Jump to content
IGNORED

Need help buying first mountain bike

Lacch

By Lacch,
in Bikes for Sale

 Share

Recommended Posts

Tree Magnet Rookie

Tree Magnet

Posted
Posted (edited)
5 hours ago, Lacch said:

Here is my new question... If I go with the Talon 2 and take it on the Walnut Creek trails, will the cheaper bike have a negative impact on my experience or can I still have fun and see if I stick with the hobby in 6, 9, 12mo? 

I've been looking for a used quality bike, but in today's environment there just isn't much out there to pick from. 

Thanks again for all of the help!

Here's a data point.  I rode Walnut last night with someone riding a 1988 mountain bike.  He absolutely shredded and despite having 26" wheels, 7 speeds, pull brakes, and NO suspension, he had a great time and kept up with a fast group of skilled riders.  We hit every big drop we could find including the jumps.  

The lesson here is that you don't need an expensive/new bike to enjoy riding.  If you find out that you enjoy the hobby, you will naturally gravitate towards the bike, trail, and style of riding that you enjoy the most.  

Edited by Tree Magnet
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Barry Rising Star

Barry

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, Tree Magnet said:

Here's a data point.  I rode Walnut last night with someone riding a 1988 mountain bike.  He absolutely shredded and despite being having 26" wheels, 7 speeds, pull brakes, and NO suspension, he had a great time and kept up with a fast group of skilled riders. 

@WLemke did say he had fun. And he kept up very well. But... to be faaaaaaaaair... he did say he'll be bringing his Ibis to R&I from here out.

But still, most any mountain bike built in the last 10 years, with 29er wheels and a suspension fork will be significantly more comfortable than that awesome old Stumpy.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lacch Apprentice

Lacch

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I totally understand the advice to be patient, but as a reference, I have been taking the kids riding every day for the last few weeks, and this is my current setup.....

I don't even think this bike is all that safe... its been making some scary noises lately 😐

IMG_1389.jpg.6619e16af55889043883728e290cf753.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lacch Apprentice

Lacch

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)
52 minutes ago, notyal said:

Here's one with room in the budget for a few upgrades.

https://austin.craigslist.org/bik/d/austin-2009-gary-fisher-paragon-29er/7288953680.html

I'm somewhat hooked on the idea of a 1x... maybe I shouldn't be?

I messaged the owner anyway, might as well check it out.

thanks for the find!

 

oh, and @CBaron thanks for the offer!!! super kind of you!  I'll reach out later this week If I intend to take you up on it. thanks man.

Edited by Lacch
Link to comment
Share on other sites
notyal Enthusiast

notyal

Posted
Posted
26 minutes ago, Lacch said:

I'm somewhat hooked on the idea of a 1x... maybe I shouldn't be?

I messaged the owner anyway, might as well check it out.

thanks for the find!

 

oh, and @CBaron thanks for the offer!!! super kind of you!  I'll reach out later this week If I intend to take you up on it. thanks man.

Yeah, 1x is nice for sure. Depending on how far down the rabbit hole you want to go, it can be a simple upgrade. You could technically go to a 1x9 (or whatever number of gears that cassette has) by simply buying a cheap narrow/wide chainring and throwing the front shifter and derailleur in the trash. Of course, you'd probably want to go to a clutch derailleur and wider range cassette while you're at it. 

Looking at your trailer setup, you may run into some compatibility issues with the rear hub if you go with a new bike. Most newer bikes use a thru axle, so you can't use the skewer that most of those trailers use. I think there are adapters, but it's just one more thing to keep in mind.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
AntonioGG Mentor

AntonioGG

Posted
Posted

I was going to suggest for mostly neighborhood rides and Walnut an old quality hybrid bike may be the right ticket (like a $150 Jamis Coda or something like that).  If you feel limited after a few rides and you want to upgrade, you can sell that bike for what you paid for it. But then I saw the picture of your bike.

I would even suggest figuring out what are causing the noises on your klunker, fix that, put a proper MTB saddle on it and go shred on that to see if you're into it.

image.thumb.png.b16f37c88bc75690998c3938c9be516c.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites
CBaron Collaborator

CBaron

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, mack_turtle said:

that's a fantastic option! the Juicy brakes might give you a headache. for that budget, there would be some $$ to spare for stuff like that.

Agree.  

That was a pretty good bike in its day and looks to be well taken care of.  I abhor Avid juicy brakes but at that price, like you said, he could upgrade a few things easy.  Finding some lower cost brakes is not difficult.  And converting to 1x is very simple too (while bing pretty low cost also).  IMHO he could be all in for around $800.  If this bike fit well and has not been 'put away wet' I think it would be a great starting point (for a 6-12 mo MTB experiment).

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
WLemke Contributor

WLemke

Posted
Posted (edited)
7 minutes ago, Lacch said:

no clue how to guage the 2009 Gary Fisher Paragon vs the RockHopper listed above.... Might just come down to which one I can ride first.

any advice here?

I’d pick the modern hopper over the dinosaur GF any day. 
 

As @CBaron mentioned above, $800 is a bit steep even for COVID pricing. A brand new one retails for $850.
 

If you can snag it for $600 at most, I’d say that’s a fair COVID deal. If the seller is firm at $800, I’d advice to remain patient and walk away. 

Edited by WLemke
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lacch Apprentice

Lacch

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Do you guys tend to favor Specialized over Giant? I ask because it seems like the Rockhopper and Talon are comparable models, yet there seems to be no love for the Talon. 

I just got done calling 5 more bike shops in N Austin.... not one Large hardtail in stock.

 

Edited by Lacch
Link to comment
Share on other sites
CBaron Collaborator

CBaron

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, WLemke said:

I’d pick the modern hopper over the dinosaur GF any day. 
 

As @CBaron mentioned above, $800 is a bit steep even for COVID pricing. A brand new one retails for $850.
 

If you can snag it for $600 at most, I’d say that’s a fair COVID deal. If the seller is firm at $800, I’d advice to remain patient and walk away. 

 

Ouch!  I suspected it might not be far off.  I think your $600-(650) then walk away vice is sound.

-CJB

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lacch Apprentice

Lacch

Posted
  • Author
Posted

The Rockhopper has a $700 offer on it, picking up tomorrow.

If it falls through, I have a standing offer at $650.... we'll see. Thanks for the pricing guidance!

Also, I decided to pass on the Gary Fisher, I just don't have enough knowledge to gauge the condition of a 12+ yr old bike.

At this point I've accepted that I need to keep refreshing craigslist + FB multiple times a day. 

Please continue to let me know of any deals you guys come across!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AntonioGG Mentor

AntonioGG

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, ATXZJ said:

I've bought & sold a ton of bikes on PB. So far, no issues.

My brother bought a Honzo on PB.  It had been repainted, not that great.  So he had it blasted and was gonna powder coat it, and they found damage that had been bondoed over, and the SN filed off.  Stay away from re-painted bikes.

  • Sad 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
ATXZJ Mentor

ATXZJ

Posted
Posted (edited)
4 hours ago, CBaron said:

I personally don't like it because the frame is a bit too future proof!   🙂  64* HTA!  yahhhh no thanks.  

Later,
CJB

Can totally appreciate that

Have you ridden a 64 HTA bike? My XC is 66 and park is 62-ish

Edited by ATXZJ
Link to comment
Share on other sites
WLemke Contributor

WLemke

Posted
Posted

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/4076595042385510/

A bit over your price range at $1,500. Pre-COVID I think this bike could be had for right around $1,100 but would probably be valued at around $1,200-$1,300 today. May be a good option for you if you can up your budget a little or a willing to haggle the seller into the ground.

Cons:
2x
External cable routing is a mess on this bike
Slightly outdated geometry
Bottle mount under the down tube

Pros:
DVO diamond fork is a full chefs kiss
Dropper post
Solid groupset


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...