anyone in to mountain biking?

[saleens7]

just wondering if there are any mountain bikers out there?

im not much of a "mountain" biker as there arent really any mountains (or even large hills for than matter) here in FL....its just flat...except at the park i ride at there are some tall (maybe 15-20feet tall) manmade hills that seperate the park from my neighborhood...but i mostly ride on the street...just trying to build up my endurance so i dont start getting tired from only 15 minutes of riding...

anyone know any good trails in south FL? i know there are a few at markham park, but is there anywhere else?

i ride on a diamondback coil x....not exactly the best out there...and pretty cheap for a bike w/ full suspension...no disk brakes, the front forks only have 63mm of travel (and they bottom out every time i land from more than 3-4 feet of air)...im thinking of overhauling it....using the frame, but buying better forks and a rear shock and some better rims (both have a wobble to it) and maybe some better tires...ive already replaced the rear tire (the asphalt here is hell on knobbie tires) and the front one will be soon replaced as well....i think i might just wait till the rear wears out again (wont be long) and just buy a set....im just having trouble finding some good, but cheap front forks....most of them i see cost more than my bike....im just looking for atleast 85-100mm of travel...im hoping to find some that are under 100$ if not 150 at the most....

what mountain bikes you have?

what mods have you done to it?

what trails do you like to ride at?

what type of terrain you like best?

downhill? trails? XC (whatever than means)? freeride? etc.?

[yz120]

if you are looking for a new bike try RSCYCLE.COM they are in fl.
usally some pretty sweet deals.
i recommend a hard tail as they are lighter and you said you mostly ride streets.
i myself ride a 5"travel full susp. ironhorse an awesome bike, i ride alot of rough singletrack here in arizona so the full susp. really works well for me..
for help on a decision on forks,bike ecs. you can go to MTBR.COM it`s a great place for reviews and they also have a used parts for sale section.
have fun and enjoy the burn.
mike

[saleens7]

i buy stuff from lee's bike shop....my dad knows the owner and sometimes we can get some good deals there....

id rather have full suspension from when i do go ride the trails ever once in a while

i found some good forks though

rockshox 80mm travel only 100$....there was also one from another brand that had 100mm of travel for only 120+$...

ill check out mtbr to see what they have to say about the coil x and the forks im looking at...

[saleens7]

just check out mtbr....ive been there before a bunch of times...in fact i wrote one the the reviews for the coil x:D

[yz120]

THE ONLY PROBLEM W/ FULL SUSP. IS THE XTRA WEIGHT.
i also have a hardtail w/5" travel fork that works increadably well for singletrack,a little scetchy on downhills, very light so it climbs like crazy,but so does the iron horse. i also run atleast a 2.35 tire f&r for the dirt.

[saleens7]

well, im not going to buy a new bike anytime soon....besides, this bike is already heavy as it is (like 40+ lbs.)...but i can still climb (it has an extra large sproket on the rear for easy hill climbing...for every 360* turn of the pedals, the rear tire only truns about 240*) besides, if i get used to riding a heavy bike now, when i buy a better, lighter one, it will be much easier to use....

....im probably going to go with the rockshox dart 2 80mm travel....the other one i was looking at has some problems with leaking...

rockshox also makes a 100mm travel version for about 160$...its called the dart 3....although i think ill stick with the dart 2 for the price...

[saleens7]

if you are looking for a new bike try RSCYCLE.COM they are in fl.
usally some pretty sweet deals.
i recommend a hard tail as they are lighter and you said you mostly ride streets.
i myself ride a 5"travel full susp. ironhorse an awesome bike, i ride alot of rough singletrack here in arizona so the full susp. really works well for me..
for help on a decision on forks,bike ecs. you can go to MTBR.COM it`s a great place for reviews and they also have a used parts for sale section.
have fun and enjoy the burn.
mike

i mostly ride steeps because thats all they have at this park....i really like downhill and trailriding better though....

i do have a raleigh hardtail that i can still use....only problem is its missing the front rim and the seat it torn to shreads....although i can always "borrow" the wheel from my dads bike as well as the seat...

[Darin Jordan]

I used to race Mountain-Bikes... It was a blast...

Now, I just commute to work and play on the weekends with the Kids...

I have a Giant ATX880 with a Halson PDS (Pnuematic Dampening System) front fork, which is a cool upside-down design with air dampening system as opposed to oil... It's older (about 10-years old...) now, but still rides great...

I went with a hard-tail, but added a Crane Creek Thudbuster suspension seat post... That thing is a butt-saver!

I outfitted the bike a couple of years ago for commuting, so I have a set of 1.25 x 26" smooties on it right now... I just ordered a new wheelset to match the existing one, and have a second cassette, so I can just swap the mountain tired back on quickly... I hope to get some mountain riding in again with my son, and also just like the looks of the bike much better with moutain tires...

Commuting, I ride 15-miles each way to and home from work... I average about 17mph or so right now... but as I get back in shape, that usually ups to around 18-19mph... Great way to save gas and stay in shape, though the crap I have to buy for the bike to keep it maintained, as well as any special clothing I need to make the commute safe and work usually offsets this saving... (kind of like buying those wheels yesterday!)...

I think I paid $1500.00 for the bike back in 1996 or so... I've put a bunch into it in upgrades over the years... New RaceFace Bars... SRAM Carbon brake levers... Shimano V-Brakes (came with cantis!! :( ), wheels, lights, bottom-brackets...

Also bought TWO XT cassettes, each with different gearsets, and custom-packed a gear set for commuting... Since I'm usually in gears 5 or 6 when I'm cruising, I made the cassette have only a 1-tooth difference between 4-5-6, which allows me to maintain cadence better when I get tired, or step it up just a little when I'm feeling good... So I generally cruise in 5th (about 18-19mph on the flats, with 20-21mph if I'm really spinning that day), but can used 6th if I have good legs that day and get a decent 21mph or so cruise... 4th gets used if I'm tired or the wind is blowing in my face... Works out great... and I have the second cassete, still with a decent gearset, for the mountain wheels...

One of these days, I hope to get a real road-bike, but my tastes point me toward those killer $3500.00 versions, which are a long way off I think...

[saleens7]

wow, thats alot of stuff for that bike....i wish i could afford stuff like that....seems that 400$ is my limit though....

i dont really know which companies make good bikes or not, but would this be worth buying?

http://pricepoint.com/detail/16549-018_SETCP7-3-Parts-47-Bikes/Sette-Comp-SLD-Full-Suspension-Bike.htm

[Darin Jordan]

wow, thats alot of stuff for that bike....i wish i could afford stuff like that....seems that 400$ is my limit though....

i dont really know which companies make good bikes or not, but would this be worth buying?

http://pricepoint.com/detail/16549-018_SETCP7-3-Parts-47-Bikes/Sette-Comp-SLD-Full-Suspension-Bike.htm


Personally, when on a limited budget, you are better off going with a hard-tail bike with good components on it... You'd be MUCH better off with a $400.00 hard-tail as far as quality goes... they have to skimp somewhere with these lower priced suspension bikes, and it's usually in the form of cheap brakes, hubs, wheels, shifters, and anything else that they can...

I don't have any experience with that bike, but I buy from Price-Point all the time... they have OSE style service, and I've been very happy with them...

I wouldn't personally buy a bike with anything less than Shimano LX components or equivalent... A couple of things can be Deore, but at least LX and you can't go wrong... My bike had all LX, except for the derailure and the brakes, which were STX (one step down). As they wore out, which was quickly, I replaced the brakes with LX V-Brakes, replaced the cheap brake levers with SRAM 9.0 Carbons, and replaced the cassette with an XT cassette (as mentioned in my previous post...)... I also replaced the wheels as they wore out with XT hubed wheels... which I HIGHLY recommend... The LX and below flexed too much for me... but then, I'm 225lbs and 6'3", so I really needed more of a "Clydesdale" setup anyhow.... The wheels really weren't that expensive really... I have a second set coming as I type here... Sun Rhino Lites w/ XT-756 Disc hubs for $129.00 a pair in Silver... The ones I have on the bike have lasted about 10,000 commuting miles without any issues at all... A little heavier, and a tad wider (27mm vs 24mm), but they don't flex much and stay true, and brake well... what more do you need... The XT hubs, as well, made the steering more precise... not sure what it is, but they are lighter and stiffer, so I love them...

Anyhow, to summarize, I'd pick a GOOD basic package, then watch the sales at Price-point, etc. to upgrade things as they wear out... I would NOT buy a $400.00 full-suspension bike... you'll get a cheaply made bike... buy one with a good frame and decent components, then upgrade as you can afford it... I think it's a more prudent way to go... You really do kind of get what you pay for...

[saleens7]

maybe i could just use my current bike for now, and start buying components for a whole new bike...first buy the expensive parts (frame and shocks) and keep buying until i have a completed bike...

although i have been thinking of just using my coil X frame and just buying upgraded parts for it as well.....althoug my parents usually dont like me spending money on boat parts, maybe they will be more "enthusiastic" for buying stuff for something that will get me out and exercising....

[yz120]

I Agree W/ Darin On The Hardtail Over The F/s If You Are On A Budget.
My H/t Is Way Lighter And Has The Same Comp. Group As My F/s For Way Less And It`s Still A Blast To Ride

[saleens7]

well, i already have the coil x frame....i think ill just upgrade that since i already have it....

[yz120]

well, i already have the coil x frame....i think ill just upgrade that since i already have it....


dont go to crazy on the upgrades unless you plan on upgrading the frame later
( i have had low dollar frames break) if you decide to buy a hardtail frame later check on ebay for a fetish cycles (disipline) that is the h/t frame i use and have had many a great rides on it without any issues.
i think i paid $99.00 + shipping a very light and stong frame. i weigh 220lbs. and has little or 0 flex.

[saleens7]

yeah, i think ebay is going to be the bike shop for me....

i still like having a full suspension frame, but i guess the benifits of a hardtail just outweigh it....

im not going to get too crazy with upgrades for the coil x....just a new fork and thats it...

[saleens7]

well, yesterday i broke the chain (sheered one of the links in half) and bent one of the sprokets on the rear cassette....i took it into the bike shop and they seemed surprised i bent a steel sproket....well anyway, i have a new cassette and chain on it now and they also fixed up my brakes and the wobble in my tires...and i can still to to markham for trail riding today....we were looking around at the bike shop and we found a good GT hardtail....only 460$....seems that wil be the one i get for christmas....the forks on it seem to be pretty good and look to have around 100mm of travel....well i think ill eventually replace them with some that have oh, around 160mm of travel....since there isnt a rear shock, i would want to have alot of travel on the fork to make up for that....

[saleens7]

well i got back from the trails today.....they were alot better than just riding the hills at the local park....i rode mostly on intermediate trails (one advanced beginner trail) and im surprised the bike held up to it...i saw some the expert trails and i know im a long way away from ever riding those....with the bridges that end with 10 foot drops and extremely steep hills that end with super tight turns that if you dont make the turn right, youll be rolling down a 30 foot high hill with trees everywhere...anyway, it was fun, and my bike didnt break, so that was good...

[saleens7]

well, turns out my bike DID break....unknown to me at the time, my rear hub broke (thats the thing that rotates around the axle and holds in the bearings, right?)...i took it to the shop, they fixed it, and also put in new rear brake pads and cable (old cable had a small kink in it and it would catch alot)....ill hopefully take it to the trails tomorrow...ive been biking alot more lately, that way i can build up stamina...normally i can only ride about a mile or so of trails before i need to take a break....and i go through water like nothing...

i also found out the bike im looking at is the GT avalanche 3.0 (the orange 2006 version, although the LBS also has the grey 2007 version too)

[saleens7]

went riding again today....and of course, some else broke again....this time it was the crank...it just got too rounded out and would move on the shaft wether the bolt was on thight....got it replaced though....i only got about 30 mins of riding in before a big ol T storm rolled in....this time earlier than normal...luckily its cleared up since then and ill be off to the trails again soon...man this sport is addicting...

when i was at the bike shop i also noticed a gary fisher wahoo...it looked pretty good and was only 500$ (hardtail)...ill have to check some reviews on it...

[saleens7]

rode again (for like 3 hours too) again today...this time nothing broke..

i also found out that my bike shop also has a gary fisher piranha...i checked some reviews and its an awesome bike..for only 550$

[skidooguymxz550]

:buttrock: bikes are over rated!! if it doesn't have a throttle it's not worht it.....jk guys, i never new there was so much you could do for bikes


as for real modes of transport.....:buttrock:

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/skidooguymxz/CODYJUMPMINI.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g285/skidooguymxz/100_0262.jpg

[skidooguymxz550]

btw. a 200lb hardtail bike doesn't like to fly. stress cracks and bending do fun things to handling

[saleens7]

btw. a 200lb hardtail bike doesn't like to fly. stress cracks and bending do fun things to handling

yeah....i know what your talking about....just cracked the swingarm on my bike...now the rear wheel drifts to the left a few inches when i pedal...and its one more hard hit from falling apart....(the crack wraps halfway around the tube...and its not justa surface crack...it goes strait through....when you try to move the wheel, you can see the crack get bigger:cursing:

[saleens7]

well....guess what...today...i got a new MTB....after rasing up enough funds by selling my stuff, i was able to pitch it with what my parents were saving up to buy..a Jamis Dakar XLT....here are some pics of it..still clean, but that wont last long...

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k87/saleens7_01/DSC00035-2.jpg

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k87/saleens7_01/DSC00036-2.jpg

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k87/saleens7_01/DSC00038-2.jpg

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k87/saleens7_01/DSC00039-1.jpg

[saleens7]

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k87/saleens7_01/DSC00040-1.jpg.................

[yz120]

you are going to love it.
i had a dakar pro for 4yrs and it worked very well.
mine was before they used bearings in the pivots,they used bronze bushings.
enjoy it,
mike