I'm looking for a good moutain bike?

Question

I need a bike that is strong and has at least 15 gears on it. Can anyone suggest a good mountain bike? Doesn't matter if it is mens or womans I can ride either. I'm not looking to spend hundreds of dollars can anyone help me?

Answer 1

If you decide to take Mirage's advice and buy a decent bike for yourself, this one is worth considering: http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/mountain...

If you're lucky, you should be able to get it for under 200 bucks. Put fifty on it and be patient. It will be worth the wait.

Don't torture yourself with junk.

Answer 2

you can try schwinn bikes they last very long and you can find them at target you can also try any kind of trek bike

Answer 3

Take a look at Craig's list. You can find any number of good used bikes there. Take along a cycling friend. I'm sure you can find one near you, or you can go to http://bike.meetup.com/ and connect to a bunch of riders near you. A little networking can often turn up a good second hand bike in short order. Often people have 2 or 3 bikes and are willing to sell or barter one off.

Specialized, Trek, Gary Fisher, Canondale, 7-15 year old Schwinn, and Giant are all good common brands. Many Schwinn's from around 2000 were particularly underrated values. Very nice bikes for a reasonable cost.

If you want or need a new one, an entry level bike store bike is quite nice these days. They blow the Wal-mart bikes out of the water for not much more money and usually come with at least 1 free tune-up.

Answer 4

You have the same problem that thousands of others have. Let me try to explain the challenges you face and why... this answer will be a bit long.

Lets consider budget. Obviously a bike isn't something you use once and throw away, so the amount you spend should reflect it's potential life, and luckily for you bikes reflect this very well.

A $100 to $200 bike will last you a summer of occasional riding on the road before needing work that exceeds it's value. Maintenance does cost money! I like to compare it to a good steak dinner for 2... a cheap bike costs about the same and lasts about as long. Figure this bike will cost you about $1 to $2 per cycling day, or perhaps 30 cents per day by the calendar year. Call it having to give up one coffee a day.



A $250 to $400 bike purchased from a bike shop (NOT a department store) will provide solid performance for riding on road and offroad on groomed trails for 5 years without major issues (service is often included) and is a good choice for casual rides around the neighborhood. Cost is about 50 cents to 75 cents per cycling day or 18 to 25 cents per calendar day or the price of a gumball.

A $450 to $800 bike is great for medium distance riding (as a road bike) or as a nice commuter (as a hybrid or trekking bike) or as a pretty darn sturdy bike that can handle a lot of rough stuff. Again, they last about 5 to 7 years without any grief and cost about the same per cycling day as a $400 bike (since the rider tends to ride more on these bikes) but the performance is much better, making the bike easier and more pleasurable to ride.

Sooo, I guess if what you are concentrating on is initial cost and forget the quality since it will hang out in the garage most of the time anyway, then any bike will do. If you are even mildly interested in riding, then consider a bike in one of the higher ranges. You'll not only get a better performing bike but one that provides a better value for the money.

Regarding your desire for 15 gears, well, that boat has sailed. It is rare to find even the cheapest bikes with less than 21 gears.

If nothing else, I suggest that you just VISIT a local bike shop and look at their entry level bikes. Let them explain to you what the differences are between bikes, then make your decision. Should you insist in staying in the very low price range I STRONGLY recommend you look around for a used bike in your price range rather than buy new.