[newguy44 offline]

Okay so I rode BMX for 5 or 6 years when I was younger and got pretty decent. I am now wanting to get into mountain biking and I simply want some beginners tips. I am looking for an affordable bike since this will be my first serious mountain bike. I would like to stay under $400 if at all possible. I also am wondering what kind of set up I should go with. I am 6'7" so I'm sure a bigger bike would be good, but I'm also used to the smaller BMX bikes. Thanks in advance for any help.

[stumpyfsr offline]

Welcome to the site!
Unfortunately, it's hard to find something decent brand new for $400 or less. But you can search craigslist for used brand-named bikes around $200 - 300. Just make sure it fits you well. Later while riding you'll be able to figure out what type of bike you really need (XC, Trail, AM etc). Rigid singlespeed (read low maintainence) could be an option since you have BMX background.
And, higher-end hardtail always better then low-end full-suspension.
Hope, this helps a little.

[newguy44 offline]

That does help. Thanks a lot! As far as a single speed goes, it seems like a great idea but are the single speeds typically a very durable bike?.....man I'm ready to get started so I can start posting real questions and not newbie questions. Haha

[Spartan offline]

you are 6-7"..you are never going to find a bike on craigslist that fits you...Fit is everything! It is THE number one most important thing.... I spent a few months looking for a 29er on CL to no avail..and I'm only 6-2". Its important to point out that a used 29er on CL is not that common yet because its a newer setup and theres not lots of inventory yet.. Based on this info the only way you are going to get a bike for 400 or less is by going to Walmart. DO I even need to tell you why thats bad?
For your size you should go to a couple of local bike shops (LBS) and start asking questions. You should be able to get them to try to get you some older model new bikes that their suppliers may be looking to offload for cheap. By cheap I mean...you can get a 1000 dollar bike for like 600- 700

You should be looking at Hardtail 29ers.. Its your best bet for the money and durability and a myriad of other reasons...

Ultimately, don't even think of getting out of this without spending at least 800 bucks after tax.. Thats what an entry level bike that fits you will cost.

Just keeping it real man....I had the exact same price point (400) in my mind when I started down this road last october.... I ended up getting a sweet bike from LBS for 750 after tax .. Best investment I ever made...I ride at least 3 times a week or more.

You will hear pretty much the same info from everyone else on this site. Listen to what the veterans on here say they are right on the money...

Good Luck

[mtbgreg1 offline]

I have to disagree with some of the above comments. You can buy a new entry level MTB, that is WAY better than a walmart bike, for $400 or less:

$400, entry level bike, solid frame, brand new, and you can choose a size that'll fit:

http://www.airbornebicycles.com/product ... yhawk.aspx

$360 entry level bike:

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bik ... 043/48922/

$300, entry level bike, not as good components as the above:

http://www.airbornebicycles.com/products/111-sabre.aspx

However, I do have to agree with the above comments in that at your size, you might get a lot more enjoyment and performance out of a hardtail 29er. This is one of the best budget HT 29ers I know of ($600) :

http://www.airbornebicycles.com/product ... -29er.aspx

Of course, you can always spend more money and buy a nicer bike.

(PS I was going to add even more bikes in from other brands, but really couldn't find anything that could compete with the price & components of the Airbornes. I guess I'll just have to keep recommending them for entry level bikes with good performance and components at a great price.)

[newguy44 offline]

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the help. I have also foud quite a few diamondback bikes that are fairly affordable. I know they used to make some good BMX bikes but are they worth anything at all as far as mountain bikes go?

[jtorlando25 offline]

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the help. I have also foud quite a few diamondback bikes that are fairly affordable. I know they used to make some good BMX bikes but are they worth anything at all as far as mountain bikes go?

They make great bikes, but they don't put their great bikes in department stores. The department store Diambondbacks are heavy and use bottom end components. Certain bike shops sell the good Diamondbacks.

I've been seeing a lot of internet buzz about a hard tail 29er that Costco is now selling for under 500. May be worth looking into (only if they have a size that fits you...you probably need a XL frame and I doubt that they will come that big)

[Spartan offline]

I should have prefaced that all my info and pricing opinions were based solely on 29er hardtail info I learned as I went through the process..

I would never even consider a 26" bike being 6'-2".....He's 6'-7"!!....just my opinion 29er all the way baby!

I agree with Greg that those airbornes seem to be a really great buy...just caution if you buy it from an online dealer ...if something goes wrong you could be out of commission for a while trying to get something fixed thats under warranty plus the fees involved with mailing stuff back and forth. Maybe you can get an airborne from an LBS not sure...

[stumpyfsr offline]

It depends on the area probably, because when I was searching Craigslist in TwinCities I saw many XL (23") bikes for sale. It doesn't matter what wheel size, because frame parameters is what most important. Although, I agree that 29er HT could be the best to begin with. A huge advantage shopping in LBS vs Internet is that you can talk to real people about real bikes. Make sure that LBS has more knobies vs skinnies, which means LBS is specialized on MTB. Airborne sounds like a best deal - hard to find anything better.
Anyway, do extended research, ride as many bikes, as you can and remember that you're going to buy a bike to ride maybe many years, so maybe investing a little more well worth it.

[stumpyfsr offline]

I should have prefaced that all my info and pricing opinions were based solely on 29er hardtail info I learned as I went through the process..

I would never even consider a 26" bike being 6'-2".....He's 6'-7"!!....just my opinion 29er all the way baby!

Spartan, I could be wrong, correct me if so. Does 23" 26er and 23" 29er are made for different rider's height?
what bikes tall people rode 10 years ago when 29ers was only in Fisher's head?

[Spartan offline]

stumpy not sure I understand what your asking... its only a couple inches so not that big of a deal which way he goes..but since the 29er is avail now and its here to stay. Being a big guy it just made sense to me that I would be better served with a bigger bike under me. I have never ridden a 26er and can't even compare it to a 29er. WIth that said...I have noticed a mass exodus from the 26er to the 29er on Craigslist....many descriptions say "the bike is in perfect condition i'm selling so I can get a 29er".. Therefore, he would probably get a great deal on an XL 26er from Craigslist because there are tons of people trying to get rid of those 26ers. Furthermore, The hit ratio on an xl 26er would be much easier to find..... 29ers are avail on CL but getting one in xl is that much harder..but it will get easier every year as the market gets saturated...

I think we all agree that he should get a bike that fits first and foremost..

[mtbgreg1 offline]

I agree with Greg that those airbornes seem to be a really great buy...just caution if you buy it from an online dealer ...if something goes wrong you could be out of commission for a while trying to get something fixed thats under warranty plus the fees involved with mailing stuff back and forth. Maybe you can get an airborne from an LBS not sure...

One item of note: all of the Hardtail frames from Airborne have a lifetime warranty (I believe, I know the Goblin does and all the other frames are based off the Goblin frame. The Guardian frame is identical.) Customer service is actually a lot better with Airborne since they are such a small company and you don't have to deal with the bureaucratic BS of a bigger company. Also worth noting that even if you broke a frame you bought from an LBS, you'd still have to ship it back to the main company and get them to ship you one back.

As for breaking a component, usually you're on your own for replacement unless there's a freak thing and it's a warranty issue. In which case you would need to contact the component manufacturer, not the bike company, and since all of the components on the Airbornes are name brand bits (better than other bikes from bigger companies at the same pricepoint), you should be good.

One final note: I've been riding the Goblin frame (again, the frame all their bikes are based off of) for over a year and a half and it has been bomber! No issues with it whatsoever.

I say all this because some people make buying online seem like such a scary thing, when it really isn't.

Am I saying you need to buy an Airborne? No, there are other great companies out there--and some of them sell only online. I just don't think you should exclude a company because it is direct to consumer--rather, you should consider it because it could help you get a better deal!

In any case, buying new from a company will give you much better warranty and reliability than buying off of Craigslist.

[spazjensen offline]

all is good information above. and i can say that i see alot of taller riders going with 29ers now where i ride. 400 dollars might get you started but there will be some sacrafice in component setup. just be prepared to occasionsally spend money one either fixing parts that break soon after you get the bike or spend it on getting parts for your bike that cater to your needs. that was my experience when i first started out riding and getting my first real serious bike. over time the better i got i started going bigger and faster which either broke stuff or called for new ones that could handle it. also, buy new. dont buy used if you can avoid it. you dont know how that bike has been treated no matter how good it looks or what kinda gremlins lay hidden. example: guy i know bought a bike used wanting to get into MTBing. he would ride with me everytime i went and that was his only chances to go ride (i was his means of transportation). he NEVER even left the ground when he rode. no wheelies, no jumps, nothing. one month after he bought it...the weld broke at the bottom tube and head tube. turns out that guy who said it was taken care of well and ridden XC strictly lied, and instead he was beatin the thing up at a local skate park with street tires on it the whole time.

[jtorlando25 offline]

400 dollars might get you started but there will be some sacrafice in component setup. just be prepared to occasionsally spend money one either fixing parts that break soon after you get the bike or spend it on getting parts for your bike that cater to your needs. that was my experience when i first started out riding and getting my first real serious bike.

Same exact story here. I started riding on a ~$400 bike. I rode so much and was so hard on the bike that it turned out to be a nightmare. It got to the point where I was in the LBS for repairs and part replacements more than I was riding so I upgraded to a ~$1000 bike and my issues lessened dramatically.

[stumpyfsr offline]

Yes, Spartan, fit - is the most important factor to consider before buying a bike. For example, my 29er has same bottom bracket clearance as 26er. This means one rider can fit both bikes without problem. The thing is that there's no big difference between wheel size. I just grew up riding 700cc, and chose 29er as my MTB. I rode 26er too for a while and that was alright.
So, now, when people selling their 26 models, you can buy probably more bike for your money (assuming you know something about bikes) From CL.
In Newguy44's case the best would be to start with LBS or find somebody who can help find a great deal on CL