So, a man walks into a bike shop.........
- Thread starter wayneh
- Start date
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
You'll see...buy something around $8k and you're eyes will be opened.
born-again-biker
Is looking for a 16" bar
right.....
Um what more can I say, meds check
Don't worry about the poodle....he gets a kick-back from Pivot, Transition & Yeti for pushing product on unsuspecting newbies....
Ultra Lord
Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
he’s normally pretty quiet on the tranny front, that’s my domain.
He OP, have you though about banging another 0 on the budget and grabbing a tranny scout? Beat bike you’ll ever own
He OP, have you though about banging another 0 on the budget and grabbing a tranny scout? Beat bike you’ll ever own
Stredda
Runs naked through virgin scrub
Hey Wayne, I live in Latrobe up near Devonport. If you keep an eye out for a second hand bike you can often get a very good bike for your buck. There are a lot of people who have splashed out on a new bike and within a few weeks decided that it's not for them and the bike is basically new.
The Tas MTB is a good Facebook page for second hand bikes. https://www.facebook.com/groups/602604383172203/
Just make sure you get one that fits you correctly. From you height a medium framed bike would be the best sizing.
But as some of the others have said Polygon has good entry bikes and bikes like the Giant Talon. You will find the bike from non bike shops KMart ect are really only suited to cycle paths and have "not for offroad use" stickers on the frames. All depends on how serious you want to get into it. I would always recommend not spending too much on you first bike so this allows you to find what type of riding you would enjoy most and then make a much more informed decision on an almost certain, future upgrade. I would also recommend heading to Derby and trying Mad MTB or Vertigo's hire bikes, it will give you an idea of what a much higher end bike is like. Just be careful, you might get hooked!
The Tas MTB is a good Facebook page for second hand bikes. https://www.facebook.com/groups/602604383172203/
Just make sure you get one that fits you correctly. From you height a medium framed bike would be the best sizing.
But as some of the others have said Polygon has good entry bikes and bikes like the Giant Talon. You will find the bike from non bike shops KMart ect are really only suited to cycle paths and have "not for offroad use" stickers on the frames. All depends on how serious you want to get into it. I would always recommend not spending too much on you first bike so this allows you to find what type of riding you would enjoy most and then make a much more informed decision on an almost certain, future upgrade. I would also recommend heading to Derby and trying Mad MTB or Vertigo's hire bikes, it will give you an idea of what a much higher end bike is like. Just be careful, you might get hooked!
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
Don't worry about the poodle....he gets a kick-back from Pivot, Transition & Yeti for pushing product on unsuspecting newbies....
he’s normally pretty quiet on the tranny front, that’s my domain.
He OP, have you though about banging another 0 on the budget and grabbing a tranny scout? Beat bike you’ll ever own
Yeah I'm not into the transition gear tooooooo much. Well not since the end of the bottle rocket, double, and Preston. Pivot, SC, intense, Turner, I'm a sucked for virtual pivots. Damn you and your reasonable pricing giant!!!
born-again-biker
Is looking for a 16" bar
Yep. If you don’t care too much about brand cred, Giant gives you VPP performance for half the price.
(Just reaching for triple-layer flame suit...)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
link1896
Mr Greenfield
Is the suit to stop the last remnants of your soul escaping? I own a few giants, many holes my glasshouse.
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
Put that flame suit on! I've been suckered into owning 3 giant freeride/dh bikes running their Maestro system by the great value their complete bikes offer. The first, second, and third generation of the frames, all in 26 inch. I have also been fortunate enough to own Santa Cruz, Canfield Bros, Intense (more SC), and pivot frames all running virtual pivots of some sort and 26 inch wheels. These different design all blow the Maestro out of the water in one way or another. The SC is way more plush and supple across the chunder. The DW link feels more efficient, I think it has a very different leverage ratio. The Canfield suspension was just all put rad. By comparison the Glory and Faith bikes I've had felt like big slow slugs to pedal and had noticable wheel hook on square bumps.
But damn! They are such good value for money.
Stredda
Runs naked through virgin scrub
But getting off track, we are trying to help this bloke by an entry level bike for around $800. Not sure the finer points of DH/Free Ride suspension is relevant, especially since he will most like be buying a hardtail.
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
You might be. I'm trying to help him get laid by hordes of beautiful gender of preference!
In all seriousness the "don't spend too much up front" approach only leads to more spending. You buy a heap of shit, work it harder than intended, make some repairs, make some upgrades, then try and sell it for more than its worth and embarrassed end up stuffing the circus in the back of your shed or taking a 90% price drop on the sale, then replace it. It is like all those kids riding a giant trance or stance who's parent tried to save a few bucks up front...and copped long term loss. No need to fork out $8k for a pseudo penis enlargment (trust me it doesn't really work and you won't actually get laid), but spending a little more will pay off short and long term.
Short term = less frustrations and down time due to mechanicals.
Long term = less cash floating away in dries and drabs.
Flow-Rider
Burner
The Poodles got some great points.
You can look at it in a lot of ways, a $2000 MTB is still going to be cheaper than buying a Harley or a sports car.
wayneh
Likes Bikes
right so confirming Pink Poodle Bank is now open and offering 0% loans to all Tas member's looking for a first mountain bike; oh and just to confirm which bike shop did you own/have interest in and is that where i have to spend my loan?????
wayneh
Likes Bikes
sorry I don't know those brands are they Chinese cloan cheapiesDon't worry about the poodle....he gets a kick-back from Pivot, Transition & Yeti for pushing product on unsuspecting newbies....
wayneh
Likes Bikes
guessing Giant a brave word to type here
wayneh
Likes Bikes
true......
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
Or a Thai trifecta. Point being by the time you buy an $800 bike, drop ~$150 on 3 services trying get the gears to shift properly and those annoying creaks to fuck off, toss the forks in the bin because they sized up and replaced them for $400 because you got.a sweet deal on a 2nd hand replacement, then replace the wheel that shits itself for $200...then replace the whole bike for $1500 and keep the old one as a pub cruiser that you don't bother using because it sucks too much...you may as well have just spent up a bit more at first. Just throw an extra $xxx in the bike kitty each week for a few weeks/months and take a few hire and shuttle days in the mean time to see just how much of a bike boner you get on the dirt. I know that even with the searing heat and oppressive humidity here on Saturday and Sunday while the rest of me was mega flaccid, I still had a raging "I love bikes!!!!" boner.
This guy is alright.sorry I don't know those brands are they Chinese cloan cheapies
born-again-biker
Is looking for a 16" bar
Yeah, there's a few Giant haters....and some of us like to stir them up sometimes.
There's nothing special about a Giant, they're as common-as-arseholes, but you get a lot of bike for the price.
(think Holden commodore SS, rather than Porsche...)
Serious question for ya...
Do you think you will progress fairly quickly with your new hobby? ....or is this just a purchase for one or two rides a month on a local bike trail around the back of the local park etc...?
The reason I ask is this:
When I got back into the sport a couple of years back I was much like you - I didn't really know what bike to look for (everything had changed so much) but one thing I quickly realised - I was going to out-grow a hardtail real quick. So I narrowed my search to dual sus only.
And this is especially true in Tasmania.
I think there's a good chance your mates in the office will drag you to Derby or down the North-South track (arguably you can do the North South on a HT without too much pain)....but a dually gives you much more confidence straight out of the box.
Others will argue it's better to hone your skills on a HT first (and they have good reasons to argue this), but I think you'll find it frustrating at Derby or Maydena. And Hollybank's Juggernaut would be down-right scary on a hardtail IMO.
So if you can stretch the budget to a bit more, a good second hand dual-sus bike will last you a lot longer I think?
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
The born again cuddle bear raises a good point about getting a dually. I don't endorse the hard tail first theory either. One thing to consider, being you have fessed up to being a little older than the cliche mountain bike rider, is your physical condition. No I don't mean fit vs unfit. For me, riding a hardtail for any sustained period of time inflames my back. I've been blessed with a disc problem.
Ultra Lord
Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
Giant make some great bikes, even though people rag on them. If I hadn’t dropped a kidney on a transition scout frame I’d be on a giant still. Fantastic value, lifetime warranty on frames. Good bikes.
Everyone knows the aluminium trannys are made in taiwan though. China is for the carbon fibre wank.