I NEED A BIKE!!!...Please help me!

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
here's my two cents:

first and foremost, you should save your freakin' money. as a former member of the stupid college kid club, you'd be WAY better served buying my trek for $800 (yes, shameless plug, but whatever) and taking the other $1800 that you were planning on spending and putting it in an ING direct account that will earn you 5% as opposed to a 50+% depreciation of buying a the new bike. furthermore, you're just starting. you may find that $2600 bike isn't well suited for what you want then what? i'll tell you what, you have a $2600 piece of garage art that, as i mentioned earlier, you'll be lucky to get even 50% of what you paid for it.

but, that's what smart people do, and since none of us function in the real world when it comes to biking (myself included these days...but i'm not in college so i don't count) here is my second piece of advice:

IMHO, there is simply no way to have a bike that can truly handle all that diablo has to offer and also be an efficient, agressive XC bike. that's just two completely different worlds. what am i saying? buy a reasonable full squish and rent the right equipment at diablo.

sorry for the reality check, but you're doing stupid shit with your money.
 

dualfisted

Member
Bonefish is pretty right......

I'm 6'6", 220 lbs. and broke parts like crazy on sub 1000 dollar bikes, so I had to spend a bit to get strength and performance. You can get everything you need to ride the local trails below the 2G price point no problem. Then, you can rent up at Diablo and pay for some trips with the money you saved. I don't know about that whole saving your money thing, cuz that's just crazy talk, haha. :getsome:
 

FFT

Gay & Stuffy
8FS291_blk.jpg

I'm sorry but that thing............:puke:
 

elzoller

El Guac-Oh
Or I can sell you a brand-spankin' new road bike so you can get in shape :p

Sheesh $2,600!! When I was in college I was riding a MURRAY tank from Service Merchandise on the road :eek:

I agree with Jake, save some $. You dont need to spend that kind of money if you are getting into MTB...If you plan on hitting Diablo, I would wait. You are young, you might get hooked to the adrenaline of DH and pretty much forget about XC, then your "all mountain bike" might not be a good fit to hit DIABLO that often and you will need to replace it.
Test ride some bikes from the LBS at your local trails to see what bike you like the most and feel more comfortable with. For those trails you mentioned a Hard tail is enough (you can save some $$ there too)

and yes, be careful of the 29er SS crowd here....

Hi I'm ELZOLLER and I am addicted to 29erSS...I am one of the casualties from all that talk here :D
 

FFT

Gay & Stuffy
Scotty,

29er: Cheap, Fun, Great for XC, not worth shit if you want to FR or jump anything.

XC: Moderatly $$ Great for trail rides and conditioning, climbing, some descending, very light stunts and small jumps.

FR: Gettin kinda heavy for trail rides, still fun enough for XC, allows for hitting stunts, jumping, and occational DH.

DH: Well, good for going down hill, only.

What style of riding do you plan on doing, that will help in your decision.
 

Allamuchy Joe

Not White House Approved
JORBA.ORG
...Okay, well I don't NEED a bike, but I do REALLY REALLY want one. I've wanted a MTB for probably over three years now and the want is greater that ever...


Here's a relatively cheap full suspension bike that has it all.

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/mountain/1283/29372/

The Trance 2 will give you 4 inches of travel for the trails by you, climbs like a goat and it is perfect for the trails in northern NJ, too. If it turns out you love it, you can upgrade your rig as you go along. The best part is that the bike has one of the best frame designs on the market (maybe I'm biased, cause I love my Trances).

My buddy was in the same situation as you last year -- he did all the research, visited the various shops and bought the Trance 2. He thanks me every time we ride for turning him onto the Trance.

Research is half the fun of a bike purchase. Enjoy it!
 

dualfisted

Member
Go with Joe

I think Allamuchy Joe is throwing a great option your way. Solid bike that you won't destroy for some time, very upgrade-able, 4 inches of travel is plenty, it climbs too, and that travel will get you through most of diablo except the biggest of hits or drops, which your beginner self probably should stay away from anyway. Plus, you can put that extra 1400 in the bank where it should really stay. Also, test drive as much stuff as you can,,,, test ride, test ride, test ride and get the right fit.
 

Allamuchy Joe

Not White House Approved
JORBA.ORG
I think Allamuchy Joe is throwing a great option your way. Solid bike that you won't destroy for some time, very upgrade-able, 4 inches of travel is plenty, it climbs too, and that travel will get you through most of diablo except the biggest of hits or drops, which your beginner self probably should stay away from anyway. Plus, you can put that extra 1400 in the bank where it should really stay. Also, test drive as much stuff as you can,,,, test ride, test ride, test ride and get the right fit.


Oh yeah -- and when you come up to the 1st Annual JORBA Bike Fest on September 13th, you'll have a great all around bike to ride in Stephen's State Park, Deer Park or Allamuchy. :D
 

Scotty878

Shop: Planet Bike
Shop Keep
Thanks!!

Geez! So many opinions and responses I'm not quite sure where to start! Don't think I've ever gotten so many replies so fast on a forum!

First I'll just thank everybody who responded. Next, well I guess it is pretty much agreed upon that the Reign X1 is too much. And as much as I really do like the look and spec of it, I guess I'll pass.

So I guess the hunt is on again. To touch on some specific posts...

anrothar - The mission looks nice, but I think everyone is saying a 6" bike is a little much, but maybe I'll still take a look....

NJ-XC-Justin - I realize the bent rim is not the bikes fault, but they're so old and out of shape, it wouldn't be worth it to fix them. Thanks for the suggestions; I was already looking at/considering the Prophet,Trance X, Heckler, Dawg, and Dakar XAM, I'll look into the others as well.

Norm - In all honesty, I don't plan to go all that much, so I guess you have a point...

Dualfisted - lol, thanks for the heads up, I know they all like their 29er's but I don't think I'll be too easy to convert.

Bonefishjake - Thanks for the input, and I realize your only trying to help, so I don't want to argue, but if I had wanted financial advice, I would have posted elsewhere.;) And it's funny you mention the ING account, I was reading about them last week and was planning to open one up in the next few days anyway! And I know the bike won't hold value, but I'm not expecting it to. I know what I'm doing with my money and thats why I'm looking for one bike to do a lot because I plan to have only this one bike for a while to come. But now that you mention it, $2600 is a little much, so maybe not quite that much, but I still want a quality bike. Who knows...And I know I can't get a bike that can do aggressive XC and DH capable in one bike, but I'm not looking for anything NEAR aggressive XC, and I certainly don't want full DH. That's why I'm looking for a nice, as you put it, "full squish" lol, bike. Something that will take me up and down the trails, but also be able to handle my crap when I wanna do little drops and jumps and such, hence the reason for a strong AM bike being what I want. (I don't know why it always happens, but just like the OP, I always wind up writing so much more than I planned.)

elzoller - Good point about perhaps getting into one thing more than the other and forgetting about a certain bike. But all I know is my favorite thing at Hartshorne was one tricky downhill section with lots of turns and a bunch of little drops, rocks and roots, so I have a feeling if I went to Diablo, I would get hooked. But I guess I'd have no problem renting at Diablo, but I would still like something that could take a little extra abuse around here...

Flat Friggin Tyres - I know all the classifications and such, and I know it's somewhat of a shady area, but I want something in the area between XC and FR, so the whole AM or trail category, something like that. And I don't really think I would want a 29er, as I'd probably do little jumps and drops around town.

Allamuchy Joe - I'm looking into the Trance a little bit. They all look pretty good with nice builds and are certainly much more forgiving on the climbs, but the only thing that turns me off is all the forks spec'd on them. Fox classifies all of them as XC only, and I'd get a little worried sometimes pushing the limit of the forks.

dualfisted - again - I agree, the Trance is looking pretty nice at this point! But I like to think I would attempt a fair amount of stuff at Diablo. Don't know what's there though, so can't comment fully. Maybe not with a certain bike I purchase, but if I rented I may try it, as I used to dirtbike and I could control those heavy bikes around the track and in the air, so I think I could do pretty well on a MTB. And I feel I have pretty good judgment on when to stop myself also, so I wouldn't push too fast too quickly. Who knows...(Not to come off like an ass, but before someone tries to tell me bikes and motorcycles are completely different, believe me I know, very different worlds, as I've done both, maybe not MTB'ing for long, but done them nonetheless. But I feel I have a knack for two wheels. Always rode bikes. Had a dirtbike for a few years, hit 17, sold that, and now I have a sportbike also, which I feel I ride very smart. I started on a small bike before stepping up, took the MSF Rider-Ed course, read books, learned as much as I could and I go to road courses to get my speed out in a safe environment, and took a track school there too...So I'd like to think I'm pretty smart/confident on two wheels.)(Again, always wind up writing so much more than I planned)

Again, thanks to everybody who has commented thus far! I guess since the Reign X1 is out, I'll take some opinions. I guess now I'm looking for something still AM, around 5" of travel I guess, wouldn't mind a HT, but would rather FS, wouldn't really want a 29er, and in the $2000 range. I have no classes tomorrow, so I'm gonna go around and visit some shops. Halters is on my list, so I'll be there, and others along the way. Hopefully my travels help out!

Scott
:)
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
The regular Trance is not enough for much at Diablo but the Trance X might...Whatever you do, don't be persuaded into a hardtail SS 29er...
 

Allamuchy Joe

Not White House Approved
JORBA.ORG
...
Allamuchy Joe - I'm looking into the Trance a little bit. They all look pretty good with nice builds and are certainly much more forgiving on the climbs, but the only thing that turns me off is all the forks spec'd on them. Fox classifies all of them as XC only, and I'd get a little worried sometimes pushing the limit of the forks.
...
:)

I also have a 2008 Trance X1 -- great bike for Allamuchy! It's amazing what 1 inch more travel can do for you. And the new Trances are a pound and a half lighter than the older Trances.

I know John from Cycleworks rode the Trance X at Diablo during the Giant Demo Day up there. He was surprised at how well the X handled the mountain. I know mine X isn't going to be doing that stuff, though -- cause the rider is chicken! :)
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Geez! So many opinions and responses I'm not quite sure where to start! Don't think I've ever gotten so many replies so fast on a forum!

I realize your only trying to help, so I don't want to argue, but if I had wanted financial advice, I would have posted elsewhere.:)

all we have is opinions here. lots of them. stay awhile, we'll all change our minds eventually. as for the financial advice, well, i'd have to agree. hey man, it's your money. i'm just trying to sell MY bike. :D

through all of that, i would say my main point, anyway, is this: i laid out a ton of cash on a new wheel set for my trek about a month before i rode a 29er for the first time. needless to say, had i ridden the 29er first i would NOT have spent that money on a bike that saw the trails three times last year. what's my point? buy my bike (ok, fine, or a used bike like it) and get used to riding. have fun and ride it like it's stolen...w/o worry of that your going to scratch or ding something. then make your NEXT bike the one you pay top dollar on. you want sound advice, there ya go. none of it financial.

oh, and re. joe's comments, i was told the exact same thing by john at cycle works.
 
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