I Think I May Just Buy This

"S65" (granthp)
10/05/2016 at 17:30 • Filed to: mountain bike, Bikelopnik

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Unless you can find me something nicer the same money or less....

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I found a Photo Sphere of where I usually ride, although that bridge collapsed back in August, and that fallen tree has floated downstream.

3) The Northwest Branch Trail. There’s plenty of parking at the Burnt Mills Dam,10700 Colesville Road (US 29) in Silver Spring. From the dam choose to head north to Wheaton Regional Park or south to the hiker/biker trail in Prince George’s County. You will be amazed at the natural beauty you will find so close to the city on this trail, including an overlook visited by President Theodore Roosevelt. Click !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! to find out more about this trail.

DISCUSSION (14)

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > S65
10/05/2016 at 17:34

What kind of riding and is folding a requirement? Approximately how tall are you?

jimz > S65
10/05/2016 at 17:35

I say go for it. I do all of my riding on a mountain bike, and when I has the SRT-4 as my only car, it was interesting trying to take that bike anywhere. The folding frame would make that much easier.

S65 > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
10/05/2016 at 17:35

Five feet Six inches

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > S65
10/05/2016 at 17:38

Derp on my part, you provided a link to the trail.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > S65
10/05/2016 at 17:48

This looks like a nice basic but reliable bike

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/bik/5807404768.html

More expensive and you’d want to double check sizing but this looks nice for the money http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/bik/5811599932.html

Again, hard tail, older but niceish mountain bike http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/bik/5809685438.html

Here is generally what I tell people about a bike (I worked at a bike store in the past and have ridden for a long time now) you only want something on a bike if it’s done right. I worry that the rear suspension on the bike you posted won’t be improving the ride experience and either be super bouncy or just freeze up, same goes with the folding aspect. The fact that it’s 6 gears in back also tells me that it’s either older or lower end components.

So, I generally tend to recommend people find a hard tail mountain bike from a well known reputable maker (specialized, trek, Gary fisher, specialized, giant, etc.).

Beer Conquerer > S65
10/05/2016 at 17:52

Honestly, if you’re not looking to spend more money than that, I’d recommend going with a hardtail. The geometry and suspension design on that bike is atrocious and you’ll find that a hardtail with front suspension will give just as much, if not more, enjoyment as a cheap full suspension.

OPPOsaurus WRX > S65
10/05/2016 at 18:31

I do not support folding bikes unless they are solely used for commuting and must be stored under a desk

MUSASHI66 > S65
10/05/2016 at 18:43

It’s a 38.5 lbs bike. Unless you have to have folding, this is way to heavy. I used to have a K2 Disco Monkey that weighted about that much and while awesome downhill, it sucked for everything else.

S65 > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
10/05/2016 at 18:45

That Gary Fisher is hot

S65 > OPPOsaurus WRX
10/05/2016 at 18:46

What if I mount it on the wall

DynamicWeight > S65
10/05/2016 at 18:58

That suspension looks terrible. Unless you’re on a trail with a lot of roots or rocks, stick to a hard tail. 320 retail is not nearly enough for a full suspension folding bike, they had to have cut every corner for that.

Also, if you’re planning on anything resembling downhill, really consider investing in something with hydraulic discs. They make such an incredible difference. Though at your price point, that will probably not really be an option.

Anyway, find a hardtail, preferably with discs. Something with Shimano components.

TheRealBicycleBuck > S65
10/05/2016 at 19:16

Even a basic Nashbar hard tail would be much better than this folding monstrosity. Bikes are like cars. Everything is a trade off. If you go cheap, everything will be poorly built and heavy, especially if you get high-end features (rear suspension) in a budget package. Stick with lower-end features and you can afford better quality components.

If you buy a crappy bike, you probably won’t ride it. A better bike will give you a better experience and it means the bike is less likely to become a garage ornament.

S65 > TheRealBicycleBuck
10/05/2016 at 19:20

What about this Gary Fisher?

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/bik/5807404768.html

TheRealBicycleBuck > S65
10/05/2016 at 23:03

A bottom tier Gary Fisher is better than that folding bike. Let me elaborate. It has a decent frame with a mix of bottom-end Shimano and off-brand components. The chain rings are riveted to the spider, so the whole crank will have to be replaced when the rings are worn out. The rear sprocket is either 7 or 8 speeds. That is ancient technology. The shifters and brake levers are integrated, so if you wipe out and break it, you have to replace the whole unit. At least the rear derailleur hanger is replaceable. Those are easy to break. If they aren’t replaceable, a bent hanger can result in a trashed frame.

I haven’t ridden one, but they seem to be ok. Look for online reviews by professionals. They aren’t nearly as biased as someone who bought the bike.

Start with this one: http://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/category/bikes/mountain-bikes/product/review-gary-fisher-bikes-tarpon-07-27708/