looking for some input on a new bike

[-Devil-]

i went by my LBS and am now trying to decide between three bikes

Raleigh Mojave 4.0
Trek 4300
Trek 4300 w/ disc brakes

it will be my first bike to purchase since the late 80's .. so there is a lot of stuff i have forgotten or never learned ...

just looking for comments or suggestions about these bikes...

the brand selection is limited in my area ...

not wanting to spend more then 400$ for the bike .. (then prob another 75$ for accys like helm and such)

will mostly be trail riding with nothing real rough, a few days a week .. till summer then may be trying to ride every day i get the chance to.

[Hand/of/Midas]

if it was me id get the rim brake 4300. those disks on those models arnt very good,ive owned them.

[althegud1srtakn]

between those choices i'm not sure, but have you considered getting a used bike? it seems like it'd be an especially good idea for your budget, a lot of the parts on the bikes in that price range don't last all that long. you may wind up spending a good amount of money just keeping your bike working

[-Devil-]

i have thought about a used bike ... but the lbs doesnt deal in them .. and all the local pawn shops have are the junk *mart stuff ...

been watching craiglist for a bit but haven't seen anything come up ...

about my only other issue with a used bike .. is i have been away from them for so long i dont have a clue what is good anymore ...

[rockyrider]

Buying used bikes or buying bikes online is not the best plan if you aren't already fairly handy with bike tools and knowledgeable about bike maintenance. You need to know what you're getting into and how to tell when you're getting a reasonable deal.

If the make or break difference is only a few hundred bucks between what you can afford and what you need for the riding you plan to do, then you're better off to wait until you can afford it (or send out your birthday wish list to everyone for cash).

If you buy below what you need, you'll be wasting your money, and you'll likely spend all that difference in the first year on trying to fix the parts that are not up to the task.

You can't upgrade a really cheap bike because the frame won't be worth it. The absolute cheapest time to upgrade the components on any bike that sells for under $1500 is when you buy it brand new by picking the next model up in the product line. It will cost you 50% more for the upgrade parts compared to what the same parts cost already mounted on a bike.

So when you're thinking about what you can afford, you need to think about the cost in the first year of use not just how much cash you can scrape together in a lump today.

[-Devil-]

good points there,

i know how to tear apart and rebuild a bike (well old bmx and freestyle bikes, not to familiar with mult-gear setups yet)

i can swing up to 500 right now on a bike ... but my selection is limited to what the local place has .. as i want to lay my hands on it before i decide if i buy or not.

[PutAwayWet]

I guess it depends on what your goals are with the bike, though. What are your goals? Is it just a weekender for kicks sort of thing, or will you be riding it more often? What sort of riding - commuting, light offroad paths, or full on mud/rocks/roots rough offroad? Is this a starter bike to get back into the sport, or something you're hoping to have for a long time? The 'right bike' is very user specific. Once you (and we) understand what you want out of this bike, you (and we) will be better able to help make a good decision!

No matter what you want to do though, kudos for wanting to get out and ride! :D

[-Devil-]

my goal is to ride it at least 3 to 4 times a week. mostly light offroad paths, with the occasional obstruction (normal stuff on paths)

and it is a starter bike to get back into the sport ....

looking (or wishing at least) to get something that will last at least a year with normal upkeep ... while i figure out what i like and dislike about the new bikes that are out and save up to buy a better one once which ever i get is worn out.

[PutAwayWet]

Fantastic!

If you're not doing any really rough riding, any of the bikes you talked about should work fine. It sounds like the bike will be rolling (and not bouncing) most of the time. In that case, you might be able to save yourself some money and get a bike with a rigid fork. Most entry level suspension forks ride like crap and other than taking a little vibration out of your hands do little for actual ride quality, especially on non-rocky / non-rooty terrain. Of course, take that with a grain of salt because I ride rigid bikes exclusively so I might be a little biased :o

Also, any of the bikes you mentioned should last much longer than a year doing that style of riding. Just lube your chain often and you really shouldn't have any problems. Do take advantage of your bike shop's complimentary tune up (usually offered after so many days of riding, just to tighten things back up as they break in).

Disc brakes (in my opinion) are only necessary if you need a lot of braking power (steep downhills, stopping really quickly often) or ride in the rain a lot.

I checked out the bikes on Trek's website (http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/mountain_hardtail/). If it were me, and you were considering spending the money for the 4300 disc, I would forego the discs and opt for the 4500 instead. It's got a better component level (they'll last a little longer and perform a little better), and a much better shock that you can lock out (turn off to keep it from being active) for road rides or other long smooth rides. If that's getting out of your price range and will hurt your ability to get a new bike in the next year or two, then stick with the 4300 non-disc version.

Hope that helps!

[-Devil-]

thanks for the reply! ...

will check at my LBS tomorrow when i go back to pick out which one i want and see if they have the 4500 in stock and give it a try as well ..

main reason i was considering the disc brakes .. is around my house has a lot of water that i will be around from time to time ... plus the local trails are almost always right next to water ...

and i plan on getting up fairly early in the morning to ride some on days i have to work ... and normally have a lot of dew around that time ... so figured that would help a bit with the brakes (i still remember my brakes from the 80's and how bad they were just after riding through wet grass)

[JerodH]

Kinda scary there guys! Hand o' Midas replied the 666th time to the DEVIL!!!!!!! Go with the 4300, but you are wanting disc later it ill cost you way more to convert.

[50 Mission Cap]

i went by my LBS and am now trying to decide between three bikes

Raleigh Mojave 4.0
Trek 4300
Trek 4300 w/ disc brakes

it will be my first bike to purchase since the late 80's .. so there is a lot of stuff i have forgotten or never learned ...

just looking for comments or suggestions about these bikes...

the brand selection is limited in my area ...

not wanting to spend more then 400$ for the bike .. (then prob another 75$ for accys like helm and such)

will mostly be trail riding with nothing real rough, a few days a week .. till summer then may be trying to ride every day i get the chance to.


I've got stripped down trek 4500 - lots of upgraded components, but I'm super happy w/ it. I added discs and can tell you that's the way to go..... I hear you on keeping things on the cheaper side - I found mine on ebay for $350.

[-Devil-]

if i hadn't been away from bikes for so long i prob would pick one up on ebay as well ... but for now .. till i get accustomed to the maint work for the newer bikes ... LBS is where i will go .. mostly to have someone 'in town' to help me out if i have a problem with it ...

[-Devil-]

http://www.silenzzzz.net/bike/ral_bike.jpg

i ended up getting a mojave 8.0 (07 model) ... they had it for the same price as the 08 models i was looking at .. and it feels a lot better overal ...

i took rockyriders advice ... and looked at some models that were a step up as well (since i was already planning on upgrading the seat and pedals right away) ...

as luck would have it .. they had some 07 models of the mojave 8.0 for a good price .. and it feel a lot better in my cruise around the neighboorhood while i was checking them out .. then the others did ...

now time to go get it dirty

[jerman]

That is a sweet ride man. Have fun!:D

[-Devil-]

thanks, as luck would have it... it poured down rain for the past few days ... so where i ride is standing in about 2" of water ... looking forward to the sun to dry it up ... (ground is way to soft already tried riding through it, sunk .. ate mud .. =P )

[Hand/of/Midas]

good deal. just the avid bb5 brakes alone makes that bike way better for you,avid mechs are great.