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Biking '10 part 2

#761
bassteban said:
This one's FS:
3540003082_f6bf674fd1.jpg

FS thread: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=578054
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Ah if only it would be that easy! :p

I kind of want a hard-tail to :D
 
#763
bassteban said:
On *easy*- I'm very flexible- could use bass stuff & many other items... :ninja:
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Unless I can pay you with a whole lot of lovin' and thanks I doubt it'll work :p (+Shipping to Canada would be crazy crazy)

bassteban said:
On *hard-tail*- IMO bikes are much like basses in that one simply cannot have too many. :cool:
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I want the hardtail first :) I don't really have any reasons but a good hardtail is achievable at a lower budget, while dual's under a certain $$$ aren't worth crap (well that's what I've been told, obviously used bike are a whole different story, like you C-dale which is a whole lot of bike)
 
#765
Ziltoid said:
I want the hardtail first...
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Good thinking there...it's getting a lot better, but 'budget full-susp' is still somewhat a contradiction of terms - hardtails can be cheaper to assemble and are lower maintenance overall.

One possibility in getting a bike together somewhat inexpensively would be to buy a frame first and collect parts as you an afford to; another option would be to start checking shops later on this year...the '11 bikes are going to be rolling in and the shops are going to want to get rid of 'last year's' bikes, which means prices will be going down on those; for that matter, 'last year's parts' are also most likely to go down in price too...
 
#766
My name is Mudd said:
Good thinking there...it's getting a lot better, but 'budget full-susp' is still somewhat a contradiction of terms - hardtails can be cheaper to assemble and are lower maintenance overall.

One possibility in getting a bike together somewhat inexpensively would be to buy a frame first and collect parts as you an afford to; another option would be to start checking shops later on this year...the '11 bikes are going to be rolling in and the shops are going to want to get rid of 'last year's' bikes, which means prices will be going down on those; for that matter, 'last year's parts' are also most likely to go down in price too...
Click to expand...

Well if it's getting better for dual's it must be getting better for hardtails to, no? :p
 
#767
Not the way you'd think - hardtail 'technology' has been around since the late 70's/early 80's...full susp is MUCH newer and as frame design improves, etc it becomes cheaper for the production companies (C/dale, Spec., Giant, etc) to make viable frames at lower price points, but there are still a lot of moving parts on a susp. frame (when compared to a hardtail) and the more movement a frame has, the pricier it is to produce.

Note that there is still a big difference between 'inexpensive' and 'cheap'...you can get cheap full susp. from Huffy, if that's what you want.
 
#769
In general, it's hard to beat Shimano's LX dreailleurs...not the sexiest on the planet but they work, day after day after day after...; if you can afford XT, do it. I wouldn't go below LX, tho.

Personally, I'm a big fan of SRAM's Twister shifters, but either SRAM or Shimano trigger shifters are good...spend as much as you can on your shifters.

Buy disc brakes if you can, but if you have to get V-brakes, don't worry too much. I'd rather have good V-brakes rather than cheapo discs.

Overall, buy mid-lvl or above from either SRAM of Shimano and you'll be fine.

I'll talk about forks another day...
 
#771
Ziltoid said:
Mind posting me a few examples of mid level bikes? (personal favoritism in brands is welcome to :p)
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IMO -

Groupsets: Shimano SLX and SRAM X7 are the best bang for the buck MTB groupsets. I'm a SRAM guy, but if I had to choose between the 2, SLX is hard to beat. I run a combination of X9/XO parts with an SLX components.

Frames: Not sure how tall you are but 29ers make great XC hardtails. I personally prefer steel over alum (that is, if you don't want to drop the $$ on carbon/ti). Niner and Salsa are my personal favorites.

Forks: The 2 XC standards are the Fox F series and RS Reba. I wouldn't compromise here if you want a suspension fork. Lots of cheap rebas if you know where to look.

Wheels: Stan's ZTR rims are great. Pair them with the best hub you can. Shimano XT is a good budget choice.

As far as stems,posts,bars Easton is very good ea30/70/90 pending on budget. Thomson is a solid option too.

Pedals - look into Speed play, Shimano SPDs, CBs, and/or Time Atac. Personal preference in this dept. All good options

Tires - I love Maxxis tires. Crossmarks, Ardents, Ignitors, Aspens. Tried them all. They all worked very well for their intended purpose. The new Ikon looks like my ideal tire. If you are in muddy areas, the upcoming Maxxis Beaver looks promising.

Hope that helps.
 
#774
Ways to cut cost:

Rigid Fork
Single Speed or 1x9 (new 2011 drivetrains are 10spd so 1x10 with a 11/36 cassette gets you a massive range)
Ebay
MTBR Classifieds

You can buy something like a Kona Unit for $850 out the door (ss, Rigid). You will learn a lot about your riding with a bike like that.

A decent/good trail worthy MTB can be had for around $1000.
 
#775
I've been riding for many, many years. I was a mountain biker for a long time. Got into it right when they came onto the scene. I think I had a Rockhopper back in the day. Raced for a number of years on a Pro-Flex 857, then on various hardtails until I got out of mountain biking due to a pretty bad knee injury. I still ride, but only on-road. I've actually been getting into triathlons recently. Did 3 sprint length tris this year.

Hoping now that my knee is on the mend, I can get back into mountain biking. I have my eyes on a Fisher Superfly...
 
#776
Cosmo - welcome to the Official TB Bike Geek thread, and to the forum in general!

anyonefortennis said:
You will learn a lot about your riding with a bike like that.
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What he said - ride rigid, and you will learn how to be smooth on your bike...either that, or you'll have the crap pounded out of you...

And +1 on what tennis said about XT hubs, Maxxis tires in general, and pedals; respectfully disagree on Stan's rims (WTB is a better choice IMO), Reba forks (a little too maintenance-dependent IMO, but the Fox is a good choice as is Marzocchi, my personal fave), and lower-end Easton stems (not always finished so well - again, WTB is my preference here).

Another +1 on Kona...they and Specialized make nice bikes in most all price points. Buy a complete bike from either of them and your money won't be wasted.

Ziltoid said:
That sounds high budget lol :(
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The truth is that, if you want to go for-real off-road, the buy-in is around $800-1000 normal retail...sale prices can make the hit a little less, but anything under that and you'll be paying for broken parts later on. Buying used is a definite option but, if at all possible, have the bike checked over by a neutral shop or mechanic to be sure that there are no hidden issues.
 
#777
My name is Mudd said:
And +1 on what tennis said about XT hubs, Maxxis tires in general, and pedals; respectfully disagree on Stan's rims (WTB is a better choice IMO), Reba forks (a little too maintenance-dependent IMO, but the Fox is a good choice as is Marzocchi, my personal fave), and lower-end Easton stems (not always finished so well - again, WTB is my preference here).
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On Stans - They seem to be the tubeless standard for 29ers. That's why I mention them. I don't think WTB makes a TLR 29er rim.
On Rebas - High maintenance = totally. I'm a Fox guy.
On Easton EA30 stuff - yeah, quailty is hit and miss. EA70-90 is more consistent. I personally run thomson stems/posts with easton xc bars.
 

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