What's a good mountain bike to buy?

[rtjh]

Dont know whether to get an Academy special or buy elsewhere. Amazon has some too. I'm not looking to spend a bunch of money, under $500 preferably. Also - are there any pro or cons of 29" tires vs the smaller sizes?

[jkk831]

I’ve been looking too. I was told the trek marlin was a good one for that price range.

[KRB]

Go to a bike shop and get fitted , should be able to get a good entry level bike for 500.00.

Where are you located?

[Tomkat70]

Go to a bike shop and get fitted and you will know what size frame that you need and go online and look at used, you can get a $1000- $1500 for $250- $500. Trek and Specialized are great bikes but remember that there are several different quality levels of accessories so look them all up and get familiar with what is out there.

[adam_p]

If you are wanting to actually mountain bike with it a big box store bike will not work. It will fall apart.

[mmlreiner]

As a Bike Cop in downtown Houston for several years I’ll tell you these important things to consider:

Completely avoid the ultra cheap bikes from Walmart or academy because they suck, aren’t made for any sort of daily riding due to cheap components and have very little resale value if you decide biking isn’t for you. Also, they’re made to sort of “one size fits all” and the big problem
with that is you can very easily damage your knees, back and the ulner nerve in your hand due to poor positioning. (If you find yourself riding a few days a week).

As mentioned, get a “cheap” specialized, trek marlin or something similar and get fitted for the proper size. If you ride for a few times and hate it, it’s easily sold. If you find yourself liking the bike then those components will last for quite a while before needing to be replaced or upgraded.

The ride on a good bike is completely night and day compared to a Walmart bike. You’ll work ten times harder on a Walmart bike doing the exact same ride than you would on a good bike.

Getting fitted is MOST IMPORTANT. I have nerve damage forever due to my ignorance about bikes when I first started out. Pm me if you want to discuss further.....I am more than happy to share my knowledge and help you get a good bike that won’t break the bank.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[rtjh]

I'm in Kingwood. There's a bike shop here I plan on going to once I get back in town from work. The riding wont be "extreme", mostly trail riding at state parks and some greenbelt riding with my boys. That being said I'd like to get one which will last for a good while.

Thanks for all the info so far.

[sierracharlie338]

What's a good mountain bike to buy?

Cannondale is another option but as others have said get a bike fitted to you because that is more important than brand.

On tire size I have seen more people going to the 27.5 tires. They are a good balance between 26 and 29.

Sierracharlie out…

[hooligan]

like everyone else said get fitted, then you can buy a 1-2yo bike for half the price. Bikes do not hold their value at all, a 2-3yo bike is only worth 40-50% of what the new price is. Most bike shops will have a used rack too which can be a really good buy

If anyone tries to sell you a used bike for anywhere near new pricing just keep shopping. I know facebook has a lot of bike groups and I've gotten some great deals on there

[KyleW]

I wanted a bike for school as well as light duty trail riding like you are talking about. I ended up with a Raleigh that I got dirt cheap off Amazon. Want to say it was a $450 bike everywhere else and I picked it up for around $170 shipped putting it in Walmart/academy pricing. Definitely check Amazon once you get fitted for it then look at previous year’s models on Amazon, you can find some deals.

[9452772]

Don't over look Giant mountain bikes. We have had a couple and they are well made.

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/bikes/mountain-bikes

[MLank]

Good advice here. Stay away from the cheapy crap.

[jshouse]

Tag

[JoseyWales82]

Go get fitted. Or read a chart online. Doesn't really matter if you aren't a borderline height.

Then shop Craigslist and other sites like that for a good used deal.

Use the below website for your quote. You (and the owner) will be surprised at the depreciation of bikes. So you the buyer can get something awesome for a fraction of the price. You don't have to feel like you are low balling because you have the site to back you up.

https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/

[meltingfeather]

Good advice here except for the folks that want you to hose your local bike shop by going in to waste their time and then buying elsewhere.
Do what's right.
If you want their service, buy a bike from them.