Beginner

Hi, I am new to mountain biking and I was wondering what Trek bike would be
a good bike to start off on. I Have $400.00. I know that I could afford the
Trek 4300. I wondered if the it a good bike for the money, is it a good bike
for a beginner? Should I go with a different name brand, or should I save
more money(if so what is a better Trek model)? what do you suggest?

Thanks,

kosborn_91

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Where will you be riding and what kind of riding will you be doing? I
don't know much about the Trek 4300 but it looks like a very low-end
mtn bike. It would probably be okay on trails that are not very
technical. However, if you're going to be dealing with lots of rocks or
roots, I'm not sure how long the components on this model will hold
out.

From looking at the Trek website, all of the 4000-series bikes share
the same frame, so the only difference in the price increase is the
level of components. Those components are going to be cheaper now than
if you have to replace them down the road. So, if you're locked into
Trek, I would wait until you can afford the 4900. If you want to send
me an email to shawnultimate at yahoo dot com I can try to research
some other brands for you.

Another option is to try to find a used bike. You should be able to get
more bike for your money that way. You just have to be careful - look
out for bikes that have been abused. Hope this helps.

Shawn

Kris Osborn wrote:
Hi, I am new to mountain biking and I was wondering what Trek bike would be
a good bike to start off on. I Have $400.00. I know that I could afford the
Trek 4300. I wondered if the it a good bike for the money, is it a good bike
for a beginner? Should I go with a different name brand, or should I save
more money(if so what is a better Trek model)? what do you suggest?

Thanks,

kosborn_91

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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

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Kris Osborn wrote:
Hi, I am new to mountain biking and I was wondering what Trek bike would be
a good bike to start off on. I Have $400.00. I know that I could afford the
Trek 4300. I wondered if the it a good bike for the money, is it a good bike
for a beginner? Should I go with a different name brand, or should I save
more money(if so what is a better Trek model)? what do you suggest?

I had a Trek 4300 for 2 years. I paid £200GBP for it and used it on
downhill trails 2 or 3 times a week at least, and several times a day on
roads. During this time, the only things that I needed to replace were
the rear gear cable, 2 pairs of brake blocks and the rear tyre.

In my opinion, it feels very well-balanced and handles well, it has a
nice frame and the components are functional and reliable. Excellent
value for money, and good potential for upgrading over time. My only
criticism is the front forks. Had I kept hold of the bike I would have
replaced them, but at this price point they are pretty much always going
to be the compromise, so I wouldn't dismiss it because of this.

I replaced mine a couple of months ago with a Mongoose Teocali Comp
2005, which is a nice bike but needs a lot of tweaking before it will
feel right for me. The Trek, however, needed nothing changing from the
stock setup.

Go and try it out before you buy one though...

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