Yo Cycleguy, a question for you, (and others).

[Susilo N]

Need your opinion.

What is a good mountain bike that will haul my fat ass around, good for trails, but not anything too extreme. Looking around the $600-$700 price range as I want quality, but don't have a shitload to spend. Long lasting and quality are the most important factors for me as I plan to ride daily (or at least a few times a week) as my summer exercise. I do want a mountain bike style, not so much into the street bike as I want versatility.

How much better are disk brakes? I would prefer suspension, but is it necessary?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Daniel John]

Canadian tire has very good mountain bikes for the $300 range. Friend of mine who is into cycling says they are just as good as the $800 ones.

 

[Chloeh]

Buy a scooter, easier on the legs. :666:

 

[Ryskag]

http://mountainbike.about.com/od/buyersguideandreviews/bb/bike_BYB.htm

Read through this bro, it might help.

 

[laptop_boy537]

I have a Trek 820 as my riding around town bike. It's held up very well for 8+ years.

Suspension is nice if you're offroading, but really unnecessary for casual riding. It only adds weight and complexity to maintain. Same with disc brakes. At the price range you're targeting, the components are mediocre, so getting fancy bits and pieces means compromising on quality.

 

[wanttoknowbasis]

DO NOT buy a Crappy Tire bike! (Or Walmart, Zellers/ Sportmart etc...) You will chew through that in about a 1,000 clicks. I tried that when I first got into cycling and I replaced it the next year- and it made a HUGE difference.

Go to a REAL bike shop, the dividends will pay off in the long run. I'm partial to Trek myself, as I am currently riding a Fuel EX 6.5... but mine might be a bit fancy for your needs. I put on about 4,000 kms/ year though, so it stands to reason I would be partial to something a little more refined.

If memory serves, you live in Oshawa area correct? Your best bet would be check Northern Cycle in Ajax. They have a great range of mountain bikes by Trek and Gary Fisher (and some other brands) in your price range. Tell them what you're looking for and they will set you up with the best bike they can for the $$$ you're willing to spend. They will also fit it properly and make any fine tuning adjustments etc.

http://northerncycle.com/

I love my disk brakes! Way more responsive than standard rim brakes! But Rawd is right, they are more complex. However, the technology has come a long way, and prices have come down for these components in recent years.

As for hardtail vs full suspension, the extra suspension is nice, and makes for a smooth comfortable ride but like someone said, not REAL necessary unless you're going to be doing some "off road" type riding. The trade off being full suspensions are heavier... For what you describe, you'd likely be better off with hard tail. If you want a bit more shock absorption then you can easily upgrade to a special seat post. I had one on my Trek 6500 and it worked real nice. I'd likely be still riding it today if it wasn't stolen out of my garage. :grrrrrr:

Having said all that- any of the better brands make a good bike- and most offer a variety of price ranges. Giant, Cervelo, Specialized, Fuji etc...

 

[elevated - cali lovin]

I'm not a cyclist but know (knew?) a couple back in the city. One got a fancy schmancy bike for christmas from his family with full suspension. He didn't off road and within a month had solid bars put on to replace the suspension on the back. When he first showed up with the bike I looked at it and said "hey, when you really crank on the peddles, does the back sag"? "yup, I hate it....it's like you're losing torque on the peddles"......

He said after putting the bars on, that it seemed like he was more tired riding the same distance with the suspension than he was with his old bike...(and it wasn't a cheap bike either, I seem to remember it was close to a grand after taxes)....

Hmm no crappy tire bikes eh? I guess ccm and schwin make crap.....must be pretty good crap since they've been in business, oh, for about 50 yrs......

Player: CG's a die hard and like all die hards, anything but the best is shit. I run into the same with just about any "sport" or "hobby".....reminds me of the guy back in the 80's who said "any turntable that isn't a _____ (can't remember the name) is shit...." oh, ok, so if you don't spend $20,000.00 on a turntable, it's shit......OH kay....SOrry, but a $400.00 bike is still a pretty damn good bike......(aficionados not withstanding)

(lol just found out why CG is all up on trek...sheesh, he's so predictable lol)

Here's the perfect bike for player:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/5/SportsRec/BikesAccessories/BikesChildren/PRD~0711115P/Lil%252527%252BDreamer%252B12-in%252BBike%25252C%252BGirls.jsp?locale=en

 

[graciela]

I am.... and I have some experience when it comes to bikes at CTC/ Walmart/ Zellers/ Sportmart etc.

Yes- CTC DOES carry some CCM, Schwinn and Raleigh bikes, but they are generally on the low end of their product lines. CTC's business model is built around volume and inventory turn over, and the service personnel just don't have the expertise to properly fit and adjust a bike to an individual rider. Nothing against them as a company for what they represent in the market place. I myself have purchased bikes for all 3 of my kids at these stores. (See below) They are a HIGHLY successful companies, but not when it comes to specializing in cycling as a sport, from what I've seen anyway.

Further to that, when I first took up cycling seriously 5 years ago, I had the same attitude as you tboy, and I bought a $400 Raleigh bike from CTC... within 2 months (maybe 1200- 1500 kms) it was all shaky and rattly and just "loose" overall. The final straw was when the derailleur hanger snapped! It was within the 1 year warranty and CTC DID replace it so not knocking them in that respect. They carry some decent product, but they are generally designed for leisure cyclists and/ or kids who don't look after they're stuff etc but for die hard cyclists, they just don't stand up.

In response to your comments on full suspension: Yes, you will loose torque translation when you "drop the hammer down", but most full suspension bikes have weight/ ratio adjustments. Bike shops know how to set these based on your weight and cycling style. Personnel at CTC etc. don't (generally speaking).

Lastly, I never once said anything but the best is shit. Yes, I am partial to Trek... for a variety of reasons. (The MAIN reason is we have 2 bike shops in Cambridge; Grand River Cycle which carries TREK, Giant, Gary Fisher and Cycle Cambridge that stocks a number of other brands. When I first went into each shop, the guy from Cycle Cambridge was a REAL dick head, so I left and went to Grand River Cycle instead.) Player asked for my opinion, and that's what I gave him, based on MY OWN experience which is rather extensive in this regard. But I ALSO said "any of the better brands make a good bike- and most offer a variety of price ranges. Giant, Cervelo, Specialized, Fuji etc..."

The best advice I gave though, was go to a real bike shop. Tell them what you are looking for and/ or want, and the type of riding you plan on doing, and the price range you are looking to spend. THEY are the real experts. They do this for a living.

BTW... what kind of power tools do you use tboy? (I'm guessing you lean more towards Dewalt, Ridgid, Milwaukee, Bosch rather than Mastercraft or Black & Decker...)

**Sits back, and waits for tboy's response... :he:**

 

[safetyxpin_89]

Can't believe you are endorsing Fuji.

 

[a cabingirl]

LOL! The Bike company http://www.fujibikes.com/ has WAY more credibility and class than the douchebag at that OTHER place.

:

My brother in law rides a Fuji- Tahoe... nice bike!

 

[Caroline M]

1) I never said you said anything but ____ is shit, I said you remind me of those in a particular hobby that say anything but the best is shit....or what you reccommend. And you did just that, CTC sells some pretty good mid priced bikes and you said DON'T GO THERE.
2) Your key point there is "I am a serious cyclist". Which is, of course, if someone IS a serious cyclist who is going to put on 4300 kms a year. Is player going to do that? Is he going to tire of the hobby after 1 season? I say "I don't even think HE knows....". Which is why kijiji is full of people selling exercise equipment that they were all gung ho to buy then after a few months didn't touch it again.
3) Yes I use dewalt but I don't use Milwaukee or fein or even metabo for that matter. Dewalt is the best bang for the buck. Last longer than black and decker and don't cost that much more. A good mid grade brand. However, Fein, milwaukee, hilti, cost sometimes double what dewalt does and since I have to earn a living with my tools, I balanced budget with longevity. Is player going to be entering tour de france races with his new bike? Is he going pro with it? Let's compare apples to apples shall we?

Now if you said "I can get you a trek for the same price as the schwin" then hey, I'm all for it.

One of the problems I have when people ask someone for advice, they don't give the advice best suited to the asker. They put what they think is best for them, (the askee).

The first question you should have asked is: has he ever biked before? Does he have any physical ailments that might jeopardize his enjoyment of the sport? Where specifically will he be riding? Can he afford to spend a grand on a bike and then not use it after 4 weeks?

I used to sell bikes so I know from which I am talking and yes, there are some crappy crappy tire stores and some good ones. The one I sold at/through was dedicated to the sale of bikes and had trained bike mechanics on staff to build, repair and fit bicycles. Just like I bet there are good bike shops and bad ones......

Anyhow player, what I'd do is sit down and seriously consider how much you're going to spend on your first bike. Make sure you're committed to this purchase because you could be like I was after spending $400.00 on a bike: after 10 kms I found out my knees couldn't handle it and the bike ended up sitting in storage until I could sell it (at a substantial loss I might add).

I'd even consider buying a used bike before a new one. You might be able to find a lance armstrong trek out there and let someone else absorb the depreciation......

 

[Fancy Pants]

Actually you did... or at least you heavily insinuated it:

:


No clue, I was going on the fact that he said:

The advice I gave was perfectly sound. You may not realize this but all the major brands e.g. Trek, Giant, Fischer, Cervelo, Fuji, etc make bikes for numerous levels of cycling enthusiasts, starting at about $400.

As I suspected... :tongue:


I couldn't even enter the TDF with MY bike.

Aside from the fact that TDF bikes are usually custom made specifically for the riders, those are extremely high end ROAD bikes, not mountain bikes.

Oh, and I CAN get you a TREK for the same price as the Schwin. Stock Treks start at about $380 and go up to $10G (Check the Nothern Bikes link if you don't believe me. )



I didn't need to ask him any of that. I gave him sound advice based on my opinion and experiences as per his request. I happen to know that Player HAS ridden before. A couple years ago we had a PM conversation in which he shared much of that back ground info you referred to.


If you used to sell bikes, then you musta been a really bad salesman. EVERYONE knows, no one in their right mind would attempt to ride the TDF with a mountain bike! :na:



I'm guessing he's already considered all these factors... In his original post he said:



This is THE most preposterous comment you've ever made tboy... Lance's bikes are routinely auctioned off at astronomical prices! Hell, the Madone 6.9 SSL with Radioshack Team colours he rode for the "Ride with Lance" I attended LY sold for $50G (Jim Balsillie bought it- with the proceeds going to the Grand River Hospital) Well... all except the seat anyway. Lance has a special seat and always takes it with him.

I don't think player has THAT kind of dough to spend on a bike with no seat!! :shock:

http://www.bikerumor.com/2009/11/04...uction-raises-1point3-million-for-livestrong/

 

[oneof5]

Maybe Player should wait until Drugstrong gets convicted of doping. In which case I'm betting those bikes will go for next to nothing:bad:.

 

[epic failure]

You're such a knob sometimes....seriously. You don't know saracasm when you read it?.....oh and btw does armstrong ride a trek? Yes? TYVM Just like when Steve Bauer rode for Canadian Tire you could buy a STEVE BAUER bike for $300.00 ....was that THE bike he rode in any of his races? NO obviously not......

As for your barb about me being a "really bad salesman" ummm I matched a customer's needs with a product perfectly everytime. Even to the point where I talked them out of a higher priced bike because it didn't suit their needs. I even had customers come back year after year and even after I left that job, and was just shopping, customers would ask me about bikes...so, BLOW it OUT your ASS.

(and OF COURSE you dont' ride a mountain bike in the TDF...jesus.....*rolls his eyes*........)

 

[nirvana]

This thread is showing some potential. I better get comfortable.

 

[thorn105]

LMFAO! A lil sensitive today tboy? WTF! :roll: At least when I use sarcasm, I'll throw a smiley or something in there to make sure people reading it will know so.

Do what you want player... You could trust the opinion of some real solid advice given from an avid cyclist based on real experiences in the last few years, or...

Trust the opinion of a guy who sold bikes for CTC 25-30 years ago.

Just know this: The Steve Bauer Mistral was a production bike of the mid 80's.

Looks like it mighta been a decent bike for that day and age, and really I would think that $300 for a bike in 1986 was a BIG DEAL... but I'm afraid I don't know shit about bikes in that era, aside from the fact that as a teenager I could take my 10 speed apart and rebuild it from scratch back then, but I believe cycling technology has advanced a lil since then. (Note to tboy, that is sarcasm. :tongue Aside from changing a tire tube or a minor adjustment, I wouldn't even THINK about messing with my current bike. It is highly specialized and way beyond my technical expertise.

Oh, I just thought of another service many REAL bike shops offer when you purchase a bike from them: Lifetime tune ups!

 

[Aseel]

Honestly CG, I have a similar bike but its made from Norco. I had it for 18 years and still use it everyday. However, I am so tempted to buy a new one after checking this bike out which cost $5000. Oh man it was a beauty and so light. The only problem is that I would have to worry constantly if my bike would be stolen or not. Thus, I am sticking with my old bike until someone decides to steal it from me.

Like player, I want to find a great reliable RACING bike that I could ride everyday in this city of Toronto but at a affordable rate (less than 1000). I n the meantime, I am sorry for interrupting this dialogue between CG and T boy but in case you decide to hug and make up without the ass grabbing, I could use some suggestions.

 

[Cougar]

You see though- THAT'S the thing peace... they all LOOK the same. And in many cases even the components used on bikes are made by the same companies.

But you have to look deeper than aesthetics... the component companies make literally 1000's of versions of their products. The difference being that materials/ technology and designs being used in each case. To the untrained eye, they look exactly the same...

And another thing... Volume retailers like CTC often play a "low- high" game with their pricing to make the consumer THINK they are getting a great deal. Take this Schwinn for instance offered by CTC:

It's listed at $700 retail, but on "sale" for half price now for $350. To an unsuspecting consumer- they think they are getting a $700 bike for $350, but we all know that in the REAL world- this doesn't happen. Retailers artificially inflate the regular price in order to make a gullible consumer "think" they are getting a great price, when in actual fact, the REAL retail on the product is much closer to the "sale" price. (They get away with this by making that particular product exclusive...)

 

[Barbie]

Very true Cg..I learned this when I was living in the states for a year. I bought a Schwinn bike and it was on sale for half price (ended up paying almost 600 bucks for it). The salesperson did a masterful job of brainwashing me that this bike was pretty good. Yet after 3 months, it was falling apart. Although I had warranty, one of the workers who kept fixing my bike secretly told me that I bought a lemon. Then 2 weeks later, it was stolen.

 

[fish_in_dish_water]

That was exactly the point I was trying to make from the beginning...

Same thing happened with my $400 Raleigh from CTC. Bought it at the beginning of July and by the end of the summer is was all shaky and "loose", making all sorts of clicking noises etc. I was really disappointed. That's when I bought my first Trek, so the Raleigh became my "back-up" bike... (And since the theft of my Trek and my son's bike, he has now inherited the Raleigh.)

The following spring when my Trek was in for its spring tune up- I took the Raleigh out for a spin and the rear derailleur hanger (the thing that holds the derailleur to the frame) snapped, causing the derailleur to get tangled in the spokes! It was still within the 1 yr warranty so I brought it back to CTC. They DID replace the derailleur, but it has never been the same. My son uses it now and its fine for him, he's a leisure rider, to his GF's, to work etc... It "might" have 2,000 clicks on it total, and its gotten worse in the last year or so, but that has more to do with my son's abuse than anything else.

Conversely, my Trek Fuel EX - still rides like brand new! (It has about 10,000 kms on it.)