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too many posts for me to read.... probably repeating someone above.

You really don't want a heap of shit from wal-mart... it is funny though... they now sell Mongoose bikes, which 30 years ago were awesome BMW Bikes.... same with Diamond Back....

look on craigslist for used bike.... my wife has a 1991 rockhopper that would be perfect for you... it was $400 back then and is not worth more than about $75 now... but it has 21 speeds, shifts perfect was rarely ridden and will last....

once you are committed to riding and comfortable then you sell the used bike for the same $75 that you paid and buy a front suspension or full suspension bike that costs a bunch more $$$.

goodluck.

I have a stumpjumper FSR Elite (i think) with full suspension and hydraulic disc brakes... it is a dream to ride compared to my old hardtail.

 

mmmmm. stumpjumper.
i wanted one but couldn't afford it.
instead i bought a GT 5.0 i-drive. then found out a few months later they sold out to k-mart.

my brother's klien is frikin nice.

 

I started mountain biking years ago, maybe 15 or so and bought an entry level bike for around $600. It was basically the lowest i could go and still have a bike to take to the trails.

About 2 years ago I picked up a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR XC, full suspension and wow what a difference that was. Much more comfortable on the trails and I definitely had more control. That being said, half the guys I ride with all sold their full suspension bikes to go hardtail again...I guess it just depends on the terrain you ride.

I then got into road cycling, you think mountain bikes are expensive...road bikes are insane. I now have 3, 2 are road, 1 time trial/triathlon bike.

You should check out ebay and your local sellers, I am not a huge fan of shipping a bike from ebay, heard a lot of improper packing stories and the bikes/components got damaged. You can usually get a bike that is a year or two old for about a third of its cost new. A well taken care of road bicycle should look like new, a mountain bike is different because of the terrain, but there are lots of people who buy them and use them on the streets only or buy them thinking they will ride a lot and don't. You need to find one of them...

 

^ the problem with Ebay for me is the service.... if you bought a bike at a local place they are definately more willing to help you out with the bike..... so your savings may be lost in additional service costs.

A buddy got a brand new frame for his Gary Fisher bike due to the pivot for the rear suspension being loose.... my Stumpjumper is loose but i bought mine on ebay (doh) so I am stuck with it.

 

IMO the rockhopper is the best place to start

 

Here's another freerider. Havn't ridden/raced in a few years.

My last ride was a "sponsered" Santa Cruz Bullit,Avalanche DHS,Monster T, Hayes,Profile, etc...

It was 1 of my 6 bikes at the time. I building up another this spring, but a little tamer than the Bullit.

 

maybe we should start up a "Freerider" subsection

 

Sounds good...I soo wanna get back into this summer, but its gonna be too busy this year.

 

True, but a $200 eBay bike doesn't have any worse service than a $200 Target bike.


I'd go with a used hardtail off craigslist. Anything for $200-300 with full suspension will be a total piece. Then, invest maybe $200 in tools, and buy the book "Zinn and the art of Mountain Bike Maintenance" and learn to do your own wrenching. Mountain biking is a blast, but stay away from the popular mountain bike magazines. They'll be trying to convince you that you need all kinds of crap you don't (all new components every month, the latest 52-foot-travel suspension fork, etc.)

Buy a helmet, gloves, a frame pump, clipless pedals/shoes if you can swing them, and a camelbak. Put your tools and inner tubes in your camelbak. Ask your local bikeshop what tires work best for your local conditions, and buy them. They'll be expensive, but they will last if you treat them okay. Buy tubes by the metric butload. Prepare to crash. Have a blast.