WTB: beginner mountain bike

Discussion in 'Classifieds' started by Erckalf, May 15, 2019.


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  1. CBone

    CBone iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Antelope Valley
    Name:
    Tucker
    Current Bike:
    Intense Primer
    Website owner/administrator????
     
    mike, herzalot, -ROCKY- and 9 others like this.
  2. jimbowho

    jimbowho Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Podunk KS
    Name:
    james jim jimmy
    Current Bike:
    GT sensor
    Too cool. (fijrob) said he wanted it, I understand a wod of cash is better. I thought here's this poor old 2012 in a shed being neglected and came up with a game plan. 100% wouldn't bat an eye if you go with FIJ truly. So let me know mike. This is a fun hijack.
     
    -ROCKY-, Faust29, Mikie and 3 others like this.
  3. BonsaiNut

    BonsaiNut iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Troutman, NC
    Name:
    Greg P
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower CC XX1
    My hobby is bonsai...

    Mountain biking is preventative body maintenance.

    Preventative maintenance is maintenance that is regularly performed on a piece of equipment to lessen the likelihood of it failing. It is performed while the equipment is still working so that it does not break down unexpectedly.
     
  4. jimbowho

    jimbowho Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Podunk KS
    Name:
    james jim jimmy
    Current Bike:
    GT sensor
    Isn't that a "Misnomer "?
     
    -ROCKY-, Faust29, Mikie and 1 other person like this.
  5. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    I have a 2002 Giant AC2 that has been beat to Sh!t and still rails. 9148D80D-332A-4CFC-91F1-DCFBC5818485.jpeg There are two generations of Giant R&D that have since been released, but I love my antique Giant with “newer” parts. I occasionally consider selling it, but it rides too nice to ask for less than $2,000, and there are very few who would be willing to pay even $600 for it, which is what I paid for it in 2010 as a complete/working bike. Since then I have had to replace parts, as in everything but the front derailleur, but through that process, I have been able to trickle down leftover parts from the Giant to my commuter bike to make that an urban battleship.

    My point is that I forgot what I actually wanted to say, but if you ever find yourself in the Marshall Canyon area again, send me a PM, and you can borrow my beloved Giant for your ride. You’ll be the coolest dude out there with a 26er, and if you really like the bike, I’d sell it to you for $3,000 on the condition that it must remain in my garage and I get to ride it whenever I want.

    Seriously tho, lemme know if ya wanna take it for a ride just to get an idea of what’s out there. I probably won’t sell it for less than 4k.
     
    -ROCKY-, Faust29, Grego and 6 others like this.
  6. buggravy

    buggravy iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Calabasas
    Name:
    Matt
    Current Bike:
    Transition Sentinel
    I can relate, and I've heard worse ideas. FWIW, I got into mountain biking within the last year, having sort of dabbled in it before on bad equipment. I'm already on my 3rd bike in that time period, which included 4 months off for injury, having bought 2 "good enough for now" bikes that ultimately were not. There seems to be this rite of passage of buying the sensible bike to start, which ends up being anything but because you quickly replace it and take a beating on the resale of the previous purchase. Not to pile on, but if $750 is what you WANT to spend, but not necessarily what you CAN spend, I would hit the reset button on what you're shooting for if you plan to really get into this. I too have several gear intensive hobbies, unlike my wife. With a 2nd bike arriving imminently I am in the process of offloading some extra and vintage flyfishing gear, not out of necessity, but as a gesture to my wife who has very much noticed a nontrivial uptick in my recreational spending. Strategically speaking, for cash flow workarounds, like @ricke24 said I've noticed some shops offering no interest financing. I think Giant even offers it themselves, maybe through their dealers? You can also still find some previous year's bikes at online dealers at a pretty hefty discount, often with free shipping and no sales tax, and you can order with paypal credit, which I think is also 0% interest for 6 months. I'm not a fan of credit in general, but 0% can be kind of a no-brainer.
     
  7. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    Cat herding.
     
  8. Erckalf

    Erckalf Member

    Location:
    Eden, Utah
    Name:
    Eric
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Bronson
    I appreciate your suggestions. bonsainut has offered me a great deal on his old Motobecane bike that I'm very tempted to purchase. The idea of financing a bike seems illogical to me. I don't even like financing the vehicles I buy.

    I'll continue to think about what I'm going to do. Driving home (Anaheim Hills) is becoming more and more painful because I see riders on the trails everyday.
     
    herzalot, -ROCKY-, Faust29 and 6 others like this.
  9. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
  10. Erckalf

    Erckalf Member

    Location:
    Eden, Utah
    Name:
    Eric
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Bronson
  11. konakc

    konakc iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    kc
    Anaheim hills is close to oaks!
    Erk.. im not tryin to sell anything either..
    If u buy used u will buy again soon...
    If u buy new u will buy again soon...
    But one day u will get a bike that u love...and keep it until it dies!
     
    Redman, -ROCKY-, Faust29 and 3 others like this.
  12. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    CL is the worst for flakes (buying and selling!) but a lot of good things out there if you are patient...
     
    -ROCKY-, Faust29, Mikie and 2 others like this.
  13. CBone

    CBone iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Antelope Valley
    Name:
    Tucker
    Current Bike:
    Intense Primer
    Cats and eeeeeebikes
     
    -ROCKY-, Faust29, Mikie and 3 others like this.
  14. Earn Your View

    Earn Your View Member

    Name:
    Bryan
    Current Bike:
    2013 Charge Cooker
    My dad has a XL 2009 Trek Fuel EX 8 that is available and I'm sure he would part with it at a very reasonable price. He upgraded about a six months ago, so he doesn't ride it anymore. It looks like this bike, except his has a dropper seatpost. He rode it for years and he's not hard on his bikes at all. Let me know and I'll put him in touch with you.
    Fuel1.jpg
     
    -ROCKY-, Faust29, Mikie and 8 others like this.
  15. MrGreedom

    MrGreedom Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Name:
    Ryan
    Current Bike:
    BH Lynx6
    Just be careful picking up a FS bike from a CL/PB seller looking to unload a bike. At sub $1k I would expect to put at lease another $250 in maintenance into it. Servicing the suspension, drivetrain, brakes, and fresh rubber. Definitely get a bike from a guy on this forum that took care of it if you can.
     
    Redman, -ROCKY-, Faust29 and 4 others like this.
  16. Erckalf

    Erckalf Member

    Location:
    Eden, Utah
    Name:
    Eric
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Bronson
  17. Erckalf

    Erckalf Member

    Location:
    Eden, Utah
    Name:
    Eric
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Bronson
    Would an XL be too big for me?
     
    -ROCKY-, Faust29, Mikie and 3 others like this.
  18. Earn Your View

    Earn Your View Member

    Name:
    Bryan
    Current Bike:
    2013 Charge Cooker
    You might be in between. My dad is also 5'11, but he has longer arms and legs. No harm in checking it out to see if you're comfortable on it.
     
    -ROCKY-, Faust29, Mikie and 3 others like this.
  19. BonsaiNut

    BonsaiNut iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Troutman, NC
    Name:
    Greg P
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower CC XX1
    LOL I gave away a L 2007 Trek Fuel EX 9 just a couple of months ago. I am 6' and a Large was just the right size for me... if not slightly large. Of course, you should NEVER buy a bike solely on brand name... which is for all intents and purposes the frame. The frame on a full suspension bike is perhaps 25 - 30% of the cost of the bike. The real money is in the components.

    You would never buy a computer without knowing what graphics card it came with... what CPU... how much RAM... what motherboard... etc. People who buy bikes blindly based on the brand name without knowing the components are just asking to get ripped off.
     
    Faust29, Mikie, Cyclotourist and 3 others like this.
  20. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    And here I am unwilling to sell a bike 5 years older than yours for less than $4,200.
     
    -ROCKY-, Faust29, Mikie and 3 others like this.
  21. BonsaiNut

    BonsaiNut iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Troutman, NC
    Name:
    Greg P
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower CC XX1
    I think it is WAY over-priced. Any time someone doesn't tell you what component groupset they have, it probably means it sucks.

    Here is the SRAM component groupset heirarchy for mountain bikes (from best to worst):
    XX1 / XX
    XO1 / XO
    GX
    NX
    X9
    X7
    X5

    A SRAM X5 rear derailleur will cost you $44.81 on Amazon, delivered. An XX1 rear derailleur will cost you a little more than 6x as much... $300 delivered on Amazon.

    I personally wouldn't touch a used bike with less than an NX groupset, and GX would be better. They don't even sell the 12 speed Eagle components at less than the NX level. The bike in this ad is a bottom-feeder with a mixed component set - X9 on the rear, X7 on the front, and that is just for the flashy components where it is really easy to tell the groupset level. Usually if they cheap out on THOSE components, you can only guess what their wheelsets are going to look like - and all of the other components.

    Don't get scammed. I wouldn't buy this bike for any price. I wouldn't put it in my garage if it were free, LOL.
     
  22. BonsaiNut

    BonsaiNut iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Troutman, NC
    Name:
    Greg P
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower CC XX1
    For your reference, here is the Shimano groupset heirarchy to use when shopping for your bike (from best to worst). I am leaving out the new electronic sets (Di2) and the downhill sets (Zee and Saint):
    XTR
    XT
    SLX
    Deore
    Alivio
    Acera

    Some of the Deore components are pretty good, but you usually want to stay SLX or higher. [EDIT] Also note that what I list as "XT" is officially known as "Deore XT". This should not be confused with the plain "Deore" line - even though I personally find it confusing as hell :) [/EDIT]

    And just so you know, though many bike stores sell "SRAM-only" sets or "Shimano-only" sets, there is absolutely nothing wrong with mixing some components. For example on the new bike I just built, I have a SRAM XX1 Eagle drive-train, but Shimano XTR brakes. I just happen to like the XTR brakes (I have them on my other bike) - but it is strictly personal preference.
     
    Old&InTheWay, Faust29, Mikie and 5 others like this.
  23. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    mike, Faust29, Mikie and 3 others like this.
  24. -ROCKY-

    -ROCKY- Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Lakewood, CA
    Name:
    Rocky
    :facepalm:... I remember the Trek...:bang:
     
    Faust29, Mikie, Cyclotourist and 2 others like this.
  25. BonsaiNut

    BonsaiNut iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Troutman, NC
    Name:
    Greg P
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower CC XX1
    I think @Bill 's older daughter is riding it now. If you come to this year's IMTBTRAILS pool party, you might even get to meet her. She and her sister wouldn't miss the opportunity to tease @Mikie some more :)
     
    Old&InTheWay, Faust29, Mikie and 4 others like this.
  26. konakc

    konakc iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    kc
    Just get a bike! It doesnt matter bc u gonna wanna upgrade it..
    bonsai is givin good advice...
     
    mike, Faust29, Mikie and 4 others like this.
  27. Earn Your View

    Earn Your View Member

    Name:
    Bryan
    Current Bike:
    2013 Charge Cooker
    IME, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the middle of the road components i.e. - Shimano Deore or SLX, SRAM X9 etc. I don't even buy XT components anymore. My Deore brakes and SLX drivetrain works just fine. Also, I like my great-granny gear, so my 2x10 drivetrain is here to stay. I don't ever drop chains. Different strokes for different folks I guess! I personally don't need the latest bling to enjoy a ride out on the my local trails.

    @Erckalf, I recommend that you read the @Rocky thread. I recall that there was a wide range of opinions there as well.

    Edit: I meant to say that there was some really good discussions in that thread.
     
  28. Danimal

    Danimal iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Mission Viejo
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    Epic Evo
    I'm convinced you sell used cars for a living..... :facepalm:
     
    herzalot, -ROCKY-, Faust29 and 4 others like this.
  29. BonsaiNut

    BonsaiNut iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Troutman, NC
    Name:
    Greg P
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower CC XX1
    If you don't notice the difference, it would be foolish to pay for it. I roll with Deore rotors with my XTR brakes. :) Maybe some people can feel the difference between one brake rotor and another... but I can't... and I'm completely happy to save $84 on a set of two (versus buying the XTR rotors). After you have replaced them a few times in the course of standard wear, the savings adds up!

    A good other example is the rage with carbon rims. I don't see the advantage for the rather significant upcharge - but some people swear by them.
     
  30. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
    I used to be VERY blingy in a retro-grouchy sense. I'd save up for Paul/Phil/Chris parts, shiny Nitto, used Brooks, Ti this, Ti that. But know what?
    I am MORE than content with contemporary middle of the road gear now. SRAM Rival, GX and GX Eagle make me the happiest. SRAM generic hubs? They're great! OEM Race Face Aeffect take offs? They're Ebay hidden treasure! Cane Creek headsets? What was I thinking, they're great!
    The only splurge I've done on my last couple bikes are carbon bars. The rest is VERY middle of the road and those bikes are trouble-free, minimal maintenance, and take me wherever I want to go!
     
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As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


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