Opinions on cheap Mtn. bike...Sams, Costco, WM etc

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FADEC

FADEC

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Looking for opinions for a cheap Mountain bike. These will be for my wife and I. Will be used for 95% hard surface roads trails etc. no jumping, stunting etc. Looking for full susp. and not sure on brakes..disc or conventional style. Walmart has some decent looking bikes between $80 and $150. Target also. Costco has a nice Schwin with disc brakes for I believe $299. A cheap China made bike is fine for us as we will mostly just be putting along our subdivision roads. Any suggestions?? BTW checked out Craigslist..used bikes seem about the same price as new ones.
 
Forge brand bikes sold by Target (not in stores-online only) are supposed to be very good for the money. They've gone up a little in the past 2 years but still reasonable. They use components found on much more expensive bikes. You have to assemble it yourself.
 
Originally Posted By: pbm
Forge brand bikes sold by Target (not in stores-online only) are supposed to be very good for the money. They've gone up a little in the past 2 years but still reasonable. They use components found on much more expensive bikes. You have to assemble it yourself.


Thanks for the quick info...This is the kind of info I'm looking for. No problem assembling a bike at all. Will look online at the Forge brand. Tom
 
Originally Posted By: daddi
Originally Posted By: pbm
Forge brand bikes sold by Target (not in stores-online only) are supposed to be very good for the money. They've gone up a little in the past 2 years but still reasonable. They use components found on much more expensive bikes. You have to assemble it yourself.


Thanks for the quick info...This is the kind of info I'm looking for. No problem assembling a bike at all. Will look online at the Forge brand. Tom

Tom, to avoid going in to a rant, since this subjct has been covered before, let me just say, let the buyer beware. you get what you pay for.
please do yourself a favor and go to a real bicycle shop and try some out. you'll be glad you did.
 
If I were going to buy a cheap MTB, I would go to ****'s Sporting Goods and choose one from their line of Mongoose, Schwinn, and Diamondback. They have many, many bikes that fit your description for
My personal rule for MTB purchasing is: "Light, Strong, Cheap; pick two".
 
I'm gonna stay out of the 'bike shop vs. other' since I have a conflict of interest there. I will mention though that if you get a 'bike in a box' from somewhere, I'd add about $50.00 to figure the actual cost (for assembly).

Typically, many shops offer some sort of free maintenance along with the bike--and if you end up having to bring the bike in once or twice during that period, it ends up being a wash.

The spec on the Target bikes is actually pretty good, though I noticed they only come in one or two sizes. If you're a medium size guy, that's good. Otherwise....

What I will suggest though is looking at a hybrid bike versus a mountain bike if you're riding on paved roads/occasional crushed gravel trail; something with 700C wheels and a rigid fork. It'll be lighter, less complicated, roll faster and ultimately be more fun to ride.
 
Have you thought about buying a lightly used bike of better quality? Craig's List has lots of good deals right now, thanks to the economy...

BTW: I bought a very clean Novara (REI house-brand bike) for $145 off of CL and it's light years better than a big-box store Schwinn or similar. The original owner was an enthusiast, so it came well-prepped & fully maintained; much better (and safer) than what comes from WallyWorld or Target, IMO. If CL worries you, try your local bikeshops...they take good bikes as trade-in's all the time and this is the time of year when they'll dicker on price. Good luck!
 
Originally Posted By: Mustang_Cougar
Have you thought about buying a lightly used bike of better quality? Craig's List has lots of good deals right now, thanks to the economy...

BTW: I bought a very clean Novara (REI house-brand bike) for $145 off of CL and it's light years better than a big-box store Schwinn or similar. The original owner was an enthusiast, so it came well-prepped & fully maintained; much better (and safer) than what comes from WallyWorld or Target, IMO. If CL worries you, try your local bikeshops...they take good bikes as trade-in's all the time and this is the time of year when they'll dicker on price. Good luck!


I worked in at least 5 different shops over 15 years and not one of them ever took a trade. really, used bikes have no market value for a shop.
buying on CL or ebay only works if you know what you are looking at.
a local independent bicycle dealer is a new riders best friend.
 
Thanks for all the varied opinions. Thats one of the reasons that I love this site. I will check out CL again. The last time I checked mostly high end bikes..$750+ and old worn out cruiser type bikes.
 
There's tons of used bikes on eBay as well. If you see something you like, post a link here, and I'll be happy to chime in with my $.02.
 
"Big Box Store" bikes are generally speaking, complete junk. Typically they are made with heavy, bottom of the barrel parts. They are assembled by box store employees (bad news). They will either fall apart or be impractical to ride for various reasons. Because inferior quality parts are used, it is challenging to get them serviced by a "normal" bike shop.

For $100, your best bet is to have a knowledgeable friend help you shop for a used bike. As everyone else said, there are plenty of lightly used bikes available on Craigslist or ebay.

Keep in mind that the sizing of the bike, and it's condition are more important than the brand name (as long as it's a reasonably good brand). So...Trek=Specialized=Giant=Novara=Cannondale=any other good bike when your searching for a used one.

And no, I have no interest in promoting any local bike shop so that's not my motivation for telling you this. In fact, I buy almost all my bike parts online or used on CL.

My 2 cents :)
 
Originally Posted By: wavinwayne
There's tons of used bikes on eBay as well. If you see something you like, post a link here, and I'll be happy to chime in with my $.02.


What do you think about this?? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260494558253&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en
 
Originally Posted By: daddi
Originally Posted By: wavinwayne
There's tons of used bikes on eBay as well. If you see something you like, post a link here, and I'll be happy to chime in with my $.02.


What do you think about this?? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260494558253&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en


Good bike at $300 or less.
 
Another thing that you might tell us is how you plan to use the bike. You mentioned you're interested in a full suspension bike; where do you plan to ride? Do you plan to do mostly cross country trails? gravel roads? downhill shuttles? racing?

Don't let this intimidate you, but mountain bikes have become so specialized that sometimes you can end up with "too much bike" for what you need for your specific type of riding. If you let us know your use, we can look for your perfect bike. (and the mantra of the cyclist is that the second best thing to shopping for a bike for yourself is shopping for someone eles :) )
 
For the thread starter, generally the more ducket$ you dole out for a bike is basically for buying incrementally greater reliability and durability --not-too-mention functionality. For your stated goal as a weekend, once-in-a-while recreational rider, pretty much any of the stated bikes will do. However...

Quote:

Tom, to avoid going in to a rant, since this subjct has been covered before, let me just say, let the buyer beware. you get what you pay for.
please do yourself a favor and go to a real bicycle shop and try some out. you'll be glad you did.


I'm going to +1 here.

For a few bucks more than $300 or $400, one can get a very nice "hybrid bike" that might be more capable and easier on the ol' knees at a reputable, knowledgeably staffed bike store. It will last longer, make your rides more enjoyable, and will just all around "feel better."

Especially RIGHT NOW!! It's the end of the season (in the Northern parts anyhow) and you might get some nicely discounted machinery...

Regards.
 
Last edited:
I got a solid bike that's several years old but in decent shape from a garage sale. I then replaced all the parts that were worn, rusted or dryrotted with decent grade parts that I picked out. I cleaned/repacked the parts that needed it. Total cost was about $120/bike (I did two, one for me, one for my wife.) They've been great and I got to do some customizing as well. I figure it costs the same as a wal-mart special, but I think these will last longer.

Of course, you don't get all the latest shades of paint.
smirk2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: daddi
Looking for opinions for a cheap Mountain bike. These will be for my wife and I. Will be used for 95% hard surface roads trails etc. no jumping, stunting etc. Looking for full susp. and not sure on brakes..disc or conventional style. Walmart has some decent looking bikes between $80 and $150. Target also. Costco has a nice Schwin with disc brakes for I believe $299. A cheap China made bike is fine for us as we will mostly just be putting along our subdivision roads. Any suggestions?? BTW checked out Craigslist..used bikes seem about the same price as new ones.


Sounds like you want to ride on the bike trails the border Prince William Parkway, Fairfax Co. Parkway, etc? basically asphalt....

you don't need a Full suspension bike for this. A hardtail is plenty enough, & it will not beat you up, since you're not doing anything technical, most of the time, on the road, you'll be locking the front fork anyway.

Specialized: Hardrock is a good entry level bike (and Myka is women's specific). You'll probably barely need the knobbies.
Trek: check out the 4000 series & 3000 series.
...and plenty of more brands to choose from.
Definitely go to a local bike shop. Proper fitment & adjustment is key to performance and comfort. You can't get that service at Wally world, target, ****'s, etc
 
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