anybody mountainbike?

[fsuplayer]

I am pondering a mountain biking trip near the end of summer.

Problem is, i havent biked in years and dont own anything related to the sport.

any bike, helmet, or places in the country to bike recommendations would be great.

since i am not sure whether or not I will do this or not, I dont want the best of everything. prob looking to spend less than a G on the bike.

thanks,

fsuplayer

[stabn]

[ QUOTE ]
I am pondering a mountain biking trip near the end of summer.

Problem is, i havent biked in years and dont own anything related to the sport.

any bike, helmet, or places in the country to bike recommendations would be great.

since i am not sure whether or not I will do this or not, I dont want the best of everything. prob looking to spend less than a G on the bike.

thanks,

fsuplayer

[/ QUOTE ]

Mt biking hotspots would be colorado (boudler), utah (moab), california (big bear or mammoth ski resorts), oregon (many places, bend is pretty sweet), washington(again, a ton).

I bought my bike in 2002 and haven't really kept up with what's the best in the 1k price range the last couple of years. I'd suggest picking up a copy of bicycling or mt biking or seeing if you can find a best bikes around xxx price issue.

Actually, i just looked at the websites of a couple of magazines i used to subscribe to and www.mountbainbike.com (http://www.mountbainbike.com) has ab uyers guide on their website if you hit bikes after hitting the hompage.

I haven't ridden in a year though, because i was a lazy fat ass last year after [censored] up my knee the year before. I need to get in shape or my bike will be wasted for another summer.

This is what i ride, when i get around to it:

Giant XTC NRS2...
http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/ec/68/2002_Giant_XTC_NRS_2-bikes-resized200.jpg

Edit:

Oh, and what type of mt biking are you looking at doing? Downhill? Scenic ride? Some technical singletrack?

[fsuplayer]

[ QUOTE ]
Oh, and what type of mt biking are you looking at doing?

[/ QUOTE ]

is it bad that i cant answer that /images/graemlins/confused.gif?

I want to do something to get active again, I hate not playing any sports anymore.

I did some trail riding in northern VA near the potomac when I was younger, and that was a blast.

my gf might start it with me, so it cant be real difficult.

I checked out that link, a casual rider bike looks like it might be a good idea.

I guess you cant fly anywhere and take your bike, so do you rent them there?

thanks stab.

fsuplayer

[Alobar]

I raced mountain bikes in college, and at my peak I rode pro/expert class at NORBA races.

Sounds like you are just looking for a fun way to do general fitness without getting really hard core about it. Which is good, its always better to find out if you like a sport before you go gung ho at it.

Where at do you live? There is tons of great riding all over the country, so there is prolly somewhere really great not to far from where you live. The real mecca is out west tho, lots of places in Utah and Colorado, and out in Cali.

Since you seem like you're not quite sure what level or style of mountain biking you want to get into, I wouldnt spend alot of money on a bike. You dont want to drop a grand on a trail bike and find out you want to XC race, or buy a fast bike and find out you like down hilling the best. I would just get something decent in the $500 price range, nothing full suspension, stick with just front suspension at this price level. Check out bikes from Specilaized and Trek, they make really great entry level bikes. People will rip on them, but the same people slamming specialized or trek paid more money for a worse perfoming bike, just because they wanted a fancy name across the top tube. There are tons of great deals on bikes on Ebay. And this is also a great place to sell your bike if you decide you want to move on to something better.

BUY A HELMET! This is a must. You dont have to buy some $130 helmet, you can get a decent helmet for ~$50 that will work just fine. Make sure and get a pair of gloves too. Also go to a couple different bike shops and take the bikes for a ride through the parking lot. And any decent shop will give you a free bike fit. Its very important to get the right sized bike. Lots of people go buy a bike with out test riding it or having it fit to them, ride it a few times and then stop because they hated it and it was too cuncomfortable. Duh!!

You can also fly with your bike, but the airlines are real BITCHES about it. Basically your best bet is to lie about what it is, there are lots of ways to do this. And even post 9/11, PM me if you really want info.

also check out www.supergo.com (http://www.supergo.com) and www.performancebikes.com (http://www.performancebikes.com) for really great prices on bike components and accesories.

[Matty]

[ QUOTE ]
Where at do you live? There is tons of great riding all over the country,

[/ QUOTE ]Not Indiana. :-/

I have a Trek

[gvibes]

Indiana and Illinois are really bad, even by Midwestern standards. Michigan and Wisconsin are passable.

www.mtbr.com (http://www.mtbr.com) is a hyper-active discussion forum on the subject. You can probably learn a lot from browsing old threads in the "What Bike To Buy" section.

EDIT: what bike to buy

I would look at a hardtail (i.e. not full suspension) in the ~500 dollar price range. Look at bikes like the Trek 4900, Gary Fisher Marlin, SPecialized Hard Rock, and Kona Blast.

And definitely buy a freaking helmet.

[Alobar]

oops, that second link should be www.performancebike.com (http://www.performancebike.com) there is no "s" at the end.

[stabn]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Oh, and what type of mt biking are you looking at doing?

[/ QUOTE ]

is it bad that i cant answer that /images/graemlins/confused.gif?

I want to do something to get active again, I hate not playing any sports anymore.

I did some trail riding in northern VA near the potomac when I was younger, and that was a blast.

my gf might start it with me, so it cant be real difficult.

I checked out that link, a casual rider bike looks like it might be a good idea.

I guess you cant fly anywhere and take your bike, so do you rent them there?

thanks stab.

fsuplayer

[/ QUOTE ]

I haven't flown with a bike since 9-11, however, pre-9-11 it was pretty easy to get a 'bike box' from an airline. You just unhook the handlebars, pedals and front wheel and stuff it all in the box. It's a bit of a pain but works fine. If you don't want to bring it though any of the mt biking resort areas should have rentals.

[stabn]

[ QUOTE ]
oops, that second link should be www.performancebike.com (http://www.performancebike.com) there is no "s" at the end.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm going to second this reccomendation. My local performance shop is basically the only place i buy bike related merchandise these days.

[jokerthief]

Telluride CO has gondolas you can take your bike on so you don't have to ride uphill. I think Vail and Aspen do as well but I'm not sure about those.

[fsuplayer]

thanks for all the info guys, i cant wait to get started soon.

[Ray Zee]

unless you are in top shape go for an easy trip. stay on backcountry roads or car trails of some kind. the real rugged stuff will be too much work. what you see in magazines is all hype about the racers. you can ride miles and miles without seeing anyone. if you stay away from lots of steep places you will have the most fun, unless its a workout you are looking for. there are lots of national forest roads that are great riding and scenic.
front suspension
helmet
water bottles
mileage and speed meter
gloves
camelback pack
proper shoes or boots for what you are doing

[turnipmonster]

definitely post a trip report, I used to mountain bike a lot in NC and we had many great trails. not technically the mountains though, and I've been wanting to take a real mountain biking trip for some time. like you, I'm way outta practice.

the mountains of NC/VA/WV might be worth checking out, up around Boone. I'll ask some friends and let you know.

--turnipmonster

[edtost]

[ QUOTE ]
camelback pack

[/ QUOTE ]

camelbacks are like the greatest thing ever. also, if you're planning on doing anyhting steep or with questionable surfaces (ie not smooth trails), clipless pedals are awesome.

[Alobar]

nice avatar /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[stabn]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
camelback pack

[/ QUOTE ]

camelbacks are like the greatest thing ever. also, if you're planning on doing anyhting steep or with questionable surfaces (ie not smooth trails), clipless pedals are awesome.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree on all counts. I would also bring a chain, tube, and small tool set if you are going to be on anything other than paved park trails.