Entry-Level Mountain Bike

It's my opinion that you need a bike that can handle the terrain you'll be riding on. If you'll be doing some mtn bike trails, that requires getting a bike with a front fork that is reliable and will protect you and your bike from breaking. Now, if you are just looking to cruise on a bike path, that's a different story. Mtn biking will at least require front suspension, which in itself can cost $300 without adding the frame, components, tires, etc.  Get a proper fit and find out your frame size from your bike shop. See if they have any used bikes or test bikes for you. A lot of enthusiasts buy the latest and greatest, then have a stockpile of bikes....Mtbr.com has classifieds, eBay is good if you do a little research on the bike.

$300? Thats going to be a toughy. Most trail -worthy, new MTB's start in the low $400's. Anything less then that will weight a TON, have cheaper, lower end Shimano components, and probably a junk suspension fork thats more like a pogo stick then a suspension fork.

Typically, I tell my customers that they want to:

1. Keep the bike under 30 lbs in total weight. As a frame of reference, most of the $500-600 dollar bikes in my shop weigh 26-28 lbs.

2. Buy a bike with a minimum of Shimano Deore components. Shimano makes four levels of mountain bike components. At the very top, the really expensive, pro-level stuff is call XTR, and you wont get it on a bike that costs less then $1500. Next is XT, then LX, then Deore, then Acera.

The Deore stuff is sturdy, reliable, inexpensive to replace, shifts smoothly. The Acera stuff will work, but if you start caking it up with dirt and mud, its shot.

You canm go used, but remember, mountain bikes take a beating, compared to what a similiar used road bike would go through. Dont expect to buy a used mountain bike thats going to be perfect. I have a lot of people that come into the shop that have recently purchased used mountain bikes and want to know why it creaks, squeaks, etc. Its the nature of the beast.

Try craigslist.com, rather then Ebay. Craigslist is local. You wont have to pay for shipping, and you can probably test ride the bike first. With ebay, its "Buyer Beware."

I have a Trek 3900 that I absolutely love. I paid around $350 for it last year. I ride on mostly dirt and gravel trails through state parks, although I have done some beginner-intermediate single-track trails (until I hurt my knee and became chicken). It has done great on all of the terrain I have tried it on.

Most of the advice so far has been spot on. I shopped for an entry level mtbr last year, and found that the best cheap bike was the Specialized RockHopper. It typically retails for 450, and while it's not the lightest bike you'll find, it's not a bad bike in the slightest.

If you are willing to spend a little more, you can get your hands on a Gary Fisher Tassajara, which is the bike I decided on. It retails somewhere around 600, give or take a few. It's a sweet bike, with great geometry, and decent components. Once again, it's not light enough to race very competively, but I've spent plenty of time on singletrack with it, and it's solid.

Rockhopper is an excellent example of a good, trail worthy bike.

Lets define "trails"

1. Theres flat, gravel fire roads with no logs, rocks, hills, etc....

2. Then theres trails with rocks, roots, climbs, descents, etc.

If your only looking to ride #1, you'll be ok with the trails I described in #1. If your looking to expand your horizons, and ride the stuff I describe in #2, $300 wont get you there.

After an hour, you'll be tired from slinging your 35 lb "mountain" bike up and down the hills, your arms, hands and shoulders will be sore and aching from the "suspension" fork. And you'll be cursing at the bike like a sailer.

Listen to the last guy and think about expanding your budget

In my shop, I am a pretty straight shooter. If a customer comes in and wants me to on their leg and tell them its raining, theres plenty of other shops in the area that will gladly take their money and sell them some junk.

Another thing...if you aren't going to be doing some severe downhill drops on this thing, don't even consider getting a full suspension bike. Most of the rear suspension systems, especially on cheaper bikes, are junk, and just add weight. A front suspension is a must for any off roading, but the rear is not.

Thanks for the advice (especially the download on the components names). Sounds like I should work a little overtime and save up some more. Like anyone, I started out hoping that those $200 bikes I saw at Target will be O.K., but I should really know better by now.

Look at the Giant Rincon. My sister just got this bike and bang for the buck, it's really rice.

-Frank

The issue with the cranks is common on lower end mountain bikes.

Higher end mountain bikes attach to the bottom bracket using something called octalink, which is essentially an eight sided spindle. Lower end mountain bikes use the traditional square spindle to attach to the cranks. They have a propensity to come loose, especially when riding over stutter bumps - lile riding over gravel or roots. The reason is simple. The square sides of the spindle tend wear down with use, and the spindle becomes round. The crank never seats to the spindle tightly.

The octalink avoids this by distributing crank torque over eight sides, rather then four.

My guess is the Rincon has a square spindle. You should get into the habit of checking the tightness of the crank before every ride.

lots of good advice here. definately check out craigslist, lots of people spend 500 or more on a bike they don't use for a year and dump them cheap.

if you buy used, go to a local bike shop and have them tune it up.

I can't believe 15 years ago I was dying to buy 30lb hard tail rigid forked bike so I could get on the trails. I used to do 30 miles in the hills on those great bikes we now call clunkers. Of course, I was a heck of a lot younger :-) Even if you take a 300.00 bike out on the technical trails and you get tired and the suspension isn't the best, you will be riding - and that's what it's all about! You may break a few things along the way, but when you upgrade to something lighter you'll be that much faster.

Thanks. I have been checking out craigslist. It's a bit of a slog, since no one lists any relevant information for the bikes (usually just a brand, not a size or a model name or anything). But, ont he bright side, that indicates that they aren't necessarily educated about what they have, so maybe I can snag a deal.

Be careful, because Craigslist, as great a resource as it is, can go the other way.

I see alot of people selling used bikes for damn near what the bike would cost new. Granted, its "buyer beware" and as a buyer, you should do some research as to what the bike would normally cost new, to at least establish a baseline for how much you should pay for a used bike.

Check out this website to get a comprehensive list of all major manufacturers models and what they should see for: http://airfreetires.com/Specs/Default.asp

I see alot of people who come into the shop with uses bikes bought off of Craigslist and they boast what they paid for it, and in some cases they have been taken, simply because they didnt know better.

Also, if you go to look at a new bike, check the following things:

1. Is there any rust anywhere? Rust on the chain, gears, etc is easily fixable, but rust on the frame is a really bad sign. If the drive train is beat up, you can use this as a negotiating point for the price. Drivetrains are easily replaced.

2. Do you feel any noticable dents, dings, bumps, etc on the frame? On a steel frame, dents and dings arent bad, as long as the paint is still intact. Once the paint goes, you expose the metal to the atmosphere, and hence rust.

3. Are there cracks in the frame? If yes, are they at the bottom bracket or at welds, or at points where two parts of the frame meet? Check for cracks at the point where the seatpost enters the frame. If so, RUN AWAY FROM THE BIKE. Those cracks are at the most vulnerable part of the frame - aka failure points.

4. Do the tires look brittle? This is a sign of dry-rot. Tires are easily replaced, but you can use the fact that the bike needs new tires as a negotiating point.

5. Do the brakes feel smooth when you squeeze them? Do they cables look black or brown? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, the cables need to be replaced. Again, an easy job for any qualified mechanic, but a negotiating point for you.

6. Standover the bike, grab the pedals in each hand, and wiggle the crank. Feel loose? It can probably be tightened, and its probably not an issue. See my previous post about cranks - if it remains loose after constant tightenign, you probably need a new bottom bracket.

7. Does the bike squeak, creak, or squeal when pedallng? Bottom bracket probably needs to be pulled and lubed, or theres a crack at the bottom of the frame.

8. Do the wheels spin tru? If not, negotaiting point.

9. Flip the bike over. Is there an unusual amount of chips in the paint at the bottomr bracket? If there is, look for cracks all arond the bottom bracket.

Insist that teh bike be clean when you buy it - a trick that scammers use is to show the bike dirty, with the excuse that they didnt have time to clean it. Dirt hides a lot of flaws in a bike. Small cracks turn into big cracks over time.

Happy Hunting

MTBs are like road bikes you get what you pay for.  Plan on spending at least $500 for something servicable.  I have got into doing pretty serious off roading which is just an absolte blast.  A front suspension is a must.  Gear shifting is critical and if you squimp you will not like riding becasue you will get stuck out of gear.  Perhaps you can go as low as deore but I think XT should be min.  I love my disc brakes on realiability - get dirty and still work.  BTW, I bought a Specialized FSR XC Pro for like $1600. I wish I would have moved one up a got the better rear suspension.   Dont forget you should have clipless pedals or you feet will be flying all over.

WHereas I agree that you should get the most for your money, I disagree that you have to get a minimum XT on an off-road bike.

LX is more then adequate for the 90% of all off-road riding. Granted, if your planning on racing, I would make the move to XT or XTR. LX and Deore arent made for the stress placed upon the drivetrain by racing.

Heres a little known fact: the internal moving bits of the XT and Deore are the same. The material is different. Hence, XT is lighter, and a bit more durable (and more expensive).

And regarding Clipless pedals. I agree that they are a great tol to have, but I know plenty of old school guys that gre up slinging BMX bikes around, and SWEAR by bear traps and non clipless pedals (with the right shoes).

A novice who immediately makes the jump to clipless is asking for trouble. On a road bike, once your clipped in, your not clipping out, unless your stopping at an intersection, etc. On a mountain bike, its a different story. You're constantly clipping in and out, and if your not used to doing it, you're going to dump the bike.

WHat I advise most coming into the shop I work at, is very simple: Ride toes clips until you get a few hundred miles of good hard trail riding under your belt. Then, make the move to clipless, and dont just jump on the trails with the them the day you buy them. Ride around some grass fields and get used to them

The only way you'll be "flying all over the place" is if your riding trails that you have no reason to be on given your ability level. I wouldnt ask someone who just bought a road bike to go out and compete in the Tour De France. Clipless pedals isnt going to help - going out and riding some mild trails, and gradually increasing the level of difficulty of the stuff your riding will help.