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Want to get into mountain biking
Romero Zombie
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So a few days ago my brother in law shows up to my house with a new mountain bike. Me being thirty years old and haven't ridden a bike since I was about....13 perhaps, I asked if I could take it for a spin and loved every second of it.
So I decide I know want one of my own and begin doing a little online research and holy shit is buying a bike complicated. Between hardtails, disc brakes, full suspension vs rear suspension, not to mention all the different brands I'm kind of at a loss here.
Budget wise, I was hoping to get away with a good entry level mountain bike, spending around $500 or so, which I can be a little flexible on. I want to do some street riding, but will primarily be using it for trails out here in the AZ desert. From what I read, the big stores need to be avoided as much as possible, i.e. Wal-Mart, Target, Toysrus and whatnot.
Any of you have any experience in this? I've ridden a few different brands around the parking lots of my lbs and have enjoyed them all, but I'm not sure if there are any brands I should avoid or ones I should really look into. Any help is appreciated.
So I decide I know want one of my own and begin doing a little online research and holy shit is buying a bike complicated. Between hardtails, disc brakes, full suspension vs rear suspension, not to mention all the different brands I'm kind of at a loss here.
Budget wise, I was hoping to get away with a good entry level mountain bike, spending around $500 or so, which I can be a little flexible on. I want to do some street riding, but will primarily be using it for trails out here in the AZ desert. From what I read, the big stores need to be avoided as much as possible, i.e. Wal-Mart, Target, Toysrus and whatnot.
Any of you have any experience in this? I've ridden a few different brands around the parking lots of my lbs and have enjoyed them all, but I'm not sure if there are any brands I should avoid or ones I should really look into. Any help is appreciated.
Romero Zombie on
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I would echo renting a high quality bike and just going crazy with it. Mountain bikes are pretty expensive though...even the entry models of the top name brands will be six, seven, eight hundred dollars. I have a soft spot for Kona, but that's just me. I downhill mountain bike as opposed to trail biking, as you're doing.
I wanted to see if mountain biking was for me since I moved to the East Bay Area because there's a lot more of it to be done here than when I lived in San Francisco. I used to ride a lot when I was in high school but hadn't done it for 10 years and wasn't sure if I'd really get back into it.
So I scoped out craigslist for a few days until I found a nice 10-year-old Jamis hardtail MTB for $150. I figured it's so cheap that if I don't get into it I can just resell the thing for what I paid. The bike wasn't fancy but it was a real mountain bike and not some walmart piece of junk so it stood up to real riding. Well, it turns out I like riding a lot - I do it a few times a week so I bought a really nice MTB and resold the Jamis for $150 to a kid who was just getting started in the sport.
Your friends may rag on you for riding an "ancient" MTB but in reality for the first few months you'll be riding it's going to be your fitness and skill holding you back, not the bike so you might as well learn on something cheap and durable and upgrade when you need it.
As for brands - anything that you see at your LBS is fair game. Most of them are made in the same factories anyway and the components are all basically identical. Avoid any names you see at big box stores.
For a starter one..I've been looking at
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/revel.1.silver.blue/7509/44528/
It seems to be within my price range and it's been recommended as a good starter from the bike shop guys - any thoughts on the brand?
The one you linked you'll grow out of really quick if you really latch onto biking, as you'll wear out the drivetrain on a low end one like that pretty quickly.
Note that mountain biking is not like a lot of other forms of biking, where you can easily get away with crappy equipment. You'll break way out in the middle of nowhere and hate your life (note that MTB's eat parts).
Good stuff Component wise: Shimano LX/XT/SLX/Shadow/XTR/Saint, SRAM X.7 and higher (X.0 is top of the range for them)
I'd echo the hardtail comments, as minimum price for a good full suspension bike is around $1500. Do not, under any circumstances, buy anything from Target/Walmart etc. It will die a very quick death, and will be very heavy.
I'm with the others with regards to Giant. They know what they are doing and sell so many bikes they can sell decent bikes for prices just above the crap from China (not everything bike related from China is crap bus exceptions are far apart).
Make sure you buy a bike that's not to big. The LBS can help you with this but if they don't say much just remember you must be able to move back and forth on a MTB so the frame is better to small than to big. Size fine-tuning is done by moving the seat up/down + back/forth, maybe exchanging the seat post for more or less layback, and by changing the handlebar and stem.
mtbr.com, as mentioned by schuss, is a good place to get an idea about a brand. Even better since you're starting out is to go buy some MTB magazines as they will get you started on the whole scene plus it's nice reading in between rides once you get started.
A few things to remember with regards to mountain biking:
Park-tool.com sells good tools but more importantly they tell you how to do all sorts of repairs.
As mentioned you will crash and it's not just because you're starting out because everyone crashes now and then so get the helmet and make sure to wear it right. Gloves are also a must, they will make the difference between a crash that's maybe a little painful and a crash resulting in a week or more with palms that are torn open!
If possible always ride with others. Do check out if there are like a local bike club or maybe the LBS organizes something. Where I live the local club has a weekly beginners ride that's open for all and it's just showing up with no strings attached.
Also: You will bleed, this is normal.
Bear in mind that "budget" and "full suspension" don't really go together. Even when you start getting into the low-mid range full-sus bikes they tend to be incredibly heavy.
Don't let anyone try to work out the size of bike that you need by having you straddle the crossbar. Bikes are only very rarely made with the kind of horizontal top-tube geometry that rule of thumb is based on nowadays, mountain bikes especially. This is the reason why so many people end up with bikes that are far too big for them.
If you're riding alone, especially anywhere remote, be very aware that if you bail and injure yourself (it isn't as difficult as you think to break a wrist, collarbone, or ankle) you could be in for a long hike carrying an injury to get yourself back to civilization and safety, or a long wait for rescue. Ride accordingly. Standard outdoor pursuits advice applies: make sure you know where you are and how to navigate, make sure someone knows where you are and when to expect you back, and carry a phone on the off-chance there's network coverage.
But a word of warning, too - I tried mountainbiking after exclusively road biking and figured I would be fine. I went down my first slope, leaned forward and low (ala road bike) and flipped right on over. It actually didn't hurt at all because I somehow managed a perfect fall. I got up and kept going.
My next fall, I got my wheel stuck in a muddy rut, flew off the front of the bike with one arm outstretched, and fractured my shoulder (and possibly tore my rotator cuff, still waiting for the test results on that one). But I still finished the ride and had a great time (I didn't realize I had fractured my shoulder at that point - it wasn't a bad one).
So yes, practice falling and don't be afraid to take it slow at first! You need to get a feel for how to distribute your weight when going up and down slopes. But once you get a feel for it, you've got to go hard because that's why it's fun. And while my story might seem alarming I also can't wait to be able to go mountain biking again, so that's a pretty good endorsement for the enjoyment to be had.
An average trail will obliterate a Wal-Mart bike. Assuming it's put together correctly. I've heard stories of backwards forks.
edit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I5L69yyzBk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RkZliUrakA&feature=related
Fort Yargo on the easy end of what to expect terrain-wise.
I'm not a fan of SRAM's lower end components at all compared to Shimano, but again for a beginner it will probably suit you quite well and much better than anything you're likely to find on a Walmart bike. As for buying used, unless you're experienced and can fix some of your own stuff, I'd strongly advise against it as the cost of replacing even common things like worn out sprockets/chain/cables can add up in a hurry. At least buying at a shop you get a bike that's set up for you correctly and are likely entitled to at least 1 free tune-up.
http://www.scott-sports.com/us_en/product/10040/55529/218204
Selling for $850, which is a bit out of my price range, but it rides really smooth. So now my dilemma is this. Spend $475 on a Revel and eventually upgrade the components when I want to get into serious riding, eventually spending the $850. Or do I just save up for a month or so and buy the Scott. Buying a bike is more complicated than buying a car o_O
My golden rule of bike buying is always buy the most expensive bike you can afford now. Don't buy cheaper with the intention of upgrading, because aftermarket parts in the biking world are usually stupid expensive, and you'll probably end up spending even more to upgrade than you paid for the bike.
http://vimeo.com/16664206
EDIT: easy terrain is still crazy fun, don't mean to sound like a dick.
Simple economies of scale at work.
So for a first bike, you really can't go wrong with a bike that has Giant written on it.
Hydraulic brakes and SLX component group on a complete 29er selling for $850 from a reputable company is meh? I don't know what amazing deals you find but that sounds good to me.
29ers are taking off in a big way, and right now the only limiting factor is your choice of tires, rims and fork. All major tire manufacturers have 29er offerings now, and upgrading wheels/fork is expensive regardless so I don't see a new rider spending that much cash soon.
I know tons of people of all skill levels on 29ers and while they aren't for everyone (I still prefer my 26" fully) it's definitely worth taking on for a test ride at least.
Man. I need to get my ass to Utah.
They tend to be quite twitchy in the manner of old-school short course cross-country race bikes, though, which can be exhausting on singletrack.
EDIT: Spec on that one isn't as bad as you might think. The Suntour forks are OK as long as you don't expect too much of them, and there's nothing obviously horrible about the rest (I know people that swear buy Octalink BBs and cranks because they survive better in UK conditions than any of the external bearing systems).
you can grab a decent entry level bike usually for a hundred or so less than what the lbs will sell it for.
A little assembly is required but ..You need to learn how to tune derailers/true wheels/ and other very basic maitence things.
If you dont have a buddy who knows bikes, take it down the the shop and have them once over it before you go on a ride.
Id start with a hardtail... until your skill level increases/also where ever you live might not even need a full.(really tho the biggest reason is they are cheaper and have less shit to break)
I rode a specalized rockhopper in MOAB on some pretty rough stuff and was fine.
I also rented a big expensive(like 3,500 retail) dual suspension and did Porcupine rim/jackass canyon/I forget the names of the other trails..
The difference was most noticable on descents.. Pretty fun bombing down hill.
I actually preferred the handling on the 26 over 29ers and bike shop was kind enough to knock 20% off of all the accessories I needed for the trails. Should be in the mail in a few days and can't wait to go riding
And good call going for a local bike shop rather than the internet
At the price point, the components in that one were similar / slightly better reviewed then the equal Giant and Felt brands I had looked at. I tried a 29er on the trail and it just felt odd, so I might come back to that a little later. Honestly what made my mind up about this bike was the components were solid and the paint scheme sure is pretty to look at
If your clip-ins are adjustable, try setting them to be super loose so you can clip out quickly and adjust it tighter as you get more comfortable with doing it. If they aren't adjustable, if you have the cash you may consider it (I'm assuming you'll be buying shoes, and often you'll find shoe/pedal deals online).
Learn on Flats, if for no other reason than to develop a proper pedal stroke. Doing your first biking on clipless will probably give you some bad habits, and you're "oh shit" instincts won't quite work properly. If you do go flats though, get some shinguards.
Once you're used to them you won't even notice that you're clipping in and out. I bought a new bike recently, and rode it on flat pedals for a few days while waiting for my clipless (Shimano M520) pedals to be delivered. I realised I was actually still subconsciously doing the ankle twist heel flick motion whenever I put a foot down.
And I was one of the lucky ones who never fell after switching to clipless (although I fell a bunch before that)
Well, it is less efficient, but you'll never learn a smooth normal stroke without the upstroke force if all you ride is clipless. It will teach you bad habits around foot positioning and weighting, as you're "locked in" so you can get away with weird positions. Mountain Biking requires a lot more thought and body position changes in standard riding, so having solid footing and being able to find the right part of the pedal without looking is key. Road is sort of easy mode as you don't really ever take your feet off the pedals and want to be locked in securely. Mountain, especially for beginners, you'll constantly be dabbing your foot.