Overwhelmed

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Overwhelmed
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flag gart1021
Posted: Oct 22, 2019 at 5:58 Quote
I am in process of buying my first mountain bike. I’ve learned two things so far: 1) bikes are sooo expensive. 2) there are thousands of bikes to choose from.
I am lost trying to find what is a good deal and which bikes are quality. I’m looking for: $1500 range. a 29” Lg or XL. Full suspension (I’m 6’2” & 46).
I do not know much about mountain bikes, if anyone can point me in the right direction or any leads to a good deal I would be much appreciated. I am excited to join this awesome looking sport. Thank you for any advice.
flag Explodo
Posted: Oct 22, 2019 at 7:18 Quote
There are questions you need to answer to be honest with yourself.

1) What sort of riding do you want to do? (do you want to go out and bomb downhills and hit jumps or are you primarily getting out into nature and getting some exercise?)

2) What athletic or riding background are you coming from? (for example, have you been riding moto for ages?)

3) What sort of terrain do you live near? (You're mostly going to ride what's within daily driving range for you)

4) How much do you weigh? (mountain bikes are primarily designed around 160-170lb riders, so parts selection becomes important when you weigh significantly more than that.)


I ask all of this because I'm a big believer that a higher quality hardtail is a better option than a lower quality full-suspension. If you've got hip, knee, or back issues that necessitate a full-suspension, I can completely understand that.
flag asmtb
O+
Posted: Oct 22, 2019 at 8:34 Quote
How tall are you and what is your inseam

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2647772/

And I weigh 225 and Weight has never been a factor to what bike I ride.
flag gart1021
Posted: Oct 22, 2019 at 12:47 Quote
Explodo wrote:
There are questions you need to answer to be honest with yourself.

1) What sort of riding do you want to do? (do you want to go out and bomb downhills and hit jumps or are you primarily getting out into nature and getting some exercise?)

Some jumps. Casual trail. Exercise

2) What athletic or riding background are you coming from? (for example, have you been riding moto for ages?)

Played sports all thru HS. Rode dirt bikes 5 years

3) What sort of terrain do you live near? (You're mostly going to ride what's within daily driving range for you)
West Texas. However I ride around Austin area. Hill Country. Rocky terrain in west Texas

4) How much do you weigh? (mountain bikes are primarily designed around 160-170lb riders, so parts selection becomes important when you weigh significantly more than that.)

6’ 2” 200


I ask all of this because I'm a big believer that a higher quality hardtail is a better option than a lower quality full-suspension. If you've got hip, knee, or back issues that necessitate a full-suspension, I can completely understand that.
flag gart1021
Posted: Oct 22, 2019 at 12:47 Quote
asmtb wrote:
How tall are you and what is your inseam

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2647772/

And I weigh 225 and Weight has never been a factor to what bike I ride.

6’2” 200
flag Explodo
Posted: Oct 22, 2019 at 13:55 Quote
I'd recommend a good hardtail, probably with 2.8 wide tires. You'll encounter enough sand and soft dirt that the extra flotation will help and the extra volume will eat up smaller bumps. For a first bike, a hardtail will be less maintenance, less noise, and will let you get all of your power down. There's a good chance you'll be spending a lot of time pedaling given your area.

I'm familiar with your area as my family is from El Paso and I went to TAMU and my best friend is from Pecos. However, I don't really know how advanced the MTB trail stuff is in most of Texas since I've been out of there for over 20 years.

Make sure to go tubeless and use good sealant. I like Orange Seal. It served me better than Stan's did when I lived someplace where an average ride picked up 20 or so goatshead thorns.
flag gart1021
Posted: Oct 22, 2019 at 17:53 Quote
Explodo wrote:
I'd recommend a good hardtail, probably with 2.8 wide tires. You'll encounter enough sand and soft dirt that the extra flotation will help and the extra volume will eat up smaller bumps. For a first bike, a hardtail will be less maintenance, less noise, and will let you get all of your power down. There's a good chance you'll be spending a lot of time pedaling given your area.

I'm familiar with your area as my family is from El Paso and I went to TAMU and my best friend is from Pecos. However, I don't really know how advanced the MTB trail stuff is in most of Texas since I've been out of there for over 20 years.

Make sure to go tubeless and use good sealant. I like Orange Seal. It served me better than Stan's did when I lived someplace where an average ride picked up 20 or so goatshead thorns.

Awesome. Thank you very much
flag Explodo
Posted: Oct 22, 2019 at 20:57 Quote
Try out bikes and see what feels good.
flag titaniumtit
Posted: Oct 23, 2019 at 6:19 Quote
As it is coming upto winter I would steer clear of wide tyres as they wont cut thru mud so easily.

That said an xl hardtail in the trail category will get you started
flag rahrider
O+
Posted: Oct 26, 2019 at 21:58 Quote
I agree that you can get a used hardtail for that $ that will be pretty capable. Out here on the west coast, cromag's are pretty popular. Used full suspension can require a lot of maintenance if the prior owner didn't keep up with it. There is only so much that can go wrong with a premium hardtail. If I was shopping in your $ ballpark, I'd look at cromag and the likes. We ride those bikes down everything and they can do it all. They pedal well and are steel so they are fairly forgiving. I'd get a 29er and if sand is that big a deal, you can always get 27.5 wheels and put fat rubber on them.
If you want a new bike, I think Rocky Mountain makes a pretty capable entry level hardtail (the growler?) In 27.5+
If you want to get new and maybe spend a little more I like kona and Norco for entry level full suspension. They generally give you more for your $. The Norco sight is a pretty capable bike.
flag R-M-R
Posted: Oct 27, 2019 at 5:36 Quote
You will rapidly learn a lot about what you do and don't like in a bike. Spend less now and more later, when you know more.

As others have recommended, a used hardtail will get you into the sport quickly and cheaply. It probably won't be your dream bike, but you won't lose much money when you sell it in a few months and make a much smarter purchase.

At 6'2", you want an XL - and probably an especially large XL, since entry-level bikes almost always fit too small. Just like clothing brands, there is considerably variability between the nominal sizes of different bike brands.
flag Explodo
Posted: Oct 27, 2019 at 12:27 Quote
The Salsa Timberjack is a good entry-level hardtail option. I run 27.5x3.0 tires on mine and it is designed for 29 or 27.5+. No matter what hardtail you get, the first things you'll end up replacing are generally wheelsets and front suspension, though I suppose droppers will be a preference item now as well.

If you invest in good parts down the road, you can generally just move them over to a new bike.

As others have said, get an XL.
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