Mountain biking

[adamargue]

I'm looking to get back in shape and Most of my buddies who I raced BMX with when I was in high school have started mountain biking so I'm looking to get one. Right now I'm not looking for the greatest bike ever built but something that you can get a lot of bang for your buck. I will be doing mostly technical trail riding, prolly no huge jumps or at least till I get my nerves back. I rode specialized bikes when I raced so I have been leaning towards them but I'd like to look at some other companies also.

Where do you guys get parts? I will eventually (once I get in shape) piece together my bike. I like the build them then I know they are built right and if I breaks it's my fault. Can you guys recommend any websites that sell everything you need?

[puddin]

I picked up mine from a rental sell off. I got a 09 ibis mojo thst was only 6 months old for a third the cost of new. That's probably the best bang for the buck.

[SNOWYOTA]

Pinkbike.com is the best website to find parts and bikes. I buy most of my stuff off their. Check it out.

[SNOWYOTA]

I have specialized stumpjumper. Best bike i have ever owned.

[adamargue]

I was just looking at the stumpjumper it looks awesome. Any of you guys ride gt? My buddy has one and he likes it except that the cranks come loose the rims are only single wall and the breaks need constant re tuning lol

[Manning]

Giant probably is the best bang for the buck in bike shop bikes.

Check out Airborne for net based bikes. A buddy just got a Goblin and loves it.

[stevem50]

with so many ways to get a new bike, the most cost effective is to pick your frame, once decided on that, then scour for the best deal pinkbike,epay,whatever. then go to bikesdirect.com and order a bike with the component set you desire, scavenge all parts off said bike and build on your frame. I don't know how they sell their stuff so cheap but you get the component set a hell of a lot cheaper as a bike from them than you can buy anywhere else. then ebay off the frame.

if you don't need the sticker on the frame, you can go factory direct thru ebay on unlabeled frames, my boss (at a bike shop) got his unnamed carbon frame for $300 usd shipped. most people don't know that 85% of ALL frames come from one of three factories in china. i don't care what manufacturer, cannondale to Fuji all source out production.

[fuzzygace83]

Anything with a 650b

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[adamargue]

Originally Posted by stevem50

with so many ways to get a new bike, the most cost effective is to pick your frame, once decided on that, then scour for the best deal pinkbike,epay,whatever. then go to bikesdirect.com and order a bike with the component set you desire, scavenge all parts off said bike and build on your frame. I don't know how they sell their stuff so cheap but you get the component set a hell of a lot cheaper as a bike from them than you can buy anywhere else. then ebay off the frame.

if you don't need the sticker on the frame, you can go factory direct thru ebay on unlabeled frames, my boss (at a bike shop) got his unnamed carbon frame for $300 usd shipped. most people don't know that 85% of ALL frames come from one of three factories in china. i don't care what manufacturer, cannondale to Fuji all source out production.

Ill have to look into that. Sounds like a good deal.

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[Coops]

Originally Posted by Manning

Giant probably is the best bang for the buck in bike shop bikes.

Check out Airborne for net based bikes. A buddy just got a Goblin and loves it.

I have heard this also. For same priced bikes, Giant is supposed to have better components due to the fact they build most of the frames out there. I was looking at either a Giant Trance or a Trek Fuel EX... or something along those lines.

[cmlooner33]

demo rides from the big mfg's (specialized, trek, cannondale) will be at your LBS. They move them out this time of the year. The bike shops have to buy them in most cases in the spring / late winter. Best deals will be there and you can ride before buying. I have been a biker for the past 15 years. Advise would be to look at 29er unless you are a hucker or going to be doing more freeride type stuff .

Good Luck
CM

[The DC]

Originally Posted by stevem50

with so many ways to get a new bike, the most cost effective is to pick your frame, once decided on that, then scour for the best deal pinkbike,epay,whatever. then go to bikesdirect.com and order a bike with the component set you desire, scavenge all parts off said bike and build on your frame. I don't know how they sell their stuff so cheap but you get the component set a hell of a lot cheaper as a bike from them than you can buy anywhere else. then ebay off the frame.

I've done this on more than one occasion* (LOL,even have the latest bikesdirect.com 27 mile old frame I pulled parts from on eBay as we speak ). I'm of the 29"er SS (singlespeed) variety of rider (when trail riding anyways,I also have a cyclocrosser and Xtracycle),picked up a new On One Inbred SS frame,used a fork I've had since '09 (Manitou Drake air fork-on it's 3rd rebuild and smooth as buttah) and the parts off the BD bike,and spent under $400 for a decently spec'd steel framed 29"er SS (assuming the frame/fork on Fleabay sells ;) ).



Looking forward to seeing what you come up with,Brother


*Hey,there ain't nothing wrong with buying and then just riding the wheels off a BD bike too,customer service is top notch in my experience,and good bang for the buck if you can figure your own fit from their geo charts (which friends and test fitting similar bikes locally helps with ;) ).

[gearhead79]

have you thought about dj's? I rode bmx for 17 years,and just recently switched to the 26" side.specialized sells this one for around 900 bucks,and its got decent parts on it.

[adamargue]

Originally Posted by gearhead79

have you thought about dj's? I rode bmx for 17 years,and just recently switched to the 26" side.specialized sells this one for around 900 bucks,and its got decent parts on it.

That looks badass. Thats probably where I will go after getting back in shape. After talking to my budies they say I should just buy a gt or a giant and build something like what u have there.

The DC: that bike looks great I wish I would have thiught about doing that when I raced I could have saved some money.
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[stevem50]

better do you homework before you drop any dough on a trek full suspension frame.... I have a remedy and hate everything about its construction. on the surface and after riding it, its a good bike. light, long travel, and handles well. take it apart and find shoddy metal work and after many calls and arguments with the guys in Wisconsin, I came to find that the pivot bearings don't fit the frame exactly and the tolerances are off far enough that the corporate, and straight from trek tech answer is to drop them in place and fill the gaps with Loctite green compound epoxy.

[jsowens]

Another Specialized Stumpjumper owner here and couldn't be happier with the bike. Doing a custom build isn't a bad idea since you can get what you want, but do tons of research before buying things. I can't count the times I've had a customer do a "custom build" and I've had to break the news to them that the parts they chose aren't compatible. If you go the custom route, buy the frame first, then make sure whatever else you buy is compatible (i.e. if your frame has a 1 1/8" straight headtube, don't buy a fork with a 1 1/8 to 1 1/2 tapered steerer tube). This is especially true if you buy a frame and then a donor bike from Bikes Direct.

I've bought plenty of used parts online, but one thing I would suggest being very skeptical about is used suspension. Deals can be found, but it's likely that whoever owned the suspension never had it serviced and that can lead to a lot of headaches.

[Deerhurst]

I ride a Devinci Hectik. Great bike but my only complaint is slightly noodley stays. Its a 160mm AM/FR bike.

The Ibis Mojo is one hack of a bike. The carbon Mojo is super stiff. A couple buddys of mine run them and love them.

The Specialized Stump Jumper and the Enduro are great. My boss used to ride an Enduro, then a 29er Stumpy and now a 29er Carbon Enduro. The first Enduro and the Stumpy have survived minor DH. A co-worker rides the same Enduro my boss used to own. Its doing great for him.

Another co-worker rides a remedy. He out rides the thing like no other. The frame is pretty thin which makes it light. If you start hucking the Remedy it will break. His blew a fork and a rear wheel in Moab earlier this year.

My ride in Moab before I made Carbon Fiber/Kevlar fork guards:

[adamargue]

I was just walking around Walmart and I know it's not a good place to get bikes but they had a bargain bike section and they had a genesis hard tail 29er that a guy returned because the chain kept falling off because the tire wasn't set correctly for 120. There was also a genesis full suspension bike with 26's that was 95 because it had a busted shift cable.

I thought if the frames where ok maybe I could just run one of those and upgrade it as I go.

[John Deere]

I picked up a new Trek Mamba not long ago and I have really enjoyed riding it. Good entry level bike and its a 29er.

[Kick]

Originally Posted by adamargue

I was just walking around Walmart and I know it's not a good place to get bikes but they had a bargain bike section and they had a genesis hard tail 29er that a guy returned because the chain kept falling off because the tire wasn't set correctly for 120. There was also a genesis full suspension bike with 26's that was 95 because it had a busted shift cable.

I thought if the frames where ok maybe I could just run one of those and upgrade it as I go.

Don't do it, run away from Walmart as fast as you can, the bikes they have are junk. Would you buy your rc car at Walmart?