New to REAL MTB from Kansas!

[the_law_man01]

Hello, All!

I’ve been completing trail runs for fun for a few years. Doesn’t matter to me if it’s just smooth trail in the woods or steep and rocky. I’m gonna run it. I’ve had a couple injuries in the last four years that have got me worried about not being able to run forever. The last one wasn’t really running related but reminded me I’m not 18 anymore.

When I was in my teens, I rode a lot of trails, jumps, roads, etc, etc on my 12 speed Huffy. Probably did a lot of things I wasn’t supposed to do with it. Never knew that it was "a thing" at the time.

So, fast forward to within the last 60 days or so. I’m recovering from a shoulder surgery back in March. I started running again trying to burn off the 25 lbs I put on in the previous year of being restricted from any type of "extreme" physical activity. (Dr’s definition and mine are waaaay off.) I decided I wanted to start "mountain biking" along with trail running. Granted I live in Central Kansas so it will likely be less mountain and more rocky and rooted trail. Although, I vacation almost annually to locations much less flat than here and will get plenty of opportunity for real mountain biking.

Anywho, I’ve spent the last 3 – 4 weeks researching the sport and equipment. I realize everyone has their own flavor and it seems there’s equipment to fit all likes.

I know I want to go full suspension with at least the option to adjust preload and for lockout if not find something with C-T-D functionality. I cannot afford a Trek, Niner, Specialized, etc. A friend turned me onto bikesdirect.com and recommended I buy my first bike from there. I obviously turned to singletracks to read about customer experiences. I did the Google/YouTube thing as well, and they seem to have a good reputation for beginners. The friend has been riding a bike from bikesdirect.com for a few years now with no problems. And, he’s a bit bigger than me (I’m 6’3" 265 lbs at the moment on my way back down to 255 lbs.) and races his bike regularly.

This is the bike I’m considering:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mot … lx-tcs.htm

What do you guys and gals think? I’m more than willing to receive critique, comments, etc on everything MTB.

Thanks,
Joe

[schwim ✓ supporter]

Welcome to the forum and the sport!

I think that’s a solid bike for the price. This Airborne also fits your pricepoint and is something to think about.

As for not being able to afford the more popular brands, almost all of them offer models in different component sets and you can get the same model from your pricepoint to Donald Trump’s. Not to talk you out of the Motobecane, but your options aren’t as limited as you may think.

[Alvin Mullen]

"the_law_man01" wrote

Hello, All!

I’ve been completing trail runs for fun for a few years. Doesn’t matter to me if it’s just smooth trail in the woods or steep and rocky. I’m gonna run it. I’ve had a couple injuries in the last four years that have got me worried about not being able to run forever. The last one wasn’t really running related but reminded me I’m not 18 anymore.

When I was in my teens, I rode a lot of trails, jumps, roads, etc, etc on my 12 speed Huffy. Probably did a lot of things I wasn’t supposed to do with it. Never knew that it was "a thing" at the time.

So, fast forward to within the last 60 days or so. I’m recovering from a shoulder surgery back in March. I started running again trying to burn off the 25 lbs I put on in the previous year of being restricted from any type of "extreme" physical activity. (Dr’s definition and mine are waaaay off.) I decided I wanted to start "mountain biking" along with trail running. Granted I live in Central Kansas so it will likely be less mountain and more rocky and rooted trail. Although, I vacation almost annually to locations much less flat than here and will get plenty of opportunity for real mountain biking.

Anywho, I’ve spent the last 3 – 4 weeks researching the sport and equipment. I realize everyone has their own flavor and it seems there’s equipment to fit all likes.

I know I want to go full suspension with at least the option to adjust preload and for lockout if not find something with C-T-D functionality. I cannot afford a Trek, Niner, Specialized, etc. A friend turned me onto bikesdirect.com and recommended I buy my first bike from there. I obviously turned to singletracks to read about customer experiences. I did the Google/YouTube thing as well, and they seem to have a good reputation for beginners. The friend has been riding a bike from bikesdirect.com for a few years now with no problems. And, he’s a bit bigger than me (I’m 6’3" 265 lbs at the moment on my way back down to 255 lbs.) and races his bike regularly.

This is the bike I’m considering:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mot … lx-tcs.htm

What do you guys and gals think? I’m more than willing to receive critique, comments, etc on everything MTB.

Thanks,
Joe

I have been on and off MTBs for many years but never with a serious bike. spent all my serious time on motocross motorcycles. But now getting back to bikes and just bought my first full suspensions bike. I looked at the site you are checking out and they have good deals. If you are sure you can finish the assembly and maintenance without it detracting from your enjoyment of the bike, go for it.

I used to do all my own motorcycle maintenance, so was sure I could do it my self and was planning to buy from them, but in my test riding bikes at local shops to find out what I wanted in a bike I ran across a 2015 Giant Stance I really liked for $1300.
The comparable bike I was looking at from bikesdirect was $1000, so for me having free year of service and a bike set up and ready out the door was worth the $300.

[the_law_man01]

"schwim" wrote

Welcome to the forum and the sport!

I think that’s a solid bike for the price. This Airborne also fits your pricepoint and is something to think about.

As for not being able to afford the more popular brands, almost all of them offer models in different component sets and you can get the same model from your pricepoint to Donald Trump’s. Not to talk you out of the Motobecane, but your options aren’t as limited as you may think.

I haven’t been able to find, for example, a Trek full suspension even in a base components model for less than $2000. Maybe it’s just my area.

[schwim ✓ supporter]

The Trek website shows the Superfly FS as being $1,999. If you find any shops with 15 or even 14 inventory, you should be able to pick it up for less.

[the_law_man01]

"schwim" wrote

The Trek website shows the Superfly FS as being $1,999. If you find any shops with 15 or even 14 inventory, you should be able to pick it up for less.

Right. I was reminded last week that I’m not a "normal" person. No one in my area has anything bigger than a 17" in closeouts. The Superfly is no more so you won’t be finding deals that good on a FS anymore. They replaced it with the Top Fuel. I can’t remember for sure what "sticker" price was on that, but I’m thinking it mirrored the Fuel EX 8 and up prices.

[the_law_man01]

"Alvin Mullen" wrote

I have been on and off MTBs for many years but never with a serious bike. spent all my serious time on motocross motorcycles. But now getting back to bikes and just bought my first full suspensions bike. I looked at the site you are checking out and they have good deals. If you are sure you can finish the assembly and maintenance without it detracting from your enjoyment of the bike, go for it.

I used to do all my own motorcycle maintenance, so was sure I could do it my self and was planning to buy from them, but in my test riding bikes at local shops to find out what I wanted in a bike I ran across a 2015 Giant Stance I really liked for $1300.
The comparable bike I was looking at from bikesdirect was $1000, so for me having free year of service and a bike set up and ready out the door was worth the $300.

I’m confident that I can do basic/intermediate maintenance on a bike and assembly shouldn’t be a problem either. I have a local bike shop who doesn’t care where I buy a bike. They just want me to start riding. They’ll do any maintenance/repairs that I can’t do at the same price they charge all of their local customers so no worries in that department.

I realize there might be some design differences, especially on frames, but I’m looking at bikes that are listing the same components as the "name brand" but are charging a fraction of the price. That’s what I apparently am looking for reassurance on. The frames are made of the same material, formed the same way, even have similar looking designs. Why in the world are they so much cheaper on say bikesdirect.com, nashbar.com, airbornebicycles.com, etc?

I can’t make myself buy a Trek when there’s a Motobecane, Airborne, Diamondback, Giant, etc with the exact same components for less money. I can’t make myself buy a Motobecane, Airborne, Diamondback, Giant, etc because they’re cheaper than a Trek for some reason. What is it? Is the middle man really gouging us for $1000 a pop? I doubt it. I bet the shop doesn’t even make 15% off of every bike they sell.

AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!

[MJMoquin]

If you’re open to 650B, this is at the same price point as well.

[the_law_man01]

"MJMoquin" wrote

If you’re open to 650B, this is at the same price point as well.

Yet another one I could add to the list. It’s crazy!

I’m not opposed to a 650B. I don’t have any experience with the modern MTB so I really have nothing to compare it to other than back when I was younger and that was a crap bike by today’s standards so nearly anything today would be better than the bike back then.

One LBS tried to sell me a Trek Stache 5 today for nearly $1800. Anyone have any expereince with it? It’s a 29+, not a fatbike, not a normal bike.

[schwim ✓ supporter]

"the_law_man01" wrote

I can’t make myself buy a Trek when there’s a Motobecane, Airborne, Diamondback, Giant, etc with the exact same components for less money. I can’t make myself buy a Motobecane, Airborne, Diamondback, Giant, etc because they’re cheaper than a Trek for some reason. What is it? Is the middle man really gouging us for $1000 a pop? I doubt it. I bet the shop doesn’t even make 15% off of every bike they sell.

AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!

So you don’t want to buy one bike because you feel it’s worth less than they’re charging you and you don’t want to buy the other because you feel it’s worth more than they’re charging you? Wow, it’s gonna be tough to get you on a bike

"the_law_man01" wrote

What is it? Is the middle man really gouging us for $1000 a pop? I doubt it.

According to online docs, the bike shop is making more than a third on a bike sale:

It’s not about margins on bicycles. The two types of stores are not different on bicycle profit margins. The average store maintains a 36 percent profit margin on bicycle sales and so does the average high profit store.

It’s no secret that the LBS markup is often excessive and many of us have stories of finding identical product in a bike store for over three times the cost of what we can get it for online(myself included). Buying direct and skipping shipping, distribution and the brick and mortar can take a ton off the cost of a bike.

[the_law_man01]

You know how it is these days. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. I guess I’m just looking for conformation that ordering one of the previously mentioned bikes would be a good deal rather than a "too good to be true" situation. I’m pressing the order button today.

I can’t remember for sure where I read it, but I did read something lately that claimed LBSs were only making like $80-200 per bike. That can’t be right at all. There’s no conceivable way their business would last unless they really make a lot off of labor charge for maintenance/repair/tuning.

[schwim ✓ supporter]

The people I’ve met both on Motobecanes and Airbornes had nothing but great things to say about them. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you pick one up.

[gar29]

To go back to the the point about assembling a bike from a source like Airborne, I have experience with this. I bought an Airborne a few years back. It came shipped in a big box and didn’t need much in the way of assembly. I had to put the wheels on (hope you can do that, since you will need to change a tube at some point!), but the handle bar on the the stem (they included an Allen wrench), and put the pedals on. Warning about assembly is a scare tactic people use to try to get others not to buy from online dealers.

I’ve taken my bike to several different bike shops over the years for various reasons and have never been turned away by a shop. No one has ever even commented about it being an Airborne and that I shouldn’t bring it there. The shops are happy to have the business for their mechanics, which, incidentally is one way shops make money. So whoever says an LBS won’t work on bikes from Airborne or bikesdirect are full of crap in my experience.

I always happily recommend Airborne because of the quality of the bike I received. The frame was excellent and the build specs were great. I paid $2k at the time for a bike that easily would have cost me a minimum of $2500 at an LBS.

I apologize to LBS owners and employees, but I don’t have a lot of money, and when I bite the bullet and put down what I can on a new bike or major component, I need to get the most for my dollar that I can. Unfortunately, LBS can’t compete with the online shops for many items. I do buy items local, like tubes, gels, most clothing, etc., but I have to save money where I can. I think everyone would (or should) agree that it is more important for people to get out on bikes than worry that they saved money somewhere else.

Sorry for the rant, this topic always gets me 😆

[jjcurtiscb]

I bought my current bike (Gravity 27Five G2) on bikesdirect. For the most part, I have been satisfied. The one thing I will say to keep in mind is that IF something does go wrong (such as in my case), you will be doing a lot of waiting for replacements to be shipped in.

I managed to get a defective front tire right away. I told them about it and sent pictures and they mailed it out pretty quick. The problem, however, is they somehow sent me ANOTHER defective front tire. After showing them again, they did end up sending me a new front tire.

My point is, if something does go wrong, it can be a bit of a pain when you can’t talk face to face with someone. That said, for the price, they are hard to beat. Trek, in my experience, are way over priced simply because of the name. Should you decide you want something else, you also have to go through the process of sending it back, which will be expensive. Just things to think about.

[the_law_man01]

Ok. Waiting for my bike to get here 😬 Should be here on Tuesday and I’ll be gone. Should be able to assemble and ride next weekend. 😃

By the way, I know it’s another "non-namebrand" but, I bought a Diamondback Atroz Comp. I got 20% off their current price so, since components were similar, I went for it.

Here it is:

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10 … 1___204867

Hope it’s gonna be a good one. My buddy has 2 Diamondbacks from nashbar.com and absolutely loves both of them. I looked up a lot of reviews, videos, etc on the Atroz Comp and they were all pretty darn good. We’ll see.

[schwim ✓ supporter]

Oh snap, 1×10 30t and 36 cassette 😀 You either do or will have much better legs than I do 😀

[the_law_man01]

I figured the cog would probably need some attention. The cassette is a pretty broad range so we’ll see. I’m just gonna start riding it and see if I want to change anything after a while. And, I don’t I have stronger legs than you, but they aren’t too bad.

[gar29]

Congrats on the new bike!

[GTXC4]

Congrats on the new bike!!!  It’s nice.  Sorry I didn’t comment before, but to add some comfort, your decision sits well.  I’ve ridden different bikes from childhood to now and really, a frame is a frame.  Aside from design, material, weight, and geometry, steel is steel, aluminum is aluminum …(given the build/welds are good) for the most part.  With that said, components are where it is at.  I currently ride a Trek Fuel EX that’s a blend of the 9 and 8 model (thanks to warranties and they are great on that).  I got it on clearance while I was saving money for a “nicer bike” over s period of time.  I’ve been ridding the world on that for over 3 years now and it’s been solid.  But guess what?  So were the other bikes.  Difference is in performance, but the rider determines a lot.  So with that said, you take care of it and it will last to take care of you.

Hope your recovery is going well and you enjoy the dirt.  I’m in Omaha, and been aching to try out Swope down by K.C., if you’re interested, let me know.  Maybe we can meet up and check it out.  Take care.

 

-GT

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