The R3V Bicycle Thread

[ak-]

ok

[santiago]

Help.

I do a little bit of trail riding from time to time. I know nothing about mountain bikes, I just get on and ride. I currently have a 2000 Trek 820. It has front suspension (a whopping 2.5" of travel, my research tells me). I bought it new in 2000 and have used it occasionally since, but much more recently as I'm really starting to enjoy it more and more.

The other day, my buddy rented a $4200 GT carbon full suspension bike. Hydraulic disc brakes, light enough to lift with a finger, and it was amazing to ride. It has me wanting a bike with disc brakes, good travel front and rear suspension, etc...

So I started looking at the GT Force 3.0. It seems like a great value at $1000-$1200. 5" of travel front and rear, discs, decent components from what I can tell. Apparently the rear suspension design allows good climbing ability without a lot of 'bobbing' that makes pedaling up hills so hard.

Someone school me on bikes, please? Is this a decent deal for a good beginner all-around bike? I'm still a panzy on a bike, I don't do 30mph downhill over 3 foot drops and shit (especially on my current bike). And after a few hills I'm usually stopping for a breather. So I don't need a $4000 bike, as I am obviously the weak link.

Would it be a better investment to start with the 2.0 or 1.0? Or go with another brand?

Thanks

The rule of thumb is to go with the bike you feel most comfortable on. Visit all the LBSes (local bike shops) in your area and tell them you're looking for an entry level full suspension. Your budget seems about right especially with it being the end of season you should get a decent entry level FS bike. I'm not saying that the GT isn't a good bike, I'm just saying that for the money you can pick and choose the bike and you should truly find the one that feels the best for you.

The type of riding you're describing sounds a lot like Cross-Country (XC) so that's the type of bike you should be looking at. These days a full suspension bike XC bike has 4" (100mm) of travel both front and back with 5" even making an appearance.

The state of the art today is truly something to try out. Even though your current bike is only 10 years old, current bikes outshine it by huge leaps and bounds but you won't need to spend $4000. Disc brakes are also a great upgrade and you're better off buying a bike with them rather than trying to convert a bike over. First of all, the bike frame has to have the tabs for the calipers and the hubs have to be disc brake specific.

Here's a great FAQ from the Mountain Biking forum over at bikeforums.net:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...estion-MTB-FAQ.

Good luck with your search and let us know what you end up with.

[e34john]

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How much do you have to spend? I wouldn't go carbon and probably stick with a hardtail.

[santiago]

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How much do you have to spend? I wouldn't go carbon and probably stick with a hardtail.

You can get a solid entry level hardtail for $500.
A really nice hardtail will be about $700-800.
A fantastic hardtail will be about $1000-1200.

No bike will disappoint you it's just that as you go up in price the components get nicer and will last longer. For example, the derailleurs on $500 bike will be great but you may need to adjust them more often than one on a bike a little more expensive.

That's not to say that you need to go to the top. There's usually a sweet spot in terms of components but that's specific components. If shopping for a bike, they will pretty much be similar across the various brands for any given price point. What does differ is how comfortable the bike feels to the individual and that's what truly makes the riding enjoyable.

[e34john]

My reply for was Jgood. I guess I didn't refresh the screen before replying. I already know what bike I am going to get. Just waiting for the tax refund until I get this

[MikeDE]

Hey guys, I live in Germany and have been riding but not as much a I had hoped I would be able to. I have an '02(?) Gary Fisher Sugar 3 that I bought 3 yrs ago. Replaced the Manitou POS with a Rock Shox Tora POS and PIG headset(free with fork) and some Shimano double-duty clipless pedals.. Everything else is still orig including the 'holy-shit-did-my-chain-get-sucked-again-Bontrager-cranks'.

I am looking to get a new bike, perhaps a 29er. I need front suspension and discs(this time), and a hardtail. I ride on the road/commute a bit more than trail. I hear 29's are quite stable at and for speed then 26's. I would be looking to spend about $800 or so. In 1995, I had bought my first MB, a new Trek 7000 Aluminum. Lucky me that the shortages of the 930 had brought the prices of the higher range bikes down, and I picked it up for $550. I swapped to LX cranks/BB and then rode it pretty hard for about 8yrs before I stopped riding regularly. I had no complaints about that frame except for the fact that it got creeky in the bottom bracket area in the last year or so of riding it.

Here are the brands at this big chain bike store in Germany, just to give you an idea of what they have and charge. I can also have mine shipped to Germany form any online place(my buddy has an APO).

http://www.fahrrad-xxl.de/produkte/fahrraeder/mountainbikes

Suggestions? BTW i'm 6' 1".

And I am just looking at the Gary Fisher Collection on the TREK homepage. Thoughts??

[e34john]

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You don't want a Focus?

[MikeDE]

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You don't want a Focus?

Who me??

[e34john]

Yea. I never actually seen a Focus Mtb bike in person but, some of their road bikes look pretty nice. I just figure it might be easier for you to get.

[MikeDE]

Yea. I never actually seen a Focus Mtb bike in person but, some of their road bikes look pretty nice. I just figure it might be easier for you to get.

I would rather stick with something I know. Trek/GF, Cannondale, Specialized are all familiar to me.

I'm heading out later to see what they have/test ride, though i'll probably buy online.

[bergie_318is]

my bmx

09 giant method team:

21" tt
Sunday triumph bars,
odyssey elementry stem,
odyssey breaks and other random jazz.

weights 11.6 when bought, now would be about mid 10's i think.

[quikveedb2]

I'm heading out later to see what they have/test ride, though i'll probably buy online.

buying online is a slap in the face of your lbs, expect some dirty looks when you take it in to be built, tuned, or serviced. the extra money you might spend buying locally will be rewarded with a better relationship with the shop staff. if you need parts or repairs, you'll get preferential treatment over those that buy online.

[scabzzzz]

buying online is a slap in the face of your lbs, expect some dirty looks when you take it in to be built, tuned, or serviced. the extra money you might spend buying locally will be rewarded with a better relationship with the shop staff. if you need parts or repairs, you'll get preferential treatment over those that buy online.

While I completely agree, you'd be surprised the ridiculous markup that shops charge on top, especially nick nack parts and not complete bikes.

[e34john]

^^^
Because of this most bike stores don't even stock high end mountain bikes anymore.

[santiago]

I don't blame the bike shops, I blame the wholesalers. Who do you think sells all those parts to PricePoint and JensonUSA at such great prices? The bike shops can't inventory everything so what happens is you end up walking into the shop asking for a part and they end up having to order it. At that piont, why not order it yourself and have it shipped to your place?

I am a big fan of my LBS and have bought many bikes and parts from them. However for some things it makes no sense to spend the big bucks for some parts that I could get online easier and cheaper. I bought some Formula Bianco disc brakes for my XC bike and my LBS would have charged a crazy stupid amount. It's not their fault, they have to follow the pricing they are told to (plus the fact that bike parts are more expensive in Canada compared to the US).

Let me ask you this. Do you buy all your parts at the dealership or do you shop online for your E30 parts?