Mountain biking

[Titan Tom]

You want an ebike, trust me. Get the kind that makes you work it will help on those steep hills. you will love it and you will still get a work out

 

[Matt Hixson]

I plan on buying 2 mountain bikes (1 for my wife).
But unsure of where to start, and how much to spend.
My budget for the 2 bikes would be about $1000.
I'm not even sure if mountain bikes are what we want, mostly it would ridden on the beach paths, but also dirt and some trails.
We have a ton of bike paths/trails here (southern ca).

I recommend that you rent a few before you make a decision and go ride on terrain that you typically want to ride. Some bike shops will credit you the rental fees you paid to them towards the purchase of a bike. You could rent two different types of bikes for you and your wife to test ride and take turns on them. Repeat as needed with different types of bikes. This essentially makes the renting free while educating yourself about what you like to ride out in the real world.

 

[Outdoordog]

I recommend that you rent a few before you make a decision and go ride on terrain that you typically want to ride. Some bike shops will credit you the rental fees you paid to them towards the purchase of a bike. You could rent two different types of bikes for you and your wife to test ride and take turns on them. Repeat as needed with different types of bikes. This essentially makes the renting free while educating yourself about what you like to ride out in the real world.

That's a great idea!

 

[Autism Family Travels]

I plan on buying 2 mountain bikes (1 for my wife).
But unsure of where to start, and how much to spend.
My budget for the 2 bikes would be about $1000.
I'm not even sure if mountain bikes are what we want, mostly it would ridden on the beach paths, but also dirt and some trails.
We have a ton of bike paths/trails here (southern ca).

Don't buy Walmart bikes or anything like that......nevermind, there is an Ozark Trail bike that is a great staring bike, Just remembered. Seth (berm peak on youtube) has one. He bought the bike, and showed an upgrade path that was very interesting. The other thing you can do is buy 2 GT models at dick's sporting goods and get a reliable bike to start on. I have my wife and son GT's. I am upgrading them with a 1x drivetrain, hydraulic brakes and some lighter parts as time goes on. But the frame will be a great starting point to upgrade as you go.

Here is the Ozark Trail bike.

Ozark Trail 29" Ridge Mountain Bike, Medium Frame, Fits Riders 5'3" - 5'8", Gray, Adult, Unisex - Walmart.com

Not expensive, will get you out there to see if you dig bikes or not. Just be warned, bikes are like any addiction. It can get costly! ha ha.

 

[travisn000]

That's a great idea!

YT and Canyon are direct to consumer brands that offer high quality bikes and free demo's, and they are in your area:

YT US

us.yt-industries.com

The YT MILL, San Clemente · 211 Calle Pintoresco Suite A, San Clemente, CA 92672

★★★★★ · Bicycle wholesaler

maps.app.goo.gl

World-Class Road, Gravel, & Mountain Bikes | CANYON US

Shop the full range of carbon and aluminum road bikes, mountain bikes, triathlon bikes, e-bikes & more. Buy manufacturer-direct and have shipped to your home.

www.canyon.com

Canyon Bicycles USA · 5600 Avenida Encinas STE 180, Carlsbad, CA 92008

★★★★★ · Bicycle Shop

maps.app.goo.gl

If you buy a bike from Walmart or any big box store, take the bike to a bike shop to have it inspected; I've known a few people that got incorrectly assembled bikes that let to part failures that could have been dangerous.

 

[Matt Hixson]

Those are cool. I'm having trouble deciding if I really want a mountain bike, but I also want a road bike. Ugh. You're giving me too much to think about.

To heap even more options onto your dilemma see gravel bikes. They are kinda a middle point between mountain and road bikes.