26 but considering going up to a 275.

Also I notice on the new Santa Cruz bikes, (Nomad, Bronson, Heckler) the crank sprocket is a single small and it looks to be a larger cassette on the rear. Is this just for more ground clearance or ???

 

[TenSpeed]

TenSpeed--what do you make of the 275 vs the 26 or 29? I have stayed 26 but considering going up to a 275.

Also I notice on the new Santa Cruz bikes, (Nomad, Bronson, Heckler) the crank sprocket is a single small and it looks to be a larger cassette on the rear. Is this just for more ground clearance or ???

I have had both 26" and 29" wheels, both have pros and cons. 27.5 is that middle ground, you get the best of both, and they try to say the negatives are left off. I don't know to be honest. I haven't ridden a 27.5 yet. It is catching on I know that, and the 26" wheel will be ancient history eventually. I can see where it would be a decent option.

That crank set up is either a 1x10 or 1x11 and I think that it is the new thing. Drop the two rings off the front, make the cassette a bit bigger, and you have your ranges. Kills off the front derailleur and cable which is nice. You have to run a chain guard to prevent drop off. Less moving parts to possibly break or adjust which is always good. Saves a bit of weight which is good. Added ground clearance is always good.

IIRC, the Heckler has always had a huge amount of ground clearance as is, because my buddy had one a while back, and that bike was pretty sweet. I believe that it was the first one to be able to run a 27.5 setup as it sat, with no changes other than the wheels, possibly the fork. The frame would accept that wheel with clearance.

 

[ridenfish39]

No chain guard needed with the new 1 x 11 stuff. My scalpel is sram xo and I have yet to drop a chain. The hi low front ring and clutch rear derailleur work great.
Psfracer.....if youre tall just get a 29. I could never ride a 26 again. A 29 er gets rid of that pitched over the bars feeling for us tall guys.

 

[TenSpeed]

Just because you are tall does not mean that a 29er will be a better option for you. This is a huge misconception. You should ride what feels right, and a lot of people just do not like the handling of a 29er. I had one when they first came out and then I had a much newer build, and they are not for everyone. Pros and cons like I said above.

The 26" full suspension Specialized Camber that I had just ripped on the trails. I couldn't find a bike that would handle like that. Everything was totally dialed in and the bike fit me like a glove. Tried to reproduce that on a full suspension 29er and it came close, but never ripped like that Camber did.

 

[ridenfish39]

Terrain is a factor too. Out here it's technical...rooty, rocky and steep. Almost every Cat 1 and up racer, myself included, is on a 29er. There must be a reason...
If you're a downhiller or dirt jumper then I see the reason for the 26'' wheels, because they can be built stronger.