So I'm looking to get a sort of budget mountain bike. I'll be riding it to and from classes/around town/taking it to trails once I get back the strength I had when I was younger. I don't need the top end (I've had a Santa Cruz before, it was stolen, I don't need anything like that right now) but I'd like to not have a TOTAL piece of garbage. I've been riding a basic Trek mountain bike recently and some of the shifting is sketchy.

Basically, any input on brands would be helpful, I'm thinking my budget is going to be hopefully below $700? Not sure if thats a reasonable amount as I haven't purchased a bike in ages.

 

Also, I like to know WHY people recommend certain brands, so if you could tell me why you think said brand is great, that'd be cool too.

 

I have an '04 Specialized Enduro that I'm actually looking to sell. The frame is in great shape but you'd probably need to replace the drivetrain. Bike has served me well, I just never ride it anymore.

 

i is/was a specialized guy. especially since they are in morgan hill.

then i bought a giant. nice bike for the price...

buy for the future.

 

I worked at a bike shop for about three years. What kind of mountain bike are you looking for? Hardtail or full suspension? Cross country or more of a downhill/freeride rig?
In general, I feel you get a lot for your money with Giant. Specialized and Trek are great brands too but they are on the pricier side. And high end bikes like Santa Cruz are amazing but you better be ready to shell out a few thousand for a complete bike. If you know what you are looking for, I might be able to hook you up with something.

 

If you're going to be riding it around town and on trails, you may want to consider a cyclocross bike. I'm particularly fond of my Kona "Jake the Snake."

If you're not familiar with CX bikes you should go to a bike shop that has them and check them out. They're f-ing awesome.

 

By lower/mid range what are you talking about exactly price wise? What about buying a used bike. You can get some sick deals out there going that route if you're not super serious about it and it's just to get you by.

For that budget arena I'm a fan of Giant. You get a lot for your money.
I dig the STP series. They have an SS version that you can get for about $850 at shops.

 

How much would you want for it? How much would it cost to replace the drivetrain? What size is it? I'm ~6' tall

EDIT:Looking at the prices of new ones, I'm guessing used is still going to be out of my budget range.

I remember always have specialized bikes growing up, but I was little so I didn't know/care if they were good for the price. I do remember they were typically stolen before they broke. I guess that's a good thing?

I'm a big fan of buying for the future and for hobbies (ie: photography and car stuff) saving until you can afford the proper equipment, but I need a bike before classes start in a few weeks and my current income isn't going to allow for a top dollar bike.

I'll look into those, I'm planning on going to a few bike stores in the area next week, so I'll ask about those too.

By lower/mid I mean $500-$800ish. I'll look into Giant bikes as they've been mentioned a few times now.

I'd prefer something with a full suspension. My SC had full suspension and it was great for the dirt roads around Ft Ord. However, the main purpose of this bike will be getting me to and from school/the homebrew store, so surface streets around Sunnyvale/Los Altos. Being able to take it on trails would be an additional benefit but not essential.

 

Matt - honestly I'd take $400 for it. Not a bad price for that frame.

 

Under $800 for a full suspension is a bad idea.

 

i have a 1996 specialized dual suspension (although the rear might be leaking) FSR (IIRC) that you can have cheap...

lemme know...

 

Given your budget and the fact that you'll be commuting on your bike, I'd go with a hardtail. A dual suspension in that price range is gonna be on the low end (frame + suspension + components) and really heavy.

If you're not afraid of mail order, you can probably get a good bang-for-the-buck from this place: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mountain_bikes.htm (Disclaimer: I haven't had any personal experiences with Motobecanes or www.bikesdirect.com)

I'd be more concerned about bike fit/geometry than brand name itself. Also, if you plan to ride more in the future, get something that has a good frame and upgrade components over time.

 

I appreciate that! I'll contact you in the beginning of next week. Is it up on craigslist listed in Palo Alto?

Yeah, I was assuming new sub$800 full suspension probably wouldn't be that good, so it isn't high up on the feature list.

I think I'd prefer a new hardtail over a potentially leaking full suspension .

 

I like Specialized and have an '04 Rockhopper fscomp I got off CL for $200 in 2006. I have beat the living crap out of it on some hard trails (12mi @ waterdog yesterday) and have since replaced the brakes, wheels, fork, bottom bracket, bar, stem, seat, post, tires, shifters, and front derailleur. Wow, typing that all out sounds scary but the most expensive thing I bought was the brakes (Avid Juicy Ultimate hydro discs) and I got those lightly used from a friend including new front/rear wheels + Maxxis tires for $300 a long time ago. You can get those same brakes for $189 new now, or the lower grade ones - still excellent - for around $90 I think. Anyway, keep your eye out - Specialized, Trek, Giant and many others should be easily had in your price range.

If you don't take Unit 91's deal I want it! That sounds great and I am so ready for rear suspension now. Must have a rear lockout. I will look that bike up and see what's what. My Rockhopper is a 19" and I am around 6' tall I think.

I prefer Specialized I think because of the geometry. A friend has an Ellsworth Isis and it's cushy and great, a really excellent bike but it just feels ponderous and weird to me where mine handles great and feels like "part of me" when I get into it. I need to cut down my bars tho... Anyway, I have had two of these Rockhoppers, a Trek somethingorelse and a Novara bike - never anything super high end though I would like that!

Another bike I thoroughly enjoyed riding was a Giant NRS-1, and those are coming down in price now. One last one I liked was a Cannondale Prophet.

I think I am just now at the point where component grade is making a difference for me, for example I have really broken a lot of parts lately, and comparing my friend's XTR and now SRAM red parts, there is a MASSIVE difference in build quality (it seems).

My favorite bike to ride ever is a Matt Chester UTILITiMAN which is a hand made titanium frame w/ PAUL components among other things. It's like jewelry, responds well to abuse, and is light as a feather.

Mine looks pretty much like this:



Bling:



So that's my $200 bike that has improved as I have crashed and broken it over the years. It would kick *** to ride a sweet Ibis or something but at the same time I really enjoy having a bike I don't mind crashing or pounding into the ground, and components that are actually worth swapping over to a new frame. Hit me up if you need any help, between my friend and I we can also fix and repair a lot of items on bikes of all kinds. I am about to build a gear hub setup for my wife's town bike, so I will have parts everywhere.

 

Matt, I love my old school Specialized Hard Rock. I love hardtail over fs because I can "feel" the trails I'm on.
This bike has been beaten to death over and over,mud,rain, etc.etc. and still goes strong.
So to sum it up, I'm just a Specialized fan. Inexpensive,good quality.