Mountain biking
- Thread starter ShawnR
- Start date
I've had a Thule T2 for a number of years and its very robust. Both my Parlee road bike with skinny carbon fiber rims and the 3" tires on this bike both fit (barely). My buddy has a Kuat which is lighter and more expensive. The build quality and simplicity of the 1UP is superb. I haven't mounted my road bike on it yet, but I'm sure it will be held securely and without damage to the bike.
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Just bought the North Shore Racks NSR-4. Should be shipping today, I'll follow up when it arrives. Main selling points were its ease of loading, and the bikes dont touch each other, so it should be perfect for those shuttle days.
Id be careful with building a bike unless you get the frame dirt cheap cuz quality components add up real quick. definitely stay away from stores like walmart. a Good used MTB is 100xs better still.
I really used to be into cycling , and one look at my mtb will take you back to the 90s, what with its ‘old’ geometry and 26” wheels, straight-gauge 4130 chromoly tubing, and that fluorescent yellow. It’s a classic Southern California Yeti Ultimate (waaaay before they went carbon fiber and moved to CO. But mine was welded by FTW himself!)Very eclectic build. I must be one of the only ones around running a Campagnolo off-road drivetrain Using old Speedplay Frogs and Magura HS-33 rim brakes. I’d say it could still embarrass posers with 160mm travel 29ers, but these days my bike seems to be lacking in the engine department.
This bike, the full suspension Manitou and the fat tube Klien with the one piece stem bar were the hot want to have bikes of their time. I was there, the lust was there, everyone wanted one of these.
‘Lust’ is the exact word to use. For me it was this or Richard Cunnihgham’s Mantis Valkyrie, with its Maserati Birdcage-like tubular steel skeleton frame.
I actually got into 4x4s through mountain biking.
Oh my, I forgot that one, soon after that came out I went and got a nishiki alien mountain bike with the same elvated chain stays, what a trip down memory lane.
Back to the 21th century my new ride I just got is a Santa Cruz Hightower 27.5 plus. Way big fun.
Member I
Funny, I used to have a Nishiki Alien too. It was white with round tubing and a multicolored paint speckled paint job. So 90's.
Traveler III
The Turbo Levo’s are awesome bikes! They handle amazingly well! Ebikes have come leaps and bounds in the last few years-it’s the fastest growing category in the bike industry, by huge amounts. They are fun!
Traveler III
Those Sondors were fantastic Kickstarter deals!
Your post says it all about ebikes. They get so many more people outdoors, exercising, and enjoying life. And you do get exercise since you have to pedal them.
We have bike shops in the DC area so it’s great to hear people experiencing cycling again through ebikes.
I think my opinion is biased but I have a 2015 Trek Marlin 7 that I use all the time and I love it. However am looking to upgrade to a Full Trail(front and rear shocks) since the Marlin 7 is a Hard Trail (front fork shocks only) since I use it to ride to work as well I can maintain higher speeds were the Full Trail you loose that because of the rear shock. However because of how much Downhill riding through canyons I have been doing I would like to upgrade. I will say spend a little more money to ensure you get a quality product. Mainly when it comes to brakes, those dingy rubber clamp brakes wont do you good when you are flying downhill constantly hitting your brakes. Whereas Hydraulic disk brakes will be a life saver I can attest to that lol.
Protector II
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I ended up with a Giant Trance and a Stance for my son. While they are expensive what you’ll find is there are very few bike manufacturers in the world. There are thousands of brands, but the MAJORITY of mainstream bicycles are made in Giant facilities. So for a more affordable full featured bike Giant gives you more bang for your buck. I lock out my rear shock all the time for street riding or flats, but you can’t beat full suspension. A trail bike would probably suit 95% of your needs based on description. 
Traveler III
I've been in the bike industry for about 25 years, and Kyle & Kari basically hit the nail on the head. There's a massive difference in quality between what the mass merchants(Wal-Mart, Target, etc) and an independently owned bike shop will offer. In a bike shop, you'll find the brands that you mentioned-Trek, Specialized, Giant, etc.(Gary Fisher was a sub brand of Trek, but doesn't exist any longer). These bikes are built to much higher standards of quality, and they're assembled by trained bicycle mechanics, not just a part-time hourly employee with no training. There's a huge difference in safety between the two. Don't get me wrong, department store bikes exist for a reason, but I would never consider riding one on real dirt, mountain bike'ish type of terrain-they will not hold up.
There's also no support on a bike sale at a department store, where a bike shop will generally offer some sort of maintenance package, warranty, etc. They also do not come in wide variety of sizes at a mass merchant, so you won't get a bike that actually fits you. People come in a vast array of heights and sizes, so bikes should as well. You'll get properly fit through a bike shop, and ride out on a bike for you.
My suggestion - save up as much as you can and buy the bike that's going to offer you a comfortable, safe, enjoyable ride. Something else to remember, every major bike manufacturer makes bikes in all price ranges, starting at about $350 for an adult mountain bike, up to however many thousands of dollars you want to spend-the sky really is the limit!:) My point - all the manufacturers use components from the same suppliers, for the most part, to hit each of these price points. There's some exceptions to this, such as Trek-they manufacture a lot of their own components(wheels, tires, handlebars, etc-Trek is the largest bike brand in the world) Go with a major brand from an independently owned shop, and you'll be happy!
Having first begun mountain biking in 1989 and still this being a passion today that takes to the trail two to three times a week, this well thought out post from sabjku is 100 percent correct and the way to go about this.
