TT with easy bike access

patperry2766 wrote:
Forest River Vengeance 29V

Hyperlite 27HFS

Kodiak

I don't want to hijack your thread, but I'm interested in getting a new mountain bike and would appreciate some suggestions.

Thanks

Thank for the links.

As for the new mountain bike, if you really aren't to embedded in the world of cycling, best bet is to head into a couple local bikes shops, chat with them, see who you feel comfortable with and who seems to genuinely want to help you find the right bike. Then get them to set you up in your price range. Listen to them, and think critically about what you'll use this bike for. If you are just cruising around campgrounds and very light trails, maybe you don't need a mountain bike and might enjoy a hybrid more as they roll much better.

Any reputable bike shop will carry reputable brands, all of which will have an excellent line up of bikes from beginner to that costs more than my tow vehicle. While different brands will spec their bikes slightly differently, really there is very little/no difference in performance or reliability of similarly priced bikes for the various companies.

Giant, Cannondale, Trek, Specialized are the big names, and you can't go wrong with their offerings. But there are many other brands that will provide you with a bike that is as good, if not better than those companies. Kona, Rocky Mountain, Norco, Jamis, KHS, Marin are a few alternative brands, but there are many others. But as I mentioned, if it's in a proper bike shop, the brand will be reputable.

The biggest thing you'll hear discussed is wheel size, which has been changing dramatically over the past 5 years. Originally mountain bikers were 26" wheels, then came the 29" wheels. 26" wheels are almost dead in production, very few companies have any models now with this size. The whole theory is bigger wheels roll better, while smaller wheels maneuver better. The general consensus is that the rolling better out weights the maneuverability in performance for both elite and entry level riders. Saying that, most people who casually cycle will not notice any difference and finding old stock 26" bikes is often a good way to get a great deal without any worry about parts being a problem anytime in the near future (or ever as they will always be supported as there are so many out there). In the past year however a new wheel size has popped up, the 27.5" or 650b (same thing, two different names). This is actually an old wheel size that has come back into fashion as best of both worlds between the benefits of the 26" and 29".

At the end of the day, get the bike/wheel size that fits your budget, fits you, and that you'll ride the most.

Personally, I would recommend a 26/27.5/29 hardtail, unless you are riding really rough trails. Avoid being seduced by full suspension unless you are really pushing the limits of the bike. You'll only end up sacrificing better parts for the rear suspension on equally priced bikes. It's nicer to have better parts than suspension you really won't use.

Personally, and this is a biased opinion, recommend Scott bikes.

http://www.scott-sports.com/ca/en/category/bike/BikeBikes_2014/BikeBikesMountain_2014/

Would certainly need to know a budget before recommending more. And in saying that, expect to spend $500 minimum for a entry level mountain bike in a shop. $1000 will typically get you a quality hardtail that will be a competent bike that will grow with you as you improve and not really be a limiting factor.