Mountain Bike Advice

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  • tradertator

    Grandmaster
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    128   0   0
    Jul 1, 2008
    6,783
    63
    Greene County
    I'm thinking about getting back into biking, and looking for suggestions in the $1000 +/- price range on a hard tail mountain bike. My goal is to get something that is pretty reliable and lower maintenance. From what I've looked at locally, I am leaning towards a Specialized Rockhopper Expert (https://www.specialized.com/us/en/men/bikes/mountain/trail/rockhopperexpert29/115148) or a Giant Fathom 1 29 (https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/fathom-29-1), but am open to suggestions because I don't know much about this stuff. Most of the riding will be on a paved or gravel surface, and probably nothing too extreme. I think I want a 29" tire, mid level frame / quality components, and a 1X or 2X chain ring rather than a 3X.
    Also, what bike shop do you guys prefer?
    Thanks INGO :ingo:
     

    TB1999

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Jun 22, 2010
    2,965
    48
    I've ridden Cannondales for a long time and not had any issues. As a rider, confidence in your equipment is key. As long as you can trust your bike, you can take on any hill. $1000 is more than enough to get you there.

    If you plan on doing a lot of road biking, why not split your budget for $500 on a used road bike and $500 on a used mtn bike. I definitely wouldn't spend $1000 on a mtn bike you intend to ride mostly on paved roads.
     

    dprimm

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jan 13, 2013
    1,742
    83
    Just West of Indianapolis
    Get on the hmba forum. There will be demo days around this Summer to try bikes. You can also stay current on the trail status.

    If you come to the North Vernon race this weekend you may see bikes for sale. People bring them and put signs out. You can probably get the neutral aupport to look at one if you like.

    I race for BIcycle outfitters Indy and will suggest coming up and visiting them. I would also suggest visiting Hesitation point in Nashville. They rent mtb, which would let you try many features so you learn what you do and do not like. Honestly I do not know of a poor shop in the area that I would stay away from. A local shop is worth a ton.

    Race info is at dinoseries.com. I will do the run and bike races if you are there.
     

    saintnick81

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Dec 29, 2012
    415
    18
    Bedford
    If you're in Bloomington I recommend Revolution and Salt Creek Cycles. Salt creek is probably the better choice for mountain bikes. Most of the guys in the shop are mountain bikers and I believe they do group/shop rides. Very friendly when I went in shopping for a road bike. Ended up purchasing from Revolution mainly due to having more road stock to look at/test ride. Both shops were very helpful and knowledgeable.

    I would also suggest you check out 27.5 wheels/tires.
     

    tradertator

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    128   0   0
    Jul 1, 2008
    6,783
    63
    Greene County
    Thanks for the responses. As far as shops, I've went to Salt Creek (Scott), Revolution (Specialized), Bike Smith (Giant), Bike Garage (Trek), and Grey Goat (Specialized). Of all of them, Revolution was probably my favorite and seemed the most helpful. They also had a pretty good deal on a year old model that is identical to this years, at 20% off. That said, I liked that Grey Goat offered complimentary adjustments for 5 years with a new purchase. Only problem with that is it's around an hour drive for me, and in all honesty, I could probably tackle most of the maintenance myself. Plus the department I work for has 2 bikesmith's in house as well as a mini garage for that sort of thing.

    Buying used makes total sense, and I think getting both a road & mountain makes sense. Initially, I thought I wanted a road bike. I grew up with an old hand me down Raleigh, and it was terrific. I put a ton of miles on it, and I'm sure they have gotten better.

    So here are a few questions:
    -27 VS 29? So far, 1 vote for a 27
    -Do I want a 1X or 2X on the center gear? 1X seems like it would be less prone to problems in my mind, but I honestly don't know. That said, I live in the southern half of state and more on the top and bottom end might be nice.
    -Trying not to get swept away by bells and whistles, but are there any features I want to look for like a drop seat, remote lockouts on the front fork suspension, etc.....
     

    tjh88

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Sep 4, 2013
    276
    28
    Vallonia
    I love my Specialized Rockhopper 29er! I went to Matthews in Indy and found a last year model with a big $ discount. Out the door well below your budget.
     

    dprimm

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jan 13, 2013
    1,742
    83
    Just West of Indianapolis
    I run 2x10 on my stuff. Partly because right now everything is interchangeable. And partly because I am too broke to upgrade. Don't worry so much about 1x vs 2x. Get the bike you love due to fit and feel. Components can be changed.

    If if you are not n great shape I would recommend the 2x so you have the granny option. And it shloild be cheaper.

    Your legs will will make you faster not the parts
     

    jkaetz

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Jan 20, 2009
    1,953
    83
    Indianapolis
    So here are a few questions:
    -27 VS 29? So far, 1 vote for a 27
    -Do I want a 1X or 2X on the center gear? 1X seems like it would be less prone to problems in my mind, but I honestly don't know. That said, I live in the southern half of state and more on the top and bottom end might be nice.
    -Trying not to get swept away by bells and whistles, but are there any features I want to look for like a drop seat, remote lockouts on the front fork suspension, etc.....
    It's been a bit since I looked into it, but the idea of the different wheel sizes was to maintain geometry when building the different sized frames. Smaller frames, go with 26", medium frames 27.5", and larger frames go 29". There are trade offs beyond the geometry of the bike as well. Taller wheels tend to go over obstacles easier while smaller ones are more nimble. I split the middle and got a medium frame 27.5" Giant Trance 3.

    If you're going to do true mountain biking, go for a 2x10 or 11. You'll spend most of the time in the bigger ring but if you do come across something really steep, you can drop to the smaller one and keep going. There shouldn't be too much maintenance to do. I rarely have to make any adjustments.

    While I don't think there are any bikes in your range that don't have them, disc brakes. You can usually upgrade the rest when you have reached the limits of the current equipment. My bike came with all lower end components and the only ones I upgraded were the derailurs. There was a significant difference between the basic ones and the next level up. I've been told that the top model equipment isn't as big of a jump though.

    I also split time between on and off road so I picked up a second set of wheels and mounted a set of mostly on road tires to them. While I could get more speed out of a true on road bike, I wanted to maintain the go anywhere ability of the bike even with the on road tires. I don't have any problems going up and down short sets of stairs, curbs, or through grass if need be and can still cruise at a good pace.

    Final advice is for sure to look around for a previous model year bike that a shop is trying to unload. I believe mine was almost 30% off.
     

    gregkl

    Outlier
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
    11,868
    77
    Bloomington
    I also have a 2x10 on my Specialized Crave. 29er, decent components. Revolution discounted for me when I asked. I got a pretty good deal from him.

    I wouldn't put too much stock into "free" tune-ups. Just learn how to do it yourself. Hour long trips to drop off your bike to be tuned up plus return trip and being without a bike is not worth the "free" part. You could be riding instead of dealing with all the logistics.
     

    saintnick81

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Dec 29, 2012
    415
    18
    Bedford
    I like having 2 rings up front. I mostly ride the Milwaukee here in Bedford but to get from my house to the trail there are a couple climbs that I like having the option on. I borrowed my brother's Trek 29er before I bought my 27.5 and I really prefer the 27.5. Seems like a really good balance.

    I went budget when I got my mountain bike and got a Diamondback from Dick's (yes, I know i'm not supposed to shop there). The only thing I don't like about it is that the front fork doesn't lock out.

    I take both my road bike, which I bought there, and mountain bike, which I didn't, to Revolution for service. Your first one after a purchase is free and the rest aren't terrible. If you call and schedule a drop off they will ususally have it back to you in a few hours. Really like the staff there.

    On a side note, riding the Milwaukee trail from Bedford to the dam at Williams is a pretty nice ride. Being an old rail bed it's pretty flat. There are a couple of long grades. Really nice scenery and i think you only cross 3 roads each direction. about a 20 mile round trip.
     

    yeti rider

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 95%
    19   1   0
    Dec 17, 2011
    556
    28
    Lafayette
    Hit up Indy Cycle Specialists on Emerson in Indy. Scott Irons is the owner and i'll just about guarantee he rides more trail miles than any shop owner/employee in the surrounding states. I know he's a Giant dealer. Good guy and a straight shooter. Also, as someone else mentioned, check HMBA | Build | Ride | Share in the classified section.
     

    wcd

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Dec 2, 2011
    6,274
    113
    Off the Grid In Tennessee
    Raleigh...All the way. I have a 1998 Model M 80 and 2005 M80 the 98 has been flawless, it sports Deore components Rock shock. I can't tell you how many miles of hard riding mile I have put on it. It keeps going and going plus it was the last model year they were still made in the US. The only time I favor the 2005 is some of the downhill areas around here where you can top out at about 60 MPH. At that speed disc brakes are a requirement. Don't get caught up in the weight thing that gets real expensive real fast.

    Also wear a helmet, seriously taco a rim one time and you will be glad you did.

    Don't be afraid to go used some times you can get a lot of bike for the money, I hear Marins are nice as well.
     

    mensajess

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Apr 12, 2010
    146
    18
    Greenwood
    As a part time Gray Goat employee I'm kind of partial to that shop. The rockhopper is an excellent do it all bike, in my opinion. 1x vs 2x shouldn't really be a large concern either will work well in the area and for the riding you described. The one thing I recommend to ensure you get is an air fork, a coil spring on the lower level stuff won't hold up over several years of riding and can't be rebuilt. An air fork also gives you the ability to tailor the ride to your taste (firmer vs softer, fast vs slow rebound).
     

    lovemachine

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    17   0   0
    Dec 14, 2009
    15,601
    119
    Indiana
    FYI, I have a Trek X-Caliber 29er, and a Trek fatbike. I ride all over the trails in Indy, and try to ride in Brown County quite a bit.
    Out of the 2 bikes, the fat bike is my favorite. I'm faster, and can ride over more types of terrain easier. And it's a LOT more fun.

    You should look into a fat bike :)
     

    tradertator

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    128   0   0
    Jul 1, 2008
    6,783
    63
    Greene County
    Thanks for all of the responses.

    -The Milwaukee trail in Lawrence County looks cool, and I'll definitely be hitting it up.
    -I think I've settled on getting a 2X10
    -Agree about not getting too hung up on the 5 year free tuneup thing since it's an hour away. Very cool that they offer that, but I'm just a little too far for it to be convenient
    -Agree that a road bike / hybrid is probably what I need. I have a feeling that if I get into it, I will probably pick one up too
    -The Fat Bikes look like a blast. I know it's silly, but I first saw them on "Ultimate Survival Alaska" and have wanted one since. Everyone says "snow and sand", but I really think they look like fun. I was just in the Ft Myers area in Florida, and kept hoping I would see a rental somewhere on the beach. The water was literally inches deep for a couple hundred yards @ low tide on one of the beaches we visited, and I would have loved to play with one.
     

    gregkl

    Outlier
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
    11,868
    77
    Bloomington
    Thanks for all of the responses.

    -The Milwaukee trail in Lawrence County looks cool, and I'll definitely be hitting it up.
    -I think I've settled on getting a 2X10
    -Agree about not getting too hung up on the 5 year free tuneup thing since it's an hour away. Very cool that they offer that, but I'm just a little too far for it to be convenient
    -Agree that a road bike / hybrid is probably what I need. I have a feeling that if I get into it, I will probably pick one up too
    -The Fat Bikes look like a blast. I know it's silly, but I first saw them on "Ultimate Survival Alaska" and have wanted one since. Everyone says "snow and sand", but I really think they look like fun. I was just in the Ft Myers area in Florida, and kept hoping I would see a rental somewhere on the beach. The water was literally inches deep for a couple hundred yards @ low tide on one of the beaches we visited, and I would have loved to play with one.

    Sounds good!

    I would only question the hybrid. They are okay for occasional riding but to me are a compromise on both surfaces. I do have a nice road bike, but when I'm riding a mixture of rail bed, B-Line and roads I use my Crave with smooth tires. Then when I want to go fully off road, I put my knobby's on. This way I have an awesome off-road bike and a capable bike for mixed surfaces.

    The only time I ride my road bike is if I'm going to travel fast, far or both on paved roadways. I won't even ride it on the B-Line or other routes that contain a lot of people doing other things besides biking.
     

    jkaetz

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Jan 20, 2009
    1,953
    83
    Indianapolis
    Sounds good!

    I would only question the hybrid. They are okay for occasional riding but to me are a compromise on both surfaces. I do have a nice road bike, but when I'm riding a mixture of rail bed, B-Line and roads I use my Crave with smooth tires. Then when I want to go fully off road, I put my knobby's on. This way I have an awesome off-road bike and a capable bike for mixed surfaces.

    The only time I ride my road bike is if I'm going to travel fast, far or both on paved roadways. I won't even ride it on the B-Line or other routes that contain a lot of people doing other things besides biking.
    This describes my thoughts exactly. I have a friend that came with me to Ft. Harrison with his hybrid bike, the first time was ok, the second time we were patching his front tire to get him out of the woods. The next day he was replacing both inner tubes. Much easier to make a mountain bike road capable than to take a hybrid on a true off road trail.
     
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