Any Mountain Bike Experts out there ?? I need help.

[Sir Heinrich Godfrie IV]

I'm looking to buy a new mountain bike here soon. In fact, maybe even tomorrow morning. I was at a local Schwinn bike shop and was looking at buying a 2001 Trek 4900, since it's last years model it's selling for a $100 less at $449.99. I was also at another shop and was looking at a 2002 specialized Hard Rock Comp for the same price.

I am completely new to this sport so i don't have any opinions on which bike to buy, or what I should be lookin for. If anyone has any recomendations I would greatly apreciate them.

sturdy rims, good tread on the tires, handlebars that won't rack you when you endo, and a good locking system (front tire and seat removal are easy).

That's the best advice I can offer you. [img]smile.gif[/img]
(I haven't owned or ridden one since '99)

[johnny]

and if you have the perfect mountain bike together, be sure to never ever take it with you if you ever visit Holland, it's bound to be stolen in less then 3 hours, even if you're on the bike at that time

[DeSoya]

It all depends on what kind of riding you are going to be doing. If you're just looking to be riding around on the streets, the bike you picked sounds pretty fine to me. What you want is a light, sturdy bike (aluminum frame for streets) with road slicks for tires.
If you plan on doing any trail riding I'd keep looking. Trek makes a nice bike but I think you could do better if you spent a little more. Which is the other problem.

So two questions for ya... How much are you willing to spend, and what are you going to be doing with this bike?

DeSoya

[Sir Heinrich Godfrie IV]

Posted Byesoya So two questions for ya... How much are you willing to spend, and what are you going to be doing with this bike?

I want to keep it under $500, and I will mainly be riding paived biking trails and streets. Although, I do eventually want to try more off-road stuff. I can remember biking in the "Badlands" (Theodore Rosevelt National Park) when I was 15, and it was a real blast. Problem is, I live in Minn-ah-soo-tah and the last time i checked we don't have any mountains or many hills for that matter. I know this may sound shallow but, i like the look of m-bikes more than on-road bikes and plus I'm looking towards the future as I get more into the sport.

Oh and btw, what are road slicks exactly?

[Epona]

If you're riding paved roads, don't go for rear suspension - you gain offroad, but don't get the traction on paved surfaces.

[Lord of Alcohol]

Also you can go much faster if you get one with an engine.

[Sir Heinrich Godfrie IV]

I went ahead and bought the 2001 Trek 4900 for $449.99. It's got Judy TT Rock Shox in the front, Bontrager Corvair rims, Jones AC tires, Shimano crank, and a Alivio/Deore 24 speed shifter. I quite confident that this bike will suit my needs for years to come. As I get more and more into the sport I may look at geting a Cannondale or something with a few more bells and whistles.

I have a 30 day money back guarentee of course so if I find a better deal, say for a used bike or if someone tells me about any bad experiences they've had with Trek, then I can still return it. Even though I went ahead and purchased this bike today, I still welcome any recomendations you guys can offer. Such as: maintenence, helmets, a rack mount for my 89' Honda Accord, or anything else related to biking. Thanks.

[Lord of Alcohol]

Yea but does it have an engine? How the hell do you make it go?

[Sir Heinrich Godfrie IV]

Posted By: Lord of Alcohol Also you can go much faster if you get one with an engine.

Thanks for the tip, but a co-worker of mine was just killed the other day while riding his Hog. It didn't matter much that he was a good rider, because some ditsy teenager hit him while she was using her cell-phone. He left behind a wife and two little kids.
Thanks for the recomendation, but I prefer not to be an organ donor.

Sorry for going off on you like this, but motorcycling is kind of a touchy subject for me right now.