Input wanted on Mountain Bikes

[Naches Sportsman]

What do you all use to ride in on logging roads? I am in the market for  mountain bike as my prime location for elk hunting is no longer accessible by vehicle for a few years. I will need a cross country bike as it is uphill and downhill. I will be riding round trip about 15 miles a time. Looking to stay below 1K (I know, I am cheap I got some skis to buy  )for the time being unless I have a damn good deal from a buddy or something that I cannot pass up. thanks for the opinions and input.

[adamR]

You should be able to buy a nice bike for under a grand! I bought a trek with everything I need for $700. You should get disc breaks, try to get lockouts for your front shocks, and for that price you should be able to get rear shocks as well.

How big are you?

[tjthebest]

make sure to ride your bike alot before the season. Your butt is going to be hurting riding 15 miles on a dirt road...

[KevinClimbs]

There are lots of good brands of mountain bikes Trek, Kona, Specialized... They are essentially frame builders and assemblers so you will want to check that the components are quality. Shimano and SRAM make good stuff. You should be able to get a fine one for $1k especially if you go used. Some things to consider:

-Wheel size: 26" is standard but 29" is becoming more common. Either is fine and I have owned both but would probably opt for 26" as it might save you a little weight.

- Shocks: Get a front shock, your body will thank you over the course of 15 miles. Rock Shox and FOX are high quality brands. A rear shock will make the ride smoother but you will loose some power when climbing even if you tighten the resistance. It will also be heavier and more expensive so it is a trade off. I don't ride a rear shock but it would be nice sometimes.

-Front Chain rings/gearing - Make sure the bike you get is a double or a tipple (2 or 3 front gears). You will want those extra gears when climbing steep stuff. This will typically equate to 16 to 30 speeds depending on the configuration.

-Fit: Go to a bike shop, test ride a bike or three and get them to tell you your size. Mountain bikes are measured in either a S,M,L scale or in inches per the size of the frame. Given your height I would guess you are a size M or L (18"-20") but I am not an expert.

I currently ride a cyclocross bike that is OK on gravel and is fast when it is smooth but sucks on some of the logging roads that are built using larger crushed rock. I used to ride a Kona 29er but it got jacked :-(

[adamR]

  I went to valley cycling, the giant dealer on nob hill, and the cannon dale dealer on fruit vale ( don't remember the names) all three places thought me something new and let me test ride a lot of different bikes. They were very helpful and made me realize what I thought I wanted to buy wasn't the right bike for me.

[JPhelps]

Giant, trek, specialized, etc... All make good bikes.  From my understanding Giant makes all of the frames to these companies specs.

In my opinion disc brakes and a hardtail are better for riding logging roads. Front suspension with lockout is a nice option.

For $500 you can get a very good bike.  By spending more money you will get better derailers, brakes and other components.

[jnevs23]

All good advice here.  I would probably go with a hardtail making sure I had hydraulic disc breaks and a locking front shock.  Ive got a 29er and love it.  Climbs better and picks up speed quick with the bigger tires.  I would check performance cycle online and bikes direct.  I bought my GT at performance cycle in the Seattle area but have heard good things about their website as well.

[Stickerbush]

I have a trek model 4300, its a larger hardtail. Think I paid 350-400 a few yrs ago, great bike

[kglacken]

I agree with all the advice so far but in my opinion the most important part is the spare tube, chain, and tools to fix them! Nothing worse than pushing a $500 bike down the logging road..... trust me 

[swanny]

29" and a hard tail are what you will want. The larger wheel makes going uphill much easier, less pedaling essentially. Full suspension is going to add weight and a good full suspension bike is going to be hard to come by for under 1k, especially if you are concerned about the weight.

Chances are you won't have to worry about the front chai rings, only high end bikes will have a singl ring on the front.

For the front suspension, anything less than 100mm will be fine for logging roads. It will suck up any bumps you encounter just fine for logging roads. Depending on when you are looking to buy I may be selling y bike in the spring so I can upgrade to a full suspension rig. It's a 2012 GT Karakoram. It's a great bike and in good shape, I just want a higher end bikes for the trails I ride.

[SCRUBS]

I agree with all the advice so far but in my opinion the most important part is the spare tube, chain, and tools to fix them! Nothing worse than pushing a $500 bike down the logging road..... trust me 

Best advice in this thread, nothing trumps experience

[Bullkllr]

I agree with all the advice so far but in my opinion the most important part is the spare tube, chain, and tools to fix them! Nothing worse than pushing a $500 bike down the logging road..... trust me 

Best advice in this thread, nothing trumps experience

Yes.

Am I the only one who finds the whole bike marketing scenario somewhat frustrating?

Granted, I've never thrown in for a truly high end bike- cost is rather scarey. So I've gone with what I consider mid-range 3-500$ models (Giant, Trek, Nishiki so far). Also have used a couple sub-100$ cheapies (Schwinn, Raleigh), that I've gotten about the same use out of.

 Maintenance on all of them costs the same. You need to be able to do-it yourself or it is quite expensive (bike shop hourly is more than my auto mechanic) and you are soon better off buying a new bike. Replacement parts are high at shops too. It's clear to me as soon as you walk in the door they want to sell you a new bike.

I've gotten to the point where I do the basic maintenance on my own-and I'm getting better- but if something really goes wrong- (crank, derailer, etc) I figure I better just get a new bike.

[swanny]

I agree with all the advice so far but in my opinion the most important part is the spare tube, chain, and tools to fix them! Nothing worse than pushing a $500 bike down the logging road..... trust me 

Best advice in this thread, nothing trumps experience

Yes.

Am I the only one who finds the whole bike marketing scenario somewhat frustrating?

Granted, I've never thrown in for a truly high end bike- cost is rather scarey. So I've gone with what I consider mid-range 3-500$ models (Giant, Trek, Nishiki so far). Also have used a couple sub-100$ cheapies (Schwinn, Raleigh), that I've gotten about the same use out of.

 Maintenance on all of them costs the same. You need to be able to do-it yourself or it is quite expensive (bike shop hourly is more than my auto mechanic) and you are soon better off buying a new bike. Replacement parts are high at shops too. It's clear to me as soon as you walk in the door they want to sell you a new bike.

I've gotten to the point where I do the basic maintenance on my own-and I'm getting better- but if something really goes wrong- (crank, derailer, etc) I figure I better just get a new bike.

You get what you pay for. Quality and reliable parts cost money, there is a reason why a $100 bike is a $100 bike. Also understanding how the bike works and how to shift is huge. Saves a ton of headaches. Lastly, making sure to care for your bike will go a long ways. Store it inside out of the elements, clean it up after each use, and lube it up after every few rides will make components last much longer and that yearly tuneup won't hurt so much.

[Westside88]

I shopped around quite a bit before buying a Giant with front and rear suspension. I got a really good deal because it was a couple years old. I guess that was one time where being taller than average saved me money.  The one I bought has a lockout for the rear suspension which I usually leave locked. If I hadn't found this one is decided to buy a better hard tail as opposed to a less quality full suspension.  Better components will be quieter with less problems. I would definitely make sure you get the hydraulic disk brakes

[GEARHEAD]

dont forget tires, flats suck! i put Armadilos on mine, and added liners on the inside too, i also carry two tubes just in case. i zip tied a milk basket to the back, for my pack and extra water.....