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You are looking at three of the four largest bike companies who all put out good products (Trek being the other). I agree about the fork travel possibly being a bonus point, and I personally prefer the feel of Shimano shifters/derailleurs over SRAM, but that’s all subjective. Another thing to consider is the LBS you’d be using (provided you are buying through one). If you can’t narrow down based on other factors you could always count what kind of deal you’d be getting and how you feel with the shop staff that you’d likely be dealing with. A good rapport goes a long way in my opinion. The only additional advice I can offer is to not rush the decision so that you’ll be happy when you pull the trigger.
LOl
I didn’t watch the video Gar. I was just messing with ya a bit. I wouldn’t buy the "bike" stuff either because its probably the same formula.
Do you mean this stuff Gar? lol
Nice ride. How do you like the "road" disc brakes?
It all depends on the riding conditions. Also washing the bike and cleaning/lubing the drivetrain don’t necessarily have to occur at the same time. Some general ideas are that if the drivetrain has a lot of dirt and grime its probably time to clean it. If you crank the pedals by hand and you can feel that it isn’t running smooth then clean and lube. We deal with a lot of sand in my area so it gets into the lube and creates a gritty paste that will wear out the components quickly if not taken care of – and thats even with running a "dry lube." Also, low pressure water and a wipe down (don’t put your bike up wet) is fine if the bike is dirty muddy. Just include cleaning and lube for the important stuff. They do make bike wash soap (but I don’t use it) and dish soap apparently isn’t too great on the components because it allegedly affects factory coatings. But I’d be lying if I said I knew that was fact and plenty of shops recommend it. Whichever way you choose to go just keep high pressure water out of it so nothing gets forced into the bearings, components, fork seals, headsets, hubs, etc.
I would recommend consulting your LBS on what they suggest for the people who ride in your area and conditions. Basically, if you ride in wet/muddy conditions, dripped a buckets wort of sweat on your bike (it’s salty and corrosive), or if it’s starting to look like you have never washed it before…….wash away.You can get a "trail" style hardtail that will handle aggressive riding. They typically have stronger frames, more travel, and more relaxed geometry. The difficulty may be in finding one in your budget, as the trail HT bikes are on the newer side (as opposed to XC). Some to consider in that style are the Trek Stache series (I have one an love it), the Kona Trail, Giant Talon, Airborne Goblin or Seeker, etc. Definitely check for deals and see what you can come up with.
Proper fit and adjustment aside…..Get a a pair of padded cycling shorts. If you go to a store and check the different types you will quickly see what you get when you buy the higher ned versus the lower end ones. With that said, you don’t need the top of the line, but you will probably be happier with something in the middle. $40-50 should get you a decent pair from a biking apparel company. You can wear the shorts under a pair of baggy style shorts so you aren’t rocking the spandex look (plenty of people like the spandex…but I prefer wearing baggy shorts over mine). I usually wear a pair of Columbia quick dry shorts that I picked up at Sam’s club I think. The caveat to doing this is that when you buy a pair of built ins that are specifically designed for mountain biking you will likely get less movement/bunching of the outer shorts when you stand up and sit down repeatedly on the saddle. Or so I’ve been told…
Is the bike a 29er? f the medium feels more comfortable and the bike can be fitted to you without maxing out the adjustable parts (like the seat tube height) then it sounds like it’ll work well for you. If it can’t be fitted to you correctly then you may need to look at a different make/model or consider 27.5"
It’s really going to come down to what you’re comfortable on. A new 29er HT with good components will be night and day compared to a 20 year old bike. Typically (there’s always exceptions) you will be able to afford a bike with better components in HT than in FS. However, most people love full suspension. I personally chose a HT for my last bike because it is more than sufficient for where I ride.
Call your local Trek dealer to check if your bike is on the list. Not all models had the affected skewer. All 5 Trek/Fisher bikes I have were not under the recall.
Hi Margie,
I would definitely check out our trail database to see what will be in that area that we have listed. Then I would also look into finding a local bike club in that area and see if they can point you in the right direction or even offer club rides.
Sorry that nobody responded sooner.
Welcome to Singletracks! We’re glad to have you on the site.
This type of question comes up fairly often and isn’t always easy to answer. It mostly depends on your finances and your overall goal with riding. As earlier stated "cockpit" upgrades can change the feel and performance of your bike and cost relatively little. Another option is to try and find really good deals online for a new rear derailleur and shifters. But if you start looking at upgrading everything and throw in a fork upgrade it is often times more cost effective to buy a new bike. The logical thing to do would be to look at what you want to upgrade and price the parts (and labor if you need to have the shop install them) out and then shop around for a new bike with what you want then compare prices. Keep in mind that a new bike will mean you have two bikes now and can entice friends to come along. lol
Depends on the level of "beginner" you are referring to. I’ve led several beginner rides through a local MeetUp group and have received positive feedback for the way we handled things from both true new riders and "basic" riders. Note: Im not a skills clinic coach (or anything else like that) and don’t consider myself an expert rider by a long shot. Lol
Quick ideas that I have found effective:
Schedule a weekend ride where more beginners are apt to come along.
Have at least two skilled riders, one to lead and another to sweep. If possible (depending on amount of beginners break into groups after an assessment of ability levels. Remember to stay on appropriate trails for the skill levels and ages. Basic psychology trends show that older new riders are more risk averse than younger ones (but not always of course).
Make sure riders are on a halfway decent bike. It’s difficult at best (dangerous at worst) to get new riders excited when they are struggling with a 50lbs "box store special" bike.
Teach basic skills that will enhance their ability and fun factor (ex: pedal placement, proper shifting, weight distribution, safe braking). A lot of what seems like instinct to experienced riders is really a learned skill that we just don’t have to think about as we ride.
Take breaks on the trail often and make sure everybody is keeping up and still good to go. Ask about comfort and mechanical issues so they can be addressed. Many rookies don’t realize what is or isn’t supposed to be making noises or "hurting" and won’t speak up.
Anyway, hope this helps some…
I agree with Jeff. You should definitely try a newer bike with the more up to date design and tech. If you aren’t interested in a fat bike at least see about renting (I also get that dropping money on a sport you’re on the fence about is tough) a 29er or 27.5 with full suspension. You may find that the different handling characteristics gives you a confidence boost. I found that going from a 26 inch wheel to a 29 made a noticeable difference. Also, as Jeff said, riding less technical trails should help with developing your general skill and confidence. If your local trail system has a variety of trails then stick to the mellower ones even if your wife or buddies go hit a more difficult one. It doesn’t help you to go with them if you just "aren’t there yet." As in many things some people take longer to develop certain abilities than others and there is nothing wrong with that. As for fear of injury…its entirely natural. Taking the time you need to develop your skill and confidence will help with that fear. There is also nothing wrong with equipping yourself with protective gear. Thanks to the downhill guys (mostly) there are now plenty of options in the "armor" department including everything from knee, elbow, and shin guards to chest and back armor. If that makes you feel more confident then it’s probably worth it
Where in Central Florida are you? I’m currently living in the Tampa area and ride at Alafia and Boyette a lot. I can get you into contact with some of the racers in this area if you’d like.
Come to Florida. It’s pretty much shorts and flip-flops for 95% of the year and "too cold to ride" is almost unheard of. If you come to the Tampa area you are about an hour or less in any direction from some great MTB trail systems. In the immediate vicinity is Alafia River State Park (IMBA Epic) and Boyette Scrup Preserve. Both of these are excellent trail systems which won’t disappoint. About an hour (maybe like an hour and half) north is the Santos trail system (IMBA Epic) near Ocala, FL. Then there is Carter in Lakeland and several in the Orlando area.
Check out our trail pages on these systems and if you use the search function for Alafia you should find a write up by Singletracks founder Jeff of his trip to the park last February.
http://www.singletracks.com/…/winter-break-s … -in-sunny- florida/
I second dgaddis on that. It’s almost always better (cheaper) to buy a complete bike than to custom build. The biggest reason is the fact that the manufacturers have volume purchase power and are able to get the components at a lower cost than most retailers. Thats another reason the big online shops can usually sell at lower prices than an LBS. On a side note buying from your LBS helps small businesses and allows you to build rapport with the owners and staff which may come in handy.
Also, when buying a complete bike it’s also better to scrape up a little more money and buy the best bike you can afford as opposed to buying a lower tier one and planning to upgrade the stuff later. Theres’ nothing wrong with doing that but it is more cost effective in the long run to buy those "upgrades" up front.
Of course if you just want that custom spec, building up your own ride can be a fulfilling experience and may be worth the effort of bargain hunting and such if you enjoy that type of thing.
If I’m not mistaken, K2 Bikes bought Proflex in the early 90s but I doubt even they would be able to help you out with that one. Good luck on your search but It’s likely not worth the trouble. Although you may be able to work something up MacGyver style for it. Let us know if you are able to dig anything up, I’m a bit curious.
Unfortunately their specs are all over the place….
Best fork: Airborne Seeker (Recon Gold TK air) ,then Zaskar (30 Gold TK air), then Backwoods (XC 32 TK *coil)
Best Rear Derailluer: Backwoods (Shimano XT), then Zaskar (Shimano SLX), then Airborne (SRAM X5)
Shifters: All comparable. Deore on GTs and X5 on Airborne. Personal preference. *Mine is Shimano if you’re curious but thats just me.
Brakes: Not sure… Backwoods (Shimano M396) are cheapest cost, Zakar (formula C1) most expensive, Backwoods (Avid Elixir 1) are in the middle. I had a set of high end elixir’s that i was not fond of as they constantly squealed (a very common complaint with Avids though that was 5 years ago now). I currently run SLX and love them…but those obviously aren’t the M396. I have no experience with the C1 but Im sure there a re plenty of reviews.
The other stuff (wheels, seats, stems, bars, etc…) gets hard to compare directly to each other.
Just based on that information I would suggest the Airborne Seeker mainly because of the fork. MSRP is about $450 for that one and you wouldn’t want to try and upgrade that on one of the other bikes. You can upgrade shifters ad derailleurs (and brakes) for less than the cost of that fork if you shop for good deals, but really X5 are decent enough for starters. They aren’t true "entry level" as the X3 (which I don’t believe is sold to anyone but manufacturers) and other low level Shimano gear is found on the "entry" bikes.
Hope that helps but I’m sure there are different opinions on the boards than mine.
