So... my oldest wants to get herself a mountain bike, and I haven't shopped the market since I bought a Specialized Rockhopper 13+ years ago. I know the general concepts to tell her to look for, but I'm WAY out of the loop on specific technologies in shifters, brakes, hubs, etc.

She's hoping to spend $250-300 tops... And she's in the suburbs of Chicago, so "mountain bike" is more of a classification of a vehicle than a description of what she'll be doing with it.


Any ideas? Brands and models choices would be great.

 

Huffy.

 

i ride a TREK 4100,love it,same frame i think as 4300 & 4500 less expensive components,weve got great single track trails here,if casual rider with some off road use i bet it would be great for u also,if going to use for mostly casual or commuter ck out some of the new commuter bikes from TREK,like a 7200

 

Oh gawd no...

 

Old school.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Schwinn-...QQcmdZViewItem

 

Walmart sells Mongoose now.

And Huffy isn't as bad as they used to be.

But, I would go with Trek.

 

yeah,stay away from the department stores,Joe Blow making $5.50/hr puttin it together-NO THANkS-stay with a reputable bike shop,the local one here takes great care of customers,does not charge for any adjustments made on bikes they sold ever & will properly fit them to u

 

Yeup... she's adopted that way of thinking from me.

Thanks guys.. I'll point her to Trek.

 

Ummm... Wow.

Thanks Shan! Yeah, Megs would look HOT on that!

 

How about the Specialized Hardrock Sport? I think its a pretty good entry level bike and would cost about 300.

 

or check out haro's line of mountian bikes-i love mine

 

hey all.. Megan's peeking in on the thread... everyone wave hi!

 

Raleigh, Specialized, Trek/Gary Fisher etc etc.
She might try a bike shop that specializes in USED bikes. Yes, some mountain bikes are thrashed, but there's also the near new wasgonnarideit bikes. She might find a deal on a good bike through a reputable shop, though used is always hit or miss.
Keep under 30# if possible. Steel's nice and somewhat shock absorbing compared to aluminum, which is stiffer and puts more of the pedal effort into going forward but can be harsh, especially without a shock.

 

http://www2.trekbikes.com/bikes/bike...d=1018603&f=19

MSRP is 90 more than you had in mind but it is W.S.D.(ladies bike)...

 

(don't forget the most important equipment....HELMET!!)

 

Definately go used. That way you can get a much better bike. You can spend $1300 on a new Gary Fisher like I did or you can spend $350 and get the same bike one year used as a rental. So there you get a great cross country bike for dirt cheap!

 

or get one used from a yotatech member....oly you f-in rock

 

I have an old K2 I want to get rid of!

 

Hi Megan!!!! I still think the Pink Princess Schwinn is the way to go. Givin' up horses for a bicycle, eh?

 

(she's just peeking, not signed in, so I'll cover this one...)

She actually brought a horse home from school for the summer, and she's working a local show/race-horse barn so she'll get plenty of horsey scent as well as fresh air.