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OK, so I want a cheap mountain bike to bomb around the trails at our local park with (mostly flat, dirt trails). I may also take the occasional trip up to Marin, which has some more rigorous rides, but that won't happen all that often.
I just saw that Nashbar has an extra 20% off which means I can get their entry level bike with disc brakes for $240.
http://www.nashbar.com/webapp/wcs/store … _503476_-1
For the money, is this an OK bike? Also, any ideas on which size to get? I'm 5'11, 175 lbs, 30" inseam. The dimensions are the same as what's listed on the bike below. I'm thinking most likely the 19"?
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes//CatalogSe … hTerm=at-1
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50mm travel? 
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That bike is going to be heavy as fuck. Like well over 30 pounds. Also, those are cable-pull disc brakes which aren't that much better than V-brakes. The components are also pretty crappy (barely touching the low-end of Shimano).
The problem is you have some decent road bikes, so you will be severely disappointed with a heavy, slow, undersprung MTB. I wouldn't spend much money on a bike that has less than Deore components, hydro discs, and at least a 100mm name-brand fork.
Can you sell one of your road bikes and put that money toward something used? If you can squeak over $500 and are patient, there are deals galore on Craigslist and MTBR.
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Yeah the problem is there are some huge price plateaus in the bike world. The lowest one starts at over $500 (and for full suspension is closer to $1000). There are bikes at every ~$300 mark from there up, and it's pretty linear in terms of what you get for the money. Once you hit over $1500 you are usually only paying for particular high-end parts, and once you hit over $2000 you are starting to waste your money.
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I agree with Ryan. ~$500 off of Craigslist will buy you a lot of bike. You can get a good used hardtail for that money. Doesn't sound like you're interested in a full suspension so I wouldn't bother looking. The cheaper ones are heavy and the suspension design is outdated. I'm not sure I agree that anything over $2k is a waste of money though....I love my Santa Cruz and those don't come cheap. 
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I picked up a used hardtail Specialized bike last summer with a nice fork, hydraulic brakes, and upgraded shifters for like $350. It was a great deal. I took it down the Downieville Downhill trail 3 times (and that trail beats the shit of you and the bike), and it held up great. I'd also vote that you just go for a used bike.
PS-It sounds like you're probably pretty experienced on a bike, so if haven't gone yet and you get a chance to go out to Downieville, I highly recommend it. You drive up to the top of a mountain, bike down, and have to drive back up (so you'll need two cars, which is a pain, but it's worth it if you can get a group together). Here's a quick description of it:
Dropping 5,000 vertical feet in 17 miles from Packer Saddle to Downieville, the Downieville Downhill is the longest and most demanding downhill mountain bike race in the nation. This prestigious race course follows the paths of the Sunrise Trail, Butcher Ranch Trail, Third Divide Trail and First Divide Trail. It's big, it's bad and it's beautiful.
It's all downhill, but it's exhausting. And fun.
Last edited by kornfeld (2010-06-29 00:20:18)
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You could also look into getting a single speed. I have one and it's really fun not having to think about if you're in the right gear. It feels like when you were a kid riding a BMX bike. I picked one up used off of CL for around $300. It is fully rigid and with mechanical disc brakes but is super fun and reliable. Not a lot of moving parts to break and it's a good work out.
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Downieville is actually where I got my bike. It's one of the Yuba Expeditions rental bikes. Even though it was used it still wasn't cheap. 
Downieville is great though, hoping to make it up there in a 3 weeks. This weekend heading to Tahoe to ride Mr. Toads. 
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I was just looking at a Kona SS trying to debate if that would suit my needs.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/bik/1809156481.html
I'm just not sure if I could do it, though. I like the idea of the simplicity which means better components elsewhere for the same price. I think I'd like something I could ride up trails as well...
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If it's geared right it wouldn't be too bad. Well, depends where you're going. Which trails are you looking to bomb around on? That Kona isn't really the right bike. It's a dirt jump model so the geometry is different than a XC bike, the Manitou fork looks about 10 years old and the brake levers looks like generic Taiwan models. Something like this (if it were the right size) would be a decent SS rig:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/bik/1816297376.html
(For when link expires: Bianchi MUSS)
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I'm not sure where in all I'd be going, so I'm just trying to find something suitable for the largest array of possibilities. The reality is that I'll probably mostly ride around Golden Gate Park, but I'd like to go elsewhere. Maybe something to take along with me on camping trips.
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Forge Sawback 5XX can be had for $340ish with 10% off (on sale right now). It is a great bike for the cash - I love mine. Tons of great reviews online.
Here are the stats - comes in 17 or 19 inch:
Size: 17" FRAME / STANDOVER HEIGHT 30.9"
Color: SILVER
Frame: 6061 ALL ALUMINUM, DOUBLE-BUTTED, HYDROFORMED GUSSET, WITH DISC AND RACK/ FENDER MOUNTS
Front Suspension: ROCKSHOX DART 1 W/ADJUSTABLE PRELOAD, 100MM TRAVEL
Wheels
Rims: WTB SPEEDDISC, 32-HOLE
Hubs: JOYTECH ALLOY QR DISC 32H
Spokes: 14G STAINLESS STEEL
Tires: ITS NINJA 26X2.1"
Drivetrain
Speed: 27
Shifters: SHIMANO DEORE
Front Derailleur: SHIMANO ALIVIO
Rear Derailleur: SHIMANO DEORE
Crankset: TRUVATIV ISOFLOW ALUMINUM TRIPLE 22/32/42T
Bottom Bracket: VP SEALED CARTRIDGE
Cassete: SRAM PG950, 34-11T, 9 SPEED
Chain: SHIMANO HG73
Pedals: ALLOY PLATFORM
Components
Saddle: WTB PURE V SPORT
Seat Post: ALLOY 30.8X350MM, ADJUST WITH QUICK RELEASE
Handlebar: MTB-ALLOY 30MM RISE
Stem: FORGE-ALLOY 105MM
Grips: WTB TRAIL
Brake Set: AVID BB-5, MECHANICAL DISC
Brake Levers: TEKTRO ALLOY
Extras: PRESTA VALVES, CATEYE REFLECTOR SET, TWO WATER BOTTLE MOUNTS, STORAGE RACK & FENDER MOUNTS CLEAR COAT PAINT FINISH AND OWNERS MANUAL
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Off topic a bit, are the Nashbars any good? I've been eyeballing either a single speed with a flip flop rear wheel or a 29er of some sort and they have fantastic prices.
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It's a sledgehammer. It's got shocks, pegs. Lucky.
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see sig
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Snaab9-2 wrote:
Forge Sawback 5XX can be had for $340ish with 10% off (on sale right now). It is a great bike for the cash - I love mine. Tons of great reviews online.
Where'd you find the 10% off? It looks like it's just sold through Target.com, but I don't see that offer there. It looks like enough of a bike to get me started. I figure I can upgrade parts down the road. I haven't been on a mountain bike in 8 years, so I'm just looking for an entry point.
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The Forge is a decent buy. They put fairly decent components in all the places that matter, and then use cheap no-name stuff for other parts including the frame. Again, it's going to be heavy (but lighter than the one in the OP).
BB-5s are the only mechanical disc brake I'd recommend. They are better than some of the low-end hydros.
If you can pick that up for a decent deal, and find that you like it, keep your eyes open on CL and eBay for a good frameset and you can port a lot of the stuff over.
Last edited by Ryan (2010-06-29 12:26:40)
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The Forge Sawback 5XX looks like a decent entry point for the price. I'm surprised it's able to have name brand components and still be so cheap.
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Jeff, I didn't read through the thread but I just bought a hardtail frame from performancebike.com.
Regular price 300, on sale for 120 with an instant 25 off resulting in a price of 95, and I paid about 13 shipping. I was skeptical so I went to a performance bike shop and checked out the frame in person. Good quality, nice welds and paint, fairly light and nice and stiff.
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See now this is confusing. Is 
aimed at me or is there another Jeff in our midst .
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Az=jeff
Hyper=geoff
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Ryan=Ryan
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Jeepis > Doug, wut?
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