I want to start Mountain Biking and have a few Questions?  1) I need a bike... What kind is good for off-road thats less than $200 dollars   2) Where can I get it  3) What are some key things that the bike should have, Shocks? Foot straps? Weight?\n\nWhat should I wear?\n\nAny information will be greatly appreciated!\nThanks!
209856
For $200, this pretty much limits you to a used bike.  Find a club, a shop, or other place that might have some classified ads.\n\nYou probably want a hardtail.  Decent rear suspension is expensive and is only needed for fairly extreme downhills.\n\nLook for a bike with v-brakes and aluminum rims.  The most important feature is a frame that fits.\n\nYou can start off wearing sneakers and gym shorts but you'll probably want to get some bike shorts.  Always wear a helmet.  Trees and rocks are hard.
340043
first of all, AWSOME BIKE. I have one of those....dont put pegs on it whatever you do or you will break the axle..its a dirt jumping bike, not for freestyle. Expensive upgrades are the lightest...heres the cheapest ways...first, remove the plastic chain guard if it has one, second, get light weight tires, third, get lighter cranks, fourth, get lighter rims or build your own, (i build my own bikes) fifth, remove any reflectors, they are pointless, anything you see on the bike that can be removed and still make the bike work.....i have about $500 worth of upgrades on my 07 X1
181622
Second hand in my opinion is always the best way, you can get a better quality bike at a greatly reduced price. By second hand I dont mean 'broken', just previously owned.\n\nTo find a good second hand bike I would recommend online auction sites like e-bay.\n\nYou need to know what you are buying though, so you get a good deal and not ripped off, so educate yourself through mountain biking magazines or easier still reviews on websites. \n\nhttp://www.mtbr.com/\nIs good.\n\nI bought a GT moto second hand with heaps of upgrades including new wheel sets, Sram X9 shifter/derailleur, mrp 'bones' crankset and upgraded forks for a great price and has been a quality ride so far.
123508
Though Trek has some great bikes, I would highly discourage you from purchasing a bike with a combo material frame like this especially if you are in an area where you see a lot of rain and/or snow. The reason being is that if the bike is not taken care of the aluminum will oxidize at that junction and disrupt the quality of the frame. If you are looking for you first bike, I would go with a steel frame from Bianchi! They may be a little heavier than some racing frames, but they are comfortable and tend to absorb more shock than an aluminum frame. If you decide to spend some extra cash and go carbon I highly recommend going with Trek. I raced some of their OCLV frames on a couple of teams and I loved the bikes! FYI- I am currently riding Titanium and wouldn't ride anything else.
142791
Cycling is a fantastic sport. It keeps you fit without overstressing any part of your body, it gives you a cheap and effective form of transport and its a companionable way of seeing the World with your friends.\n\nSO: Don't be put off right at the beginning by making the wrong choice of bike!!!\n\nAlways buy the best bike you can afford. Go for a well known make - Cannondale, Trek, Specialised, Bianchi, Giant, Raleigh, Dawes etc.\n\nGo to a good bike shop and take their advice. They'll also fit the bike to you and give you the chance to try several different types until you find the one for you.\n\nAlso, go for good componentry (gears, pedals, saddle etc) - these make all the difference between a great riding experience and an irritating one that will put you off cycling forever.\n\nThink carefully about what you want - are you going to be cycling mainly on road or hurtling down forest tracks? Is it for town or for country, communting or long distance?\n\nYou should discuss your requirements with a good dealer.\n\nIn short: Don't buy online - find the best local dealer and buy from there.
568666
FOR UNDER $300... that's a tall order. I guess, get to be buddies with someone who has a bike they can sell you used. That's still cutting it awful close. You could do it on a regular road racing bike, again, you'll have to go used and don't expect STI or Campagnolo Ergo (brake levers that have shifters built in). But with a regular road bike it'd be more likely than with a Tri-specific bike.\n\nIf you're handy with a wrench you might be able to build one up for that amount, maybe even an old Trek 2100 or 2300 with downtube shifters. \n\nFactor in the cost of bike shoes and pedals as well - this will eat up alomst $200 if you go inexpensive but still decent. If you just want to do the course, and not expect to be competitive, it's doable for a little less.
482048
I would recommend talking to your friends who cycle as well as stop in at a few bicycle stores. Odds are you plan on riding with others so it is a good ice-breaking to start talking about bike types and applications. It's great to know a few good bicycle shops in your area. Then ask yourself, what kind of terrain I plan on riding on (paved streets, dirt roads, trails, etc.) How often do I plan on riding my bike and how much can my budget afford. A good bike shop can help you with those. Then as far as women specific bikes, again talk to the bike shop, maybe take one for a test ride and see how the bike fits you. The bike fit is very important, if it doesn't feel good to you, are you really going to ride the bike. I personaly like the Trek bike line. I've riding one for the past few years (over 35,000 miles and counting) and I love it. Good luck and happy cycling. jim
614839
a good mountain bike for casual riding and NOT trail riding will run you about 200-700 depending what you get and where you go. If you are going for looks, believe me, you will not pay anything less than 1500 because all the lookers are in Trail Bikes, Downhill Bikes, and even some Cross Country bikes. Try the specialized Rockhopper or Stumpjumper. Or, the Trek 3000 series, Or, Cannondale's F series, Or Giant XTC or Anthem. Anything other than these and you start running into specialty bikes and the price also go higher.
230365
Mongoose bikes are inexpensive and easy to find. Go to your near by Wal-Mart. My son has a Mongoose and he does all types of tricks on it and the best part about them. They have dirt road tires that rides just as good on pavement. I'm the type of mother that has to test it out first. I've brought him the Mongoose Mountain bike also, they both are good for bike stunts and tricks.
343867
Don't waste your money on tv bikes, walmart or kmart crap.  Your best bet is to buy from a bike shop.  The benifits are worth it, trust me I have raced bikes for years.  Even the bottom of the line bike shop bike will be way better then anything that you will get from tv or walmart.
5487
Hard tails are best, unless you are riding on really rough terrain.  It's difficult to suggest a bike if you don't give a price.  But Trek makes a very nice entry level bike for about $400 in its 4300.  Gary Fisher makes some very nice entry level bikes in the $250-$400 range.  And the Specialized Stumpjumper can be had for less than $500.\n\nI'd stay away from anything you found in a deptament store, and instead head right to one or more of your local bike shops.  They can be very helpful in choosing the right bike for your budget.  And they don't sell crap that will fall apart in a year.  :)
122290
There are a lot of things to consider first. How old is the bike? What kind of condition is the frame in? How often and what type of riding do you do?\n\nIf the bike is very old you might want to consider getting a new one. Newer bikes have features that you may not have on your bike. For example, more gears, lighter parts, better brakes, etc. Buying a new bike may get you a lot of features that you would not get by having this one fixed. On the other hand, you may not need any of these and your old bike was working just fine until  you started having all these problems.\n\nCheck the frame out for wear or damage. If the frame is steal, which I'm guessing it is based on the price you paid, check for rust especially around the spots were the welds are. If the frame is starting to rust, you would just be throwing you money away by adding new parts to a bad frame. If the frame is aluminum and you do any kind of regular riding, consider getting a new bike if this bike is more than 5 years old. Aluminum has a fatigure limit and the frames generally wear out after about 5 years of regular use.\n\nFinally, if you are just a casual rider and use the bike for fun and just getting around on, you may be able to skip some of the repairs they quoted you and just get enough done to keep the bike moving. However, if you ride a lot or ride off road, you will want your bike to be in the best shape possible. $140 is not a lot to pay for a tune up, including adjusting all the deraillers and cables. Drive train parts wear out over time and need to be replaced. If you get a new bike, considering spending a bit more to get a quality bike that will last a long time. $200 is not a lot to pay for a new bike and investing a little more might get you a much better bike. Not only will it last longer but you will have a better experience riding it.\n\nIf you are really interested in keeping this bike and don't want to pay the bike shop to fix. Most of the repairs can be done at home with a few simple tools. Get a repair manual from your bike shop and you should be able to fix most anything yourself. Just be careful when taking things apart that you remember how to put them back together.
414594
I think the ideal setup for you would be a mountain bike, but you can go to Wal-Mart or a LBS (local bike shop), and get some slicks (tires). These are not so nobby, so you can go 1-2 mph faster, (so the BF doesn't get bored), and cost about 12 dollars each! \n (slicks grip the road well, and often have tread)\n\nThen, get a wider seat from Wal-Mart (or the LBS) if the one installed is not very comfortable.\n\nAs for the bike, I suggest you go used. You can get something four times as expensive (a better bike) for the same price).\nGood places to fing a good bike are:\n\nhttp://sfbay.craigslist.org/about/cities.html    (I got mine there)  \nIf craigslist has a city near you, click on the link, then find the "bikes" link and click on that!\n\nAnother place is Ebay\n\nAlso, check your newspaper's classifieds!\n\nMake sure the bike fits well. It is best to get fit to a certain frame size at a LBS, but you can also search for bicycle fitting guidelines on the web. ( I only suggest this because you probably are not going to ride too much) However, you do need the right sized bike, or it will be very uncomfortable. (for the back and the knees).\n\nAs for the actual bike, a good brand should be Trek or Specialized. Everything should work fine on a test ride, and have no rust (a very bad sign of maintenance) and the drivetrain (gears, chain, etc.) should look in good shape.\nIf you do get a  bike, I suggest taking it to a bike shop for a tuneup, at least to oil the chain, etc. and to tighten everything up.\n\nGOOD LUCK!
422770
BMX is for stunts on skate parks, they are small bikes that are tough, simple and you can do a lot of stuff as long as you stay in one place, I don't think they're confortable for long distance.\n\nMountain bikes are for riding off-road.  You could use them also for paved roads, but they're not pretty fast, although probably more confortable than a road bike.  They usually have 26" or 29" sized wheels (26" is the more common), and the tires are wide, they have a more relaxed body position than road.  There are several sub-categories in mountain bike:  XC, Freeride, Downhill, 4X.  XC (or cross-country) are bikes that are light, and have geometry and components to be fast and can be ridden for ups and down, but are not designed to take abuse like jumps, rocks, and steep descent.  Freeride bikes are tougher, have more relaxed geometry, and maybe they're like BMX is for road riding, you can do a lot of stuff on them (except peddal long distances, or climb).  Downhill bikes are also some very tough bikes, they have a longer wheelbase than freeride bikes to make them more stable, and are also designed to be tough, and ridden fast downhill, but are not designed to be ridden uphill (because the weight, and they usually don't have many speeds).  4X or mountaincross bikes are like dual slalom on bikes.  They're designed for short race courses involved 4 guys, some jumps, and are fast and hard.\n\nRoad bikes are geared for speed on pavement.  Look at the TDF or Giro de Italia, and that's what they're for.  Well, you don't need to compete, but those are the bikes.\n\nTriatlon bikes are similar than road bikes, I really don't know the differences, but they usually have different handlebars than road bikes.\n\nConfort bikes or hybrids are somewhere between a road bike and a mountain bike.
148419
Its all about how you feel and how you ride.  If you tend to do more freeriding you want an alpine style setup (positive angle on front binding and 0 or positive angle on your back binding).  If you do more park or street rails you want to go duck footed (positive angle on front binding and negative angle on back binding).  Try differet setups out to see what you like best and remember its all about personal preference and everyone's setup is different.  The more traditional, beginner setup is +15 degrees front, and 0 degrees back.  I myself ride +15 front and -12 back.
225484
If you are truly interested in real mountain biking, go to a reputable bike shop and have them help you with size and fit.  I am an avid MTBr with the best bike for my body size and activity intensity.  It is worth the price and time if you are serious about this sport.\n\nI ride a Specialized Epic Disk and wouldn't trade it in the world.  Do NOT do the Walmart thing.  The components are terrible and the frames are not welded well enough for such an intense sport.  You can get a great bike from $300 on up.  Again, you get what you pay for.  \n\nWould you play football with cheap equipment??
78331
Road bike would be fun. I would get the hybrid though. Hard to ride a bike in the rain or snow.