Mountain bike recommendation

[mchong75]

Are there any fellow mountain bike owners/riders here?

For a $500 price range, what brand/model of mountain bikes should I look into?

I’ll be mostly riding trails, urban roads and some off road riding instead of walking the trails when scouring for photo locations and such when backpacking my photo gears.

[rab3rd]

I have been riding/racing moutain bikes for years. 500.00 is a bit low for a real moutain bike. 800.00 is about the price point for a dependable moutain bike. Any lower than that and you will be getting componets that arent as well built and are prone to failure. If you are buying used then you could do ok with 500.00

[rab3rd]

Thats not to say a 500.00 wont serve your purpose but if you find that you are doing more and more offroad trail riding, dependability becomes a concern. You can probably find a hybrid Trek for around 300-500 that is good for paved paths dirt roads and very mild offroad trails.

[mchong75]

What do you recommend in the $800 price range?

[rab3rd]

Trek, specialized, or Gary Fisher

[rab3rd]

Trek Bikes | Bikes | Mountain Hardtail | 4500 Disc

This is from the 4series, there is a series below this thats a bit cheaper that might serve you well if you dont beat it to death.

[rab3rd]

Specialized Bicycle Components : Rockhopper

The rock hopper is a decent entry level serious moutain bike.

[rab3rd]

Trek Bikes | Bikes | Bike Path | 7100

and here is a hybrid, great for paved paths, possibe dirt roads if the tires are changed out but not very trail capable.

[rab3rd]

Best bet is to go to a local bike shop, tell them everything you will use the bike for and they can find something that fits both your needs and your budget. A for god sake, buy a helmet and wear EVERYTIME you get on your bike. A$$ on saddle helmet on head...

[venchka]

I've been to Frisco. There ain't no mountains. "Looks like Kansas, Toto!"
Get a bike that fits you. They aren't all created equal. Like cameras, fit is paramount. After spending over two hours at Richardson Bike Mart and getting nowhere, I bought my last bike from Plano Cycling & Fitness. They spent over an hour measuring me for a bicycle. Result: It fits like a glove.
How much riding experience do you have? I bought a mountain bike (Gary Fisher), after thousands of miles on road bikes, for the type of places you mention. Hated it. The flat bars suck in urban locations. I went back to a road bike with fat tires and drop bars. I can ride on anything that a car can navigate, paved or not. Much better for me. In defense of the mountain, I have been places where the mountain would go & my road bike wouldn't. Places where walking wasn't easy. Those places are few and far between. You will need a way to carry your photo gear. Either on you or on the bike. You will want 1.5" slick tires. Leave the knobbies for the real mountains.
Set a budget. Then be prepared to exceed it. Just like cameras & lenses.

Save your pennies. You could go around the world on one of these. Cameras included.

Co-Motion Cycles

[rab3rd]

Yes fit is very important, more so on a road bike but still very important on any bike. Wayne is right, set a budget expect to exceed it. Thats why I said 500.00 is a bit low for a true moutain bike. Any good bike shop will fit you, Wayne I am suprised that Richardson's didnt give you better service.

[venchka]

Originally Posted by rab3rd

Best bet is to go to a local bike shop, tell them everything you will use the bike for and they can find something that fits both your needs and your budget. A for god sake, buy a helmet and wear EVERYTIME you get on your bike. A$$ on saddle helmet on head...

Amen Brother! And one of those flashing LED rear lights. Proper shoes & gloves. And a real saddle.

[rab3rd]

What do you ride Wayne? I have a Titus Racer X with all the sweet goodies, king hubs, Fox Front shock, Black ops brakes.. yada yada...

[venchka]

Originally Posted by rab3rd

Yes fit is very important, more so on a road bike but still very important on any bike. Wayne is right, set a budget expect to exceed it. Thats why I said 500.00 is a bit low for a true moutain bike. Any good bike shop will fit you, Wayne I am suprised that Richardson's didnt give you better service.

They tried. I wanted very specific touring gearing. I don't subscribe to the notion that Shimano knows best. They were trying to figure out how to get the gearing that I wanted on an off the rack Trek. It wasn't their fault. I really wanted one of two bikes that Plano Cycling sold. It came down to a Cannondale (with the same Shimano Group as the Trek) or a custom Co-Motion. In the end, the Co-Motion won.

[rab3rd]

Cassette changes are easy, I know guys that run road cassettes on their moutain bikes for flater race courses. You have to know how to tune the rear der, but thats not hard at all. I have built and serviced all my own bikes since I was a kid. They are pretty simple machines.