Hey all i just got into mountain biking a couple of weeks ago and i have fallen in love. I purchased a cheap mongoose from walmart because i was skeptical of whether i would enjoy it or not. Everywhere i read people are saying that the walmart mountain bikes are so terrible, most people are so passionately against them its as if mongoose kidnapped their kids or something. Anyways im probably just going to ride the mongoose until it breaks because im a poor college kid. After it does fall apart and according to most mountain bike forums i have just a matter of hours, what is a good cheap beginners bike to get. I live in oklahoma so there isnt really any steep mountains mostly just trails with roots and small rocks sticking out. Im asking you guys because those mountain bike forums seem pretty vicious towards people new to the sport. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

I started out the same way as you and let me tell ya; once you go from a walmart bike to a legit mountain bike, you become exponentially better. If you're serious about it, scrape up some coin for a good bike and you won't regret the money you spent

 

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f184...-input-207844/

There's some info in there for you. You may be able to find something not too used to. I have to agree on the sometimes elitist attitude, drives me nuts. So long as you know the basics- bikes yield to horses and hikers, uphill generally has right of way, stay off muddy trails- and you're out riding, then what the heck? Why should it matter how much you spent on your bike if it's getting you where you're going?

Anyway, that all said, yes, a bike that works decently, brakes, shifting and a little less weight than the Walmart bikes tend to have, can make a big difference especially when you're still learning.
Decent equipment people who know what they're doing put together- totally worth it.

 

My ride is all aftermarket parts attached to a 20 year old Trek 820 frame. I think have just a couple of hundred in it and it seems to go just as well as the more expensive and newer bikes. So you may want to look for a older bike with a good frame and build your own.

 

Not to disagree with what people have said so far, but coming from another poor college kid who was in your boat less than a year ago I will tell you what I did.

A month before I went to college I got into MTB. loved it from the start. I found a friend who had an old Raleigh m7000 (slightly better but not much than a mongoose) bought it for $200. and so the fun began. I lived on craigslist. i recommend you do the same. I began upgrading slowly and then eventually found a full suspension frame that I liked and for $150 so I bought it. and found other parts on craigslist, good fork etc. so little by little I built my bike up to what I have today and I love it. in comparrison to some of my friends who bought complete bikes on craigslist I prob spent more $$. but what i learned is priceless. and I have a bike that I love. so alltogether I prob have about $1500 between 1 and 2 half bikes and spare parts over the past year. I just raced my bike on Sunday comparitively to the other bikes, i felt like i could stand with them. as stated before. I learned alot from everything I did. If i can find the most recent pic of my bike ill post it. in closing, research research research. find what you like. then stalk craigslsit and find what you like or build it. look for an XC bike if the riding is like you say. if you like, let me know and ill look on craigslist for you.

 

after working in bike shops and manufactures for the last 10years, I can say pretty much any bike you get a good independent bike dealer is going to be decent. Is what you will want to do is get the highest level of components that you can afford. I like to shoot for LX or XT if going with a bike with shimano or X7 if it has sram components. Typically you will not be let down. You can always upgrade stuff later if needed. Also, look at craigslist. Bikes don't typically hold their value well and sometimes you can find a 2yr old bike with high end parts that was ridden little and going for half to 3/4 of its original retail. Also, closeouts are great. You can save 15-30% for a bike that will still be a great ride.

Personally I really like Kona bikes (shop I work at is a kona dealer so there is no bias ). But specialized, trek, giant, marin, fuji, norco all make great bikes too. Not too fond of Gary fisher as they do some weird things with the geometry of the frame (and having talked to GF himself, I am definitely not to hot on those bikes). Either way, get the best that you can afford, you typically won't regret it.

-Dave

 

I you want something nice but not too spendy and not a mongoose I would look at some of the lower end specializeds (sp?) Hardrock, etc. You can look at trek too but any seasoned rider probably will say to stay away. They are the bike that it seems every person who like MTB but not a whole lot has. Its like the remington or lund of the biking world IMO. Whatever works for you I guess. Also if you go sort of highish end, get sized for a bike so your as comfortable on it and wont stress yourself while on it for a while.

 

Ride the crap out of your current bike but just don't put any more than $50 into parts that break. That bike will nickel and dime you. Just see if you can save some money and when it is time buy a decent used MTB. If you look around and have a little guidance you can find a pretty great used bike for under $600. Especially if you get a hard tail.

Later, for your third bike, you'll drop twice that for either a high end used bike or 4-8 times that for a fancy custom.

 

x2 on craiglist, as you get better at riding, get stronger, and trails get more difficult the walmart bike will leave you high and dry. Save and look and when your can look for a good used bike, it'll cost less. Welcome to some good times.

 

If you can find a bike on CL that would be your best bet, however you have to know what to look for so it might be a little time consuming for you.