Low end mountain bikes.....

[Trek420]

southtxrider,

congrats on the new bike, sounds like you made a good choice!

Yes yes, cycling is an expensive sport but worth it I think.

There are ways to save money even on bikes and stay tuned and read up as we TE gals show you how.

But friends don't let friends buy a box store bike.

Especially mountain and especially if you want to ride off road as in trails over stumps and cliffs and such.

Box store type mountain bikes mimic the look of a mountain bike, some even have shocks and suspension. Between their cheap parts, weak welds on frames, non professional set up, lack of after sale support, non standard parts mean no replacement/exchange/upgrade....they are inadequate to the pont of being dangerous off road.

Get your laundry detergent at Target but not your bike.

$50-179.00 for a mountain bike is not realistic. Let's see for perspective that's a little more than my handlebar tape costs, and a little less than my saddle I gotta find a cheaper sport or better job.

Good full suspension bikes trully up to the beating may cost low four figures and up. If you want one there are ways to save on cost with wise use of the used market.

I've seen people come into my favorite LBS and point at the mountain bikes there and ask "where are the $100-400.00 mountain bikes like THAT".

What Chris usually says is something like this. When you see full suspension with low price what mfr's do is to acheive the look and feel of FS and keep price low the money has to come out of something.

So you may get low end components, cheap frame, shoddy seat etc but hey it looks like FS right?

Well take the same dollar ammount and get a neat lil' hardtail.

Like this for example:
www.scottusa.com/category.php?UID=315

No suspension but up to the task of an unpaved trail or fireroad which may be the roughest you'll do at this point. Put knobbies on it and take it off road, slicks and it's your commuter even up to a metric century or too. And without suspension now you have quality components, good wheels etc.