Best hardtail mountain bike ~$700?

Question

I'm 13 almost 14, inactive and looking to go out on trails with some of my mates. I'm looking around the $700 price mark, but cheaper is preferable. I want a hard tail, so i will have no problem on roads and around parks. Weight isn't really a big deal as i am light anyway. I would prefer if the size was fairly small as I am not tall (160cm/5'3"). Australian links preferred, but i only need as a reference.

Answer 1

HI, I'm Australian and I assume you are. I recently purchased a Diamondback hardtail and added a few of my own parts but it has a great frame, forks and discs. It's a quality brand with quality parts and very reasonable prices. There are variations of my model on the market. They don't really have a specific name but looking for a Diamondback, I think would be a great choice. Good Luck (btw, if you can stretch further with your money the Kona Shred is a very good quality bike but fairly expensive).

Answer 2

Giant makes very good value priced hardtail mountain bikes

as does Specialized. Not sure what available down under, I know in Europe all their bike companies were different than ours in the US.

Airborne bikes (airborne.net) may be available to you. They make inexpensive Titanium bikes, they stopped producing in the US but still make great bikes. I would recommend getting a low mileage used bike if its your first one. You get more for your money, but be choosy. Usually you can get pretty good deals on smaller than average bikes.