I'm going to buy a Walmart Mountain Bike.

Fully rigid may be somewhat off-putting.

 

Runs with!! X-fusion fork. Although I have the OEM fork.

 

I'm glad you mentioned this. Definitely take a look at Performance Bike. They seem to always have older model bikes on clearance. At $500, you won't get a Rockshox fork unless it's a used bike.

My first bike was a Schwinn Ranger from Target. It was a gift from my wife, so I rode it. After two months, the bike was pretty beat up.

My first real bike was a 2008 Cannondale F7 that cost $550. It was a 24 speed, had mechanical disc brakes, and a SR Suntour fork. I rode it hard for about 1.5 years before upgrading to a used Trek Fuel that I got a great deal on. This includes Snow Summit before the bike park was built. During that timeframe, I only changed the saddle, grips, and hydraulic brakes; the latter only because a friend gave me a set of brakes for free. Yes, I would have been able to get a better entry level bike if I was willing to spend $800, but that was a lot of cheddar to invest in a sport at the time. They was 9 years ago and I'm still very passionate about bikes.

My point is that I wouldn't be overly concerned with buying the perfect first bike. For a newbie, I only recommend a used bike if you vet it through some very knowledgeable people first, like the incredibly helpful people at IMTBTrails! I definitely wouldn't buy a bike from a department store due to all of the issues pointed out in this thread. And I would not buy from any store that tells you that you need to spend over $1,000 on your first bike.

If you're willing to spend a bit more initially $500 to $800 on a new hardtail, I think you'll be a-ok.

 

Look into a Trek Marlin if you are looking for a new bike.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/mountain-bikes/cross-country-mountain-bikes/marlin/c/B321/

 

Thanks EYV, I'm considering a Trek Fuel now.

 

A Trek Fuel is likely very much out of your price range unless you're willing to buy an older model. My dad has a 2008 Trek Fuel EX 8 available, but it's an XL.

 

I think 06? It looks like it's in pretty good condition. What do you think?
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/d/trek-fuel-70-mountain-bike/6712556509.html
Is the Kona Lava Dome twice this bike? I will say there are very favorable reviews out there for it. I may head to Tustin and check out the Path Bike shop and Lava Dome.

 

If all you are going to do is ride is the Fullerton Loop, a WalMart bike will do just fine. You could ride the entire trail on a road bike if you really wanted to ... and you would be very fast on the numerous road sections.

 

As long as he never shifts gears going up hill, or needs the brakes to work...

 

As a relative newb compared to some of these guys, I remember what it's like starting out. A newer entry level hardtail is the way to go... Like the examples @rossage and @Ebruner point out. Decent tires, disc brakes, new frame that you know isn't about to break in half...

You're finding some really old bikes on Craigslist, but there's a reason they're for sale after so long... I wouldn't trust my life going downhill on any of them. Even at the Floop. When I crash, I want it to be rider error, not because some guy landed a 10 foot drop 15 years ago and the frame is fatigued.

Edit: And with bikes that old, there are going to be replacements needed. Tires, chains, cassettes, brakes are all consumables... Not to mention bearings, bottom brackets, etc. Pay to fix that on a 20 year old bike, and suddenly you're spending more than the cost of a new entry hardtail... And you've got the bike shop mechanic posting pictures of your "great deal" in the shop horrors thread.

 

The Kona Lava Dome is a great entry level bike. I have sold tons of these when I worked for another shop. I personally have a Kona and love it. Really look into this bike, plus the Trek is a medium and you are looking for a large.

 

All of you guys suggesting older bikes, should take one out for a spin first.
The older mtbs use older thinking, older tech.
Starting from the too-narrow bars, you end up with a crowded cockpit stuck on the end of a super long stem. This crazy set up twists a small tire on a small wheel. Don't try to stop...the brakes suck
Shifting is ok, but it's hard to find replacement parts.
A smaller seat tube will limit you choices for a dropper post.
And your cables will all be run outside the frame.
There is usually minimal clearance for larger tires
I'm sure some others can and will chime in.

I have a 1990 Merlin Titanium mountain bike. A few years ago, I put on some knobbies and went for a ride. Are you kidding me? This thing is a death trap compared to what is available now. And I used to race this bike!
My Merlin is top of the line everything but I would only ride it off road again if I had to.

If you don't have a bike, and you want to get started, I would not buy anything more than a few years old. I would buy new if I could.

Make sure you ask the seller why they're selling.
Don't ride it anymore, need some love, great bike for a newbie..
Blah blah blah
What they are really saying is, I got a new(er) bike

 

If it were me, knowing what I know now, something like this Redline Monocog would be my first bike. One gear. No suspension. 29" wheels. Of course if you plan on doing a lot of climbing then you may need gears.

 

Sadist! Who the heck would go without gears?!?!?!?@@!#$

 

Thanks herzalot, you guys are getting through lol.

 

I still contend that a new bike in or near your budget is the safest bet... I mostly say that as a obsessive bike mechanic. I'm usually the one that ends up fixing up the monstrosities my friends buy on CL. Which means, I'm usually the one to deliver the bad news that the 1500 dollar bike they bought needs 500 dollars worth of parts to make it operate correctly. That being said, there are plenty of folks that buy bikes that are gung ho about getting into this, and either can't because of time, or won't because of how hard it is.

So... all that being said. I poked around CL for orange county (cause that's where i live) and found a few viable options if you are dead set on used.

Kona Caldera - Price is right, Size is right, condition of the major components looks good in the photos. I'd say this is a safe buy
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/d/mint-kona-caldera-disc/6695454768.html

Giant Talon - This is over priced by about 100 bucks as far as i see it. Not a bad bike tho
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/d/giant-talon-29er-hardtail/6710553973.html

Specialized pitch hardtail. I'm not as much of a fan of this as I am the kona... mostly because it has mechanical brakes and they won't be as confidence inspiring as hydro's. Solid brakes are important for a beginner.
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/d/specialized-pitch-29er-size/6699627363.html

I'll keep poking around for options.

 

I was thinking similarly.

Just from a frame/geometry standpoint, the last few years have seen lots of refinement. How many state-of-art frames in the last 6 years have seen further mfr refinements? Many. Some user modifications can mask the shortcomings, but the best is just to buy a modern frame. I'd rather start with the best frame I can, even if it has to be equipped with lower-end parts (temporarily?). Even cheaper new frames have trickle-down design/tech which makes them pretty good. I would not buy any frame over a couple of years old.

 

man we have some nice guys on this site...

 

This one's more than you want to spend, but could hold you for awhile:

https://www.performancebike.com/sho...eting-_-april2016&CA_6C15C=400006950000186605

 

This would be a sure fire way to convince me that mtn bikers are crazy and I want no part of it.

Definitely stop by The Path for a month on their podcast they have been saying they are clearing inventory on everything to make space and sales are so cheap that they would be violating contracts if they advertised them.

 

I don't want to sound righteous, but how much is your health worth? I was in the same spot when I first starting mountain biking. I went in with a $500 budget. I'm about your size but taller and when I genuinely started seeing what my money would get me, I realized I would have to spend more and don't regret it one bit. I ended up getting a 04 Kona Coiler and rode the wheels off it. I don't regret it one bit and have loved riding for going close to 15 years now. It lets you relax, makes you feel healthy and accomplished. You can ride by yourself or with friends and will meet a lot of people. If you truly think you're interested in riding and it's not just a fad you think you want to try, find a way to at least get a decent bike to start. I guarantee you will enjoy riding more on a nicer bike (it doesn't have to be top end, just not generic bottom end). There truly is a difference, it's not hype.

The other thing to seriously consider, is that if you spend the money on a used nicer bike, say in the $1500 range and ride it for a year and decide it's not for you, you'll likely lose less money than spending $500 on a brand new bike and trying to unload it in a year. Not to mention the fact that like others have mentioned, you start with better parts, they are more serviceable and replaceable and you have a less likely chance of breaking stuff right off the bat. I can guarantee starting riding at over 200lbs you are going to be hard on a bike, with very little finesse that just comes with saddle time and have a high probability of breaking a cheap bike to the point of it not being usable or where repairing it is pointless due to the value of the bike.

(Financial advice aside and some may disagree, take with a grain of salt) IMO, even if you opened a 0% credit card and could afford to pay $100 for 18 months, you're better off budgeting $1800 for a new bike than plunking down $500 at once. And if you really want to crunch numbers, if you did buy an $1800 bike, rode it for 6 months and decide it isn't for you, you could still probably sell and be out the same amount of money....

 

https://www.jensonusa.com/Santa-Cruz-Chameleon-Al-D-Bike-2019-10

 

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2370458/

 

Music to my ears lol. I'll come down this weekend. Thank you guys, I get it. I guess I'll just cheap out elsewhere, probably my helmet, just kidding.

 

Thanks kaz, it's all making sense now.

 

Nothing wrong with that Most of the knuckleheads around here rode with a styrofoam helmet for a decade plus on WallyWorld equivalent bikes.

 

Lol! So before yesterday, I haven't been to a LBS in decades. Do LBS offer test rides?

 

Testing a bike riding it in the parking lot is free. You can demo a bike for around 100 bucks. The path will credit your demo fees to the purchase of a new bike. However most of the demo:s available are for pretty spendy models.

 

My second bike was the redline monocog flight after my khs was stolen out of my garage.

 

I haven't ridden a singlespeed since my Schwinn Stingray. When I was 12.