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

[ON D BIT]

Jamis Dakar XC Comp Dual Suspension Mountain | New | Clearance Sale

Full suspension with sram components $300 off now for 799.

Used 09 Gary Fisher, now owned by Trek(1900 bike asking 850)
2009 Gary Fisher HiFi MSRP 1,869.99

 

[TheVikingRL]

My 2 cents:

As others said, you don't really need a full suspension bike as a beginner or for your intended riding style. $800 does not buy much at most LBS's when shopping for a new bike, even a hardtail. You can find great deals on good used bikes, so this would also be my first thought. At 6"4" your probably looking at an XL frame and this may reduce your choices somewhat since it's a less common size. Another good site for used bikes is pinkbike.com. Absolutely stay away from the typical box store offerings.

It's very hard to a consistent opinion on just about any brand/model so don't worry too much about one brand vs another. Pay attention to the level of components used as this is where a lot of your money is going. It gets expensive quickly if you decide to start replacing components. I would also avoid oddball suspension setups like a Cannondale Lefty as it makes maintenance more difficult.

If you decide to try more aggressive riding NJ has some terrific and technical trails, but mostly in Central/North NJ from what I've seen. Jungle Habitat is pretty much in my back yard and one of the more technical and entertaining places I've ever ridden. But again, there are lots of parks in NJ with great riding trails for about every riding skill.

Jungle Habitat Mountain Bike Trail in West Milford, New Jersey || SINGLETRACKS.COM

 

[TCSoff]

I purchased my Specialized Crosstrail from a LBS and couldn't be happier with it. I didn't want a full blown mountain bike as the majority of my riding is on the road. During the week, at least 2-3 times, I take off from my house and ride for about 20 miles or so. I usually roll around through town with the tires at 90psi and they exhibit little resistance. I even did the annual Rosarito to Ensenada bike ride in October this year. It's about a 50 mile event and the bike didn't miss a beat. I finished second within our group and some of my friends were on road bikes! Of course that says more about the cyclist and not the bike itself but still worth mentioning.
During the weekend a few friends and I get together and ride some local trails, Del Cerro in PV, Fullerton Loop and Will Rogers BBT to name a few. These trails are not extreme but they are LOTS of fun. My friends all have pretty decent MTBs, Stumpjumpers, Talons, etc and I have no trouble keeping up with them.
Overall I am happy with my Crosstrail and I only paid $499 for it.

 

[ArmedSuspect]

it's been covered but... box store bikes are total shit!!!

i started riding MTB two years ago. hit the trails at 6'2", 290 and by the end of the first season i had worked my way down to 235-ish.

the LBS set me up with a nice hard tail Trek at a reasonable price. for my first season and not knowing if i was going to stick with it, i limited my budget. had a great season, broke a few minor things and upgraded some others along the way. all in all it's a good bike but i needed something more.

this season i spent over 4 times the cash on a new bike and it was well worth it!!! the difference in my two bikes is instantly noticeable. everything about this bike is better and it's still a hard tail. size, weight, geometry, drive train, brakes, wheels, etc. all of it has helped and made my time in the saddle much better.

for what it's worth i'm about to buy another bike for next season and it's double what i spent last year... i've finally decided that i need a dual suspension.



IMHO, if you really think you'll stick with it just go on and get a nice bike. i know what it's like to work around a budget but in the bike community it's really a "get what you pay for" kind of deal.






.

 

[stangbanger856]

Thanks for the help guys. I'm going to the bike shop on Monday to look at a few. I have no issue working on bikes as I have built all the ones I own today from scratch. Right now I'll stick to my budget and evolve from there.

No my next question is bike racks. Anyone make roof takes for a 2003 Focus SVT (ZX3 body)?

 

[stangbanger856]

Here is my new bike. It's a 2013 Fuji Nevada 1.5 29er. This model actually comes with hydraulic disk breaks. To bad it's going to be below 0 the next few days. I really want to hit the trail.

 

[WHITESVTCOBRA]

whats your experience with the hydraulic brakes? I've got mechanical avid bb7 mechanical set up on my 2013 Scott 29er and they work alright, just worried about air bubbles in the hydraulic sets.

Edit: forgot to add, check Thule they have really good racks that are sturdy and their website will show you whats available for your make model year vehicle.

 

[91Gtturbo]

Good looking bike, Fuji is more known for their road bikes, but they make some quality mtn bikes too. The dealer I got my Santa Cruz from also carries Fuji and I've been thinking about buying a more cross country bike, especially considering the deal they offered me. Good luck with it and don't let the cold stop you, riding in the cold means you have the trails too yourself.

 

[TheVikingRL]

Good looking bike, have fun with it!

I swapped over from the bb7 mechanical to a hydraulic set on my Cannondale. Much more progressive and easier to modulate IMO.

 

[SoFlaZ06]

Here's mine, I rode friend's bikes first to help me decide as I wanted to try and only do it once, I went straight to full suspension. Just wish I had more travel, I only have a 100mm. been doing trails for about a year.

This is my 09 Specialized Camber, 29er, hydraulic disk. etc found it on craigslist after a bit of searching

 

[stangbanger856]

I don't have any experiance with the breaks yet so couldn't tell you. And seeing it's been a high of 9* here lately I'll skip the ride and wait. Not worth the frostbite.

 

[SweetSVT99]

I don't have any experiance with the breaks yet so couldn't tell you. And seeing it's been a high of 9* here lately I'll skip the ride and wait. Not worth the frostbite.

BAH!

 

[capnkirk52]

Not bad for your first bike... Now, get something like this and take a lil un-sprung weight out of those wagon wheels!

 

[capnkirk52]

This is my 09 Specialized Camber, 29er, hydraulic disk. etc found it on craigslist after a bit of searching

I have pretty much the same setup. Mine is a '12 I think. It's a decent bike for my first ride... I dunno if my next bike will be a 26 or 29. I don't much care for the handling of this specific 29 for the trails I've ridden locally.