Any mountain bikers in here? Noob needs help!

[fryerfighter94]

juicy 3's or 5's are nice, my friend has them. And elixir are always liked, although perhaps out of your price range.

[JGood]

Thanks guys. I think I'm going to spend some time doing more research on components so I know what I'm actually paying for and getting.

[quikveedb2]

and no to mechanical discs, just no.

why? they're low maintenance, reliable, and inexpensive. just a bit heavier.

pads fade way quickly.

i'm not sure what you mean by this. a rotor does not know the difference between a mechanical caliper & a hydraulic one. a properly bedded brake pad is a properly bedded brake pad. what are you talking about?

I dont know anything about mechanicals. Sorry.

you're slowly proving this. if you don't know, why are you making such sweeping statements?

Dont drag, some would say more durable than xt, and great performance.

any decent condition hydraulic brake can be set up not to drag. i do it all the time, literally every day. i do like shimano brakes, if you can pick up a set of the old 4-pot xt's, do it! avid have great feel but *can be* high maintenance, not a huge fan of hayes, maguras are nice, tektro = junk. as far as mechanicals go i like bb7's with 185 rotors, they modulate a bit better than 165s or whatever the smaller diameter is.

[5Toes]

Thanks quik. Im on abudget, and I hate the idea of having hydraulic fluid on a bike. I mean if it punctures, you're screwed. And the brake cylinders are spendy.

Can any of you bike shop guys cut me a deal on parts. I need a new fork and and some BB7's. I know eBay is great, but I want new brakes, I can go with a used fork?

[JBird]

How about a 29er?

Let us know what bike you choose!

[quikveedb2]

29ers can be great, they make a lot of sense for a hard tail, or if you're over 6'. depends on what kind of trails you intend to ride, they're not so hot for tight, technical riding.

[fryerfighter94]

i'm not sure what you mean by this. a rotor does not know the difference between a mechanical caliper & a hydraulic one. a properly bedded brake pad is a properly bedded brake pad. what are you talking about?

Mechanical's offer less feel in modulation, is what I should have said.

any decent condition hydraulic brake can be set up not to drag. i do it all the time, literally every day. i do like shimano brakes, if you can pick up a set of the old 4-pot xt's, do it! avid have great feel but *can be* high maintenance, not a huge fan of hayes, maguras are nice, tektro = junk. as far as mechanicals go i like bb7's with 185 rotors, they modulate a bit better than 165s or whatever the smaller diameter is.

While this is true, I was also suggesting the slx for their power, modulation, and lever adjustability, which many brakes have, but for the price slx's are a very good deal. Forgive me if i was wrong in anything i said, but I know countless people on hydralics but only a couple on mechanicals...

Oh, and i've never experienced the breaking of a hydralic line that everyone is so afraid of. In fact, I dont think I know anyone that it has happened to.

[5Toes]

Also hydraulics you have to bleed ... yuck. Bikes should be simple.

[Optimator]

Thanks quik. Im on abudget, and I hate the idea of having hydraulic fluid on a bike. I mean if it punctures, you're screwed.

The hoses are built to take abuse. Do you think downhillers gingerly work their way down woodsy muddy chutes thinking, "hey I hope my lines don't break going 50 mph..."

Also hydraulics you have to bleed ... yuck. Bikes should be simple.

Bleeding brakes is so simple, even a z31maniac can do it.

[JGood]

Bleeding brakes is so simple, even a z31maniac can do it.

He would trade it in on a new bike by the time they would need bled.

[quikveedb2]

While this is true, I was also suggesting the slx for their power, modulation, and lever adjustability, which many brakes have, but for the price slx's are a very good deal.

Oh, and i've never experienced the breaking of a hydralic line that everyone is so afraid of. In fact, I dont think I know anyone that it has happened to.

The hoses are built to take abuse. Do you think downhillers gingerly work their way down woodsy muddy chutes thinking, "hey I hope my lines don't break going 50 mph..."


Bleeding brakes is so simple, even a z31maniac can do it.

qft, hydraulic hoses are pretty burly, and usually get kinked taking bikes in & out of cars, rarely when riding. if they do go, it's the result a crash so big you'll be walking home anyway...if you're lucky. just don't have your hoses hanging out in space where they can catch on shit, and you'll be good. once you know how to bleed a brake it's pretty damn easy, and really only needs to be done once or twice a year if you're really riding hard.

[Hellabad]

My two cents is that I really really like a 29 inch bike. Look for one with a super short wheelbase. Often you can order a 15" frame, and the wheelbase is shorter. Redline started this afaik, and it seems most companies have copied their geometry. (where the 15" frame has a shorter wheelbase)

There are also weird short bikes like the Surly Karate Monkey, but I think that is beyond the price range of the OP, and I'm not into the whole "park-my-bike-at-the-coffee-shop-so-everybody-can-admire-it" crowd.

I can personally attest this bike is a steal:

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_515955_-1_202003_10000_200516

Nashbar ALWAYS has sales, you can get this bike for under $500.

[scabzzzz]

Why not post this in the Bicycle thread?

[Hellabad]

Why not post this in the Bicycle thread?

That turned into the fixie thread.

Actually I agree with you that the threads could be merged. I have posted pics of the bikes I am talking about in that other thread, and I didn't repost them here to avoid redundancy.


Jay

[JGood]

Why not post this in the Bicycle thread?

Already informed of this, via post #2:

You might have better luck asking bike questions in the bike thread. Just sayin'.

Well fuck me. I didn't see that thread, and I don't venture into OT much. Feel free to delete this

Also, I did:

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showpost.php?p=2176920&postcount=4886