any mountain bikers? i'm looking for mountain bike advice/fact...

i've been shopping and test riding hardtail mountain bikes for the last couple weeks now. my price range is sub $800.
so far i have my list narrowed down to.
Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc....
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=38430

Trek 4500....
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/mountain_hardtail/4_series/4500/

Cannondale F5 or F7.... (or equivalent F series hardtail)
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/09/cusa/model-9FS5.html

the Specialized is the lightest out of those 3 models, by a good few pounds or more.

i really dont know much about the comparison of the different components that all the bikes have, ie shifters, derailluers, gear sets etc. etc. (SRAM/Shimano/Bontrager etc.). however i do know that Rock Shox are a better performer then Suntours. also i know that seperate shifter and brake levers are a better option then the "all in one piece" units.
anyone care to school me on components?
or have any other suggestions for makes and models in my price range?

:looser:

Dunno about the cannondale, but the trek and specialized are both good. Suntour shocks suck. Shimano components are the most common on MTBs, and I prefer them. You might also try checking out one of the online bike forums.

I'd get the specialized myself, it's a good entry-level choice.

EDIT: the Avid BB5s are great brakes for the price range, and the tires are also quite good. Replace the grips with something better though, and sometime in the future you should probably replace the front derailleur with a higher-end unit.

I'm a huge fan of Jamis bikes. I've had my hardtail for almost 6 years now, and besides basic maintenance and logical upgrades, it's been like a child to me.

This looks to be within your range...right out of the box with VERY capable components.


But if you're sticking to the list you have, it's really a toss-up between the Specialized and the Cannondale.

I think you will get a lot of opinions here, for example i prefer SRAM deraillers and shifters. It really boils down to you get what you pay for. Good suspension is not cheap. Spend your money on Fork and Frame and upgrade parts as you need to. Just my opinion.

That looks nice too. Dunno about the brakes though-I've never tried any but I've heard negative stuff about tektro in general. You could get that and put Juicy 7s on it.

EDIT:

Sillyfast said:

Spend your money on Fork and Frame and upgrade parts as you need to.

Click to expand...

This is good advice.

I guess to simplify...any entry-level bike you purchase for $800 is going to have a similar combination of all entry-level components and accessories. You need not be an expert in judging headsets, chain rings, tires, or anything of the sort.

Your choice will come down to the bike that fits your eye as equally as your wallet.

One last note. If I were to do it all over, I'd seriously consider building my bike from the ground up. With websites and stores like JensonUSA.com you can have the final say in every aspect of your build...and you might even get more bang for your buck. Jenson even puts together some sick package deals. Just something to think about.

Good luck.

I like my Gary Fisher Wahoo. I'll ask my friend who is ranked nationally if he had 800 bucks to spend on a hardtail what he would buy and get back to you.

I have a Trek now but I used to have the Specialized Rockhopper and it was nicer. The few pounds lighter and with RockShox was fast. It was stolen and I miss that bike.

While I dont bike much myself, the camp I run has an extensive mountain biking program and I end up ordering alot of parts.

Our bikes see a lifetime of use in about 3 months (up to 3 rides a day 5 days a week June-Aug, each ride about 7 miles)

SRAM components seem to hold up alot better. So do steel frames.

Im not big into MBs either but my Giant Rincon was only like $400 and I cant see a difference between it and the ones you pointed out other than you can get two for the price of one.

The Rincon had disk brakes and Aluminum frame and just about the same everything else yours have.

Just throwing that option out there. The only problem I had was that I was riding it home from class and tried to start in way too high of a gear going up a moderately steep hill, and I stretched the chain enough to cause a slight problem. $20 fix, but I changed the cassette at the same time.

Unfortunately, I don't ride as much as I used to ( about 10 years ago), but I still ride some. My last high-end bike was a Specialized Stumpjumper with a Manitou fork. It was one sweet ride, handled twisty trails with ease. I also used to be a bike mechanic before I had a family, and I worked on just about every brand. My experience showed me a few things about all the different brands:
1. all bikes purchased from a reputable bike shop are good quality.
2. at any given price point ie $800, you are paying for either a better frame or better components compared to other bikes
3. Ride Ride Ride any and all bikes you are interested in. Every bike fits and rides differently, find the one that feels the best.
4. TRUST the sales person to answer your questions and to make sure the bike is properly fitted to you, your riding style, and the terain you will be riding.

There is no perfect bike for everyone. If you invest the time to visit every shop in your area, to ride every bike you can, and have the bike professionaly fitted to you, you will not be dissipointed in your purchase. At least until you get bitten by the bug and want a higher perfomance ride.

Good Luck and have fun.

lots of good info and advice, thanks!
i thought about registering on a bike forum but i didnt want to deal with all the newb tude like "this subject again, try searching!" etc. etc. lol
glad i found some folks on here instead.

having owned a $4xx, 2000 Giant Yukon SE, i feel i am better off paying a little extra in the beginning for better components and fork then i am trying to upgrade them later on down the road. not to mention, if i did ever plan to upgrade major components, i still have a decent frame to fall back onto.
the cheaper bikes start off with little annoying things like cheap plastic pedals that bend quickly. Suntour fork that every review i have read about them says be prepared to upgrade soon. altho my Giant had a Rock Shox Jett fork that was okay for a while but bottomed out easily.

this Saturday i am going to test ride a NOS '07 Gary Fisher Ferrous, that a local dealer just got 4 in from GF stock and is pricing them at $799, which is a bit less then half of new retail. only thing i am leary of is its a steel frame bike (opinions?). but it does have killer components and a RockShox Revelation fork.
http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=2007&Brand=Gary%20Fisher&Model=Ferrous&Type=bike

so in a nutshell, opinion is components should all be comparable in my price range. i guess i figured as much but didnt know if some were more common then others, cheaper to repair or replace then others, cheaper materials (child/slave labor built haha) etc etc.

its too bad Cannondales bikes in my range arent still built in the US. if they were, i would probably already have one in the garage without having started this thread.

i wish i could find Kona and Fuji dealers with a good selection close by so i could get a really broad range of manufacturers bikes, before i do settle on one.

i'll post up again with what i decide. eace:

welp, ended up with the Fisher Ferrous. a whole lot of bike for the $, just couldnt pass it up!

Good call. The Fox won't let you down.