I wouldnt' recomend costco. Less features but better quality will pay off in the the long run. Sorry you got hurt, that sucks. Take it easy. :)
Craigslist, and ebay are your friend. and like he said just buy last years model. If you are using the bike for more than just down hill you are going to want a "lockable" rear suspension.
The lockout isn't that necessary. For cross-country type riding, you can just keep the read shock at a medium level of stiffness. When the terrain is rolling, it's too annoying to keep stopping to twiddle your shock.
The costco Abajo Peak has ok parts for a start full suspension bike - the seat and tires (WTB) are actually quite good, but I have never heard of the fezzari brand. The best place for mtn bike info is the review section of mtbr.com. The forums can also be pretty informative if you find the right threads
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My current bike is a hardtail and I've ridden them my whole life; in fact, only this bike and my last had any suspension at all! I have never owned an expensive bike before; I think this one I have (Mirzu, "as seen on-playa") cost me about $120 at either K-Mart or Target. The "shock" is better than nothing, but the whole thing is about what you'd expect for ~$100. As in, not much.
So now that I am getting serious about getting into Top Shape(tm), I am trying to get a good FS bike that I can use for several years. Preferably one that costs less than a grand. So far, I hear Kona makes a good product, but gawdDAMN they are expensive for the FS frames! I also hear good things about Specialized and of course Cannondale, but I hear they are $$$$$$$ x 10^3
Thanks to Div and everyone for their comments. You guys are the best!
A good FS bike will last you a long time, and the least expensive frame maker is the one I have - Jamis. Excellent quality, small company, reasonable prices. In order to get a good frame *and* components under $1k, though, you're going to have to get lucky with a clearance sale. A shitty FS is a far worse thing than a good hardtail. I paid about $1.3k for mine after extensive research and shopping around, and it was the best I could do 2 years ago. Hopefully prices have dropped a couple hundred by now for the same level of tech. To get down to $800 or under, you're probably going to have to buy used
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Wow, thanks for the offer! I have a feeling we might take you up on that sometime!
I know people have told me to go rent first to see what I want to buy. Yes, I know that renting a couple of times (say, in Big Bear = $50/per rental = $100), and I know $100 isn't that much, but damn! That's 10% of a $1k bike! I'd almost rather just buy one that I've test ridden around a couple of blocks and hope that I can adapt to it.
Since you mentioned it, what do you think about buying used? I am afraid of cracking a frame because whoever owned the bike before me might have really abused it. But in general, do peole basically stay away from used bikes?
Then again, I'm sure around the South Bay there are quite a few folks who went out and purchased these really expensive bikes, rode them around the boardwalk a few times, and went back to their Krispy Kreme lifestyles. I should watch out for garage sales and the like -- I know that's a long shot, but what the hell, right?
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just wanted to say hi :)
/me waves
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I miss you guys -- it's been a long time since I've seen any 'Riders.
:(
We will have to fix that soon -- perhaps another Venice bike pub crawl is in order!
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Hope you guys are well. Carla told me about Paco -- very sorry to hear that man. Condolences to Penny ...
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Craigslist, and ebay are your friend. and like he said just buy last years model. If you are using the bike for more than just down hill you are going to want a "lockable" rear suspension.
Reply
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My current bike is a hardtail and I've ridden them my whole life; in fact, only this bike and my last had any suspension at all! I have never owned an expensive bike before; I think this one I have (Mirzu, "as seen on-playa") cost me about $120 at either K-Mart or Target. The "shock" is better than nothing, but the whole thing is about what you'd expect for ~$100. As in, not much.
So now that I am getting serious about getting into Top Shape(tm), I am trying to get a good FS bike that I can use for several years. Preferably one that costs less than a grand. So far, I hear Kona makes a good product, but gawdDAMN they are expensive for the FS frames! I also hear good things about Specialized and of course Cannondale, but I hear they are $$$$$$$ x 10^3
Thanks to Div and everyone for their comments. You guys are the best!
Reply
Reply
I know people have told me to go rent first to see what I want to buy. Yes, I know that renting a couple of times (say, in Big Bear = $50/per rental = $100), and I know $100 isn't that much, but damn! That's 10% of a $1k bike! I'd almost rather just buy one that I've test ridden around a couple of blocks and hope that I can adapt to it.
Since you mentioned it, what do you think about buying used? I am afraid of cracking a frame because whoever owned the bike before me might have really abused it. But in general, do peole basically stay away from used bikes?
Then again, I'm sure around the South Bay there are quite a few folks who went out and purchased these really expensive bikes, rode them around the boardwalk a few times, and went back to their Krispy Kreme lifestyles. I should watch out for garage sales and the like -- I know that's a long shot, but what the hell, right?
Reply
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