Hey Oppositelock

"S65" (granthp)
10/08/2016 at 13:15 • Filed to: mountain bike

Help me find a good mountain bike, front suspension preferred but I may just buy another hardtail and put a different fork on it. I’d prefer to keep it under $300

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

This is the kind of stuff I’d use it for

http://www.montgomeryparks.org/PPSD/ParkTrails/trails_MAPS/NorthwestBranch.shtm

http://www.montgomeryparks.org/PPSD/ParkTrails/trails_MAPS/Rachel_Carson_Greenway_trails.shtm

Photo Sphere of the trail

DISCUSSION (14)

My citroen won't start > S65
10/08/2016 at 14:05

Kinja'd!!!

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > S65
10/08/2016 at 14:23

Wholly cow! Buy this DEAN it is a custom made Titanium frame! So cool!

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/bik/5809213309.html

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/bik/5795006203.html

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/bik/5810058967.html

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/bik/5813340401.html

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/bik/5790383343.html

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > S65
10/08/2016 at 16:43

How rough are the trails you ride? I have a hardtail currently and it’s brutal on the trails I ride, but it does get the job done. I’m much slower than my full suspension buddies.

S65 > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
10/08/2016 at 17:54

Kinja'd!!!

This kind of stuff

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > S65
10/08/2016 at 22:17

Those look fun. Don’t you think it would be better on a full suspension bike though? Unless you just don’t want/have to sound that much, which would be totally understandable.

S65 > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
10/08/2016 at 22:46

That’s a bit much and I’m not sure if I could get a good one in my budget

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > S65
10/09/2016 at 05:41

Fair enough. I’m having the same issue. I want a full suspension bike but I also don’t want to spend much more than 500. It’s very difficult to find something worthwhile in that price range.

TheRealBicycleBuck > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
10/09/2016 at 09:38

A FS bike in that price range is really old, really worn out, or cheap junk to begin with. The worst are the worn out cheap ones since the suspension parts are not serviceable, so the only path forward is to replace the bouncy bits with new bouncy bits which is expensive.

TheRealBicycleBuck > S65
10/09/2016 at 09:45

Take a serious look at Nashbar and Performance Bike. I bought a Nashbar mountain bike for my son a few years back. He was at that in-between stage where he was too tall for most of the “kids” bikes and too small for an adult frame. Local bike shops don’t serve this market well.

I was surprised at the quality of the components. It was fine for the typical cross-country trail. The bike comes unbranded, so there’s nothing on it that screams “cheap Walmart bike.” Overall, it’s been a great bike for his needs.

TheRealBicycleBuck > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
10/09/2016 at 09:47

Hard tails can be much faster. It’s all about the technique. Learn to stand up over the rough bits. Watch a few videos on how to do it right. Soon you FS buddies will be wondering why you are kicking their butts on the trails.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > TheRealBicycleBuck
10/09/2016 at 13:11

You’re right they can be. I do stand up over those sections, and I can keep up just fine but there are a lot of areas where I lose traction completely on the back tire because it’s bouncing over everything. I’ve tried a bunch of different tire pressures too. Plus it’s just downright brutal to ride at times. I know I’m not a great rider by any means and someone else could certainly ride my bike faster, but I rode my friend’s Santa Cruz blur and it was a night and day difference in speed, comfort, and confidence.

I’ve been scanning craigslist everyday, there have been a couple of really great deals and I’m willing to spend up to a grand for the right bike. There was a really nice kona the other day. Ten years old, but it didn’t look it, 6" travel Fox shocks, hydraulic disc, nice deraileurs. Only 400. But I passed on it because I’m going to wait to buy until spring so that money can go towards some new snowboard gear.

TheRealBicycleBuck > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
10/09/2016 at 15:11

I spent about $1,000 on my FS when it was a year old. It does make a difference, but you have to spend the dough to get something decent. FS on a $300 budget is just a waste.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > TheRealBicycleBuck
10/09/2016 at 15:16

For sure. I’m holding out hope that somebody is just wanting to unload something good quickly for cheap. My city is very very bike friendly so there are hundreds of new listings every day, many are very nice bikes in the 1000-1500 range. So every once in a while one of those will pop up cheap for whatever reason.

TheRealBicycleBuck > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
10/09/2016 at 15:34

I bought mine from a wannabe racer who was looking to upgrade to the next year’s model.