Everyone gouges the hell out of everyone here, just because everyone is dumb and pays it.

 

sounds familiar

 

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=2513014

I bought one of these about a year ago to help get into better shape. I beat the snot out of it in the woods and I have yet to brake it. Good suspention front and rear and front disk brakes.

Unless you are planning on sleeping with your bike, one of these will do you just fine.

 

I think I'm going to take this advice, no reason to waste the money on something that I don't need..

 

Wal-Mart is a life saver

that bike actaully looks pretty cool. i bet people will comment on it.

 

Not a walmart bike!

make sure the wheels arent bent, the front end is put on right, and the frame looks secure before riding it . Might as well buy one of those every month, just toss em in the garbage every 30 days just bustin ya. I have better luck with bike shops but then again i have a good shop my family has been goin to for 15+ years. He always adds on things like nicer tires or bottle racks or w/e n doesnt charge and hes good on service, like you said you dont have that down there so that must suck.

 

How the bike holds up has alot to do with how big you are too. I am 6'3" 250lbs I bought one cheap bike and learned a lesson real quick, I am too big to ride something cheap. I bent the rims within a week.

 

No question here. I use to race downhill. I've owned trek, Gary Fishers, Cannondale...

Anyhu.. A great entry level bike is the specialized Hard rock (around $350). You don't need alot of those bells and whistles like disc brakes and stuff. They really arn't that big of an improvement.

I really second the notion that you buy localy even if it is 50 miles away. Usualy you get free tune ups included in the purchace. That adds up if you ride hard. And being that you ride dirt bikes, you are gonna need it to go off of some sweet jumps. lol



P.S. STAY AWAY FROM WAL-MART!!!!! NO MOONGOOSE!!!!!! AHHHH!!! I"LL COME DOWN THERE AND RING YOUR NECK!!!!!! lol

 

If you buy a $170 Walmart bike you will ride it about three times and never get on it again.

If my budget was $300, I'd spend $300.
Buy used, I'd be looking for bikes that sold new for $600 - $700.

I'd concentrate on these manufacturers:
Cannondale, Giant, Raleigh, Specialized.

I'd avoid (not trying to offend):
Huffy, Mongoose, Schwinn.

Any other brands that come up I'd research.

Go to a bike shop and get measured.
You don't want a bike that is too big or too small.

I ride about three times a week, about 60 miles weekly.
Still riding a good bike I bought 14 years ago.

 

Thump,

I know this will be a decent drive to get there but David's Bicycle shop on SR 436 seems pretty good. We bought my daughter's bike there. They were extremely helpful, measured her, etc. They do a full inspection of the bike before it leaves the shop and they will adjust anything for the life of the bike. We bought her a Trek and she loves it.

We went to the one in Casselberry but they have a shop in Altamonte Springs, too.

http://davidsworld.com/

http://davidsworld.com/page.cfm?pageId=12&storeId=1
Here is the bike that we bought her
http://davidsworld.com/itemdetails.c...gId=39&id=6491

 

Are the Gary Fishers decent bikes? I was riding a POS bike a few years back, and got tired of crap rims and brakes. A local shop usually sells off the previous year model Fishers for about $350-400. I think they usually retail there for about $600.

I haven't been to check out the newer ones lately, but wanted some input from someone that knows more about them. I wouldn't mind buying used either, but Raoul must get all the cheap used ones in this area or something!

 

I didn't mention Gary Fisher because he had a $300 limit.
I figured any $300 GF would be beat all to heck.

The danger is buying a brand name that established a great reputation then 'sold out' to the big chains.
They move a watered down 'cheap' product at the large outlets based on the reputation the brand built up.
That's when the consumer gets 'had'.

Once the 'brand name' and the 'crap' come from the same source, it's time to cross them off the short list or you could end up paying bucks for something with 'built-in' crap.

 

I will agree with NOT getting a Mongoose if you really do plan on using the bike. I bought a Mongoose about 2 years ago. I got a really good work out just trying to move that heavy **** bike. It didn't last long though, stuff started falling off and like others mentioned, the rims bent. I bought a Gary Fisher about a year ago and love the bike. It's not an expensive one, I got it brand new for a little over $500 and that is with the upgraded disc brakes. I also go the adjustable shocks\fork combo. It was really nice to have a bike that was fit to my size as well. The Mongoose was advertised as a 26" Adult bike but to me it looked more like a kids bike once I put it together.

 

once again, raleigh mojave series.

 

I got a yellow Mongoose at Wally World for about $220 my sophmore year and I like it, I have put a chain on but a 200 pounder doing a light brake stand (just enough brake to let the tire break loose but light enough to stay moving and upright) on gravel might stress parts like that (I have quit intentionally doing that since). I haven't ridden it much lately but I liked it when I rode it for a dd before I got my license. It has suspension on both ends which I would recommend, night and day compared to a solid bike. It replaced a Murrey I also got at Wal Mart in 6th grade that I literally drove the wheels off of, the replacement derailer never quite shifted the same after cornstalks ripped the original apart, if it hadn't been for that tour thru a bicycles worst nightmare it would still work great otherwise. I don't know how many miles are on it but I rode it to middle school every day weather permitted (and some I probably shouldn't have) for 3 years straight. I never took the either to high school because it was like running a gauntlet to get out of the high lot on a bike.