Mountain Bike Advice?

[gumboot Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close gumboot]

As there is a lot of other general knowledge here, thought i would shout out for some advice on mountain bikes.

Can anyone recommend me a decent brand. Not something cheap and nasty but doesn't need to be the Porsche of mountain bikes either.
My boys are getting into riding now( They have bikes) , and so far they ride and i run with them. As much as i enjoy that, they re are starting to ride a lot longer and faster now. So time i get a bike for me as well.
Friends have "Giant" i think it was but I got no idea if that is good or not.
Something with decent gearing, brakes etc that i can take riding through the bush.
(I have no intention of wearing Lycra and sipping double decaff lattes on Saturday mornings but )

Cheers
Robert

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Robert at the same price point brands like Giant, Trek etc are pretty much the same standard and represent good value for money. My only complaint is you are subject to the whims of their purchasing. For example you might get good driveline but then a below par fork. First up look for good hardtails with a 2x10 drivetrain, hopefully Deore or above running gear. These will get you pretty much anywhere other than hard core downhill tracks. Not as comfortable as a dual suspension bike but for the same money you get better spec parts. Second hand can be a good way in too depending what the bike is like. Get a good quality new helmet for each too.

Best bet is to get the best frame and suspension you can afford as upgrading the other bits is quite easy as they wear or get damaged. I started my kids (and me years before) on hardtails. A hardtail will climb very well but will generally be slower as the tracks get tougher which stands to reason. Stick with alloy frames. Avoid clip in pedals at least at the start. I have gone back to flats after many years of being clipped in. Worth joining a forum like Rotorburn and having a read through there. Some good used bikes at times as well.

Wheels... Without getting into a debate about the virtues of bigger wheels you WILL get a great value bike on the old standard 26" wheels but you will be hard pressed to find any 26" bikes new. Mostly 27.5" (650b) or 29". Unless your kids are over 175cm I would avoid 29ers simply because they are a big machine. The wheels at entry level are weaker as well. Up until my Bronson C I have run 26". Tried 29" and didn't like the lack of chuckability. All my bikes except the Bronson are 26" and the Bronson 650b though the fat bike runs big tyres which make the wheels bigger than 29ers.

As usual establish a budget then go for a look around. Can heartily recommend Ashgrove cycles and For the Riders. And Jonny Sprockets in Toowoomba but Jonny is more a boutique specialist. Check what deals you can get on superseded bikes too since very little change occurs between models at the lower end. 99 bikes have some good stuff too. Visit a few places and compare specs. Happy to pass comment if you like as well. You probably don't need much in the way of special bike tools either (I have pretty much anything which can be borrowed) but get a hand pump. If the bike comes with Presta valves get an adapter.

[Turbo Piston Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Turbo Piston]

Not an expert like MJ but when I was doing my research I was leaning towards a Giant or a Trek, but like anything else they have their entry line that has less quality gear. You can spend thousands on a bike, I just set a budget. $700 bike was good for me, in the end just waited for an anaconda 50% special and got a $700 bike for $350.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

I should have added if you can stretch to include disc brakes then do it. Vee brakes are not bad but in the wet they are hopeless and even an entry level cable disc will out brake any cable Vee brake. Plus if you have a spill and buckle a wheel you have brakes to ride home.

When #1 was about 10 he went from a generic 24" bike to a small 26" Giant hardtail. Then when he outgrew that #2 took that over and I picked up a good used Jamis dual suspension frame and a donor disc braked hardtail to fit it out. Then the Giant became a Norco Fluid dual suspension bike. A few iterations on and more hard core riding than I will ever do and we have a range of all mountain (AM) hardtails and duallies and a downhill (DH) duallie.

[AussieAndy Find all posts View Profile Close AussieAndy]

Agree with everything MJ has said, just don't think you can do everything you used to be able too, when you come off now it hurts, a lot!

I got mine and the missus current bikes from for the riders, they do good deals. The giant shop in Ipswich is great, now he is open we use him for parts, servicing, gear, etc. The bloke who runs it loves a chat and will do anything to help you.

I'm a fan of giant bikes for the level of riding I do, I ride a 4yr old giant XTC. Hard tail with 26" wheels. It's a better bike than I am rider and I have never had issues with it. Like has been said, it all depends on budget, but buy the best you can afford. Good forks, shimano hydraulic disk brakes, and decent pedals are important to me. The gear set can be upgraded easily later on, but if you can afford it go for a decent one from the start.

Lastly, buy a camelbak that fits you well and has a bit of room to grab a bottle of milk, etc. from the shops, with that you will use the bike a bit more too.

[r4ndll Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close r4ndll]

As has been said Giant, Trek, Specialized are all similar. The beauty is that the frames on their models don't usually change that much in the model range, but the components do, so you can upgrade as required. $700 will find you a decent enough bike:
Giant Talon 5.4
Specialised Hardrock


I've got an entry level Specialized Hardrock 29er with discs, and a Full Carbon Giant Defy Roadie. 29 vs 26 is a bit like coopers/bfg, Ford/holden. I find the 29er easier up hill and over obstacles but harder to chuck around the trails. But I'm not riding like I did 20 years ago Another thing is its easy to get 700c road slicks onto the 29er tires. (I've done a triathlon that way) Its got entry level SRAM gear set and they're a POS. Had no end of issues with the front. Doubt I'd ever buy SRAM gear again and notice they don't offer it any more. But other than that the bike is great.

My pedals are clip in on one side and normal on the other (if that makes sense) so I can ride in my thongs at the caravan park!

A hard tail/front suspension with lockout (makes the climbing easier as you lock the suspension) is probably the best compromise between comfort, ability and cost for the general/occasional rider. Hardtails also teach you better skills when learning IMO.

I love my Giant but have only ridden their roadbikes but would happily get an MTB based on the roadie. My Giant Defy is a bit like the Falcons and Commodores of the bike world but I paid about $3.5k less than the others MAMIL's I see around on their fancy shmancy road Italian bikes.

Wait til the end of year and they bring out their new stock. I got my Full Carbon Fibre frame, Shimano 105 groupset bike for $1k less (about 1/3 off) at the end of year sale.

Dunno what kind of riding you are going to do but a cyclocross bike might be a good compromise (not as hard core as a MTB but more rugged than a roadbike)

One thing I would say is find a good bike shop and make friends with them. My guys are awesome. They only sell Giants but they are really helpful and knowledgeable. A few others I went to didn't want to know me when I gave them my price range - they didn't get my money....

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

I picked up a near new Trek Calibre 29 inch from an Italian tourist who was selling everything in preparation for returning home. $1k bike for $450. Has disc brakes and lockable front shocks. He also gave me all his bike accessories, helmet and spares as part of the deal.

[vthai Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close vthai]

Have a look at http://www.cellbikes.com.au/Bikes/Mountain-Bikes the are pretty good value bikes.

[r4ndll Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close r4ndll]

Have a look at http://www.cellbikes.com.au/Bikes/Mountain-Bikes the are pretty good value bikes.

My wife's actually got their old X1 - its a good basic bike for occasional use at $400. The shifters would drive me nuts if I had to ride it as they're the above handle bar types. As much as I bagged SRAM on my bike I do like the shifters.

Most of Cell's low end bikes are running Tourney and then step up to Altus/Acera. Personally I'd be inclined to get at least Alivio/Deore & above if the bikes going to be used a lot. Lighter and more durable. The low end Shimano stuff is ok but is made of cheaper materials and does wear quicker. Depends on how its looked after I suppose, and how much use you're going to subject it to. We've got an old Repco bike out back, running Tourney that is doing fine.

I think this is the hierarchy for Shimano MTB's? Low end to Highend.

Tourney
Altus
Acera
Alivio
Deore
SLX
XT
XTR

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Best deal is to get a previous year model, if you can find them. I have a Scott 26" hardtail that was almost $4K when current, I picked it up as a last years model for $1500. Bugger all difference between the two and I actually preferred the previous year model anyway.

On another topic, there must be a nice margin in bikes...

[REN470 Member Find all posts View Profile Close REN470]

On another topic, there must be a nice margin in bikes...[/QUOTE]

A lot more than in Prado's - percentage wise and probably dollars too Id expect

[404pug Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 404pug]

I agree with all of the above. I ride a Trek EX8 [26"] and love it and it is about the 4th that I have had but the 2 other brands mentioned above are fine and my riding mates have a mix of all 3. Go for at least Deore components- the better components last longer but you can replace cheaper stuff with good stuff. Stay well clear of the K mart et al cheapies at $500 - they will break quickly and most of the bike shops wont touch them to repair them. $2000 will get you into a good bike which will last for years and maybe even a dual suspension one like mine [I paid $2100] in that August/Sept window when all of the new models come out. I too have gone back from full clipins to flats one side and clipins on the the other because the ground is harder than it used to be! Set a budget ,say low$2k and you will be into great new bikes and even better 2nd hand ones. The parts most likely to be worn on 2nd hand ones are the chain and rear cluster-say $300 for good bits [SLX].As to shorts, you can get normal looking shorts with the licra padded inserts if you don't like the full licra bit and they do protect your bum! Licra tops have their place- they are cooler than cotton in the heat, dry quickly as you ride and are much warmer than wet cotton in winter .You bought a Prado so buy yourself a good bike around that price point for years of enjoyment. Don't worry too much about the 26" 27.5" 29" thing- we all rode 26" bikes for years - the other sizes are the new technology but the old stuff is still probably better than most riders [ especially me these days.] Neil

[r4ndll Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close r4ndll]

+1 to the baggy shorts with padded insert!

http://www.cellbikes.com.au/CELL-Bik...it-Bike-Shorts

[SWR Banned Find all posts View Profile Close SWR]

Gday gumboot

As there is a lot of other general knowledge here, thought i would shout out for some advice on mountain bikes.

If there is one thing i hate and it is "Punchers!"

I got 2 x punchers at the same time cutting across a field & it was caused by pathetic small needle pines from a *issy little tree!!!

Very inconvenient and very annoying!!

So i got some Puncture Resistant Tyre Liners

Had no punchers since whilst mountain biking but don't get cocky with glass or nails as they are the only thing that will give you a puncher!!

Here is one link below but I'm sure there is cheaper around!

http://www.cellbikes.com.au/Mr-Tuffy...Mountain-Bikes

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

+1 to the baggy shorts with padded insert!

I actually prefer bib and brace with Columbia hiking shorts over the top, tends to keep the gut sucked in, if you know what I mean