Hey-

I'm planning on buying a new bike. My last one was a '92 Cannondale m500, so it's been awhile. Not looking for anything great (read: expensive), mainly something with front suspension, which from the looks of things is standard these days.

I'm liking this: http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkM...keTab=techspec

Any thoughts, suggestions?

 

specialized is a good bike company. I my self have a 05 Big Hit. The hardrock is a solid bike for the money you spend. I could help you out a bit more if you could tell me what type of riding you like to do, IE: xc, freeriding, downhill, urban, bike to work, ext ext. I hang around the bike shops all the time so if you need any help with Q's about bikes hit me up.

 

JAMIS available from copelands sports as well as many other retailers. awesome bikes for cheap.

 

I'm planning on light trail riding, nothing extreme, no downhill. I'm mainly planning on using it to get back in shape, and I used to do a LOT of riding, when I was younger...

 

ok then the hardrock is your best bet, also you might want to look into the the rockhoper its a little bit more money but if you ever wanted to progress your skills the thats the bike you want to go with. you might also want to check out www.mtbr.com for more info on bikes, parts reviews and they also have forums dedicatied to difrent types of riding

 

any thoughts on Ibex ?

http://www.ibexbikes.com/Bikes/2005/ALP-550-Specs.html

The specs look great for the price, seem like they are pretty good, according to mtbr.com

 

I dont know much about ibex the bike that you linked dose have cable disc brakes wich adds more maintenance. the main thing you have to wory about is making shure the the disc pads are always cleen and that the roter is true other then that disc brakes are alot of fun. on my bighit i have hydrolic disc brakes. there sweet you can do endos and hop over logs alot easyer then with v-brakes.

 

I ride a Yeti ASX and would reccommend highly...on the milder side though I ride a Raleigh hardtail with a Judy fork. It has the mechanical discs which work fine as long as they are dry... once wet they scream like a banshee (er at least I think banshees scream..??) The Judy fork is easy to maintain as well. I would recommend components at the shimano LX level for dependability and durability. The frames in the price range you are considering are pretty similar and when you buy a whole bike you are mostly shopping for the components. I also only buy at the local established bike shop as opposed to the Big Stores. They usually take the time to assemble the bikes right, have knowledgeable staff that can answer your questions accurately, will provide the correct fitment, and alot of them will provide free adjustments and annual service as long as you own it. You may pay an extra few bucks but definately worth it.

 

I've got a '97 Stumpjumper myself. Always been a big fan of Specialized. I'd stick to something with front suspension only. You can get a fully suspended bike at Wal-Mart for $100 but it will weigh like 49 lbs and be slow as f*ck.

I'd shoot for something aluminum if possible with a suspension fork. I personally prefer SRAM GripShift or Sachs (what I have, but I think they are out of business) over the push button shifters. Grip shift is a bit faster IMO and way more rugged and reliable, much fewer moving parts...

 

That's a decent bike, though it seems a bit heavy for an aluminum bike. Also I would personally rather have upgraded componentry and regular linear pull brakes versus the discs brakes and Alivio components.

I'd keep looking. I'd try for at least STX level (or equivalent) components and a weight under 28-29 lbs.

 

yeah, the components look a little cheesy, but I went ahead and ordered it. $429 + $35 shipping . I figure I'll just replace the components as they break. I compared the bike to the Hardrock sport disc, and it was about the same, and cheaper...I hope I'll be happy with it.

Thanks for the help :D

 

I had a m500 back in the day. Today i ride a trek 8500.
It is alot cheaper to buy better parts on the bike as a complete bike instead of replacing them later on down the road.

 

I know, but it just isn't worth the trouble to explain that to the wife...who is already skeptical that I will even ride that much.. She is mildly worked up that I'm spending >$450 on the bike w/shipping, and just under $100 on the helmet, gloves, cyclocomputer, shock pump, and reg tire pump....when I haven't ridden in over 10 years.

Maybe I'll be able to save a few bucks through ebay/pricepoint/nashbar when I have to replace parts. At least by then, I'll be 10lbs lighter.

 

I'm sure it will be more than adequate. Those components will probably hold up just fine for a couple of years since you aren't planning on hammering the bike off-road. The aluminum was a good move, even though that bike is on the heavy side the stiffness of the aluminum will make it feel more responsive than the steel frames you're probably used to. Have fun man.