Anyone knowledgable of mountain biking

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Well it really depends on how much you are planning on ridding and upgrading. If you are going to be getting almost all new parts I would try to find a better frame for that price, if you aren't going to be riding tons and if that is a complete bike you can get for 250$ then sure go for it. It is definitely not a very "nice" or fancy frame but it would be fine to use or you could upgrade, I wouldn't put too much money into parts for that frame though.

Mar 16 2013 7:45PM

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haha posted as you posted the pics, seems like a decent deal if you aren't too hard core/ too much of a weight weenie , will he let it go for 200$?

Mar 16 2013 7:46PM

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snowfinder

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I dont own a bike i got a hook up at a track, but i do know this it is one fucking awesome sport. For real I rather single track downhill than ski some days.

Mar 16 2013 7:47PM

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Insane

What would you recommend for a sub $500 bike? I'll probably end up putting another 500 into upgrades too.

Mar 16 2013 7:48PM

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snowfinder

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http://www.pinkbike.com/ like ns for bikers they have a buy sell section

Mar 16 2013 7:49PM

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panojibber.

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Insane

I'd be skeptical about that diamondback if I were you, pretty sure I built some of those when I was working at sport chek...

Mar 16 2013 7:51PM

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As he said pinkbike also craigslist, dang so you pretty much have 1000$ to spend? I would honestly go for a used complete bike then, get something that someone else has put upgrades on, it will be cheaper that way, in that price range you can probably go full suspension and come out with a decent drivetrain (xt or x7) and hydro brakes, definitely don't go with the diamondback to upgrade that much.

Mar 16 2013 7:53PM

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Haha diamondback, those are generally just a few steps up from huffy I think. Obviously they do make some better bikes though.

Mar 16 2013 7:54PM

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special-J

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do not buy this and upgrade it. You won't make any money on the original parts so you are basically paying $250 for a shitty frame. Buying components/building up a bike is nice but super expensive, and almost impossible on your budget.

Save up some more money and buy something nice you will be happy with right off the bat. Check out the classifieds on Pinkbike.com, that's the most reliable place to check out used bikes, people there are usually bike enthusiasts who care for their stuff.

Mar 16 2013 7:56PM

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Insane

I'll definitely check out pink bike. I live in Maryland and I don't feel like I would ever need a FS with the type of riding I will be doing. I'm mainly looking for a hard tail that I can build off of.

Mar 16 2013 7:56PM

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Ok, sweet, most companies make some kind of hard tail xc race bike so look for an older model, look for something lightweight that fits you, maybe even consider a 29'er if you are feeling trendy. I started out on a xc hard tail and had a ton of fun singletracking until I discovered downhill and free ride, I guess theres not as much of that in Maryland though.

Mar 16 2013 8:00PM

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special-J

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bomb setup right here, and trust me, once you get started you'll want to experiment with some more technical riding and will appreciate some travel in the rear.

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1292208/

Mar 16 2013 8:08PM

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_Garagely_

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I do lots of xc riding and honestly, if you want a decent hardtail you're looking at about $800. You'll want something better than that bike.

Mar 16 2013 10:16PM

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Crazy Fool

Don't listen to these type of morons. There's nothing wrong with Diamondback or any recognizable brand. They're all solid bikes that will not fall apart or some other retarded shit like that.

To best answer your question,

1. what's your skill level or amount you ride a week on average?

2. What kind of riding are you looking to do? (flat, rolly, up a ton then down a lot, greasy/rooty/rocky/ec or fast/dusty/rocky/wc for example.

Personally I suggest you go for an all-mountain bike. They can pedal up and they're way more fun than XC bikes on the down. Not to mention enduro or super D races are insanely fun.

Mar 16 2013 10:28PM

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stupendous-man

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Diamondback makes some of the best bikes out right now, you have no idea what you are talking about (or you are assuming all DB's are sold at department stores.)

Mar 16 2013 10:29PM

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panojibber.

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?

I was just saying that the particular diamondback that OP posted is probably not a great bike, due to the fact that I recognize it from the time I spent working at sport chek.

Mar 16 2013 10:37PM

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Crazy Fool

Also always go for a complete bike if you're going new. Bike companies get their forks, rear shocks, cranks, wheel sets, etc. in bulk to sell complete bikes. That means they get them cheaper than anything you can get on the market, MSRP or even less when the bike is a year or two old or a rental bike. My current ride is a 2010 Trek Scratch 9 coil that MSRP'd at 5,000 for almost half off... insurance money from previous bike being stolen. It even came with a drop seat post and an interchangeable rear hub adapter for either 142 or 135 mm hubs.

Spark Notes: Check bike shops, especially ones that carry bike park's old demo bikes (they hardly get ridden and only by people just learning, so not much abuse at all except for cosmetic), out of year complete bikes for the best new deals. And don't listen to retards that say brands like Diamondback are sketchy. They're not.

Mar 16 2013 10:39PM

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Insane

1. Intermediate, but I haven't ridden since last summer :(

2. mainly trail single track, nothing too gnarly.

I'm open to ideas about bikes, what would you recommend?

Mar 16 2013 10:43PM

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First of all, no hate and I am not trying to stir the pot here at all. I just want to make my self clear since I do like to think that I know what I am talking about. I admitted that they do make some better bikes. I am going to take issue with diamondback making some of the best bikes though. They have some good bikes, solid bikes but not the "best bikes" by any means, they are a fine brand but not a top brand. Not all DB's are the same low quality of those department store bikes but the one he is looking at is a department store bike so it will not be a good buy for him. Incidentally Mongoose and Hyper also make some decent bikes even though they are "department store bikes" I would steer him away from a Specialized or a Giant of the same quality. This guy is dropping some decent coin on an xc bike and I don't want him throwing nice parts on a beater frame. Thanks and ride on!

Mar 16 2013 10:48PM

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Also nice ride!

Mar 16 2013 10:50PM

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Crazy Fool

You are a fucking idiot.

Mar 16 2013 10:52PM

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I would feel trolled if you hadn't just made an incredibly intelligent post that I agree with. If I messed something up in that post please let me know, otherwise I think you may not have read it very thoroughly since it in no way contradicts anything you have said.

Mar 16 2013 10:56PM

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Crazy Fool

So I'm assuming just cruising around single track for a couple days a week to start?

http://www.jensonusa.com/!uqZdAotdqVTGe3oxtbR!HA!/Rocky-Mountain-Element-10-Bike-12?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_campaign=paid_search_google_pla&scid=scplp1037564&gclid=CIW1t-PfgrYCFeeDQgodGA4A9g

Rocky Mountains usually come with the best warranties.

http://www.pinkbike.com/product/gt/2011-Avalanche-1.0-Disc-GTw/

If you want to go with hard tails, which by your description of what you're riding, you should go with. Hard tails improve your riding abilities. It teaches you to ride smooth on the few bumpy parts you may encounter and you can accelerate like a bastard, which is awesome.

Search along those lines and be aware of some advice you may get on this site. Some of it is most likely really fucking stupid. Go on pinkbike.com and search.

scott-townes is my profile on it, hit me up if you need any more advice.

Mar 16 2013 11:01PM

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james6345789

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I don't think this is the kind of riding he is doing, though.

Honestly, when you're first starting mountain biking, the bike does not matter that much. The bike will not make the rider. What you want is a durable bike that will not break the bank. I would suggest getting an entry level hardtail (only suspension in the front) from a local shop in the $500-700 range.

Disc brakes are not going to be necessary. They look cool, but rim brakes will get the job done more than fine for what you will be doing. I really like 29ers (29 inch wheels instead of 26) but a 26er will get the job done really well, too.

When you buy a bike used, you really need to know what you're doing to make sure the bike is good/safe. When you buy from a local shop, they will do minor adjustments for free. This means when you mess up your bike, you have peace of mind because the shop will be there to help.

With this being said, here are some bikes that I recommend.

Marlin - Trek Bicycle

3700 Disc - Trek Bicycle

Speciazed Rockhopper (not sure if exclusively a 29er now)

Sparknotes:

-buy new from a shop

-don't worry about it having disc brakes or not

I have been mountain biking for 6 years now, I cross country race, and I recently got hired at my local shop

Mar 16 2013 11:13PM

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a_pla5tic_bag

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i've been trying to get a bike too and they're so huge. coming off a bmx sorta bike it just feels so weird. plus it's annoying that i'm 5'5" ~120lbs and turning 21 in a few days. i'm tiny and the 29" wheels feel so weird.

i've been looking at that specialized hardrock as well, and trek i suppose. The two shops near me deal one or the other so go to one they want you to buy trek, go to the other, they want you to go with specialized.

Mar 16 2013 11:18PM

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SwagasaurusRex

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Sorry for slight thread jack, but I have a 2010 Gary Fischer (Trek) Wahoo and I am slowly getting more into single track riding as well. Do any of you have any tips that will help improve my riding as well as maintenance tips. Thanks in advance.

Mar 17 2013 1:51AM

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Crazy Fool

To add to this: get disc brakes. At this point the cost of getting them vs. not getting them is absurd for mtbing. Some disciplines still use rim brakes but for what you want, go with disc for the simple reason that discs work in wet and rim brakes (v-brakes) do not. There really is no reason for you not to.

Mar 17 2013 2:02AM

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ihitchadsgap

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How is he an idiot? Diamondbacks are a mid level bikes. The scapegoat is pretty sick other than that there just meh.

Mar 17 2013 2:09AM

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Crazy Fool

Yeah which is completely useless information in this thread. This dude is looking for a single-track XC ripper. That jackass you're referring to was down talking Diamondback like it was some shitty brand just above Wal-Mart bikes... which even Wal-Mart bikes are years ahead of the shit we used to ride.

It's just another opinion from some retard who based his opinions off his influences, which apparently are more fucking retards with no clue about anything but 4chan and meme's. Go fucking figure.

Mar 17 2013 2:14AM

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With all due respect as the idiot in question I would like to object. I did not mean to downplay DB in any way, I was merely trying to point out that the Diamondback in question was not much better than a walmart bike. My influences come from six years of riding seriously and watching the industry, I am a bit of a tech nerd so I spend way too much of my time in shops, on PB, or reading mags. I do fully realize that diamondback makes some sweet bikes. I also realize that "even Wal-Mart bikes are years ahead of the stuff we used to ride" I love watching the old videos and seeing the pros push the sport on stuff that no one would even consider riding now. 4chan and meme's are the last places I go to influence my opinions. Most large bike companies make an entry level bike like this, I would be agains the OP buying this kind of bike with plans on upgrading the parts from any company. I love to ride and I just want to help the OP share that stoke. Sorry if I pushed any buttons.

Mar 17 2013 2:32AM

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Crazy Fool

You are so fucking stupid.

Mar 17 2013 2:42AM

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Crazy Fool

and this is why you shouldn't take more than a fraction of advice on here. Yeah, great, take advice from some jackass that's only been casually reading magazines and websites for a few years. Again, avoid this site for any MTB information. You'll likely end up with some absurdly stupid advice if you do.

Mar 17 2013 2:45AM

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JTTrembles

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I had the hard rock when I first started MTB. It's a solid beginner bike. I don't know much about diamondback, but I've heard they're nice. Go to pinkbike.com you can find some great bikes for a great price. Pinkbike is basically the NS of mountain biking. There's also plenty of bike reviews, I bought my bike now from pinkbike.

Mar 17 2013 8:39AM

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Hoppy

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Like suggesting a full suss with 5 inch of rear travel to someone looking for a hardtail XC wanting to ride single track.

You know less than nothing

Mar 17 2013 10:59AM

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Crazy Fool

I guess it's a good thing I threw up what he was looking for as well... did you purposely choose not to see that or are you THAT fucking blind and dumb? I feel like I'm responding to Hellen Keller...

Mar 17 2013 11:30AM

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