Mountain bike recommendations

I am considering getting into some cross country mountain biking and was hoping someone could help me out. I'm looking for a bike that can handle road riding and some lighter XC trails. I'm thinking about the Trek 4500 disc or the specialized Myka disc. Has anyone tried either of these? How did they work out for you?

Replies

  • Oranda
    Oranda Posts: 121
    bumping
  • stagknight
    stagknight Posts: 130 Member
    I recommend two wheels, a chain, two pedals, brakes and a saddle for comfort. Sorry couldn't resist. :laugh:
  • Hi Oranda.

    I have a mountain bike and I do some road riding, around 20km (90 min) rides on country roads which have lumps, bumps and pot holes the size of small cars (not great for real road bikes) and occasionally do some off road single track (haven't for ages though ...). From what I see both bikes look good, comparable bits (like forks, etc) but the trek has way more gears which I personally find important - with more gears you can go up steeper hills and then faster down the other side (more gears mean you can keep pedaling longer going down hilll - with fewer gears you run out and have no choice but to coast ...).

    Happy riding!
  • Oranda
    Oranda Posts: 121
    Thank you :)
  • I'd go for the Trek. You get a little better parts spec, although they are both very comparable. If you can test ride both, I'd do that first. Fit is the most important thing when riding and is often overlooked by most people. The next important factor is color - seriously. If you don't like how your bike looks, you are less likely to ride it.
  • rottiegirl22
    rottiegirl22 Posts: 19 Member
    Have you sat on both of these bikes yet? If not, plan to do that before you buy. Many years ago WAY back in college I was convinced I wanted a Kona. Got all the way to the bike shop 3 hours away only to find that it really didn't fit my body well. And I fell in love with the Specialized. It just fits me better. The reach was perfect. I still have that Specialized.

    Good luck and happy riding! It'll be the time of your life!
  • zrmac804
    zrmac804 Posts: 369 Member
    Try renting or borrowing a couple of different models, and see how you like each one. I used to live near a Mountain bike resort and they rented full-suspension and front-suspension bikes to ride on their trails.

    An hour or two of biking on rough terrain will give you a much better idea of how a bike feels.
  • Oranda
    Oranda Posts: 121
    Thank you all for the advice. I definately want to ride both before buying. I tried out the Myka at the bike shop and wasn't completely sold on it. Unfortunately, they did not have the Trek in store at the time so I will have to go back. I am leaning more towards the Trek so it's great to hear everyones opinions. :)