advice from MT bikers needed!

haha NO one does, let's be honest

 

next question for when op is ready to step it up: Mojo HD or Blur LT carbon? Talk amongst yourselves please. And no, I have no personal interest in this issue.

 

neither i would put a much higher vote on the norco range, yeti 575, or trek remedy.

By the way andrew congrats on your decision and your new bike. I will be in the tucson area week after next and you should hit me up if you want to ride.

 

I'm down. when you gonna be in town? I go on my four days off starting MOnday. Let me know; I'll make something happen.

 

dude your not going to get lx or xt or deore for under $500. Also i would like to note that 'Darts' all the not the performance fork of the mountain bike world are great for beginners and come from a company with a name Rockshox.... unlike the forks on the other two bikes he was looking at suntour. Also you say you have been riding for 43 yrs I would assume you would know that hydraulic brakes help you stop, which is a huge plus for a beginner let alone an advanced rider regardless of your grupo. Also let us not 3x8 is 24 speeds not 8 speeds.

Finally you think your paying for the name more with a kona or a trek.....?

 

and mojo hd ftw I love those things

 

Yeah, they seem to be one of the best most proven do-it-all rigs available

 

I said nothing about getting a good brand of bike spec'd with lx,xt or deore for under 500.00 new. I said you either get better frame with lesser components or better components on lesser frames for comparable prices or you end up paying a hefty premium to have both at same time which is a stretch for an entry level rider to consider on their first bike before knowing if they will even stick with it. No argument about the dart being a better entry level fork than what was on those other 2 bikes. I know that mechanical discs are cheaper and you don't have to deal with bleeding or fluid issues and are overkill on an entry level mt bike especially when paired with alivio components. Does an entry level rider want to spend coin dealing with hydraulic brakes at a shop if any issues? Betting not. Good V brakes are just as good for beginner too except the part where they get muddy if riding thru sloppy shit compared to discs that'll stay cleaner. When I said 8 speed was referencing the cassette not being a 9 speed which is even outdated at this point when 10s are becoming the norm...NOT the whole drivetrain, puuleeze. As far as the frames, yeah, I do think you are paying for the name regardless of brand if it is a well known established company when most all come from taiwan other than the few that are actually MADE here. That was a reference to unbranded frames or lesser known ones that are same quality from the same part of the world without the established name brand stickers on them.