What are the best mountain bikes for $250 to $350?

Question

Should I get aluuminum or steel frame and how important are disc brakes?

Answer 1

look em up

Answer 2

that;s a hard one to answer.

There are well known ones, not so well known.

Some that are junk and some not junk.

If you are comparing 2 bikes - 1 may have better forks and the other a slightly better frame or seat and handlebar....some will have a higher travel fork...80 mm verses 100 mm...but both bike probably respectable.

I would say if you buy any bike from a bike store with a real bike shop (not a dept store or walmart ) you are Ok...

If you have a performancebike in your city - they offer free drivetrain adjustmants for life of the bike. You can buy online and have it shipped to local store free and they will put it together free....you should go into the store and verify that first.

Stay above $300 - if at all possible. YOu will be glad you did.

Get one with a name brand front shock - Manitou or Rock Shox or MArzocchi - if you can.

Steel is good if you can find one in that price range....but aluminum will probably be your only choices...at that price point.

Get Disk brakes if you can...but if you have to give up something...that wont change your riding thatmuch.....they do stop better..and more reliable in wet stuff too. Really cheap disc brakes are worthless (probably on bike with list price below $300 I would stay away from discs - but if you find a $400 bike on sale for $299 go for it)  

Here's some bikes to look at.

A couple well known-big brands (allot of big name brands offer bikes starting at $400. )

http://bicyclewarehouse.com/itemdetails....

http://bicyclewarehouse.com/itemdetails....

Less well known brands (or should I say brands without big racing teams and sponsorships...) ones below - with maybe better parts overall.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/moto...

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/wind...

http://www.rscycle.com/s.nl/it.A/id.7858...

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/prof...

Or whatever your local bike shop sells....no really bad brands out there being sold by bike stores....Avoid bike sold by places that also sell things like dishes....or furniture or... food too.  Those are just toys and won't last.

Answer 3

Trek 820, and you aren't gonna get much in the way of disc brakes or aluminum frames in low end bikes.  Stick with steel and regular brakes.