looking for bike info

[masterg]

Im looking into riding a bike to lose weight and extend my cardio endurance. Havent biked in awhile and my bike that i do own was a cheap 70$ bike that now has a bent wheel.

So i was looking into starting riding again. was looking for something to start just riding on the roads for now but can be used off road later when im more experienced. want to spend between 200-300

saw Trek was good brand but they run expensive. anybody have thoughts?

[Erklat]

I was into buying a Kona blast last year. I had this one fellow at my work who said that Kona Firemountain would fulfill my needs more than enough too, which were similar to yours, I wanted a bike which I could drive off the pavement without it breaking on me. I had no weight issues to consider tho, but I remember him mentioning Norco as to be avoided as it's frame breaks quite easily during extreme. Guy is into downhill and has a custom built Coilair, so I think he knows enough for this two cents.

Firemountain is around 300€ here, so it might be 300$ stateside :D

[masterg]

firemountain is 769 msrp for a 2012

[Hondacity]

for cheap always go for one or two year older bodies, they're brand new but the latest bikes forces resellers to drop the prices by a huge factor.

online reseller

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/onsale.aspx

i hope you know how to choose your size.

[Erklat]

:eek:

So that everything is cheaper stateside doesn't relate to bikes it seems. You don't need to have the newest, look for a clearance sale for a year 2009/2010 models.

Care to post a link where you looked so I may see what they have to offer?

Firemountain here is one with the most favorable price/performance ratio out of multiple manufacturers. When you posted that price is it possible to get even disc brakes for 300$ over there :s

[masterg]

http://www.konaworld.com/bikes.cfm

Im in redmond, wa.

there are alot of High End bike shops around here. don't seem to see alot of clearance on local shop sites

[masterg]

i can get a 2011 Trek 3500 for 299

[masterg]

:eek:

So that everything is cheaper stateside doesn't relate to bikes it seems. You don't need to have the newest, look for a clearance sale for a year 2009/2010 models.

Care to post a link where you looked so I may see what they have to offer?

Firemountain here is one with the most favorable price/performance ratio out of multiple manufacturers. When you posted that price is it possible to get even disc brakes for 300$ over there :s

i think its because konas are made in europe and exported to the states

[Tackleberry]

Do not buy cheap bikes out of box! My friend bought one and almost got killed as after few childish jumps, his bike got disassemled in air.:wth:

Trek is good, so is Kona for weekend bikes.

Now if you are going for more serious riding do look at other brands (Specialized for example).
Cannondales are overpriced.:fact:

I currently ride Canyon (http://www.canyon.com/_uk/) (made in Germany). Best pound per pound bike, yet I got a bit border with it:rolleyes:

However, my dream brand is Yeti or Ironhorse. I just love the design and Yeti's unique suspension system.:up:

And do invest some money also in quality helmet and kevlar reinforced gloves.
If you shatter bones in your palms, no surgeon won't put them back the way they were.

[Judaeus Apella]

Make sure you get something light. Lighter = longer distance = burning more = get in better shape. Those heavy ones, like the crap you get at Walmart will tire you out real fast. If you want to go for miles and actually get a workout, go lighter. Just test them by picking them up. I keep hearing that Shimano parts are the best too. I used to take my old Raleigh to a guy who'd been repairing bikes for 30 years. He only trusted Shimano, and that was a very expensive bike. I got the feeling he knew what he was doing. :) Are they the only option? No, but for the quality and the price I loved the parts he used. They never broke after he replaced the stock parts and I was incredibly rough with that bike. I used to do a lot of hardcore off roading with that mountain bike and I beat the living sh*t out of it. At one point I was actually going about 50mph on it. I also jumped it off the side of a creek and landed the frame on a bolder. All it got was a scratch. I was always going at high speeds through really grainy mud and I could hear the tiny pieces of rock chewing up the gear changers. Those Shimano parts really held up, and they weren't expensive. I will say that Raleigh makes good bikes. Mine was one of those crosstour types thats in between a mountain bike and a road bike. It was also about 25 years old, and still worked great. I got it as a hand me down from my step dad. I eventually destroyed it but it took me a good 5 years of daily abuse to do it. LOL

We used to live right next to a park that had been ravaged by weather, and the park didn't have enough money to fix its trails. So there were knocked out bridges, cliffs, jumps, gullies, etc. It was perfect for the type of riding I was into. I once did a jump about 14 feet high and about 30 feet long. lol Perfect landing to! I also used to jump my bike on cars of douches I really hated, and would do tricks on their car roofs then jump off the trunk. haha Cars, SUV's, trucks, it didn't matter. I was a daredevil back then and pretty good at it. could do a bunch of tricks too. :) I haven't done it in about 15 years and I really miss it. I'd like to take it up again but I don't have the money for a bike light enough. :(

I have two cheap Mongoose bikes I won from a contest years ago, but they f***ing suck balls. I hate them. Heavy as hell, but if I REALLY want to ride around the neighborhood, they're good for that. I upgraded one with some decent parts. Upgraded the seat, added an emergency pack under the seat incase I get stranded with a flat, and added a pump under the bottom frame bar. Its crap, but its better than absolutely nothing at all... and hey, it was free. lol

[Tackleberry]

no, no, no ,no :)
Lighter = longer distance = burning more = get in better shape?
how about heavier=shorter distance=burning same in that case?:D
My bike weighs 14kilos. It f***** tires me out going uphill. but when I go downhill at least I ride the bike and not the other way around.

Do realize that taking every gram of bikes weight means usage of components made of carbon fiber and price goes sky high.
You have to find optimal bike for your needs. Honestly, getting decent bike under 1200 USD is almost impossible.
(I also know that chassis of almost all major players are being welded in same factory in Taiwan, then just shipped back to manufacturer for spray painting and assembly.)

[Judaeus Apella]

Trust me, if you go all day on a lighter bike instead of tiring out in an hour or so on a heavier one, you'll burn a LOT more. Trust me. But there's no need to go overboard.

Unless you're learning how to jump really high with your own weight (not ramps), I suggest training with a heavy bike, then switching to a lighter bike. It builds up your bodies ability to jump higher. That's what I used to do, and I could jump over benches in my sleep. I used to have 3 different bikes. Raleigh, a BMX, and a cheap bike from a box, in my teens. I trained with the cheap one so I could fall on it and not worry about damaging a nice bike and it was heavy as hell. I actually strapped weights to it when I was learning how to jump.

[Tackleberry]

Having a camelbak full of protective gear and windstopper straped to my back, going 25km+ tour, I do not need any extra weights.:D
Only a few cold ones and hot shower afterwards:up:

[masterg]

yeah im trying to stay under 400 i guess. lot of treks and other good bikes in my area. some on sale. one store has a 20% off everything ending today so im gonna go look around. they have carbon bikes out here starting at 3k and upwards and im like, not gonna buy a bike more expensive then my harley @_@

im not a bmx jumper and dont know how much jumping ill be doing. lol

but i was looking at the trek mountains bikes and the tires seem different. i had an old cheap bike from 4 years ago and its tire is hard rubber encasing the tube, but the trek tires seem to be just a tube and it scares me <_<

[Stewie007]

Road biking is great for endurance if you're interested in that kind of cycling. It tends to be a bit more pricey though for the bikes, as you want to get a good bike. A lot of folks seem to think that you've gotta get something ultra light because that is what the pros use. In all honesty, most bikes are pretty light these days. I bought mine some 7 years ago. It wasn't the full carbon model (those were really pricey), rather it is an aluminum zirconium alloy. I can lift it easily and hold it with my pinky. The thing is, the road bikes are more expensive than the all terrain bikes, at least for the level that you're looking to buy.

I used to ride it often, but haven't in quite a while. Traffic is a beeotch around here and I've been spooked off of the road after being run down several times. 15 miles a day was the norm, with 50+ mile weekends. Needless to say, after I got myself into shape, I'd ride my 50 miles and upon stepping off of the bike I was breathing as normally as I am now. Its a wonderful thing when you're in top shape. :)

[masterg]

any thoughts on these?

2011 Fuji Nevada 5.0 Mountain Bike
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1094361_-1_20000__1620016

2011 Diamondback Outlook Mountain Bike
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1095966_-1_20000__400308

2011 GT Aggressor 3.0 Mountain Bike
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1092720_-1_20000__400308

2011 Diamondback Response Mountain Bike
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1096075_-1_20000__400308

[Judaeus Apella]

Edit:

Okay I talked to a guy over at a store I've talked to before, and he gave me some good advice for you. I asked him for some suggestions for TRAIL worthy mountain bikes that are under 35 pounds but won't break the bank (usually under 600).

For around $575 you can get a Trek Gary Fisher Wahoo. Its a popular model with a decent ride quality, and a trail worthy aluminum frame.

For around $650 you can go a step up get a Trek Marlin, they're light and trail worthy, and have an aluminum frame.

They come with standard rubber tires, so you'll probably want to upgrade them to kevlar.



------

My advice is stay the hell away from steel frames. They're heavy as hell, cheap, and they rust. Titanium used to be the middle ground but now its only used for the expensive racing bikes. Its lighter than steel but ride isn't as good as steel, but the reliability is the same (frame failures are just as rare as steel), BUT the advantage is they never rust, you don't even have to paint them. Aluminum is the next step up above steel in cost, but the failure rate is higher for thinner frames so they need to be thicker than steel, they're lighter though, and the ride isn't as good as steel, but they don't rust. From what I remember I think carbon fiber is the lightest and the most expensive. You can buy a carbon fork and that will take a full pound off the weight of a bike, but they're ridged and you'll loose your suspension. Go aluminum but MAKE SURE its trail worthy or you'll snap it in half.

The 2011 Diamondback Outlook sounds like a great deal, especially for a 25lbs bike, but its not. That aluminum frame is not made for trails. I would say the ride is probably crap, and you can't take it on trails, cause the frame would be too weak. I would stay away from that bike.

2011 GT Aggressor 3.0.... having trouble finding any weight information on that bike, and I would never buy a bike unless I knew the weight. Hell no. Call the store and find out what it weighs first and if its trail worthy. I'd like to know to be honest cause that's a good deal if it is.

My advice is to stay under 35 pounds. That's a simple goal to meet and it shouldn't cost you thousands or anything. Stay away from the Kawasaki's they run really heavy, like over 40lbs.

Make sure you pick up the bike to see if it feels like a comfortable weight to you, and most of all you want to ride it around outside in the parking lot. If you have a friend who owns a nice bike, test it and see if you're comfortable riding it up hills. Look up the specs on it and the weight. If it feels right, look for something around that weight class, if not you'll need something lighter. But like I said, there's no reason to go overboard, it doesn't need to be light as a feather, just light enough so you can get up hills without feeling like your pulling a rickshaw and can't go on after your first steep hill.

There are two areas of stamina when you're riding a bike, the first one is the stamina you can use in short bursts (like going up a hill, or what you would use to run full speed), and the second is the stamina you use for normal riding (like what you would use for jogging). The first will wear you out real quick before you have a chance to burn a lot of energy but is great for a cardio, muscle toning, and short term muscle stamina workout, while the second will let you keep going for a long time and will eventually burn a lot more energy and is good for muscle toning and long term muscle stamina. A great workout is to start off at a steady maintained stride for an hour or two, then do some intensive cardio (but not enough to drain you dry), then cool back down to normal riding again and maintain that for another hour. This type of workout will get you in good shape. :)

Also make sure you buy an emergency kit you can strap under your seat with a full tire repair kit and the tools you'll need. Also a multi-tool with a philips, flat head screw, and pliers, mini-pump, and mini adjustable wrench. You don't want to get stuck somewhere with a flat or your gear changers screwing up because of a fall or a part getting debris caught in it. (Its happened to me many times) Also get a water bottle holder that doesn't easily bend (like a coat hanger). You don't want to loose your water bottle and run it over. (that has happened to me too, lol)

To avoid getting flats, you can upgrade to kevlar tires, they're not expensive at all and its a great idea. With that you won't need a mini mountable pump or any flat repair tools. Just make sure to check the inflation of your tires before you leave your home.

Also, a great thing to have is a GPS. You can plan and download routes, track progress, monitor your speed, download routes if you join a biking group, etc. I have one I can mount on anything and from what I've read it works great on a bike, I've been meaning to try it. If you have one, all you need is the mount for your handlebars. You can get a Garmin Bike Mount for less than $15.

Also a light bike can come in REAL handy, other than not wearing you out really fast. First of all, they're easy to load on top of a car if you ever travel with it or drive to a good riding spot, second there's some basic tricks that are very helpful that are easier to do with a light bike. Like for example, learning how to hop your rear wheel and swing the back of the bike around 180 degrees. This allows you to turn around and change direction. Its a basic trick used for maneuverability. (when the bike is 90 degrees thats when you want to turn your handle bars with the rear of the bike while its swinging around) Its a slightly easy trick to learn trick, but takes some practice and comes in real handy. A second very useful trick is the ability to jump your front wheel onto a higher surface, while your rolling forward, then hopping the back wheel onto that surface. Its a very simple easy to learn trick used for climbing small obstacles that comes in very very handy, as you'll find out. :) A third trick that comes in really handy is hopping both wheels to avoid things in your path like curbs and debris. (very handy in rural and urban areas)

But like I said, be very wary of cheap aluminum bikes that try to pass themselves off as mountain bikes, but don't have a frame sturdy enough for a trail. It can take very little to snap them in half like toothpicks.

http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~jss/canaan/broken1.jpg

[dctokyo]

For the price range you gave here, you should look into "Giant Bicycles" they make some nice ones.
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/

This one is not bad "Roam 1"
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/roam/7507/44080/

[masterg]

trying to stay under 400. originally wanted 200-300 but that wasn't going to happen

[Stewie007]

Maybe save up for a bit longer. If you're really serious about it, you'll appreciate having a better bike.

[Judaeus Apella]

Maybe save up for a bit longer. If you're really serious about it, you'll appreciate having a better bike.

Absolutely. I personally understand how dangerous cheap equipment can be when it comes to mountain bikes so I would never buy a cheap mountain bike.

Its going to be hard to get a good trail worthy bike for less than $575 t hat doesn't way 40 pounds or more. Sorry man. The problem is a lot of these companies make sh*tty bikes, and they freakin do it on purpose. They'll dress it up with a bunch of fancy words that sound impressive, and advertise it has an aluminum or lightweight alloy frame, but the only reason why its so cheap is because that frame is so thin and you'll probably mangle your self on it the first time you hit a bump but they call it a "mountain bike" anyway. The only thing mountain about those bikes are probably the mountain they have printed on the box it comes in.

The only safe way to go if you want to spend a few hundred is by getting a heavy steel bike or a frame made out of a heavy alloy. They're slow, heavy, and rust if they get so much as a scratch. If you get one of those... prepare to turn around and go home after your first real hill. They can take a lot of abuse and have very low frame failure rates, but they are by no means good for a long work out. Be VERY wary of low cost aluminum and low weight bikes (under 35 pounds, especially under 30). The frame is probably so thin you can snap it in half by breathing on it. To be honest I think the government should sue these companies for selling products that are dangerous if you use them for what they're advertised for. I've heard of lots of cheap mountain bikes breaking on trails. Bent forks, broken and cracked frames, the part on the fork that holds the wheel bolts on breaking off completely, etc.

The best you can do is a basic trail worthy hard tail between 28 and 35 pounds. (A hard tail is a bike with no rear suspension) That said, the worst thing you can do is buy a mountain bike based solely on the fact that its in your price range. Its all about fit. There's different sizes, shapes, colors, weights, speeds, suspensions, etc. Every bike is going to be different in some way. To be honest the best thing you can do is sit on some bikes in a bike store (NOT Walmart), and see which ones feel the nicest, regardless of price range. Then ask if there's anything similar to the one you like in a less expensive model.

I found this one. Its trail worthy and weighs just under 30 pounds, but without a rear suspension the ride will be a lot more aggressive and hard on your butt and your back (so I would suggest upgrading to a gel seat with spring suspension if you get a hard tail.). Looks like the 2011 model is over $300 and the older model is under $300. I saw the 2011 for $350 I think. Sorry, but I think thats the best I can do. :( Its a good bike, the frame is aluminum (thick enough to be trail worthy), and it seems to get good reviews.

Raleigh Talus 3.0
http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/mountain/2011-mountain/talus-30-11/
http://www.raleighusa.com/wp-content/uploads/post-images/RB_2011_Talus-3.0_Matte-Dark-Blue_LG.jpg

[masterg]

i saw the ralus 3.0, just having a hard time finding a place that sells it =\

[DeltZ]

cheap bikes tend to throw on full suspension which is worse than having no suspension. You don't need rear suspension unless you're doing super hard core stuff. To keep in cost you'll want just front suspension. Don't really have any particular recommendations as to bikes, second hand ones off ebay or bikeforums maybe. I heard Cube make nice ones great for the price. But they might already be above your price range

[Judaeus Apella]

In what general area do you live? That would really help.

[masterg]

i am in kirkland wa. outside of Seattle

[Judaeus Apella]

These three places sell Raleigh bikes in that general area. Actually right now is a GREAT time to buy cause summer is ending and there should be some sales around. :) End of fall is better cause a lot of leafers like to ride bikes through colorful scenic areas, that ends at the end of fall when all the leaves fall off the trees.... and thats pretty much when the bike sales end for the year. Most customers only ride their bikes in the spring, summer, and fall, and put them in the garage for the winter.

http://www.alpinehut.com/
http://www.ridebicycles.com/
http://www.eastsideskiandsport.com/index.php

If they don't have it, ask if you can order it. :) But still, you need to sit on all the mt bikes in those stores and just see what feels right. Don't think about price, just find a good fit. If its too expensive or not trail worthy, ask them if they have a bike like that thats safe for trails and in your price range. If they don't have it, then ask them to order it. Some bike stores will do that.

[masterg]

cool thanks. REI also sells raleigh bikes but no REI in the entire state of WA has any >_>