500-750 US dollars to spend, purchasing advice sought (im newbie)

Hello.

Ive been researching the purchase of a bike, and I would like some
advice from a well knowledged and experienced mountain biker.

Here is my specs:
I weight 200 lbs, and 5'8" tall.
The bike will be used for the following:
Riding around the neighborhood, very occasional (once/twice a year) 100
mile road trip, several 25ish mile road trips on hilly Missouri Ozark
roads, lots of basic bike trail riding, very occasional (once a year?)
advanced bike trail riding.

The condition with this bike purchase, is as so:
My father offered to buy me a 500 dollar mountain bike. But mentioned
I could kick in a little extra money if I wanted to step up to a better
bike.

At that price range, Im looking at the following type bikes:
Gary Fisher Tassaja
Giant Iguana
Trek 6700
GT (forget the name/model)
Norco Bigfoot? (havent seen one, but it specs well on internet)
etc

My questions come in regards to this:
These bikes are all pretty much comperably equiped. Shimano Deore drive
trains, RockShox forks, decent wheels, ok tires on some, quality frames,
etc.
But, im just at the bottom end of full suspension bikes (which I have
not researched), and disk brake bikes. In fact, I think there are a few
disk brake bikes I can buy, at that price.

Does anyone have any recommendations for me? If I find a Tassajara for
say 650 dollars, and its 100 dollars more for the same bike with disk
brakes, is that upgrade worth 100 bucks? Remember, I am a begineer
biker, but I seek quality and a bike that has ability that I most likely
will not out grow. (Not outgrowing the bike, assumes I do not get into
the hobby as an extremest). In other words, I want a bike I can take
out of the garage and go hang with other bikers with, and not be limited
with my equipment. I may not have the same level as them, but I will
have a bike that is "good enough".

If anyone wants to give me advice, I would appreciate it.
My email is

Thanks much, and God bless....
-Robb

"Robb Spring" wrote in message
...
Hello.

Ive been researching the purchase of a bike, and I would like some
advice from a well knowledged and experienced mountain biker.

Here is my specs:
I weight 200 lbs, and 5'8" tall.
The bike will be used for the following:
Riding around the neighborhood, very occasional (once/twice a year) 100
mile road trip, several 25ish mile road trips on hilly Missouri Ozark
roads, lots of basic bike trail riding, very occasional (once a year?)
advanced bike trail riding.

The condition with this bike purchase, is as so:
My father offered to buy me a 500 dollar mountain bike. But mentioned
I could kick in a little extra money if I wanted to step up to a better
bike.

At that price range, Im looking at the following type bikes:
Gary Fisher Tassaja
Giant Iguana
Trek 6700
GT (forget the name/model)
Norco Bigfoot? (havent seen one, but it specs well on internet)
etc

My questions come in regards to this:
These bikes are all pretty much comperably equiped. Shimano Deore drive
trains, RockShox forks, decent wheels, ok tires on some, quality frames,
etc.
But, im just at the bottom end of full suspension bikes (which I have
not researched), and disk brake bikes. In fact, I think there are a few
disk brake bikes I can buy, at that price.

Does anyone have any recommendations for me? If I find a Tassajara for
say 650 dollars, and its 100 dollars more for the same bike with disk
brakes, is that upgrade worth 100 bucks? Remember, I am a begineer
biker, but I seek quality and a bike that has ability that I most likely
will not out grow. (Not outgrowing the bike, assumes I do not get into
the hobby as an extremest). In other words, I want a bike I can take
out of the garage and go hang with other bikers with, and not be limited
with my equipment. I may not have the same level as them, but I will
have a bike that is "good enough".

If anyone wants to give me advice, I would appreciate it.
My email is

Thanks much, and God bless....
-Robb


I think they're all probably good bikes, but I'd choose among the Fisher,
Giant and Trek. Pick the bike you like from the shop that treats you right.
This Giant Iguana conjurs the most entertaining mental images.

Robb Spring wrote:
Hello.

Ive been researching the purchase of a bike, and I would like some
advice from a well knowledged and experienced mountain biker.

Here is my specs:
I weight 200 lbs, and 5'8" tall.
The bike will be used for the following:
Riding around the neighborhood, very occasional (once/twice a year) 100
mile road trip, several 25ish mile road trips on hilly Missouri Ozark
roads, lots of basic bike trail riding, very occasional (once a year?)
advanced bike trail riding.

The condition with this bike purchase, is as so:
My father offered to buy me a 500 dollar mountain bike. But mentioned
I could kick in a little extra money if I wanted to step up to a better
bike.

At that price range, Im looking at the following type bikes:
Gary Fisher Tassaja
Giant Iguana
Trek 6700
GT (forget the name/model)
Norco Bigfoot? (havent seen one, but it specs well on internet)
etc

My questions come in regards to this:
These bikes are all pretty much comperably equiped. Shimano Deore drive
trains, RockShox forks, decent wheels, ok tires on some, quality frames,
etc.
But, im just at the bottom end of full suspension bikes (which I have
not researched), and disk brake bikes. In fact, I think there are a few
disk brake bikes I can buy, at that price.

Does anyone have any recommendations for me? If I find a Tassajara for
say 650 dollars, and its 100 dollars more for the same bike with disk
brakes, is that upgrade worth 100 bucks? Remember, I am a begineer
biker, but I seek quality and a bike that has ability that I most likely
will not out grow. (Not outgrowing the bike, assumes I do not get into
the hobby as an extremest). In other words, I want a bike I can take
out of the garage and go hang with other bikers with, and not be limited
with my equipment. I may not have the same level as them, but I will
have a bike that is "good enough".

If anyone wants to give me advice, I would appreciate it.
My email is

Any of those bikes should be adequate for your level, and all are of
good quality. Don't worry about hanging with other bikers regardless of
what you get. Some of them may even be on lower-spec'd bikes than yours.
You should get what suits you, your abilities, and your budget, not what
the latest fad/rage is.

More than focusing on the money and specs, you should ride each one
you're considering and see which one fits and feels best for YOU. Bikes
are upgradeable, so it's not like you have to buy now what you want to
have in three years. If you get a really good frame now, you'll be able
to do whatever you want down the road.

Your abilities don't require Deore, though it's nice. You could get by
on Alivio or Acera (which are also nice, work well, and do the same
thing as Deore for a few dollars less). You can add disc brakes later.
You should check to see if the bike and forks are set up for disc if
that's really an important consideration; v-brakes work well enough for
what you listed.

I'd stay away from a full-suspension bike; at the level of funds you're
operating with, you won't get a good bike at all. In fact, I think you
should consider going rigid since much of what you've listed as your
riding terrain is suited for it. The only suspension *I*'d even consider
using on a 100 mile road ride would be a suspension seatpost (never used
one, though). I assume, though, it'll be a while before you try a
century on any bike since you're just beginning and (no offense) out of
shape.

One more thought on your terrain -- cyclo-cross or hybrid bike. You'd
probably appreciate it more on the road and around the block and the
hills. It would be fully compatible with everything you listed,
including some of the "advanced bike trail riding" stuff (I've taken
mine through some pretty sticky technical terrain without any trouble).

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Any of those bikes will do a great job for an entry-level rider, and
will be a great bike for you into the future as your skills improve. I'm
not so familiar with the Norco, but understand they are pretty decent.

The best advice I can give you is go to your LBS and take all the bikes
in your price range for a test ride. Buy the one that fits you best, not
the one that has the nicest color etc. If you're not comfortable on the
bike, you won't ride it!

I wouldn't recommend full suspension in that price range - you're better
off getting a better quality hardtail frame instead. My opinion is
likewise on the disk brakes - more benefit in upgrading other components
(perhaps derailleurs to XT, or a set of better platform or clipless
pedals) than the couple of hundred dollars on disk brakes. Get them
later if you get really serious about mountain biking...

Check out www.mtbr.com for some user reviews - take the opinions with
a grain of salt, but they can be a good guide to any potential
problem areas.



--
--------------------------
Posted via cyclingforums.com
http://www.cyclingforums.com

"Robb Spring" wrote in message
...

Thanks much, and God bless....
-Robb

I wouldn't even bother worrying about brand names and components until you
test ride. Once you find out what fits your body then that will dictate what
brand it will be. Across a certain price points all mass produced bikes will
be similarly equiped as far as components. .

Chris

"Robb Spring" wrote in message
...
Hello.

Ive been researching the purchase of a bike, and I would like some
advice from a well knowledged and experienced mountain biker.

Here is my specs:
I weight 200 lbs, and 5'8" tall.
The bike will be used for the following:
Riding around the neighborhood, very occasional (once/twice a year) 100
mile road trip, several 25ish mile road trips on hilly Missouri Ozark
roads, lots of basic bike trail riding, very occasional (once a year?)
advanced bike trail riding.

The condition with this bike purchase, is as so:
My father offered to buy me a 500 dollar mountain bike. But mentioned
I could kick in a little extra money if I wanted to step up to a better
bike.

At that price range, Im looking at the following type bikes:

Giant Iguana

Performance bike shops (www.performancebike.com) have the Giant Iguana Disc
on sale for $519 right now. It's one helluva nice bike for the money. The
Hayes mechanical disc brakes are spec'd on many mid-to-high end bikes (such
as Klein Attitude). The fork is better than most in this price range. It
also has a beautiful silver/grey two-tone paint - very slick. You can't go
wrong with Giant - they know how to engineer, spec and build a bike. Even
at $599, the Iguana Disc is a great deal. At $519, it's the obvious choice.
Spend the extra dough on shorts, helmet, gloves, pump, multi-tool, street
tires (Kenda 26 x 1.9 slicks, $10 each @ Dick's Sporting Goods),
better/different saddle, etc. If you want quasi-full-suspension (which I
recommend), get a Rock Shox seatpost for $45 at www.pricepoint.com. You're
all set.

Make sure to get the proper bike size. Check Giant's website, and do a
couple of test rides. It would be best to go to a local dealer. You might
try to get them to price-match with Performance; but don't beat them up too
much. If you can do *all* of your own repair/maintenance, then a local bike
shop is of less value to you; but most folks can't, or don't want to, in
which case you *need* a relationship with the shop.

Barry

I would make another Bike manufacturer, Diamondback, I have been riding
diamondback for quite a while and its a great frame/bike maker. Topanga Comp
Disc (what I have) is a great bike for under 600 bucks. Rockshox Judy tt,
upgrading as soon as I can to fox forx, I trust them over rockshox, But the
rockshox should be great for your applications. The topanga comes with
Shimano Deore "LX" stuffs. I wouldn't trade my DB in for anything. except
for downhill then I would go for a DB Fullsuspesion. Its all the name game
man. Trust what feels right, and dont get hung up on Fads or names. I was
going to spend 980 on a Trek untill I looked at the DB, which also has a
lifetime warrenty, and rode a DB at a local bike shop, and feel in love.
They make some of the best bikes, period. but if you pick any of the other
bikes, Congrats and welcome to the MTB club, Enjoy.

-Shaun

Robb Spring wrote:

At that price range, Im looking at the following type bikes:
Gary Fisher Tassaja
Giant Iguana
Trek 6700
GT (forget the name/model)
Norco Bigfoot? (havent seen one, but it specs well on internet)
etc

Get the Giant Iguana: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/misc/giantiguana.jpg