All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

i would do my best to stay away from 26". you will be able to find parts for them, but it will only become more difficult as manufactures will stop making parts. with your budget, you should have no problem finding a good bike in that range


if you are looking for a trail bike, i would go with something that has 130mm rear travel and 130-150 travel on the front.

buy cheap, by twice. look for components in the Shimano SLX / Deore / XT sets or Sram NX / GX .

if youre looking to splurge on something you really want, why not wait? i know you are itching, but the newer bikes these days have come so far.

from my search on PB in your price range, i would suggest these..

a solid hardtail if you want that - https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2151650/

https://www.pinkbike.com/photo/14589676/

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2146447/

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2090642/

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2124491/

https://www.pinkbike.com/photo/13813353/

you enter all sorts of filters on Pinkbike, like wheel size, price, frame size etc.. these are just some of the results in your price range that I would consider.

 

This is what competes with any weekend I have available. Most of the time, it wins too.

 

Sounds like it was designed with WIN.

 

Forgot about Kona!

 

I like your style great video as well. Is your truck lifted?

 

Ex that last questions I opened my eyes and saw you were running 5100's...

 

I would cut your budget in half and find a used bike. If this is your first bike you want to know if you will like it. Plus being used if you throw it away you wont have to worry about a shiny new thing. Being a new rider you will most likely throw it away. Hope this helps. Also if your looking to learn more I would recommend a hard tail for your first ride. It will teach you more about how to use everything, your body and how to read and use the trail. Full suspension bikes are amazing, but they do a lot of the work for you. If you learn how to ride a hard tail well in all types of riding, when you switch to full suspension you will feel like a god!! Good luck, sorry for the info puke!

 

Depends on what you want to do with it as well. I learned to ride back when full suspension wasn't available just yet. Sure it made me better riding a hard tail, but at times you can be pretty limited. Especially with the builds some of the trails have for today, full suspension can def help. For instance, the kids wanting to get straight into downhill, they seem to progress just as fast, if not faster getting thrown in the mix right away with a dh bike.

If it were me, I wouldn't want to invest too much money into a hardtail if you plan to seek out some aggressive terrain eventually and have limited space to have another bike. I do confess that I do have a hardtail, but its mainly for strict cross country stuff or cruising with the gf.

 

Is there any interference with a bike rack (either with a bike or with teh rack folded up... I have a 1up) and the backup and blind spot stuff associated with premium tech package?

I have a OR with the premium tech package on order right now and am just curious. I know some of the tech can be turned off.

 

Just about anything in the "all-mountain" or "enduro" category will fit the bill... won't be too much bike and you won't outgrow it. I started 2 years back on a Norco Range (6" travel front and back) and it's been amazing, it'll climb to the top (not the best climber, but the only reason we climb is to descend) and is at home on flowy berms, jumps, rock gardens, roots and drops. Anything in that area will be killer: Giant Reign, Norco Range, Transition Patrol, Specialized Enduro etc..

IMHO, save (or spend) and get the bike you want - the only thing worse than seeing others ride the bike you covet is not riding at all. Technically it'll work for you and emotionally you'll be fulfilled. Sounds silly, but just go for it. A newer bike has a higher initial cost but also a higher resale value, and the grin-value is priceless!!

North Shore Racks are bomber, highly recommended.

 

Agreed here, you wont be satisfied until you buy WHAT YOU WANT. Settling only delays the dream until it happens with another purchase.

 

Another option for those looking for a first bike... check in with local bike shops. I bought my Scott Genius a couple of years ago with a significant mark down because it was the previous year's model. In addition, usually you'll get discounts on extras if you buy a bike from a shop (helmet, gloves, shorts, etc).

 

Welcome! And nice riding I like your style!

 

Totally agree thats why I was suggesting he cut his budget back to see if he even likes it first. I also started out on hardtails well bmx first as a kid, but yes lots of benefits to full squishy, I just think there is a lot of skill to be learned on the hardtail.

 

This is a great point. Also a lot of bike shops will let you demo bikes for free if they know they will be earning your business. Then you can get the feel for the product before you purchase!

 

Ah well that is true, to do it right in this hobby it seldom rewards the cheap. Testing some shops and renting a few bikes can def help this perspective.

 

How do yall feel about he marin bikes? I called a local shop and guy was pretty helpful. Said he didnt have any used bikes in a large but had a 2016 marin mount vision 5. Brand new for $1800. Havent researched marin at all but he says its a pretty good buy for a new bike and is one of the most bang for your buck new bikes on the market right now.

 

I used to have a Marin when I first got into biking. It was a B-17 full suspension bike from 1998 that had some decent stuff considering the time. I would classify Marin as an economical company, but is functional for a serious rider. Im not sure what their frames can do now a days, but back then they felt like the intermediate company before getting to a serious competitor ride. I don't regret my time with that bike, but it was the only bike that I broke everything on from the rear derailleur, cracked both front and rear triangles, blew both front and rear shocks. On a side note, the brakes were decent.

 

Marin makes great bikes. that would be an ideal bike for the kind of riding you would be doing. Shiman Deore components on that build as well. great place to start and you can always upgrade as needed. my local mechanic and 2 other buddies ride the "attack trail" which is the beefier Marin, and they all rave about it.

 

Welll i hope they have improved considering all that your broke on yours hahaha

And yea im thinking it may be a good option for me to start with and i dont think i would be throwing away money when i go to upgrade it. Shop owner said i could run up to a 160mm fork on the front if i wanted to. May be better for me to pay the same for this bike as i would one that would be a few years old and im sure ill upgrade parts no matter which way i go as i cant leave nothing "stock" hahahahaha