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Hippie Daredevils Who Invented Mountain Biking

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Re: Hippie Daredevils Who Invented Mountain Biking

#61

Post by 7952 »

jiggy2011 wrote: post #42
jacquesm wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The prices on those bikes are ridiculous. If you buy something like that please buy it second-hand from someone that had more money than brains and thought they were going to lose weight by buying a bike rather than using it. Usually these go for a fraction of their new value in mint condition once the new-years vows have worn off.

Those aren't the sort of bikes that people buy in order to lose weight. They are more like mini MotoX bikes without the engines. They cost a lot because they are built to be extremely strong and have brakes which work well at high speeds in bad conditions which is important when you smash it into a tree at 40mph. The risk with buying a bike like that second hand is that it may have already been crashed/damage.

Mountain bikes are never in a new condition for long if ridden regularly. You are going to crash it sooner or later and you need to check for damage regularly. A lot of the parts will need overhauling or replacing within 6 months. A well maintained 2 year old bike can be in better condition than a badly maintained 6 moth old one.

Re: Hippie Daredevils Who Invented Mountain Biking

#62

Post by mtbcoder »

flexd wrote: post #58
sedachv wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Most of the "progression" seems to be more style than substance. If you discount fat bikes (I think they are a different category of bicycles), the biggest tech improvement has been dropper seatposts.

Do not forget about suspension technology. A mid-range fork today is so much better than a mid-range pogo-stick fork from the 90s. Better forks & shocks as well as a slacker headtube-angle on most bikes today make todays bike a lot better to handle and ride, and inspire a lot more confidence than a bike from the 90s. I do agree prices are high, but you do not have to have a $10k carbon bike to have fun or win races.

Also, narrow/wide chain rings, clutch derailleurs and a far greater range of available gearing options has advanced the entire drivetrain compared to 5, 10 years ago...and lets not forget all the advances in disc brake technology over the years.

Re: Hippie Daredevils Who Invented Mountain Biking

#63

Post by dasil003 »

StillBored wrote: post #46
jusben1369 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$400 is not a real MTB. It will fail you if you really get into it at all But you can do $1500 via Bikesdirect.com

I think the problem is that there isn't really a $400 category for mountain bikes. There is the $100 walmart/acadamy bikes, made without regard for quality/weight/etc. And then there are the $1000+ bike store bikes. That said, if you look at kids bikes at the local bike shop I think you will notice something. Those bikes tend to be just as good as the adult versions (good components, strong frames/etc) but they tend…

A full suspension bike under $1000 is garbage, I agree, but you can get plenty of capable hardtails for < $1000. Personally I cut my teeth on a $750 steel hardtail, and I would regularly be passing douchebags on $5000 full suspension bikes who had absolutely no need for that kind of hardware.

Re: Hippie Daredevils Who Invented Mountain Biking

#64

Post by TYPE_FASTER »

rcraft wrote: post #13
vondur wrote: post #6

As an avid mountain biker, this article reminds me about the pure fun of riding in the outdoors. You don't need to spend 5K+ to do so. The technology in mountain biking has really taken off in the last 15 years. I can ride trails that only people on downhill bikes would have done 10 years ago, and the bike weighs less than 30lbs, making pedaling up hills not a problem. Enduro mountain bike racing has really taken off…

Any advice on bikes if I don't want to spend $5k?

Get a good hard tail 29er with disc breaks. Get the best frame you can afford, you can replace components. Get the bike shop to do a proper fit.

Re: Hippie Daredevils Who Invented Mountain Biking

#65

Post by mtbcoder »

scarecrowbob wrote: post #15
eplanit wrote: post #8

Aside from all the other interesting history, it's great to recollect the pre-spandex, pre-"fashion" days of the sport.

I don't see why spandex is fashion. I don't wear it because I look good in it (I think it looks dumb, and I'm old enough to start to have a belly), I wear it because it's hot in Texas and it is the least amount of clothes I can wear and still feel like I have enough clothes on. Now, bar ends and disc brakes, that's fashion. :D

Along with toe clips, bar ends have mostly gone the way side.

Re: Hippie Daredevils Who Invented Mountain Biking

#66

Post by mtbcoder »

josephlord wrote: post #31
eplanit wrote: post #8

Aside from all the other interesting history, it's great to recollect the pre-spandex, pre-"fashion" days of the sport.

Apart from the general comfort of Lycra on a bike when you are really moving around to shift weight on the bike lycra is less likely to get caught on the saddle. If you are fully set up for downhill the saddle may be out of the way but for a cross country ride with interesting bits it can be much safer than baggies.

Bike-specific baggies are generally slimmer in the thigh and cut higher in the rear/crotch to reduce getting caught in the saddle. I ride mostly with baggies and it's not a problem I've ever experienced.

Re: Hippie Daredevils Who Invented Mountain Biking

#67

Post by jedrek »

tempermanent wrote: post #7
vondur wrote: post #6

As an avid mountain biker, this article reminds me about the pure fun of riding in the outdoors. You don't need to spend 5K+ to do so. The technology in mountain biking has really taken off in the last 15 years. I can ride trails that only people on downhill bikes would have done 10 years ago, and the bike weighs less than 30lbs, making pedaling up hills not a problem. Enduro mountain bike racing has really taken off…

> you don't need to spend 5K+ to do so links to two five-thousand-dollar bikes

The thing about these bikes is that they're bikes you can take out to a DH race and win on. They are the F1s of cycling. I think the most expensive DH bikes top out at $10-15k.

It always bugs me when amateurs look at professional equipments (literally: equipment you use in your profession which you should be making money on) and go, "hmpf, that's too much!" Same thing with tons of software - if you're not making money with it, there's rarely reason to buy it. And if you are, then it shouldn't be a major expense in the context of your profession.

Re: Hippie Daredevils Who Invented Mountain Biking

#68

Post by PhasmaFelis »

StillBored wrote: post #46
jusben1369 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$400 is not a real MTB. It will fail you if you really get into it at all But you can do $1500 via Bikesdirect.com

I think the problem is that there isn't really a $400 category for mountain bikes. There is the $100 walmart/acadamy bikes, made without regard for quality/weight/etc. And then there are the $1000+ bike store bikes. That said, if you look at kids bikes at the local bike shop I think you will notice something. Those bikes tend to be just as good as the adult versions (good components, strong frames/etc) but they tend…

> I think the problem is that there isn't really a $400 category for mountain bikes.

I'm more of a commuter rider, so I don't know how bad the stresses of frequent hardcore mountain riding can be, but my current bike is a Trek hardtail mountain bike that I paid ~$520 for new at the bike shop, and it's served me well for years. Perhaps I should have said $500 instead of $400, but I'm pretty sure I've seen unsprung MTBs from good brands selling for $400 at my local.

Edit: I realize that a $400 unsprung MTB is not at all suited for a serious mountain rider. But I do think it would do for someone who's on the fence and doesn't want to spend thousands on a hobby they might not like. That's why I said "entry-level"--if you turn out to love mountain riding and wreck it in six weeks, then you know what to be saving for. If you find you don't like it, you haven't lost too much.

Re: Hippie Daredevils Who Invented Mountain Biking

#69

Post by collyw »

mtbcoder wrote: post #62
flexd wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do not forget about suspension technology. A mid-range fork today is so much better than a mid-range pogo-stick fork from the 90s. Better forks & shocks as well as a slacker headtube-angle on most bikes today make todays bike a lot better to handle and ride, and inspire a lot more confidence than a bike from the 90s. I do agree prices are high, but you do not have to have a $10k carbon bike to have fun or win races.

Also, narrow/wide chain rings, clutch derailleurs and a far greater range of available gearing options has advanced the entire drivetrain compared to 5, 10 years ago...and lets not forget all the advances in disc brake technology over the years.

Yeah, but going from eight to ten cogs on the rear isn't going to make that much of a difference to the rider.

Re: Hippie Daredevils Who Invented Mountain Biking

#70

Post by collyw »

jacquesm wrote: post #54
jiggy2011 wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those aren't the sort of bikes that people buy in order to lose weight. They are more like mini MotoX bikes without the engines. They cost a lot because they are built to be extremely strong and have brakes which work well at high speeds in bad conditions which is important when you smash it into a tree at 40mph. The risk with buying a bike like that second hand is that it may have already been crashed/damage.

I have some insight in the 'new bike sale' process for brand bikes. The margins are very healthy. I buy 'regular' bikes brand new and I won't argue about the price, the margin on those is a lot lower. The margin on high end (road/mountain) bikes is insane and their performance is not substantially different from last years issue (which can be already had at a subtantial discount new), second hand ones are much more r…

BMX and some 4X / jump bikes are often steel, where weight is less important than strength.

I have used carbon kayaks / paddles, and I won't go near carbon on a bike. I am probably paranoid, but it just seems to brittle.

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