Trail bikers

atomiclauren
atomiclauren Posts: 689 Member
edited September 25 in Fitness and Exercise
Edited - the title should be "Trail Bikes" - d'oh! :blushing:

Hi all - looking for suggestions on bicycles suitable for trail riding (and street riding to get to said trails). Currently I have a no-name mountain bike (26") that has dual suspension and 21 speeds that is alright but the rear brakes are jammed and I haven't been able to fix them on my own and the bike's just not worth enough to pay to get it done. Plus, they're cantilever brakes and I'm not a huge fan..

Anyhow, I'm looking to get a new one and keep the old one as a backup. If it helps, I'm about 5'5" and I'd really like:

-dual suspension
-neutral color
-probably men's 26" (the women's I've seen are just not what I've wanted)
-disc brakes would be awesome but any other kind is fine
-21-ish speeds
-lightweight (not all steel if possible)
-less than $300 (yeah, yeah)

The big thing - I need to see try out the bike and live in Houston, so it needs to be sold somewhere around here :) (I saw a GMC Topkick online that *looked* neat, but can't find a retailer here).

TIA!

Replies

  • johnwhitent
    johnwhitent Posts: 648 Member
    For serious mountain bikers $300 is not a lot to spend on a new bike, but you can buy a good used one. Buying used bikes can be tricky due to unseen wear and tear, but it is a good qay to get a quality bike cheap. I would suggest checking out local high end bike stores that take trade ins. Not all do, but those that do may have some high quality bikes for relatively low cash outlay. And many shops have boards where people can post bikes for sale. Many buy bikes and want to trade up soon, creating a good used bike market. I traded two bikes that cost $1,500 and $2,100 and I only got $100 for one (Specialized hardtail) and $150 or the other (dual suspension Jamis.) I assume that they were marked up for resale, but somebody got a got deal. I can't believe that I let go of them them so cheap! But I needed the cash for the next bike.
  • Flyntiggr
    Flyntiggr Posts: 898 Member
    try Craigslist. 'bout the only place you'll get your wishlist for $300 bucks. I bought the Trek 4300 (entry level MTB), front suspension, hard tail. decent parts, and it was over 400 bucks -and that was a few years ago. Stick with the better brands if you want the bike to last: Trek, Specialized, Giant, DiamondBack to name a few.
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
    Trek! There are no other bikes.
  • Flyntiggr
    Flyntiggr Posts: 898 Member
    Trek! There are no other bikes.

    I KNEW I friended you for a reason. ;)
  • sof6bal
    sof6bal Posts: 3
    I am a rider of Fuji bikes. An easy way to save money on a new bike is to ask for the last years models. They are still brand new, just being discounted to get rid of them. Bike shops will go down on price if you ask.

    I have a 2009 Fuji Nevada 4.0 that I bought in 2010 for about $280.00.

    I also have a 2009 Fuji Silhoutte Carbon Composite Road bike that I got a steal on in 2010 just by talking them down.
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