Mountain Bike Recommendation

Really this all depends on the price range you're looking at. If you want something that will last a few years I recommend paying more now for something you love rather than upgrading components later.

What terrain you're riding will play a massive factor as well. If you live somewhere fairly flat a hard tail or XC full suspension could be perfect. If you live in a place with lots of mountains rock faces an All-Mountain bike may be more what you are looking for.

In addition to both of those points you should decide on what wheel size you want. Basically there are 3 wheel sizes prominent in the market right now: 26, 29, 27.5 (called 650b).

26 inch wheels have been around for ages, they are the current standard in the industry and it is pretty hard to go wrong on them.

29 inch wheels are somewhat newer, though they have been around for a few years now and seem to be gaining an ever increasing level of support among riders. The basic idea behind them is that the larger diameter wheel will roll over things more easily than smaller sizes. This makes riding up hills much easier, especially on technical climbs. These wheels will feel quicker in pedalling as well since you are able to cover more ground with each revolution. The downside to these wheels is that the bikes wheel base will become a bit longer, leading to a somewhat more "sluggish" feel in tight corners.

27.5, or 650b wheels are a comparably new wheel style really only emerging into the main market in the past year or two. I have not ridden them so perhaps someone else would be better apt to explain the nuances, but from what I have read and understand from others who ride them is that they are a combination of the best parts in 29 and 26 inch wheels. Because they are smaller than a 29 the bikes wheel base can remain shorter and the geometry can be handled more similarly to a 26 bike (more slacked head tube leads to a more stable feeling ride overall). As well the wheel is bigger than a 26 so you will retain some of that "roll over everything" feel of a 29 inch wheel. This wheel will also be somewhat quicker than a 26 inch wheel on the flats, though a 29 will still be faster as it is a larger diameter.

Basically:
26: good on everything, industry standard for many years
29: great on ups and flats, faster than a 26 or 27.5, perhaps a more sluggish feel on tight downhill corners
27.5: "The best of both worlds" retains most of the good bits from both 26 and 29. (New to market)

From here you should be able to begin searching out a good bike for you, keep in mind a bike that is perfect for me may be awful for you, so always try and take the bike for a test ride. Here are a few things to ask before you buy a bike though

What am I using it for?
What is my price range?
What feel do I want?
Is it comfortable? (VERY important)
Do I want/need dual suspension?

With all that said I would recommend a few brands just based on my experiences with them or personal friends experiences.

Specialized — wide range of bikes, starting at moderate prices and going up to world campion levels.
Kona — huge selection of bikes at a variety of price points, may not be the lightest in the world but are generally well made and will last a long time.
Trek — Good quality bikes, generally light and well made. Never heard too much bad about them.
Giant — Good quality bikes, generally light and well made. Never heard too much bad about them.
Santa Cruz — Very well made, generally quite light and will last a long time. Price reflects this.

If you want more advice I would need to know more about your location and the terrain you plan to ride.

Hope this helps!

just buy a used fuel or stumpjumper off CL they are probably the most popular FS bikes, you can get one for under a grand these days

Cufe, thanks for that post, that is a great start.


Bump for any ideas. I am starting to look now for a bike. I will mainly be riding hilly roads and the occasional trail. Any ideas for

If you're mainly gonna be riding roads and dirt roads and easy trails consider a cross bike, although if you transition into more trail riding you will want something different.

Just remember that mountain bikes are not that efficient on roads, so get the most efficient one you can i.e. hardtail, 29'er, lockable front suspension, and a set of relatively skinny tires

+k good looks.. Starting with the right type of bike works!

Whatever you do, don't think that you should get a hybrid. When I first started out I was in the same boat as you, didn't think I would be doing much mountain biking. Figured with the lack of trails I have around me I would be riding more dirt trails and roads. Once I got on a actual trail I loved it and was pissed my bike couldn't handle some of the terrain I was riding.

If I were you and you do want to use your bike for roads and mountain biking get a hardtail. I bought a Specialized Rockhopper and love it. Wheel size is up to you as well, I liked 29er because you can ride over alot of stuff easily with bigger wheels.

Since you are looking for a bike to use on the road as well as trails make sure you get something with a lockout fork. That way you won't be absorbing all your energy in the front fork. That is also why I would recommend against a full suspension bike. When you are riding on the streets it will absorb alot of your force and make riding on flat ground harder.

This is the one I got, http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/mountain/rockhopper/rockhopper-comp-29

Worked out a deal and paid just under $1000 for it. But from a local shop, test a few bikes and just see what feels the most comfortable to you.

unicycles are the future nerds

mountain biking is for old granola freaks.

go get a nice commuter bike, ride into town and have a nice coffee like a normal human being.

They see me trollingggggggggggggggggg and they hatingggggg

Transition bikes /thread