Show off your Mountain Bike!!!

This is very true! Until you start seeing what real bikes cost. Like I come from a family where we would pick pecans and sell them to buy Christmas gifts. Didn’t ever think I’d be looking at bicycles that cost thousands of dollars. I don’t think I can ever spend that kinda money on one just cause of what I grew up in lol.

 

You drive a $40k SUV

 

Me? I think mines valued around $20k thank you very much lol.

 

120k miles and no PRO. I’m a peasant.

 

Ok yes I exaggerated. (Sweet runner btw!)But my point is they are justifiably more expensive (to a point). They are that much better but bikes are only as good as their rider. I am not being a dick, I promise. But classifying a high-end bike as any other bicycle is simply not apples to apples.
The harder you start to ride the more you will notice weak points for sure

It's like saying a solid axle Jeep on 40s is just as good as a full-blown rockbouncer. They both can do the same things but one does it much better.

 

I actually 100% agree with you! That’s actually how I explain my goals right now. I want a mid travel Runner on 35’s. Don’t need long travel on 37’s lol. Just need something that will work for what I do even if it’s not as efficient or smooth as others.

 

$650 is about right, fender is on backwards, lol. That was a high-end bike in its time, but personally I'd try to find something newer that was mid-range with 27.5" or 29" wheels.

 

We've met before. You got some parts from me at J Bo in Brookshire one time. Can't remember if I was in silver 05 AC or if I had my white 08 RC yet. Said you spotted me on 10 one time coming back from Austin with bikes too.....By "shop" I meant my garage at the house in fulshear area. Still in Columbus? IMO 27.5 or 29 is worth the extra coin. I much prefer 29er to all my 26ers offroad doing XC. Now if dirt jumper or such could be different....I don't do all that stuff. 27.5 and 29 roll over stuff easier and nowadays the frame geometry makes them just as nimble on singletrack. I have a 21.5" frame hardtail with 3.0 tires and 120mm fork and am comfortable as on my other bikes that the frame size is right for me which = 17-19". That one was used and a deal I couldn't pass up.

BTW, went to Ant hills few weeks back after you posted up about riding there and had a bit too much fun and came home with a bit of chainring damage on my shin. Luckily my buddy had some scott towels and some lycra thing in camelbak to wrap it up and ride the 3 miles back to the truck, lol. That hole is still healing up but hasn't stopped me riding more than a coupla days after to let swelling go down. Pump track mania out there since last time I had been there and trail used to start at Eldridge but now doesn't start until Dairy Ashford so that's about 2 miles less trail than before the flooding. Saw your cypresswood post too. Need to go check out all the new addition out there too. Wasn't really worth the drive for the original stuff that was out there. Looks like double or more than before.

 

Why? He's a beginning rider, no need to "follow the trend" and spend more money

 

I'll let him ride one of mine so he can make that decision. More of a preference than a trend that way. What works better for you and more comfortable and capable on matters much more than any trends. I don't do trends...........

 

VERY true but also don’t want to buy a radflo lift if King is only a couple hundred more. I’m not gonna go buy a full fledged $3,000 carbon bike but if I can buy a beginner bike for $400 that I’ll grow out of in a heartbeat or a bike that will last a year or 2 for $800... I wouldn’t mind the $800. Just nothing more than that lol. I think if I could buy a new one with warranty , I’d top out around $1,000. But anything more and I just would rather enjoy my little iron horse

 

There we go, I totally agree with you there!

 

Yes sir! Still here for now. Always passing through but haven’t found a gig worth leaving again... yet...

And ahhh I remember now! Funny how that works with the bike stuff and here I am lol!

Also dang bud glad you’re okay with the anthills park but heck yea it’s fun. I’m not sure where I’m gonna ride this weekend. Could try cypress creek again since I like how long it is but I do like how many obstacles anthills have. Also got invited to that park by my town after meeting some people. Apparently he’s having a couple people come ride Sunday and told me to come check it out. Which I might do but hate feeling and looking like a newb so I might wait for more seat time alone before going on rides
With people lmao!

 

Yea like Walmart would be a body lift To start the judgement chart.

I think I’m on a bilstein lift right now as it’s okay and can handle some stuff but could be better

I wouldn’t mind going to mid travel just to have a better ride but I just cant never to go full long travel. Atleast at this point in my life lol.

So I’m open to certain options and ideas. I’m learning as much as I can from everyone.

 

Nah, everyone dives in somewhere.....look at it this way....You'll never be fastest or best in the world but also won't be worst either so everyone is in between there somewhere. And when I say you I mean me and everyone else too. Getting out and doing it is what matters. Having fun and doing it as often as possible is the best trophy.

 

I'm saying basically the same thing -- buying an older bike that was top of the line 9 years ago still comes at a significant price for a beginning rider. Buying a mid-range bike from 4 or 5 years ago just seems to make more sense to me for parts availability due to all the changes in "standards." Not saying he needs to spend more money.

Pinkbike is a great place to check.

 

I’m actually on the way to look at 3-4 bike shops. I have a price in mind and a bike in mind. Was going to buy used and still might but I saw they have bike financing and whatnot which is hard to turn down at 0% interest.

I’m hoping to find a Hardtail with 27.5 tire and 100-120mm shocks.

There’s a trek roscoe I like a lot but they gotta have my color in stock lol. I see I’m gonna pay more from a store for new but the advice and info and warranty and help for a newb like me might be worth it. Not really sure. Gonna give it a shot though.

 

Building a relationship with a good shop is key. I miss having a shop that knows everything you need to know about bikes, group rides, and just cool people. The shops around me are more focused on road bikes and all the DC rich people.

It may or may not be worth buying from them for the first bike depending on the shop.

 

There’s a couple. Bigger ones and a smaller. I like supporting smaller businesses but what do you do when they don’t offer the bike you want and the bigger ones do?
But yea if the employees are actual bike people then they could probably set me up on a proper size and style bike rather than just buying a random one off CL

 

When you look at bikes on CL, you can usually refer to the mfg website for some sort of sizing chart. Bikes are like pants, they may be the same measurement, but they don't all fi the same.

For example: I am a large frame in my Santa Cruz and my Trek, but an XL for Specialized