# buy a new mountain bike?



## andrearo.662 (Apr 15, 2009)

I want to start mountain biking and due to this logically I need a new bike. Has anyone suggestions for a appropriate mountain bike? How much is it approximately? Is there any price limit underneath it makes no sense buying? Does it make sense buying a mountain bike second hand due to the fact that I am a beginner? Would be glad if someone can help me. thx


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## Canadian (Dec 14, 2008)

Buy a good second hand bike or a decent name brand bike and ride it all the time. Second hand bikes are great and bike technology does not change very much from year to year. A lot of rich folks buy them and then they just sit in the garage for a few years. You can get ones that have only been ridden once. 

Stolen property and police auctions are a great place to get them. They often go for way less than they are worth. The cops generally don't know what's worth what anyway. You could even buy a whole bunch of well equipped bikes, strip the parts off, and sell the parts and frames separately and make some money. I know a few people who do this. You could buy a bike for $300 and each component on the bike could be worth a few hundred a piece.

The reason not to buy an expensive new one is that you don't know what you like. You need to ride to figure it out. My first bike looked nothing like my final bike. Bikes are great because you can do all kinds of custom stuff to them. My bike ended up tricked out for downtown city riding dodging taxis and jumping off curbs. My first bike was just an ordinary bike and was nowhere near as fast or useful. 

Trek, Specicalied, Kona, Brodie, Gary Fisher, Kilen, theres lots of great brands to choose from. Just don't buy a cheap big box store bike. If you get one from a good shop they'll tune it up for you for free and make sure that it is assembled properly. Cheap big box bikes break when you're riding them. That = a trip to the hospital.


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

*Pawn Shops*

I've seen some nice bikes at decent prices in pawn shops from time to time. You can always work them down to, especially if they have an inventory of them.


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## guyfour (Oct 15, 2008)

I highly recommend Shimano... if they are in business still... and stay away from any brand that sells at walmart. Beware, once I bought a $320 GT bike at a bike store and it was the poorest quality bike I have ever used... The mountain bike guru that I used to follow to trails on my bmx had all shimano or went to carbon fiber frame and had these shoes that clipped into the pedals... If you can find a rare one from the 80's... they don't make em' like they used to I have restored a "low rider" and a racing bike from the 80's which was the best frame ever


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

My wife went to a couple yard sales this morning with her dad. She came home with a Mongoose 21 speed bike that is in _really_ good shape. The paint is a little faded and the tires have maybe 75% tread left on them. The chain popper shifty things (derailers, maybe?) are rusted pretty good, and the brakes are good. Not great, but good. It's got an aluminum frame so it's nice and light. A little WD40 and the derailers seem to be working pretty good. It has shock absorbers in the front forks and one in the center of the frame.

The price for this bike: $5.00!!! Not too darn bad, eh?


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

what a deal :2thumb:


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## Canadian (Dec 14, 2008)

Good deal.


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

Just as an update on the $5 mountain bike-the derailers seem to work fine. The brakes are good. Not great, but good. The seat, however, gives unpleasant flashbacks of the prostate exam I got with my first physical when I started my job. So we need to get a decent seat and some loops for the pedals. 

The 21 speed "tranny" is great-I'm not in all that great a shape yet and I can go like heck.


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

I think I will look for a $5.00-$15.00 bike. I've been thinking of doing a cheap build up with monkey bar handle bars, a bananna or extremely comfortable seat and a Key West spray can paint job. Something that would be the last to considder if a person was going to steel a bike.


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

Urban camoflauge, eh?


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