Mt. Bike suggestions

[mikeschn]

I'm heading down the trail this morning if it doesn't rain.

Mike...

[80turbota]

Thats great, have fun and be safe. Now go out and ride the wheels off of it.
I hope that you can convince your daughter to return her bike and get a better one.
Here is an idea. Let her ride her's then have her ride your's. She will see the difference right away.
I bought the cheapest walmart bike they had. I have gotten my $53.00 out of it and I use it to train on. It has about had it now. I have had it for 2 years. Surprised that it has lasted this long.
Oddly I got mine for camping also. I love it but my wife just doesn't get it.

[TheBizMan]

My wife had back surgery and is now held together with 3 rods and 5 screws. She rides a 3 wheel recumbent trike. (EZ-3) It has 21 speeds, but she only uses 3 of them. She doesn't have any pain riding it, even for long rides.

[Fenlason]

I got to spend some time on my bike today, Man I love it!! I have had a lot of bikes in my time but this thing is so smooth and quite. It shifts instantly in both directions, handles awesome, I was even able to hit some good sized bumps without feeling a thing! Smoooth!
When I was testing out bikes the other day, I rode a few with hydraulic disc brakes, mine has mechanical disc brakes but I like the hydraulic much better so I am ordering a pair of Avid Juicy sevens with larger discs. The hydraulics feel so much better than a stretchy cable.
Yesterday my youngest daughter decided to buy a bike, she didnt tell me and bought a Walmart full suspension ($85) I was shocked when she brought it home, I cant believe how cheaply built it is! I am surprised they are even legal to sell! I am trying to talk her into taking it back but for some reason she is resisting, I even offered to help her buy a better one.
Any way, I am happy as a clam with my new toy! I cant wait to take it camping. Aaron

I am glad you bought a better bike.. and that you are enjoying it so much. I am also glad you have seen the quality level of the department store bikes. I have seen some new ones that were so very unsafe... I also don't understand how they can be sold.

I was at first hesitant to go to disc brakes. A properly set up, better quality rim brake.. can have tremendous braking power. They are also simplier mechanically, lighter and less expensive..[in the early years.. there were bugs and such that needed to be worked through].. but my newest bike has disc brakes [the Juicy 7's] and I love them.

The first thing I really appreciated..which will sound weird.. but it was how quiet they were. With rim brakes.. riding off road you often have debris on the rims.. and that makes this constant scraping noise.

This week I have ridden my two newest bikes.. one with very good rim brakes the other with the juicy 7's] It has been rainy and just riding in wet grass. The rim brakes are really not consistant. You do not have as much grip when they are wet. It may take a few seconds with the brakes on.. for them to dry and improve... but even waiting a fraction of a second.. changes how you ride.

It was something we got used to.. with rim brakes and rode accordingly.. without even thinking about it. The discs.. they are always the same..

Now I want discs on my other bike .. The frame and fork will take them.. but I will also need new wheels. Anyone want to buy a slightly used mountain bike

[Fenlason]

My wife had back surgery and is now held together with 3 rods and 5 screws. She rides a 3 wheel recumbent trike. (EZ-3) It has 21 speeds, but she only uses 3 of them. She doesn't have any pain riding it, even for long rides.

I think my next tandem will be a recumbent. We are tandem geeks.. well bikes geeks first.. but we currently have 3 tandems. We have been looking at tandem recumbent trikes. The ones we have looked at are the other way around from your wives.. two wheels up front and one in the rear.

glenn

[Airspeed]

Today I replaced the stock disc brakes on my Haro Mt. bike with Avid Juicy seven hydraulic brakes, what a massive difference! They feel so smooth and are so much easier to control than the old mechanical disc brakes.
I also replaced my stock Shimano shifters with SRAM Attack shifters, another big improvement in ergonomics. I can shift up and down with out letting go of the bars and can even brake at the same time
If anyone is thinking about adding Hydraulic brakes take my advise and do it. you wont be disappointed!
Next I plan on changing my front crank and chain wheels, then the rims. By the time I'm done I will have gone way over my original plan of spending only $500, I'm already at $1200 but it sure is fun!!
Aaron

[Fenlason]

Today I replaced the stock disc brakes on my Haro Mt. bike with Avid Juicy seven hydraulic brakes, what a massive difference! They feel so smooth and are so much easier to control than the old mechanical disc brakes.
I also replaced my stock Shimano shifters with SRAM Attack shifters, another big improvement in ergonomics. I can shift up and down with out letting go of the bars and can even brake at the same time
If anyone is thinking about adding Hydraulic brakes take my advise and do it. you wont be disappointed!
Next I plan on changing my front crank and chain wheels, then the rims. By the time I'm done I will have gone way over my original plan of spending only $500, I'm already at $1200 but it sure is fun!!
Aaron

It would have been far cheaper to have bought a bike with the better parts on it, to start with.
Or to have switched the parts before you took the bike home. Most shops would have taken in the unwanted parts in trade.

[Airspeed]

Actualy it was far cheaper to replace the parts myself, every bike shop I found wanted $169 each for the brakes (not including labor), I bought them for $106 each delivered. They wanted $1400 for the bike with the parts I replaced myself, plus the extra parts are going on a frame I bought for my wife so I am almost getting two bikes for the price of one!
I get to upgrade these parts as I can afford them and I get the parts I want. I also dont have to pay a guy in a shop to work on my bike. Bikes are so very simple to work on, I cant imagine paying someone to do such simple work.
Aaron

[asianflava]

That's a slippery slope you're on. You'll have a $2000 bike before you know it. But yeah, I agree with the previous poster, it's cheaper to buy a bike with the upgraded components. The components are the biggest difference when comparing models from a manufacturer.

[Airspeed]

That's a slippery slope you're on. You'll have a $2000 bike before you know it. But yeah, I agree with the previous poster, it's cheaper to buy a bike with the upgraded components. The components are the biggest difference when comparing models from a manufacturer.

I found it much cheaper to upgrade the parts. They wanted more for a bike with just the parts I have on it now and I still have room to buy more
and be less expensive than the bike shop wanted. Plus I get to do it myself which is fun to me.
I will actually have two bikes when I'm done for the price of one since all the extra parts are going on another frame. I will be saving A LOT of money.
Thanks. Aaron

[Fenlason]

At our shop.. and most shops I know of around here.. if you were buying bike x and it had the shimano shift levers.. and you wanted sram. If the sram levers cost more.. than the shimano.. we would have charged you the difference.. and switched them for no labor costs. Of course it has to be before you take the bike home and ride it.

as far as buying a more expensive bike.. I was not referring to just the parts you put into it so far.. but if you are looking at wheels and cranks..and on and on.. it's a different matter.

I have some people that will buy a bike with the best frame they can afford and then upgrade the cheaper parts for better as they can afford it.

but they are usually riding a year or so first.. or replacing parts as they wear out..

At least you are putting the parts on another bike... and I guess if you are happy that is all that matters.



You were at first looking at dept. store bikes. had we known you were "going here" you might have gotten different advice.

[Airspeed]

Thanks, I new not to get a dept store bike all along, I had intended on spending $500 on a bike, whether it be new or used. I hadn't bought a bike in years and had no idea what was available these days and how much they cost. That's why I asked around.
I paid $800 out the door for mine and have added new, better brakes, Sram shifters & derailleur, grips, pedals, bar ends, carbon frame pump & water bottle cage and seat bag, all quality stuff and it was still cheaper than buying the same bike with half these parts at the bike shop. And like i said I will have two bikes when I'm done.
The bike shop where I bought mine (Redding Ca.) wanted much more for the same bike with half these parts. I even tried to buy parts from other bike shops but they wanted 30 to 40% more even if they kept the old parts. I priced the 2008 Avid Juicy Sevens at three bike shops and they wanted $169 each, even the shop I bought my bike from was that high. I paid $109 w/shipping for the same parts online, same thing with the shifters and front derailleur. Heck, if you can give me the same bike with all these parts for the same $1200 I'm up to now I will buy one from you!
I understand what your saying, your saying I could have bought my bike with everything I will eventually upgrade for less than I can do myself. I looked at 5 different shops and none of them could beat what I have paid for my bike and the parts I have added and will add. Maybe things are different at your shop but the five I visited couldn't do it even if they kept the original parts as trade, even after I replace the crank and rims I will still be paying less than they could do. I am one for getting the best deal I can, so I think of every option I can and make tons of calls and shop around. I probably could have ordered one cheaper but then I wouldnt have been able to ride it and make sure I got the right size before I bought.
Anyway, I am happy with it, it's been fun to build and I get two bikes for the same price as one at a bike shop.
Thanks! Aaron