BICYCLE GUYS- Wanted to purchase one after 14yrs of none

Ironsheikh · #1 07/03/2006, 11:41 PM

I havent owned a bike since my Trek 820 like 14 yrs ago. Had a couple questions --

Pros/Cons of:

1) Road Bike vs Mountain Bike...
I like the look of some road bikes but I think Id get more use out of a mountain bike. Visually the Specialized Tarmac or Trek road bikes look hot but cant afford them. Mountain bikes, I like the Jamis Dakar or Komodo's looks, there's a bike on ebay called the Pinnacle Ajax that looks nice too

2) Full suspension vs Hard tail...
I heard full is slower than hardtail but dont think Im hardcore enough to care

pnosko · #2 07/04/2006, 12:04 AM

I bought a Trek hybrid 10 or 12 years ago. I spent around $700-800, including all sorts of accessories. I was riding it shortly after buying it one April 15th late night to mail my taxes, hit a pothole and got a blowout, bending the rim. I replaced the front wheel, and it's been hanging in storage ever since. I think it has 17 miles on it.

rppvt · #3 07/04/2006, 12:18 AM

Ive got full suspension on my GT because I do a bit of downhill--- you can tighten it up for climbs. It's nice to not have to worry about the odd log in the road and a compression puncture. But on the mileage end the road bike is SO much easier to handle. The GT weighs in at 35+lbs and the road at a bit over half that. I guess if you picked up a Bicycling Mag and checked out their monthly buys you'd apperciate their expertese. Wear a helmet. I know a guy who used to be a lawyer... now he stacks cheese at Burger King.

surfnvb7 · #4 07/04/2006, 12:20 AM

something to keep in mind is full suspension is a good bit heavier than a hard tail. also, if its not a very good brand, and stiff rear shock, some people will get a "bobbing" sensation while trying to pedal (the back of the bike bobbing up and down under your weight). IMO, full suspension is not really necessary unless you are attempting some fast downhill terrain which is very rocky/bumpy.

a big problem with road bikes/road racing bikes, is the fact the tires are so small, and under such high pressure (like +130psi), that if you run over a sharp rock that is the width of the rim, you can get a double puncture (snake bite) quite easily. i've had way more flat tires on my road bike riding on open roads then on my mountain bike w/ thick tires over very rocky terrain. so in other words, you wouldn't be able to ride a road bike through a gravel drive way, or path without the fear of a flat tire.

Trek, Gary Fisher, and Specialized (I prefer the later 2 over Trek IMO) make good, affordable hard tail bikes. I always prefer to get a bike from a respectable dealer (unless I can get it at whole sale cost elsewhere). They usually have maintenance deals associated with their sales in case something goes wrong.

Ironsheikh · #5 07/04/2006, 09:41 AM

thanks for the opinions still trying to decide. Maybe I should add I'm a trainer/bodybuilder at 205-212 lbs. I dont have a chance to look at/play around with any bikes in my area and have never really tried to ride a road bike before. Yesterday I saw my neighbors old cheap women's road bike outside so I tried to sit on it to get the feel (yeah it was a funny sight) I dont know if I like looking down at such a skinny tire or the crouched riding position.

Maybe the "bobbing" may be an issue too --- Im leaning towards a hardtail mountain right now I think --- I saw a sharp looking Jamis Komodo last week that caught my eye

surfnvb7 · #6 07/04/2006, 09:49 AM

oh yeah, you are in the same boat I am. I'm pretty large also, 6'4" 220lbs. my full suspension mountain bike bobs like crazy under my weight. its VERY apparent when you get up off the seat and start peddling like you are going up hill or sprinting. its VERY annoying.

my rear suspension is actually adjustable, but i have to have it on the stiffest setting. b/c on the setting w/ the most travel, i've actually had the encasing around my bottom bracket and pedals smack large boulders pretty hard. which means the bike is bobbing too low.

definitely go with a hard tail mountain bike.

Ironsheikh · #7 07/04/2006, 11:00 AM

agreed ... I 'll go with a hardtail mountain now I'll have to decide what brand I've been looking online at Specialized, Jamis, and Trek

Are disk breaks really that much better?

Wilafur · #8 07/04/2006, 11:10 AM

i am also in the same boat and have my bike choice pertty much figured out. i am leaning towards the santa cruz superlight. it is a full suspension bike and has received great reviews from most online and print sources.

crazyboy · #9 07/04/2006, 12:05 PM

I do alot of bicycle riding. Have a top of the line bike, heres a picture of it for you.

Wilafur · #10 07/04/2006, 12:57 PM

trikes are back eh?

surfnvb7 · #11 07/04/2006, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ironsheikh
agreed ... I 'll go with a hardtail mountain now I'll have to decide what brand I've been looking online at Specialized, Jamis, and Trek

Are disk breaks really that much better?

i got my bike back in 2000, and it came with the top of the line disc brakes at the time (Hayes). only catch was, that they couldn't make mechanical disc brakes work that well at the time. (mechanical meaning pulling on a cord to create tension, just like regular brakes).

my disc brakes are hydroulic, so they actually have brake fluid in the line. and i'm sure they are still top of the line. you cant get any better than hydroulic disc brakes. but they are more expensive to repair if something goes wrong.

i'd do some research on the type of bike, to see what kind of quality disc brakes it comes with. if its a cheap bike, w/ disc brakes, chances are they are cheap disc brakes and will break easily. remember, cheaper doesnt always mean better

surfnvb7 · #12 07/04/2006, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Wilafur
i am also in the same boat and have my bike choice pertty much figured out. i am leaning towards the santa cruz superlight. it is a full suspension bike and has received great reviews from most online and print sources.

I LOVE SANTA CRUZ!! they are quite rare to find over here on the east coast IME, since its a west coast bike manufacturer (i think).

I had a chance to get a $1900 full suspension one a while back at $850 whole sale price through a team deal. I'm still kicking myself I didn't get it. they are so sweet

cbashaw · #13 07/04/2006, 04:50 PM

Quote:

[i]
Im leaning towards a hardtail mountain right now I think --- I saw a sharp looking Jamis Komodo last week that caught my eye [/B]

The Jamis Komodo is not a bad bike but it only has 2 chainrings up front which will limit you going fast and it is more fit for jumping off of stairs and and loading docks or going to the dirt jumps. They are lots of fun to play with but you will find it is too cramped for any long distance riding.

The Kona Hoss or Hoss Deluxe are worth considering. I am 205lbs and I repeatedly jumped one of these off of a 6' wall down to flat pavement then put it right back on the rack at the bike shop like nothing ever happened( I was a shop mechanic for years). They will definately handle anything you can throw at them

http://konaworld.com/shopping_cart/F...0&parentid=253

Another option for you to consider is a cyclocross bike.
http://www.redlinebicycles.com/adultbikes/conquest.html

It is basically an overbuilt road bike and you can do some light offroad riding with it too. They were very popular to race before mountain bikes were around.

If you get a mountain bike get a second set of wheels for it with slicks on it to use for road riding.

cbashaw · #14 07/04/2006, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by surfnvb7
I LOVE SANTA CRUZ!! they are quite rare to find over here on the east coast IME, since its a west coast bike manufacturer (i think).

Santa Cruz is a great company and you would be surprised at how many shops can get them. Most shops dont stock higher end frames because they are too hard to get rid of since there are so many different sizes, colors etc...
Shops usually make most of their money on complete bikes in the $300 range so that is what stock the most of.

Germantown bikes in Germantown, MD stocks them and several other nice brands like sinister, and Planet X.

surfnvb7,

You're not too far frome me If you're ever up for a ride let me know. I ride all the time and I'm always looking for new spots to ride.

Saltz Creep · #15 07/04/2006, 05:07 PM

JmLee · #16 07/04/2006, 06:27 PM

i believe santa cruz stoped manufacturing bike frames. I could be wrong.

Ironsheikh · #17 07/04/2006, 10:01 PM

thanks for the help --Ive heard of the companies but not familiar of the models, so I'll check them out.

expensive stuff... when I finally save up the cash I'll have to decide on a bike ....or a new 242g acrylic tank, it'll be hard to choose

surfnvb7 · #18 07/04/2006, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cbashaw

surfnvb7,

You're not too far frome me If you're ever up for a ride let me know. I ride all the time and I'm always looking for new spots to ride.

if i remember correctly, there is a trail review site on mtbr.com.
if not, its on some other site that i cant remember.

i'm in blacksburg, va. so we have REAL mountains in our backyard. i'm not a big fan of climbing them though. i used to be into it big time back when i was on the university mountain bike team and cycling team. brush mountain has an elevation of 2,900 feet from the bottom trail that runs along a creek b/w two mountains.
http://trails.mtbr.com/cat/united-st...4_4585crx.aspx

i had a bad leg injury snowboarding a couple years back, lost alot of leg mass and could never get back into cycling. still try to do mountain biking every now and then, but just dont have the endurance to ride up and down the mountains for more than 2hrs in a day.

JmLee....you could be right. I haven't be "into it" as much as I used to be for a couple years now due to some injuries. I just remember santa cruz bikes were really sweet back then, and impossible to find at least in Virginia.

surfnvb7 · #19 07/04/2006, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ironsheikh
thanks for the help --Ive heard of the companies but not familiar of the models, so I'll check them out.

expensive stuff... when I finally save up the cash I'll have to decide on a bike ....or a new 242g acrylic tank, it'll be hard to choose

judging by what you have described, you need a good cross country hard tail type of mountain bike. something with a front shock that doesnt have more than ~3inches of travel (i think).

the big key for you is to find a light bike. dont go with all of these fancy ones that look like motorcycles. they are ONLY meant for downhill racing. I'd love to see a person who has a downhill racing bike try to ride up a mountain out here. Shoot, I've even seen kids with $6k downhill racers that only use them to jump off of steps and loading docks, they've never even seen a single track dirt trail.

If its a real mountain bike, its meant to get dirty and beat up. The best parts of riding are coming back covered head to toe in mud and dripping wet.

Ironsheikh · #20 07/04/2006, 10:40 PM

yeah, you know what I'm thinking ...

looking for something that looks good, quality, light, hardtail

like you said -- wont be using it for anything too hardcore

give me some names to look up and we'll see what looks like the champ

surfnvb7 · #21 07/04/2006, 11:04 PM

what kind of price range are you thinking about? that will narrow the field down big time.

Ironsheikh · #22 07/05/2006, 08:47 AM

prob MSRP $1500 or lower but most likely I'll be looking for a deal on ebay for a used one, but dont want to pay more than $800 for used

otolith · #23 07/05/2006, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cbashaw
Another option for you to consider is a cyclocross bike.
http://www.redlinebicycles.com/adultbikes/conquest.html

It is basically an overbuilt road bike and you can do some light offroad riding with it too. They were very popular to race before mountain bikes were around.

If you get a mountain bike get a second set of wheels for it with slicks on it to use for road riding.

I think that's what I've settled on for a bike. I go about 6-2 250, so I want a bike with tires a little bigger than the width of my thumb. I think I'm probably going to get a LeMond Poprad with disc brakes. The only problem is that when all is said and done, I'll probably have $2K into it to get it going. Ouch.

Dakafall · #24 07/05/2006, 11:22 PM

Throw a couple hundred extra into your bike and go with the Trek equinox 7, it's an AWSOME bike

http://www2.trekbikes.com/bikes/bike.php?bikeid=1496000&f=6

my other bike is a trek 4500

http://www2.trekbikes.com/bikes/bike...d=1022600&f=19

I'll ride the hardtail if it's on the bike path, or just goofin' around town, but in the longer rides (ie: Tour De Kota i'll use the equinox, both great bikes IMO, can't really go wrong with a Trek

surfnvb7 · #25 07/06/2006, 12:03 AM

Dakafall,
do you do triathlons, or tours? not many people have much of a use for time trial bikes unless they are competing at a VERY high level.

i honestly never saw the point in getting the time trial bikes. just get a titanium light speed road bike, with thin tubing, and slap some aero bars on it. it would be 10x lighter than a regular time trial bike with all of that thick carbon fiber aero tubing. then save your money and buy some carbon fiber aero wheels (like zipps).

the weight of the wheels on racing bikes make a HUGE difference in how fast it will go.