Any mountain bike guys here?

00ChevyScott

00ChevyScott

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Dec 3, 2010
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I've got a 2011 Specialized Hardrock Sport (no disc brakes) that I bought for school last year. It's been a pretty good bike but I think I'm ready to take the next step up with a better bike. I found a really nice bike today at the local bike shop that I really liked.

It's a 2012 Trek Mamba 29r. I want to try out a 29r and disc brakes, and the Trek also has a better front fork. What do you guys think? The price on the Trek is $860 or so.

18732.jpg
 
I think thats the bike that I test road 2 years ago. It was pretty nice!!
 
Ex bike machanic and shop manager here for various shops over the years and an avid biker...

I think you already have a very capable bike, and can be upgraded into a decent trail bike with some smart purchases. But if you are looking for a new ride, really look at what the majority of your actual riding is and base it around that. If your trails are tight twisty single track I wouldn't go with a 29'er, they are slow to respond, think of driving a '74 cadillac, great for long smooth cruising, but the 26" wheel bikes with a shorter wheels base wll be more like a honda prelude, quick, great maneuverability and quicker to stop. Both have their place where they excell, but may not be interchangeable.

Disc breaks, great invention, but not the be-all end-all. In your budget, they will likely be mechanical (cable actuated) which have come a long ways over the years. Avid are my favorites but Hayes aren't bad either. Learn to tune them your self, especially if you have lots of low intruding brush or sticks that bounce off your wheels. Nothing worse than a rubbing rotor to listen to.

As far as upgrading your current ride, if you want to explore that option, I would start with wheels/tires. Go as light as you can afford, Stans No-Tubes is worth it, and ask the LBS regulars what their tire of choice is for your area trails. Next would be brakes, upgrading your cable housing has an amazing effect as well as the V-brakes themselves. My race bike (single speed) has vintage Avid Ti V-brake rear with a custom arch support and has crushed cheap rims. I have an Avid BB7 disc front, so mixed is still good if proper components are chosen to balance the brake power. Once you get better on the trails (sorry for assuming your a noob, but your questions kinda hint at it) I would consider upgrading the fork. Many factors including frame geometry and your weight, riding style, trails, brake and wheel combination come into play when choosing a new fork. Thankfully each factor narrows it down greatly, so you may be left with only a few from each major manufacterer to choose from.

So to recap, consider how you ride, where you ride, what you want and what your budget can handle. About the bike you posted, looks to be a fairly standard package option, baseline components on a nicer frame. Trek is a great brand (thanks Lance...) but other companies to look at that can give great performance for a better price I would consider Iron horse, GT, Fuji, and even some Mongoose.

Happy Trails!

-Xander
 
Thanks for the info fast. No harm in thinking I'm a noob, because I most definitely am. For now, 99% of my riding is on city roads + going over curbs and through urban areas to get to class. I'm about to graduate and will be moving back to my hometown where there are some trails that I'd like to go ride every now and then. I definitely wouldn't consider myself an avid cyclist, but that's not to say that I wouldn't like to get into it. I know the bike I have now is capable of everything I'd need it to do (for now) but there's always the itch to upgrade.

As far as upgrading my current bike, is it worth upgrading that platform? Is the frame decent? I wouldn't mind upgrading it, but I don't want to do it if it'd be like putting racing parts on a Hyundai.
 
Well like I said, upgrading your current frame would make sense with some smart choices and patient shopping, personally I would go used. I built a bike for my wife on a Specialized Hardrock Sport frame from spare parts, and it is just an awesome bike. Although I did go a little overboard with some components, the bike weighs in at 23 lbs with slime in the tubes. I get the want for a new ride, and I think it is a very appropriate graduation gift! If you want to get serious about trailriding, adding more bikes to your fleet is always a good thing. At one point I was riding ~600 miles a week and was switching between 5 roadbikes and owned 15 bikes total, each one different and had its own place.

I am going to refrain from making too many specific component recommendations without knowing your trails or intended riding style, but one I left out of my previous post is shifters. Get the best you can afford. Many times with bikes like your current ride you will have integrated shifters and brake levers (sometimes refered to as "brifters") so a new set of levers would be needed as well, which can be had for $10 usually. Get in touch with the bike shop you will be going to, make friends with the mechanics, try to get into their circle of "parts collectors" you know the guys, buying and selling stuff all the time but won't sell to anyone they deem "unworthy." Sometimes they are flat rude about it, othertmes they just ask a little more. Pay their asking price for a few items without haggeling to gain their trust. You will then be able to upgrade or maybe build another bike for much less money and with better components than you could ever buy off the shelf.

If you have some specific questions, feel free to ask. I know a few other riders on here as well and can get you various opinions.


-Xander
 
I would go with a bike that has rear shocks. I know it's expensive, but damn it helps. I would think it's essential if your doing a lot of downhill riding on hard packed ground. It's that way where I live and ride. I no longer use my bike for mountain riding as it now has street slicks on it. It's more of hybrid road bike now. The worst of both worlds. But as a hard tail, it was hard on my body to ride down hill anyway.
 
29er won't corner as well as 26er-overall time trials no real difference because you pick it up on the straits with 29er.so i'm told by our resident bike guru.
can't go wrong with trek.
i too use a hardtail with slicks for commute to work.
my trail bike is a scott genius duallie.
 
I thought about buying another set of rims with disk brakes and mountain bike tires on them to switch out for mountain bike use. But I'm just not into it. Mine is like a less expensive Trek 450 Hard Tail, with out the quality. It at least has an all aluminum frame and forks, which are not technically "the frame". I checked with a magnet on the frame and rear and front forks to make sure it was aluminum. Low end Rock shocks and Shimano derailleurs, with disk brakes front and back. It was around $300. For $500, you can buy a low end Trek/Specialized/Iron Horse or whatever from a Bike shop and have the same components but with their Frame, make a friend, and have great service. It's worth it. Bay Area riders are a different breed from the rest of the country. I sometimes make the trip to visit a friend in San Francisco. I thought of searching for a used bike while up there.
 
Something to consider. I ride a single speed rigid fork 29er mountain bike everywhere. I single speed will really whip you into shape and once your used to it, others look up to you like some sort of awesome being when you dust the geared guys through your local trails. Singlespeeders are a breed all their own. Its cheaper to get into and much cheaper and easier to maintain. Plus your bike is lighter from having less parts rather than swapping in new expensive lightweight parts. It all depends on your home trails and what theyre like though. I wouldnt ride one on a downhill trail. Theyre awesome for technical climbing once you gear your bike to your liking. Just throwing another option out there. Look at mtbr.com and check out the singlespeed section. Lots of cool info and stuff in there. Fair warning though, its not for everyone and no it does not injure youre knees. Most see improvements with knee injuries after riding a SS.
 
I'm gonna say stay way from a fully suspended bike for now. You get a much nicer equipped bike for the same price with a hardtail than full suspension. If most of your riding is urban, it will make you tired quicker. As much as 35% of your pedaling effort can be sucked up by the rear suspension movement. Sme suspension geometries address this very well, but your looking at a couple thousand dollars to get decent stuff.

Yes, us Bay Area riders are a bit different, we invented mountain biking! It is a bit different vibe on the trails of Mt. Tam.

I have to agree that a single speed is a good option. I love mine, and my track bikes as well. My racebike is actually based on a 1989 Schwinn Moab frame, an early aluminum frame by schwinn that has great geometry for me. I paid $20 for the bike and took the frame. It actually can be switched between SS and geared with some effort, but you don't need a special rear hub, just a spacer kit. For gearing start at roughly 2:1, front to back. It will feel ridiculously low when on the street, but on the trail will be just right.

2011-08-09103715.jpg


You might recognize the frame on the left (my wifes bike) it has all vintage Shimano XTR components, 8 speed, XTR front hub laced to a ritchie lightweight rim, cane creek rear WAM rear wheel, and an old school Rock shox Judy SL fork from the early 90's. My race bike has custom wheels (I build all my own wheels), Marzocchi air fork, stylo SS cranks, a bunch of vintage Ti parts like avid brakes/levers and also a Ti handlebar and stem hardware. That bike weighs 25lbs and has 2.4" tires with slime. My bike cost me roughly $250 to put together and most of that was the crank and forks. If you befriend your local bike mechanic, they can help you get a sweet ride at very little cost. Personally I would rather have a beat-up looking, older, immaculately functioning, perfect fitting bike. But for some folks a shiney new factory bike is the best to them and that's fine too.


-Xander
 
Fast14riot,

I had a friend who told me about going on what they called "mud rides". It was a bunch of racers that would ride trails on their "junker" bikes in the winter to stay in shape and have some fun. He described guys going down hill off the trails, jumping over logs etc. Had me laughing pretty hard. The first ride he went on, he said the only casualty on his bike was bent handle bars. This was about 30-35 years ago in the SF bay area.

Here is another bicyclist story from my high school days. Usually most kids in high school walk when they go from class to class. We had one guy who would ride his bike. He rode an simple one speed track bike and ride along amongst all the other kids at same speed they were walking. Never saw him hit or crash into anyone. Tom on a bicycle was a normal sight around our high school.

Ric
 
simplespeed said:
Something to consider. I ride a single speed rigid fork 29er mountain bike everywhere. I single speed will really whip you into shape and once your used to it, others look up to you like some sort of awesome being when you dust the geared guys through your local trails. Singlespeeders are a breed all their own. Its cheaper to get into and much cheaper and easier to maintain. Plus your bike is lighter from having less parts rather than swapping in new expensive lightweight parts. It all depends on your home trails and what theyre like though. I wouldnt ride one on a downhill trail. Theyre awesome for technical climbing once you gear your bike to your liking. Just throwing another option out there. Look at mtbr.com and check out the singlespeed section. Lots of cool info and stuff in there. Fair warning though, its not for everyone and no it does not injure youre knees. Most see improvements with knee injuries after riding a SS.
Click to expand...

Simplespeed i just bought a 2012 Trek rig, i just got into MTbiking through a friend and was riding his Rig last year, i liked it so i bought my own singlespeed. I am just trying to get everything i need, tools, new helmet after a crash last year cracked mine, but i love the singlespeed it is easy to ride and is a great work out.
 
Got my first 29'er in 2007, and simply love it - for my purpose. Gary Fischer Paragon.

The 29'ers are so comfortable and fast!.. In my opinion the 26" are far better for technically advanced riding, but for all purpose and faster
riding I wouldn't buy anything else...

BUT... I'm a one-bike-owner... (except for my old winter-bike - as the salty roads here in Stavanger, Norway ruins the bike extremely fast.)

Ole Harald
 
FWIW, I ride a Raleigh Talus 2.0 I think. It's a hybrid between a street and mountain bike, and I love it. Just enough give in the shocks to trail ride, but not too much to ride on concrete. I rode about 45 miles through forest and city with it on the same day, absolutely no problems.
 
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