Is This a Good Beginner Mtb?

[Trystan]

Hello, I’m new to mountain biking and to forums so were shooting two birds with one stone today. I’m going to be buying my first mountain bike this weekend (exciting, right!?), but I just want to get some reviews of the bike I will be getting. Its a

http://www.terapeak.com/worth/raleigh-m60-vintage-rare-stx-shimano-weinmann-sun-tour-usa/141751505008/

Will this be a good bike to begin mountain biking on? Thanks for everyone out there who might know and have a great day 🙂

 

[ZipHead]

Probably not.

Antique guitars are pretty awesome, usually. Antique bicycles are crap. Usually. That bike is worth maybe 50-60 bucks, at most. It probably won’t be very enjoyable to ride, and that’s the problem – the more fun you have, the more success you have, the more you’ll really get into biking. If it’s a pain in the ass (literally), you’ll find another hobby pretty quickly. My advice – even though you didn’t ask for it – is see what your local bike shops have to offer. Tell them what you have to spend, that you’re new to mountain biking, and they may have used/demo/rental bikes they can let you have pretty reasonable.

[Jeff Barber]

Agreed, that is probably not a good MTB to start with in 2016. Looks cool as a collector’s item though…

However, just to play devil’s advocate, SOMEONE probably started mountain biking on a bike just like that back in the 1990s. And many riders who started on those bikes (myself included I guess) actually had fun and stuck with the sport.

Then again, we didn’t have guys blowing by us on lightweight bikes with buttery suspension, dropper posts, and 11-speed drivetrains. That would be enough for anyone on a bike like this to get frustrated.

[Fitch]

Agreed with the above. To get some good opinions, you need to share some details. What’s your price range? Where do you live? What’s your fitness level and age like? How long do you want the bike to last?

Most of us in the MTB world (that’s “MounTain Bike”) started on something just like that – an old hand-me-down bike with V-brakes, weak shocks, and a frame that didn’t fit. But as Ziphead said, the more fun you have, the more you’ll want to get into riding. A few hundred bucks can land you a great used bike, and let’s face it: we’re talking about fun and safety, so spend the money.

Check out your local bike shop (LBS) and see what they have. The Singletracks.com forum is a great place to find info from riders all over the US (and the world!), but it’s also worth seeking out local bike clubs that will know your local terrain better.

[Trystan]

Thanks for all the replys guys! I’ll definitely take into consideration what you all have said. To answer fitchs’ questions, I am going to be attending ETSU this August as a freshman and am just looking for a bike to last this summer until I get enough money for a quality one. My budget is 150-200$ FOR NOW so I can just get my feet wet in the sport. I live in Tennessee and am very athletic. 6’0, 145 pounds and I love pushing myself and trying new things. I’ve tried mountain biking last year with a bike I had had since I was 13-14 and LOVED IT. but my bike broke on the last hill 🙁 (bike was from Walmart). So I’m looking at this bike to commute/mountain bike up in Johnson City until I get enough money.

 

Thanks for the quick replies and have a great rest of your guys day!

 

[mlombar17]

def wouldn’t buy that bike

[Gdb49]

Craig’slist-  Look for something like a Rockhopper, 5yrs old.  Get in cheap and still good enough to upgrade components as you get more $$.  AND not an antique.  Good luck!

[Trystan]

Would this bike be a better choice for me? I got the owner to lower the price, so I could also buy new components.

https://knoxville.craigslist.org/bik/5586417553.html

 

Thanks for the help guys, I really appreciate it.

[Shinobi]

It ‘s a rigid.  Meaning zero suspension.  Not sure what type of trails you plan to ride in your area.  At the minimum, I would recommend at least something with front suspension. For $150, you could buy it and see if you like to MTB and if not, it wouldn’t be a huge loss of cash. If you buy it and really plan on upgrading the components, you might want to look into buying a entry level hardtail.  There was a recent article on here regarding this.

[Trystan]

Yep, I think I’m going to buy this one just to try it out with my friends and see if I like it or not. I think this is a good start for me so we will see where it goes. Thanks all for your quick and intelligent responses, it means a lot coming from *real* mountain bikers 🙂

[Shinobi]

Enjoy and don’t push it to hard on your first couple of rides.  It’s tempting as hell, I know…lol.  If your friends have a full suspension bike, ride that rigid a few times and then if they let you, jump on theirs and take it for a spin.  Whole ‘nother world.  Who knows, you might like rigid bikes.  I got a friend who loves his rigid 29er single speed.  He sucks at going DH, but climbs better than a billy goat!

[Spanky]

The Rockhopper is definitely a better choice.  Might be a good idea to look at some kind of a front suspension fork if you plan on keeping the bike for a while. Either way enjoy and keep pushing pedals!

[bikerboy15]

Lot’s of options for a suspension fork and you will love it! Hope you rigid works out!

[RamonBrege]

There are some good mtb brands out there that have entry level bikes for reasonable prices and OK components. With your price range don’t bother with full suspension, since any full squish under 1 grand will be junk. Diamond back and Airborne both have decent cheap bikes for entry for a little more and would last a while if taken care of correctly. Or you can as hobbyist like myself do and buy a really cheap bike from, well anywhere, then upgrade the components yourself. Ebay has tons of new and used mtb components for good prices. Wheels, stem, crank & bottom bracket, brakes. Are where i find most budget bikes lacking alot. Lots of luck to ya and dont give up just because of the price tags on a dream rig. Finally getting the bike you want after saving a long time for it is epic gratifying. I’ve been saving for a Intense Tracer 275c for a long time now.

[keithmerson]

I agree that cheap full-suspension bikes are to be avoided. However, I’ve gotta say that I’m not a fan of buying used mountain bikes unless you’re either getting it from a local bike shop (LBS) or you can inspect it very carefully before you buy and you know enough to have your inspection be meaningful. There are several manufacturers that make inexpensive hardtails that are of excellent quality for the money.

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