my specialized dealer no longer sells specialized

"farscythe - makin da cawfee!" (farscythe) 11/07/2018 at 14:18 • Filed to: None

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anyone have any experience with ghost bikes?

i mean... the bikes *look* plenty nice.... but its a brand ive never heard of and as such.... i dont trust it

pricewise they are cheaper than trek and specialized.... but not by a lot

(my bikes over 3 years old now and my eye is roving again)

benjrblant > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 14:23

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Yes, they are exclusively distributed in the US by a domestic outdoor retailer: REI. My commuter is a Ghost speedline2. Ive ridden a few of their MTBs, not too inpressed with the geometry.

BeaterGT > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 14:26

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I ride a Ghost Kato 5 (hardtail) and haven’t had any issues over the past 2 years. Definitely gets thrashed around and occasionally put away wet . REI sells them over here and I liked it better than any entry level Trek or Specialized I sampled. Also had better components for the price at the time.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > benjrblant 11/07/2018 at 14:27

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thanks

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > BeaterGT 11/07/2018 at 14:30

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thanks :)

tbh im wary of brands i dont know... especially on the entry level spec... had some big brands fail me there (looking at you giant) sooo now i ask for opinions :p

Snowrydr01 > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 14:32

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Around Philadelphia Trek came through and bought  most of the dealers so most of our specialized dealers don’t sell specialized anymore....I’m also cheap an love that bikes depreciate faster then luxury sedans so I only get them from craigslist and friends of friends that race and get them cheap in the first place.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > benjrblant 11/07/2018 at 14:32

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geometry worries me a little come to think of it...

im pretty leggy (saddle way above handlebar height type)

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Snowrydr01 11/07/2018 at 14:34

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lol tbh... i buy bikes new coz then i know ive got 1 maybe 2 years of trouble free riding... provided i keep up with maintenance...used bikes are a gamble

but i ride daily

functionoverfashion > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 14:35

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I’ve got a friend who coaches the MTB team at a prep school, I’ll ask him if he’s got any on the team.

facw > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 14:38

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Kind of a bad name, when I think ghost bikes I think of these:

BeaterGT > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 14:38

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I definitely understand. Hell, I’m wary of bikes that I can’t really ride before I buy. Trek has rubbed me the wrong way and I thought about getting a Giant but opted for the Ghost instead .

Didn’t really care for the remote lockout on the bars when I got it but man do I appreciate it now . All I’ve added were decent flat pedals and some tube tape to protect from thorns.

benjrblant > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 14:41

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Geometry is highly personal, so I’m not sure that I’d be able to offer much input for you. Test ride some, see how they feel? Keep in mind that the only difference among brands is really who builds the frame. Just about all other components come from a 3rd party manufacturer/supplier.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > functionoverfashion 11/07/2018 at 14:42

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thank you :)

Snowrydr01 > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 14:43

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I ride 3 to 4 time a week maybe 20+ hard north east rock miles on my XC bike . I treat a used bike like a used car. I assume $ 100-150 in immediate need of maintenance , b rake pads, fluid, chain, h opefully not cassette, and tires are personal choice anyway so i might end up with new tires even on a new bike.

My current primary bike is a 2014 Scott Spark 940 (with a repaired chainstay) for $640! It left me a TON of room to restring new S tans rims, tubele ss tires, dropper post, shorter stem, small parts here and there. and im still well under $1k all in. For $1k even at a bike shop that was closing and had everything 40% off i would’ve been very unhappy with the specs level .

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > BeaterGT 11/07/2018 at 14:47

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tbh.. i know giants high end stuff is good...

but my god the entry level (7 00 bucks) bike was the worst bike ive ever owned... put me off em forever

but yeah cheers... ill give the ghost bikes a good look and maybe go that way next

(but.... it may still lose out to cannondale... coz those lefty forks fascinate me)

Snowrydr01 > Snowrydr01 11/07/2018 at 14:47

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to be fair, 2 of those days (8 miles) are in the dark on my local trails with a headlamp and the pace is about 75% since its tight twi sting singletrack and i cant see so far.

The Ghost of Oppo > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 14:47

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I know it’s just a picture, but that rear linkage looks super thin. Not to sound like a snob, but being an REI only brand makes it seems like a department store brand.   That’s gonna be a “meh” for me dawg.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > benjrblant 11/07/2018 at 14:48

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roger that

tbh.. for me next bike i want something with a saddle tube that leans back quite agressively... so i can be over the back wheel more

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 14:49

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REI sells Ghost in the US and they receive good reviews. Not much different that trek/specialized/Giant etc...

So the only thing that is brand specific is the frame, and sometimes the tires. Everything else is generally the same between brands when looking at a certain type of bike like 29" wheeled trail bikes will generally have SRAM GX 1x12 drive train and a rock shox or fox fork. The only real difference is the frame and on a 3,000 dollar bike they will be very comparable.

https://www.rei.com/b/ghost/c/full-suspension-mountain-bikes?ir=category%3Afull-suspension-mountain-bikes&r=c%3Bb&origin=web

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 14:51

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You need a dropper post then.

Snowrydr01 > The Ghost of Oppo 11/07/2018 at 14:52

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I m with you, my eye went right to the pivot looking tiny. That and Springs on non-DH bikes make me think cost cutting.

BeaterGT > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 15:06

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The lefties are so cool! (biased because I’m left handed)

TheRealBicycleBuck > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 15:06

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When it comes to bicycles, there’s the frame and there’s the components. Most frames coming from a mid to high-end builder will be fine. Low-end builders use poor materials which are put together poorly. Mid-range builders tend to use decent materials, but they don’t put in the finish work that makes for a really nice frame. Think about the level of work that goes into finishing the welds on a high-end Cannondale frame. Their mid-range frames get a lot of the special tubing, but don’t have the final hand smoothing that makes the welds just disappear. Get a decent frame and you’re going to have something that can last a lifetime. Breaking a frame happens, but not very often, and most of the broken frames I’ve seen were either wrecked really hard or were a high-end racing frame where lightness was more important than strength.

The components are a different story. Some big manufacturers will contract out house-brand parts (think Bontrager) so they can save some money. Some install a mix of name-brand and house brand parts. High-end bikes usually have all top-end Shimano or SRAM parts.

Mid-range bikes are usually more than what most people need. It doesn’t really matter much who you buy it from (blasphemy!) as long as the frame warranty meets your expectations and the mix of parts matches your budget/needs. As others have said, the most important thing is to make sure it fits you properly. It’s hard to justify an ill-fitting bike.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > TheRealBicycleBuck 11/07/2018 at 15:11

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all good points... especially the last one

but tbh with brands i dont know... its the build quality i worrie about.

i know if i buy a koga miyata... ill get an expensive but well put together bike

with the unknown to me brands.. i know i’ll get value for money parts wise.... but no idea if they will fall apart on me

Nom De Plume > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 15:36

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Dude, get a Koga mtb before they are all sold.  

Ghost has made some decent stuff, road and mountain.  It is as you surmised a budget brand currently.  If you are looking for serious suggestions I’ll offer them.  Otherwise this is a thorny slope to engage me on.  

Chariotoflove > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 16:07

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You might check out Jamis. They tend to be a good value. 

TheRealBicycleBuck > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 16:38

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I’d bet you could count the number of frame failures you’ve seen on one hand. Bike mechanics have seen a bunch, but that’s their business.

Think about your basic Huffy. It’s almost impossible to break those frames. What fails on them is the components, not the frames . Th e cheap parts start rusting after just one ride in the rain. The frames are undesirable because they are so heavy.

I’ll admit, I really like high-end bikes, but when it came time to get a decent ride for my growing son, we bought from Nashbar. He wasn’t going to ride it hard enough to break the frame and the components were a mix of Shimano, Tektro, and house brand. We’ve had absolutely no trouble with the bike. We will be looking at a new bike for next summer since he’s now taller than I am (!), but I’m certainly not going to break the bank trying to get him a race-ready ride.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > TheRealBicycleBuck 11/07/2018 at 16:51

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lol.. ive had 1 frame failure..... and that was a bmx.... snapped clean in half

but yeah i dont need a carbon frame (want one mind)

i just need a bike thats pretty light and will survive my riding

nermal > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 16:52

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Pick an internet-direct brand and go there. Commencal / YT / Canyon / etc.

I have a Commencal and it’s awesome, zero problems outside of a little squeaking that will be addressed in off-season maintenance. Saved $2k+ over what it would cost to get something of similar spec at a local shop.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > nermal 11/07/2018 at 17:16

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cheers... i may just do that

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 17:29

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https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/list/?category=2®ion=5

Check it.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 11/07/2018 at 18:19

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So instead of being a Specialized dealer, they’re a Generalized dealer now, eh?

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 11/07/2018 at 22:12

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cheers :)