HELP! Which bike should I purchase?

[alupasa]

Hi Everyone,
I’m in the market for a new all mountain hardtail and I was wondering if you guys could give me some feedback on the pros and cons of my choices, and tell me which would be best. I’m trying to find the best overall bike for around $1000. That means the quality of the frame with all the components should be the best I can buy for the amount I’m looking to spend. If you think of other bikes I should consider that would be better or if I would be better off with a full suspension bike instead just let me know.

Here are my choices:

-Jamis Dakota Sport
-Sette Race 9.0
-Gary Fisher Tassajara
-Trek 6000/6500/6700

Just chime in with your thoughts if I’m heading in the right direction with these choices. 😃

[Thisdale]

get yourself a good quality used bike, change the tires and have it tuned. There are extremely good deals out there and buying new won’t help you much because if you are serious about riding, within a year you’ll change half the components on it. On that subject, aim for XT/equivalent.

[alupasa]

"Thisdale" wrote

get yourself a good quality used bike, change the tires and have it tuned. There are extremely good deals out there and buying new won’t help you much because if you are serious about riding, within a year you’ll change half the components on it. On that subject, aim for XT/equivalent.

Thanks for the reply Thisdale.

What would you recommend I look at for used bikes? Which years and models should I stay clear of because of quality?

[Beaker]

A good used bike is a good idea……one of the best resources is mtbr.com…you can see what is available and look at ratings of those who ride it. I’d also agree with the XT as a minimum (you can get away with a lesser – Deore) front derailleur.

If you’re serious about a hardtail (weight?) then maybe check out some 29ers.

Good Luck.

[fattyclark]

Were are you riding?

I hail from the land of the Hardtails the Midwest. If you don’t mind coming up in your budget a bit you can get a really tough Hardtail from KHS. I have been very happy with my Alite 3000 (2008 model), it comes with some pretty bomb proof wheels has well. I have take some three foot drops on this bike and the frame has held up well. I am very hard on my bikes and I have yet to break a thing on this bike. Now if you are looking more for a true All MTN bike something that can take some serious drop and such on a day to day bases, a shorter travel FS bike might be a better choice something with 3 to 5 inches of travel.

Not sure if you know of the trails up around Houghton MI( MI Tech area) They have some pretty rough trails up there and most people ride FS up there, I went up there with a hardtail and was able to handle a lot of what they had to dis out. The people I was riding with up there (locals) Could not believe I made it through some of there rock gardens with a hardtail.

So I guess what I am saying is depending on you has rider and your skill level, and or lack of brains (like in my case) and the trails you will be riding a hardtail may or may not be right for you.

Voodoo also makes some nice frames
and also the major brands have some choice has well that you can’t go wrong with.

[Author]

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