Any cross country MTB riders in here? Looking to buy 1st bike, need opinions.

[stangbanger856]

Alright guys so this has been on my mind for quite some time now. So it's not something I'm going to do for a few weeks and let it sit for years untouched. Let me give you some background of myself.

Was previously (5-6 years ago) heavy into the BMX scene and was very happy with my body condition and shape. 6,4 175/180lbs but very fit with very little body fat. In 2008 I became a corrections officer and had to just about give up BMX completely (can't be losing time at work due to injury) and time scheduL killed any actual time to get out and be active. So fast forward to present day and 235-240 I'm not happy with my current shape. So I recently switched shifts from 4pm-12am to 12am-8am which gives me a lot of time during the day to get back in shape.

So before you say "go to the gym" I need to say that I flat out hate sitting and lifting weights or running on a treadmill, it bores me to no end. So I was looking at long distance mountin bike riding that I know will quickly get me back into shape that I want 215-220lbs. But still have lots of fun.

So with that out of the way who here does this? What do you ride and where did you get it? I have been looking at the big box stores "walmart , Dicks and Sports Autority and found quite a few nice ones. After doing some research I narrowed it down to a few bikes I found on Amazon.com the 1st being the Diamondback recoil 29er which is a full suspension bike with 29inch tires with disk breaks. The bike retails for $750 but Amazon has the outgoing years model (2013) selling for $550 if you have amazon prime.

The next bike I was looking at is the same one but a more hoped up version called the Comp Recoil which has upgraded front forks and better rear shock. That bike retails for $1100 but they have it for $750

http://m.dickssportinggoods.com/pro...3887.4414035.4414033.4417717.4418012.12458051

The above link is of the 2014 Comp Recoil but I can get the 2013 from amazon for $750.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008O2FXCG/ref=pd_aw_sbs_2?pi=SS115

And the $550 base version.


Lastly I was looking at a Dicks brand bike that is also a 29er but only front suspension and hard tail rear. Again disk breaks front and rear and retails for. $450.

So what do you guys think?

 

[stangbanger856]

My last question is this. I'm 6,4 the charts I'm looking at say I should be on a 20 inch frame. But the the above bikes amazon doesn't Cary the 20 inch frames only the 16s.
Now that being said what would be the downfall of the smaller frame?

Remember I spent almost 15yrs, day in and day out and a small "child's" 20 inch BMX bike without issue. So if it's cramped I can deal with it.

 

[broke7]

With a BMX background I will venture to say that your younger days will probably surface again and you will be wanting something more than a dedicated XC bike and eventually seek more challenging terrain.

Do you have a budget?

I have been riding mountain bikes/bikes for the better part of my life, I Enduro race, ride XC, and Downhill ride/Race also, and came from a BMX background when I was kid.

#1
Big box stores have cheap bikes, lousy components that will break when ridden. Dont waste your time. Only place I would ride these bikes is on sidewalks.

#2
Go to a real bike shop, swallow your pride, and spend a couple thousand on a bike if this is truly something you want to pursue, and get good at. Along with having the piece of mind without the worry of "subpar" equipment. They will size you correctly on the bike, and answer all your questions

#3
May I ask where you live and what type of trail systems you have next/near you community? This will dictate which type of riding and or bike will best suit you. Bikes are usually classified like the following

3" XC
4"-5.5" travel --Trailbike
6" All Mountain/Light Freeride
6"-7" Freeride
7"-8" Freeride/Downhill
8"+ Downhill



I ride a bike with 5.75" of travel on my local trails, and have no issues on the gnarly terrain, I consider it a "do it all" bike. My Downhill bike has 8" of travel, and I ride it at the resort or hike it up the side of a mountain and rip it down.

 

[stangbanger856]

I wish I could get a nice down hill bike but that's not in the budget. I live in south jersey so unless I'm going up to the Poconos it will be 100% flat ground. The off road terain I'm looking at are fire roads and wood trails mixed with extended trips on the road to get to and from the trails.

As far as budget goes those are the prices I'm looking at simply because I just dropped $150,000 on a new house so my budget is limited. I was even thinking about skipping the full suspension setup and going hard tail and use the extra money for a nicer bike.

I still have my BMX bike so if I need to go relive my youth for a day or to I still have that. I'm not looking to thrash this bike I to the ground. Just get back on a bike that I can ride for extended periods and venture down a country road at times.

 

[SweetSVT99]

1) Don't buy from big box, that includes Dick's.

2) Don't buy online.

Fit is, hands down, the most important part of buying an XC bike if you plan on actually riding it. The two above will not put you in a bike that fits you unless you are an experienced rider that knows the exact geometry and size that works for you.

Diamondback does have some good bikes, the majority of their lineup is crap.

Go find a local bike shop and test ride some bikes. Most bike shops have someone that is capable of fitting you on a bike properly, and can help put you on a bike that is right for you and fits your budget.

One of my 14:

 

[91Gtturbo]

As broke7 said, stay away from box store bikes. If your budget is >$1000, go to an LBS and buy a hardtail with better components. You could also try online places like jensonusa, performancebike, or nashbar. They have many full suspension bikes on closeout.

Personally I ride a Santa Cruz Nomad. As far as frame size, although you may be use to cramped riding on a bmx, riding miles of trails you'll want the space a propoer sized frame gives you.

 

[wundrbird]

I was in the same situation last year, looking for a bike that wouldn't break the bank, had a decent component level, and would mostly be used on highways, fire roads, and some local trails well out of the "extreme" category.

So after months of research, visits to my three local bike shops (holy Sticker Shock!), I went with one of these and don't regret the decision.

Airborne Bicycles. Guardian 2.0

The color scheme has changed. Mine looks like this:

I even got inspired and built my own bike stand. It's currently using a 1" pc of rigid pipe going down to a pipe flange mounted to a double layer of 3/4" plywood. I'm going to pick up a PA/Monitor stand eventually so it's portable and won't take up so much space in my garage.

DIY BLOG: DIY Portable Bike Repair Stand

 

[fred50stang]

Lots of good information in this thread. With a bicycle, you get what you pay for these days. I like some of the Trek MTB line-ups for the money. Most of the price is what components are on the bike.

 

[Huddleston]

1) Don't buy from big box, that includes Dick's.

2) Don't buy online.

Fit is, hands down, the most important part of buying an XC bike if you plan on actually riding it. The two above will not put you in a bike that fits you unless you are an experienced rider that knows the exact geometry and size that works for you.

Diamondback does have some good bikes, the majority of their lineup is crap.

Go find a local bike shop and test ride some bikes. Most bike shops have someone that is capable of fitting you on a bike properly, and can help put you on a bike that is right for you and fits your budget.

One of my 14:

+1, go to LBS and ride different bikes. stay away from walmart bikes. spend a little more on the front end to get a quality new or used bike with good components and you'll be happier in the long run.

 

[Thehubster]

I am the same way and being in the military I have to stay in shape but I hate running so I got into mountainbiking. There is a park close by that has a good 5 mile loop. I went the same way you did by getting a bike from Walmart. It was a nice bike cost me about 100$. it was dead after about 3 weeks of riding. the back wheel hub was shot. My suggestion would be if you are going to get a Walmart bike start saving for something bigger. It will die on you it is only a matter of time. After that I put down about $600 for a Specialized Hardrock. I got it from a local shop here in Little Rock. It is a 19 in frame and it is amazing. Like night and day compared to the bike I got from Walmart. It is a great way to stay in shape and way funner then running. haha My advice would be to look at some local bike shops and let them know what you are looking to do. Getting a nice bike is not cheap but it is very worth it if you plan to do this kind of thing for any length of time otherwise you will end up like me having to push your bike back to your car a good 3 miles after it breaks on you. Good Luck

 

[Way2QWK]

If mountain biking is something your serious about then I suggest buying a quality bike from the start. You wont have to worry about it falling apart after a year of riding. Good quality starts around $2500, but you can find some good bikes for less. My Santa Cruz Heckler

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[ON D BIT]

Cheap bikes will get you heavy bikes that you dont want to ride with bad components that will break or not work correctly after the first good ride. Correct fit is good for the efficiency of the bike, or your effort going into moving the bike up and down the trail. Though i believe they still say give your self more room if you will be doing more downhill or jumps.

If it is indeed more cross country flat terrain look into a good lightweight hardtail and with good components. I would look at XT components or better but a bike shop will be able to give you the best advice. Look to spend 1500 new or less slightly used.

You dont need a 29 as they are best at going up and over things and as you say you are NJ. 26/27.5/29 will all be fine for what you say you want.

If you want full suspension I would look at craigslist or to buy a bikes shops 1 year old demo bikes. As stated good semi light full suspension start at $2500. I have seen some good 2500-3000 dollar bikes sell on craigslist for 1000 to 1500 bucks one or two years old barely ridden.

Good Luck:beer:

 

[SweetSVT99]

I was in the same situation last year, looking for a bike that wouldn't break the bank, had a decent component level, and would mostly be used on highways, fire roads, and some local trails well out of the "extreme" category.

So after months of research, visits to my three local bike shops (holy Sticker Shock!), I went with one of these and don't regret the decision.

Airborne Bicycles. Guardian 2.0

The color scheme has changed. Mine looks like this:

I even got inspired and built my own bike stand. It's currently using a 1" pc of rigid pipe going down to a pipe flange mounted to a double layer of 3/4" plywood. I'm going to pick up a PA/Monitor stand eventually so it's portable and won't take up so much space in my garage.

DIY BLOG: DIY Portable Bike Repair Stand

That looks a lot like a Trek designed frame. Even looks like a G2 fork.

 

[WHITESVTCOBRA]

I don't know if I'd go with a dual suspension for long rides, your going to lose efficiency with the shocks, You may also want to check out promotiv.com since your a corrections officer, a few bike companies offer deep discounts on their bikes to LE and diamondback is one of those companies.

 

[SweetSVT99]

I don't know if I'd go with a dual suspension for long rides, your going to lose efficiency with the shocks, You may also want to check out promotiv.com since your a corrections officer, a few bike companies offer deep discounts on their bikes to LE and diamondback is one of those companies.

That would depend heavily on the terrain, long ride or not. Also, a properly setup XC full suspension is not that much less efficient than a hard tail.

I did a 24 hour race two years ago that allowed participants to switch bikes between laps if they wanted, and my lap times on my FS were faster than on my "race" hardtail. Both 26'ers.

 

[Phil'scobra]

Check out Save Up To 60% Off Road Bikes, Bicycles, Mountain Bikes and Bicycles with Bikesdirect.com, New with full warranties . I went with the 29 fantom full suspension, I love it.

 

[broke7]

I don't know if I'd go with a dual suspension for long rides, your going to lose efficiency with the shocks, You may also want to check out promotiv.com since your a corrections officer, a few bike companies offer deep discounts on their bikes to LE and diamondback is one of those companies.

+1

Couple of guys I know locally ride the Diamondack setups (higher end) models they got off promotive. They come stacked with killer components groups. They ride good, no issues. There is a difference between Diamondback at Walmart and their higher end models.

Promotive.com - Pro deals on hundreds of brands with discounts up to 70% off retail if you can get signed up, do so.

My buddy snagged one of these from Promotiv for an absurd price, it was almost unreal to believe. More like 1/2 price from LBS retail. Bike rips, climbs and descends with no issue. He even took it to Whistler, and had no issues this last summer.

Diamondback Bicycles - Mission Pro


Full suspension bikes have come along way, proper shock tuning, and valving keep the 1st 25% of the shock travel and the associated "pedal bob" down to a minimum. In most cases the bikes climb better because of their ability to keep the tire planted on the terrain.

 

[stangbanger856]

Thanks for the help guys. That Mission pro looks awesome, I didn't see the price but I already know it's out of my price range.

Talked to a buddy of mine that works at a shop and he recommended this setup
Fuji Bikes | MOUNTAIN | SPORT - HARDTAIL | NEVADA 29 1.5

Lists for a bit over $750 but with my law enforcement discount he said he can sell it to me for $550. Opinions?

 

[stangbanger856]

Was also looking at this one from Jamis he recommended. This one has Hydro breaks over the cable pull of the Fuji.

JAMIS BICYCLES

 

[ON D BIT]

Jamis makes good bikes but like every other bike company they build cheap bikes with poor specs as well. Just want a bike to tool around in and the bike you mentioned is fine. If you do want to get into anything bigger or more training type of rides I would something with better specs.

With price in mind I would look at the dragon sport or the dakota 29 comp. The last thing I would want to do is spend $700 bucks on a bike wishing you now had a bike that responds better(mainly shifting, braking, and lighter weight), ie one with better components.

If $800 bucks is your hard set limit, go to a bike shop and learn about the differences between components and bikes. Then look for a slightly used bike with the components you want, that you can pick up for 800 instead of the 2k msrp!:beer: