First time properly mountain biking.

[Santaria]

So today I went on my first proper mountain bike run. Trails and all. Wow! What a rush! I had enough adrenaline to ride the long way home! So scared the shit out of myself a few times. Totally going back again though. I rode by myself so embarrasment was minimal, but I did meet a couple of guys just as puffed as I was about half way around one trail. I managed to be called Wendy and soft in one sentence as the trail I was suggested was called the Wendy's Softserve trail. I dunno, still scared me pretty good.

A few things are apparent though as I lack gear. Hands were slippery so I need gloves, that's a given. Are there any specific types to look for? I also need a new bike as I have a Trek 3500 hardtail. It was a bit rough and hard to power up the hills on occasions.

So my questions are:

- Are there any decent sub $1k bikes that would be worth my attention?

- I also now see the benefit of disc brakes. I'm still over 100kgs so slowing down was very hard and I assume it's to do with my weight and not having disc brakes. I'll never be under 90kgs so stopping power will be an issue not to mention my girly forearms are sore from pulling the brakes so much. So are disc brakes something I should definitely have?

- The only thing I'm skeptical on is cleats. Not sure if that's a good thing seeing as I'm just learning and balance is an issue while dodging trees at a great rate of knots, but if I was to get some, what's sort of pedal/cleat combo should I go for? I've been looking around and there's a few types?

Can't wait to get back there next weekend. Might even go tomorrow with the local group, but it'll depend how I pull up in the morning after golf.

[Hz-Lab]

Decent MTB under 1k?

Short answer? No, not one that you won't regret buying.

If you feel it might be something you may get in to a lot more then stretch the budget a little. A good guide would be about 1.2k to 1.6k for a quality hard tail. 2k to 3k for a decent dually. Your other option is to buy second hand, which is certainly fine to do but just do some research on that bike. By all means post any questions here. Between the few of us here that ride mtb's, I'm sure we can find you something decent.

Any gloves are fine , I personally use Dakine gloves as I have just had really good wear out of them. Race face are also comfortable, don't get ones with Velcro straps though.

Invest in some SPF cleats and shoes, and use them straight away, the quicker you get comfortable clipped in the quicker ur riding will advance.

[Santaria]

SPD? Cleats? Can't seem to find SPF. Righto. 1.2k is probably out of my budget at the moment. I'll just have to stick with the current bike for a while but kit it out with cleats etc. Can you recommend me any specific types of brands for bikes?

*edit* Also looking at Disc vs V-brakes and it seems 50/50 and personal preference. I think due to price I'll stick with the v-brakes, but we'll see.
*2nd edit* And it's proving difficult to find a bike that I can commute on as well as take into the scrub on the weekends.

[Enforcer-J]

Let the fun begin mate

Giant XTC
Or
Specialized Carve

Perfect. I disagree with Hz, you wont regret a 1k bike. No point spending more until you learn more about the sport, your abilities and exactly what you want in a bike.

What you will regret is going v-brakes. I havent seen a mountain bike with v-brakes on it in 10 years.... theres a good reason for that!

Search SPD clips not SPF (typo) they are the bees knees once you suss it out and it doesnt take long just practice on some grass clipping in and out for half hour and go on a few 'safe' rides until your confident.

[Enforcer-J]

The XTC and carve have the big wheels (29er) so that will be good for commuting too. If I had the cash to have a bike for the big stuf and one for general tame rides and commuting i'd go one of the bikes I mentioned.

You'll find Scott, Avanti and Trek do similar style bikes too but Giant and Specialized generally have better bits on then

[Santaria]

I currently have a Trek 3 series at the moment. I have heard Giant are a good breed too.

[Enforcer-J]

Trek Mamba comes in at $1000 http://www.trekbikes.com/au/en/bikes/mo ... ort/mamba/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Santaria]

And you reckon they'll be ok to commute on as well? I do like my current brand.

[Enforcer-J]

For sure, hardtail plus big wheels = roadbike on dirt. Obviously it wont compare to an actual roadbike but put some fast rolling tyres on and it'll move nicely along the black stuff.

[Hz-Lab]

You'll find Scott, Avanti and Trek do similar style bikes too but Giant and Specialized generally have better bits on then

Bollocks. Don't know about Avanti but Scott generally have a lot of SRAM family parts on them , Trek has mainly Bontrager, which in general, Shit on Giant in house parts. The 1.2k Giant sitting in my shed is riddled with cheap and nasty componentry. The proof here is next time you get to see some Pro's bikes, see how many giants still have Giant componentry, SFA. A lot of the pro's running Treks still run a lot of Bontrager gear. I still think giant definitely have some awesome bikes at that <1K mark sure, but don't discount The other brands. Been 2 years since I looked in that price range, but Specialized were really overpriced in that price range for what they offered. They had plenty of bikes comparable to the Giants, but the spec fell well short.

Definitely Agree about the Brakes though, do not touch anything with V brakes. 1st switchback on a -5% grade and you'll be kicking yourself, that's if your legs survive the plummet off the cliff face you just overshot.

Oh, and about the 1k bike not being a regret. I still stick by my thoughts on that. What you said En-J may be true for someone buying their 1st bike and not experiencing anything. But it sounds like he has had a taste and likes it. I would probably suggest a few more rides on your current bike though, just to see if you want to stick with it. The addiction & knowledge curve in MTB hits hard and fast, So you quickly go from not knowing much and being happy on your cheaper bike to knowing a little bit and realizing that good componentry can really add to both your enjoyment and progression.

In the world of Hardtails, I'd suggest that buying an $850 bike now would lead to you quickly wanting a $1400 bike, and probably going and getting it withing 6 months of original purchase. So there's $2250 gone in 6 months, unless you manage to sell your $850, which will be worth $300 in the 2nd hand MTB market. OR, you could use your current bike a bit longer, save a bit more, get a $1100 bike, have a very capable machine, still maybe want that $1400 one, but the component jump is not that great to justify it.

I base that on 3 people now that I have witnessed do exactly that. Even after being told. I guess I was even one myself, when I 1st looked at MTB's, the guy in the bike shop told me exactly what kind of bike I should get based on what I mentioned. $3.5k later of buying a XC hardtail & a Downhill bike, and then I end up buying the perfect bike for me, which just so happened to be the one he told me about at the start.. lol.

I dunno, I just don't feel you'd gain much buying a $500 to $800 MTB over what you have now


oh, and Santa, I did mean SPD cleats, posted on my iPhone and it appears it Sunscreen talk must be much more prolific than pedal talk, so it took the liberty of changing it for me. How nice

[Hz-Lab]

I'd probably shy away from 29'ers too. Not because they are any worse of a bike, Just that you pay a little bit more for the bigger wheeled bikes, so you end up with shitter bits and pieces. For example that Trek Mamba that En-J linked has a pretty shitty drivetrain on it. If it's running shimano you want a minimum of Diore Front derailer and crank, and a minimum of XT Rear derailer. It does make a lot of difference. In saying that, if you find one at a ripper price, don't discount them. From what I have heard, they are not the best beginner bikes either, I am not exactly sure why though.

bike exchange is a great site by the way, good just to see what you can get. for example, check out this Kona http://www.bikeexchange.com.au/bicycles ... /102149066" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . Now 1k for that is pretty good, and I would normally put a bike like that in the same category as the 1.3/1.4k bikes I have been referring too. It's just a runout model at a kick ass price.

[9ra55h0ppaH]

The Specialized Carve seems to start around $1700-1800, with the same spec componentry of Giant & Scott's $1500 model. any less money you would be looking at a Rockhopper.

Trek, Giant & Specialized all seem to use alot of own-brand components and apparently Scott bought Synchros to use the name on their generic parts.

29" wheeled Trek Cobia's can be had for $1200-1300 with an air-sprung fork, by far the cheapest RRP i could find for that sort of bike. I found 26ers almost impossible to find... Giant, Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, Felt... none of them bring 26" hardtails into the country, and most of them don't even make them anymore

[Hz-Lab]

How tall our you Santa? I'll sell you my Kona Hoss dirt cheap if you'd like. Wouldn't cost much to freight if I send it through work. that's part of Kona's Clydesdale range, they don't do them any more, which is a shame because they were made for bigger guys, from the 90 to 120kg range. Probably just needs a quick drivetrain service and she'd be sweet. Probably only ever did maybe 400k's riding if it's lucky, upgraded to my remedy soon after.

[Enforcer-J]

If you want a decent hardtail it will have to be a 29er as that's all you'll find these days unless it's a dirt jumper. I think for what you need and considering commuting, a 29er hardtail is the go and you dont have to spend shitloads to get a goo one. I dont regret buying my $800 hardtail (avanti ridgerider) at all, i regret selling it....

Hz you'll find a lot of the race teams swap their own brand componentry over, I dont see any bontrager bits on Aaron Gwins Session! Giant parts are fine, Ive hammered the shit out of mine and the only reason ive swapped some is because they didnt suit what i wanted (wider bars for example)

But those bits arent worth worrying about really. it's forks, cranks, deraileurs, shifters, brakes, cassettes, hubs and wheels that make up the $$ and will mosty effect your riding. In that regard, Giant shits over everyone.

[Santaria]

Thanks for your suggestions Hz, 9ra55h0ppaH and En-J. I'm 182cms tall. I appreciate what you're saying about grabbing the more expensive bike, Hz. $1.2k may be doable, but money saved is what I'm after. My cousin is sponsored by one of the local bike shops (road rider), so maybe he can get me a deal!

After over two years and not having even one service, my Trek has lasted pretty good. The only problem is a faint clicking on the crank probably due to grit and tightening and the derailleurs need the tiniest adjustment. The Mamba looks the goods and within a price range of sorts. To be completely honest, of all the reading I've been doing, I'm yet to really find anyone complaining about component failure. The conversations tend to be towards FS vs Hardtail or 26" vs 29" etc. Some of those bikes are crazy expensive. The bloke I met yesterday while on the trail had a bike that was worth $4.5k and he looked as wobbly and amateur as I did!

...... stupid hobbies and their stupid expensiveness.

[Hz-Lab]

It's not component failure you need to worry about, its how they work. Cheaper rear derailleurs for example tend to require a lot more servicing, they don't stay tuned for as long. Also you'll find they tend not to change as quick, sounds like nothing, but on the trail when you hit a pinchy incline, you'll want it to slam in to gear well and truly before you get there. I guess the main difference you will feel is with the Deore or Acera derailleurs you will have to push your thumb through the full lever cycle, even if you have wizzbang shifters, it will still require a bit of force. which again, is not major, but with a XT R/D you will notice they change on a real light touch and instantly.

I have not had a look, but I wouldn't be surprised if Giant have a better spec 29'er in that price range. Treks spec is generally pretty good but that Mamba is horrid.

I'm 182cm too Santa, and I was 120kg when I started riding. If you want to spend some more time finding out if its something you'd like. I'd be happy to loan you my old bike for a while if you just wanna cover costs of transport, like i said before, wouldn't be much through my work. And If you broke anything on it, I wouldn't even care, It's just sitting in the shed doing nothing anyway. That will give you an idea of what a low to mid $1000 bike will be like over a $700.

[Enforcer-J]

...... stupid hobbies and their stupid expensiveness.

Yep.

[Hz-Lab]

and its only the beginning

[Santaria]

Thanks for the offer Hz. I wouldn't want to do that to you though. I'd feel guilty for not paying for it in full. A bike shop is my option due to being able to pay it off. One shop sells Trek and the other sells Avanti and Giant. I dunno... might just buy a motorbike instead. Nah, I'll try a few on for size and see what happens I guess. The advice about the derailleurs definitely makes sense though. It's something my current bike sucks at. Change speed is definitely lagging and find myself just sticking in about 2 of the 15 gears due to slipping etc. I also keep forgetting that the seat is quick release... so when mucking about on the downhill parts it gets awkward sometimes, lol.

[Enforcer-J]

I also keep forgetting that the seat is quick release... so when mucking about on the downhill parts it gets awkward sometimes, lol.

.... and here's where it gets expensive, my seatpost cost $300.

As for draileurs... deore for the front and SLX atleast for the back if you want good shifting. Everything else you can run Deore and it'll do a good job albeit heavier than the higher specs. SLX is damn good value and what I currently run and will be running on my next bike.

[Hz-Lab]

yep, agreed. deore is fine for everything but the Rear derailer. SLX is probably realistic for the R/D in the price range you are looking, but if you do find one with XT, bonus, there is a big difference.

[norbs]

I don't think it matter what bike you start out with. If you have no experience with the high end stuff, you wont know the difference.

I got back into cycling on a $900 flat bar. I put nearly 10,000kms on it. I sold it to Vil and I had no complaints.

I now have a 2010 Giro 4 that, compared to new bikes, is pretty underwhelming. Alu frame, OEM components, nothing flash. But I fucking love my bike. I have ridden some very flash roadies since I have had mine and would love to upgrade, but I don't have the cash to do it, so I accept what I have and just enjoy the ride.

Grab what ever you can afford Santa. Just go out and ride. Yes, a top end bike will make it easier, but who wants easy when you start out. Get into it, drop some weight on a clunker and reward yourself later when you know the investment will be worth the money.

I see so many people spending big bucks (on a cycling forum you see them all the time) and then do fuck all. That is a waste of money in my books. But money isn't an issue with a lot of the lawyers and dentists getting into cycling. It is for me, and I guess you are on a budget too Santa. Grab what you can afford now and just enjoy yourself.

[Santaria]

I don't think it matter what bike you start out with. If you have no experience with the high end stuff, you wont know the difference.

I got back into cycling on a $900 flat bar. I put nearly 10,000kms on it. I sold it to Vil and I had no complaints.

I now have a 2010 Giro 4 that, compared to new bikes, is pretty underwhelming. Alu frame, OEM components, nothing flash. But I fucking love my bike. I have ridden some very flash roadies since I have had mine and would love to upgrade, but I don't have the cash to do it, so I accept what I have and just enjoy the ride.

Grab what ever you can afford Santa. Just go out and ride. Yes, a top end bike will make it easier, but who wants easy when you start out. Get into it, drop some weight on a clunker and reward yourself later when you know the investment will be worth the money.

I see so many people spending big bucks (on a cycling forum you see them all the time) and then do fuck all. That is a waste of money in my books. But money isn't an issue with a lot of the lawyers and dentists getting into cycling. It is for me, and I guess you are on a budget too Santa. Grab what you can afford now and just enjoy yourself.

Thanks Norbs. I think I needed to hear/read that.

I'm acknowledging Hz (especially thanks for the bike offer!) and En-J in this thread. Thanks heaps for the advice you gave me. I really am bound to a budget. I'm hoping Hz's advice on getting a decent price will help also.

(I love this forum)

[CLP]

seems i'm late to the party on this thread... though i think you have got the advice of the most informed MTBers here anyway!

re: pedals .. also have a look at Crank Brothers Candy pedals. you can probably get them cheapish from Pushys.com.au as they're frequently on sale Miss V has them on her cross and MTB (despite being quite apprehensive about riding trails clipped in) and is a bit of a fan.

[Enforcer-J]

I was thinking of getting the big candy's (mallets) but id have to get new shoes aswell :/ my shimano shoes are 3 years old and have been through hell but still look brand new... looks like im stuck with spd