All-mountain bike under $1500 USD - what do I look for?
September 17, 2013 3:17 PM Subscribe
I'm a bicycle n00b who wants to get into riding mountain bikes, and I'm baffled at all the options. I need some pointers on what brands, models, and features to look for in an all-mountain bike. I'm planning on riding places in the Seattle area like Duthie, Tiger Mountain, etc.
I'm a newcomer to mountain bikes, but not to two wheels in general - I race offroad motorcycles a lot, and I'm pretty decent at it. I'd like to get a bike that will last me for a while and that I can grow my skills with. A solid performer that isn't top of the line, is maybe a few years old, but which is reasonably well-equipped and that I don't have to do a lot of work to before I can ride it would be perfect. A friend that I'll be riding with suggested the following criteria:
- 140-160mm of travel (5.5 to 6.5 inches)
- Under 30 lbs.
- 1x10 or 2x10 drivetrain
My problem is that I need to keep the price under $1500 at the most, and that I'm totally baffled by all of the bikes, features, manufacturers, and components that are available. New or used is fine; it's the end of the season up here so there's deals to be had, but the number of bikes out there is huge, everything's got different suspension geometries and widgets, and the last time I bought a bicycle was over a decade ago.
I'm looking mostly for specific brands and models to try, but general suggestions on anything else to look for in a bike of this type would be welcome. I'm scanning Craigslist and the PinkBike classifieds already, but suggestions on anywhere else to look would be great. If it matters, I'm a smidge over 6' tall and around 170lbs.
I'm a newcomer to mountain bikes, but not to two wheels in general - I race offroad motorcycles a lot, and I'm pretty decent at it. I'd like to get a bike that will last me for a while and that I can grow my skills with. A solid performer that isn't top of the line, is maybe a few years old, but which is reasonably well-equipped and that I don't have to do a lot of work to before I can ride it would be perfect. A friend that I'll be riding with suggested the following criteria:
- 140-160mm of travel (5.5 to 6.5 inches)
- Under 30 lbs.
- 1x10 or 2x10 drivetrain
My problem is that I need to keep the price under $1500 at the most, and that I'm totally baffled by all of the bikes, features, manufacturers, and components that are available. New or used is fine; it's the end of the season up here so there's deals to be had, but the number of bikes out there is huge, everything's got different suspension geometries and widgets, and the last time I bought a bicycle was over a decade ago.
I'm looking mostly for specific brands and models to try, but general suggestions on anything else to look for in a bike of this type would be welcome. I'm scanning Craigslist and the PinkBike classifieds already, but suggestions on anywhere else to look would be great. If it matters, I'm a smidge over 6' tall and around 170lbs.
Best answer: (1) When you bike off-road, you end up replacing the parts of your bike fairly frequently. So when you buy a bike, don’t worry too much about the quality of the derailleurs, tires, chainset and so on. You should pay more attention to the quality of the frame, and also the fork. (You mention “widgets” in your post – don’t worry about the widgets!)
How do you spot a good quality frame? Well that’s tricky, but you should at least look for a bike with a frame from a good firm. Here’s an incomplete list of good firms:
• Specialized
• GT
• Trek
• Marin
• Giant
• Santa Cruz
• Cannondale
• Merida
• Kona
(2) This is a controversial one, but I think that since you’re a beginner and your budget is modest, you should get a hard-tail bike (unless you find a very good deal on a full-sus).
(3) Your friend’s recommendations make perfect sense to me.
(4) If you plan to ride in the mud, make sure you get a bike with plenty of mud-clearance. This really matters.
(5) Even though you’re planning to buy a second-hand bike, it might be a good idea to go to a bike shop that sells new bikes and try a few things out. This will help you get an idea of what size fits you, and what you feel comfortable riding.
posted by HoraceH at 4:07 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
How do you spot a good quality frame? Well that’s tricky, but you should at least look for a bike with a frame from a good firm. Here’s an incomplete list of good firms:
• Specialized
• GT
• Trek
• Marin
• Giant
• Santa Cruz
• Cannondale
• Merida
• Kona
(2) This is a controversial one, but I think that since you’re a beginner and your budget is modest, you should get a hard-tail bike (unless you find a very good deal on a full-sus).
(3) Your friend’s recommendations make perfect sense to me.
(4) If you plan to ride in the mud, make sure you get a bike with plenty of mud-clearance. This really matters.
(5) Even though you’re planning to buy a second-hand bike, it might be a good idea to go to a bike shop that sells new bikes and try a few things out. This will help you get an idea of what size fits you, and what you feel comfortable riding.
posted by HoraceH at 4:07 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Ask your moto buddies you ride/race with. I think there will be a lot of cross over from those two activities. Especially ask around at the moto races.
Also, go to your LBS (Local Bike Shop) and test ride their models and see what feels good and what kind of fit you are build for. See if you can rent out bikes to ride on the local trails. This will give you a baseline of what bikes you should look for.
Good luck.
posted by MiggySawdust at 4:43 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also, go to your LBS (Local Bike Shop) and test ride their models and see what feels good and what kind of fit you are build for. See if you can rent out bikes to ride on the local trails. This will give you a baseline of what bikes you should look for.
Good luck.
posted by MiggySawdust at 4:43 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also, agree with the hardtail. That's mountain biking.
posted by Ironmouth at 5:10 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by Ironmouth at 5:10 PM on September 17, 2013
cross-country, right, not downhill?
I think hackwolf is looking for all mountain.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:16 PM on September 17, 2013
I think hackwolf is looking for all mountain.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:16 PM on September 17, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for the responses, y'all. My friend is a moto buddy, but I'll ask around a little more beyond him. I've already got an older hardtail (2003 Specialized Hardrock), so I'm looking for something all mountain that will let me push more in the downhill/freeride direction. My friend recommended 650b or a 29, but the used choices for those in my price range seem pretty limited. I've tried an REI Novarra hardtail 29 before, but didn't really find the difference between it and my Hardrock compelling, at least for the price. Bike rental is a great idea, I'll give that a try. My friend's got an Avent Arson that he's converted to a 1x10 that I've been borrowing, but I like his all mountain bike a lot better (naturally - it's a 3K brand new bike...).
posted by hackwolf at 1:35 AM on September 18, 2013
posted by hackwolf at 1:35 AM on September 18, 2013
I'd agree with advice to stick with a reputable brand. AM bikes (or really any bike with that much travel) are going to take abuse, and you're going to want a reputable company to deal with just in case something happens. New obviously means you'll have good protection but even used bikes from good companies can have a surprising amount of support available.
You might check in with any shops with demos to see if they are clearing out the summer fleet. I got a great deal on a Santa Cruz Tallboy this way last fall. I don't know about the 29 AM scene, but the 29" on my Tallboy is amazing. It literally feels like a "big wheel" from when you were a kid. Climbs much better than a 26er in my opinion and carves like mad. I was hesitant based on one parking lot ride at a shop, but once I got a full ride in I was sold.
posted by Big_B at 12:20 PM on September 18, 2013
You might check in with any shops with demos to see if they are clearing out the summer fleet. I got a great deal on a Santa Cruz Tallboy this way last fall. I don't know about the 29 AM scene, but the 29" on my Tallboy is amazing. It literally feels like a "big wheel" from when you were a kid. Climbs much better than a 26er in my opinion and carves like mad. I was hesitant based on one parking lot ride at a shop, but once I got a full ride in I was sold.
posted by Big_B at 12:20 PM on September 18, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks again for all the advice. I found a new-old-stock 2011 Cannondale Jekyll 5 for $1700; it's a little beyond my budget, but for a brand new bike I decided I could eat ramen more and make the stretch. An article that I found particularly helpful in making the choice was this one:
http://www.bicycling.com/mountainbikecom/bikes-gear/trail-kings
posted by hackwolf at 10:15 AM on September 20, 2013
http://www.bicycling.com/mountainbikecom/bikes-gear/trail-kings
posted by hackwolf at 10:15 AM on September 20, 2013
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Finding a sub 30 all mountain for $1500 is going to mean you're buying used. Off the top of my head I'd say look for a 2-3 year old Yeti 575.
When buying used the condition of the components is going to be more important than the original quality of the components. I'd rather have an XT derailleur that works perfectly than an XTR derailleur that's trashed.
Suspension can generally be overhauled, but ask when the last time the suspension was serviced, and factor that into the cost of the bike.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 3:59 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]