Show off your Mountain Bike!!!

Ok so in your guy's opinion what's a good HT to start with? I want to buy the commencal but 1k is alot to drop. Especially when I've never been mountain biking. And have no experience. I'm on a budget but I want to start shredding. Thanks

 

Maybe this trek? https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/...untry-mountain-bikes/marlin/marlin-5/p/21475/

 

If 1K seems like a lot in the MTB game...well I've got some news for you...

That said, maybe check Craigslist or Pinkbike. Could probably find a well cared for used bike that fits your budget but are getting more for your money.

Trek and Specialized make some decent bikes on the low to midrange. Commencal being direct sale is going to arguably be a better bike/$ ratio.

Honestly, most decent size manufacturers these days don't really make "bad" bikes, but you do get what you pay for.

 

Man I just can't get over the sidewall flex. Unless when I rode a plus bike my pressures were off there was no "railing" turns without feeling as if I was folding under the front end.

 

Its tough to say... Most any bike from a major manufacturer these days is going to be a good bike. The best bike will be the the one that fits you best and is the most comfortable to you. It would be worth checking out your local shops to see what they offer, if you visit a few you'll definitely get to ride a few different brands.

If you can swing it, getting over the $750 mark will definitely get you better components that will last longer. Getting to the $1000-1200 mark even better and the $1500 mark you can start getting into a full suspension. But for your first bike I would plan on spending atleast $750 to really get a truely capable mountain bike.

How tall are you? There are alot of wheel size options out there right now too that make things even more complicated... but if you are over 5'9" and looking at a hardtail (front suspension only) I would definitely consider a 29er.

Don't be afraid to buy prior model year bike right off the sales floor either, you can save yourself a good deal of cash and the technology at the entry to mid level isnt changing that quickly right now so you wont be missing out. Might take some shopping around to find something leftover though.

Best thing I could say, even if you don't buy it from the shop, visit your local shops, talk to the sales guys as they know the trails in your area, and ride some bikes before making any decisions.

 

I know bikes are alot and in the future I don't mind spending $$$. I just don't want to spend that much on my first bike and then me never use it.

I'll take the trek and specialized into consideration.

 

Looks like a decent spec for that price. That fork is a cheap coil fork though. Gonna really take away from the experience I think, esp if you google "RST Gila"

 

Pressures and sidewall play a huge roll in + tires. A couple PSI can make a difference

 

Yeah I'm 6'2 so bigger tires for sure. Theres a local shop right down the street but I believe all they sell is specialized

 

I'm hunting for a plus HT, but already have a fatty. My 4.6 tires at 4 PSI are disgustingly sluggish, but are tank treads on the climbs. At 15 PSI, it keeps up with and might even beat my bronson on the flowy stuff with a little chop. It's insane. 2 very different bikes with a little bit of air...

 

Marin Pine Mountain for something different--- steel frame --- ridden one a few times and its a fun 27.5+ HT

Just waiting on FedEx to get my Marin B17 3 tomorrow!

 

Looks like your in Phoenix - there has to be a number of bike shops. If you can take a Saturday morning or afternoon and hit a few in a row so you get to ride the bikes close together

 

Sonoran Cycles on the north end of Phoenix has bike demos and a huge brand range listed on their site. Maybe swing by and have a chat this weekend?

or follow @demo243 's advice and hit a few in a short time. Make notes, go home, compare.

 

Ok I'm going to do that today since I'm off. I'm going to see what I can come across, thanks guys for the help.

 

Even better - shops will be less crowded today so you should get some better attention. Don't feel pressured to buy anything, just do some research. Hopefully you'll find a bike and a shop you like.

 

KONA

 

I really enjoy owning bikes from smaller niche companies like KONA, Salsa, Rocky Mountain, Eleven, etc... check them out.

 

Likely a combination of tire pressure and rim width, possibly tire construction. Not sure what you rode, but the original Specialized 6Fatties used really narrow rims with 3.0 tires. You had to use high PSI to keep the tire from rolling over on hard turns, but then you lose grip and the tire tends to slide more. Narrowest rim I would go with on a 3.0 tire is 40mm. With the 2.8 you could go down to 35mm (I ran 45mm and it worked great), 2.6 down to 30mm, but those are the narrowest rim widths I would run. I run 2.6 on my Remedy with 30mm and it is fine, but right on the edge. You still have to figure out the best tire pressure -- too low, and you will get some roll and possibly ding rims on square-edge hits. And some tires just work better at either lower or higher pressures (my Rekon+ tires like a bit higher pressure than the Chupas)

Get it tuned right, and they are beasts. Grippy in corners, climb anything, and run over everything.

 

Ok good to know, thanks! Also if I happen to come across anything today and make a purchase is there anything I should avoid? Like what @Gunshot-6A said about the forks?

 

As @Gunshot-6A an air fork is definitely something to look for, and hydraulic disc brakes are good as well, anything with an air fork and hydraulic brakes will likely have a pretty good parts spec beyond that.