Best Mtn Bike
Thread started by
bondink at 04.20.09 - 5:26 pm
what is the best mountain bike for teenage girl? she doesn't want a cruiser, and occasionally goes off the bike trail. looking for a sturdy, yet inexpensive bike that will keep her safe on all of her adventures.
what do you guys think?
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just take her to a bike shop and see what she likes and what fits.
la duderina04.20.09 - 7:24 pm
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yeah, you never know what you want until you get on and fall in love.
tortuga_veloce04.20.09 - 10:44 pm
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costco has an ok entry level mountain bike for 200 and it had full suspension and disc brakes! i believe it's a shwin..
pporras04.21.09 - 10:28 am
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nah support the LBS
Gav04.21.09 - 10:31 am
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she won't ride any bike she doesn't think she looks good on, so let her choose something at an LBS
mitch04.21.09 - 11:33 am
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DONT EVER BUY A BICYCLE FROM COSTCO!!! jesus christ!!
don't ever buy anything bike related from anything but a bicycle-specific store...(few exceptions)...you will be surely disappointed if you do.
la duderina04.21.09 - 11:37 am
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Yeah, DO NOT buy one of those pieces of shit from costco. Everything will break.
Why does she want a mountain bike? A real mountain bike is typically built for very rocky hard-to-negotiate trails. If she wants to do those, most serviceable bikes start around $500, if you get a single speed (Redline Monocog, KHS Solo-one).
If she's mostly riding on pavement, with occasional smooth dirt or grass, a mountain bike is not worth it. It will be overkill for smooth dirt and sluggish on the pavement.
What is your price range and what exact type of riding do you mean?
zombiefiesta04.21.09 - 11:52 am
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mitch's got it right. Get her what she likes, as long it's in the budget. Sensibility is tossed out the window with teens.
User104.21.09 - 11:57 am
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How much trail riding is she going to be doing?
If she's going to be doing mostly streets, with the occasional trail ride, she probably doesn't want a full suspension, as the rear suspension adds weight and slowness.
If I were buying a new MTB right now, this 29er singlespeed for $349 would be my choice. No gears and no suspension, so you'd have a fun ride with minimal maintenance, but an MTB with no gears might get frustrating fast.
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/outcast29_08.htm
This one for $299 isn't bad.
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/motobecane_300HT07.htm
There are a ton of MTBs on craigslist as well, and since everybody wants old road bikes / fixie conversions, they're going CHEAP.
It just depends on whether she wants something more hybrid so she'll be faster on pavement, or more MTB so it will hold up to the trails.
JB04.21.09 - 2:10 pm
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get a cyclocross bike?
Gav04.21.09 - 2:37 pm
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if she gets a tandem i will l lay with her.
_iJunes04.21.09 - 2:49 pm
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If you are looking to stay at lower price points, definitely don't look for bikes with disk breaks and rear suspension. That stuff costs money and means that there will be especially crappy parts elsewhere on the bike. Front suspension seems almost inevitable these days, but will probably be fairly crap on a $200 or $300 bike. If I was shopping that cheap, I'd be looking for a fully rigid bike with decent v-brakes and wheels and comparatively low weight.
ideasculptor04.21.09 - 2:51 pm
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+ 1 for LBS and stay away from fancy shocks of any kind. They'll be lost on her. But don't go bottom of the barrel on brand or everything will crap out. Giant is a often a really good value.
0gravity04.21.09 - 3:32 pm
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