What should I look for in a cheap mountain bike

A run in the stockings and too much mascara.

Bill "clean version" S.

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David wrote:
I would like to get into cycling, I dont intend to do any really
serious off roading or anything competative, I just want a basic
mountain bike for roads/parks etc.

Are you sure you want a "mountain bike"? Depending on what sort of "parks"
you're talking about, a mountain bike may be a poor choice. If you are
talking paved bike paths and real pave roads, then a road bike (or one of
it's several derivatives) may be what you're after.

Tom

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On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 13:41:23 CST, VBadJuJu wrote:

(David) wrote:

What you should *expect* in a cheap mountain bike:

* A heavy frame
* suspension that wont hold up
* a chain that will last about 200 miles (depending on use and your
weight)
* a cassette that will go about the same time as the chain
* the cheapest rims possible
* unreliable assembly at best bordering on unsafe
* unending problems with the rear hub in the second year
* shoddy components (eg chainrings that are not true, cheap pedals
etc)
* a nice shiny paint job to distract you from all that

The only way that a Toy R Us or Wal-Mart type bike will last is if you
dont ride it. Seriously, anything you "save" on the initial purchase
can easily be spent twice over on replacement parts and repairs in the
first year.

I got a great deal for my brother at the local Trek store - the 7300FX for
about $320bucks. You can't beat that in a straight bar bike - good
componentry, indexed shifters, nice wheels, no crappy suspension forks, and
the big plus - LBS support.

-B

In article , VBadJuJu says...

(David) wrote:

What you should *expect* in a cheap mountain bike:

* A heavy frame
* suspension that wont hold up
* a chain that will last about 200 miles (depending on use and your
weight)
* a cassette that will go about the same time as the chain
* the cheapest rims possible
* unreliable assembly at best bordering on unsafe
* unending problems with the rear hub in the second year
* shoddy components (eg chainrings that are not true, cheap pedals
etc)
* a nice shiny paint job to distract you from all that
Well maybe. But Carl Fogel who posts in r.b.t is up to several hundred miles on
his $53 Mountain Fury Walmart bike with no trouble whatsoever. He would agree
with the heavy part. And at $53 there is no suspension to fail.

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In article , VBadJuJu says...

(David) wrote:

What you should *expect* in a cheap mountain bike:

* A heavy frame
* suspension that wont hold up
* a chain that will last about 200 miles (depending on use and your
weight)
* a cassette that will go about the same time as the chain
* the cheapest rims possible
* unreliable assembly at best bordering on unsafe
* unending problems with the rear hub in the second year
* shoddy components (eg chainrings that are not true, cheap pedals
etc)
* a nice shiny paint job to distract you from all that
Well maybe. But Carl Fogel who posts in r.b.t is up to several hundred miles on
his $53 Mountain Fury Walmart bike with no trouble whatsoever. He would agree
with the heavy part. And at $53 there is no suspension to fail.

--
rec.bicycles.off-road is moderated by volunteers. To find help solving
posting problems, or contact the moderators, please see http://rbor.org/
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Ed wrote:
In article , VBadJuJu
says...

(David) wrote:

What you should *expect* in a cheap mountain bike:

* A heavy frame
* suspension that wont hold up
* a chain that will last about 200 miles (depending on use and your
weight)
* a cassette that will go about the same time as the chain
* the cheapest rims possible
* unreliable assembly at best bordering on unsafe
* unending problems with the rear hub in the second year
* shoddy components (eg chainrings that are not true, cheap pedals
etc)
* a nice shiny paint job to distract you from all that

Well maybe. But Carl Fogel who posts in r.b.t is up to several
hundred miles on his $53 Mountain Fury Walmart bike with no trouble
whatsoever. He would agree with the heavy part. And at $53 there is
no suspension to fail.

AFAIK, Carl has done all his "Fury-ous" riding on the road. There's little
doubt that rugged trail use would kill that bike in short order.

Bill "it's a Fury Roadmaster, I believe" S.

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Ed wrote:
In article , VBadJuJu
says...

(David) wrote:

What you should *expect* in a cheap mountain bike:

* A heavy frame
* suspension that wont hold up
* a chain that will last about 200 miles (depending on use and your
weight)
* a cassette that will go about the same time as the chain
* the cheapest rims possible
* unreliable assembly at best bordering on unsafe
* unending problems with the rear hub in the second year
* shoddy components (eg chainrings that are not true, cheap pedals
etc)
* a nice shiny paint job to distract you from all that

Well maybe. But Carl Fogel who posts in r.b.t is up to several
hundred miles on his $53 Mountain Fury Walmart bike with no trouble
whatsoever. He would agree with the heavy part. And at $53 there is
no suspension to fail.

AFAIK, Carl has done all his "Fury-ous" riding on the road. There's little
doubt that rugged trail use would kill that bike in short order.

Bill "it's a Fury Roadmaster, I believe" S.

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rec.bicycles.off-road is moderated by volunteers. To find help solving
posting problems, or contact the moderators, please see http://rbor.org/
Please read the charter before posting: http://rbor.org/rbor_charter.txt

In article ,
"S o r n i" wrote:

Ed wrote:
In article , VBadJuJu
says...

(David) wrote:

What you should *expect* in a cheap mountain bike:

* A heavy frame
* suspension that wont hold up
* a chain that will last about 200 miles (depending on use and your
weight)
* a cassette that will go about the same time as the chain
* the cheapest rims possible
* unreliable assembly at best bordering on unsafe
* unending problems with the rear hub in the second year
* shoddy components (eg chainrings that are not true, cheap pedals
etc)
* a nice shiny paint job to distract you from all that

Well maybe. But Carl Fogel who posts in r.b.t is up to several
hundred miles on his $53 Mountain Fury Walmart bike with no trouble
whatsoever. He would agree with the heavy part. And at $53 there is
no suspension to fail.

AFAIK, Carl has done all his "Fury-ous" riding on the road. There's little
doubt that rugged trail use would kill that bike in short order.

The prime issue is that, for the money, you can almost certainly find a
used rigid mountain bike. Rigid bikes are so passé that they sell for
nothing at garage sales and not much more at used-bike dealers.

For the money, you might well get a high-end MTB that will hold up for
years, and make a great bike for commuting or light trail work.

--
Ryan Cousineau, http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

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In article ,
"S o r n i" wrote:

Ed wrote:
In article , VBadJuJu
says...

(David) wrote:

What you should *expect* in a cheap mountain bike:

* A heavy frame
* suspension that wont hold up
* a chain that will last about 200 miles (depending on use and your
weight)
* a cassette that will go about the same time as the chain
* the cheapest rims possible
* unreliable assembly at best bordering on unsafe
* unending problems with the rear hub in the second year
* shoddy components (eg chainrings that are not true, cheap pedals
etc)
* a nice shiny paint job to distract you from all that

Well maybe. But Carl Fogel who posts in r.b.t is up to several
hundred miles on his $53 Mountain Fury Walmart bike with no trouble
whatsoever. He would agree with the heavy part. And at $53 there is
no suspension to fail.

AFAIK, Carl has done all his "Fury-ous" riding on the road. There's little
doubt that rugged trail use would kill that bike in short order.

The prime issue is that, for the money, you can almost certainly find a
used rigid mountain bike. Rigid bikes are so passé that they sell for
nothing at garage sales and not much more at used-bike dealers.

For the money, you might well get a high-end MTB that will hold up for
years, and make a great bike for commuting or light trail work.

--
Ryan Cousineau, http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

--
rec.bicycles.off-road is moderated by volunteers. To find help solving
posting problems, or contact the moderators, please see http://rbor.org/
Please read the charter before posting: http://rbor.org/rbor_charter.txt

Ed wrote in message ...
In article , VBadJuJu says...

(David) wrote:

What you should *expect* in a cheap mountain bike:

* A heavy frame
* suspension that wont hold up
* a chain that will last about 200 miles (depending on use and your
weight)
* a cassette that will go about the same time as the chain
* the cheapest rims possible
* unreliable assembly at best bordering on unsafe
* unending problems with the rear hub in the second year
* shoddy components (eg chainrings that are not true, cheap pedals
etc)
* a nice shiny paint job to distract you from all that
Well maybe. But Carl Fogel who posts in r.b.t is up to several hundred miles on
his $53 Mountain Fury Walmart bike with no trouble whatsoever. He would agree
with the heavy part. And at $53 there is no suspension to fail.

That's not exactly a vote of confidence.

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rec.bicycles.off-road is moderated by volunteers. To find help solving
posting problems, or contact the moderators, please see http://rbor.org/
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