Entry Level MTB's

crazy8 · Jul 1, 2004

Now for someone that is very new to MTB'ing what would you guys suggest as an entry level bike. I was thinking of the Trek 820 2005 model. At my LBS they have them for only $230 with one year of free tune-ups. I'd say its better than buying a poorly put together junk bike at the local Wally World, ****'s, Sports Authority correct? Mongoose seems to be poor quality, Diamond Back seems to be following the same route, as well as some of the GT's (not as bad yet). Plus at your LBS they will size the frame for you, adjust everything to fit your needs, and you know that your bike was assembled by someone that knows what they are doing vs. Wally World. I was there and saw some guy putting some Next bike together and he had no clue what he was doing. He didn't care much either.

Jarek · Jul 1, 2004

For the casual rides and commuting, Trek 820 should just do fine. And yes you are right, stay away from Wal-Marts when considering the purchase of the bike. You will regred it later.

Personally I have owned Trek 820 and Trek 850 (they both are similar bikes). I have ridden on the 850 for more than six years (around 7000 miles) without any sort of mechanical failures. I have put around 1000 miles on 820 before I have given it away to my friend.

One thing to remember, however, is that Treks are generally overpirced. Perhaps trying a different brand (Specialized) could save you a little bit money, or you can get the better bike.

crazy8 · Jul 1, 2004

I did look at the Specialized Hardrock in all yellow and test rode it and it is a little bit more money than the 820 (which is yellow/black) and to be honest I can not tell any difference in the ride. Both handled pretty smooth in the gear shifting dept. and both have the front suspension, etc... they just look a little different.

Regarding the 820 vs Hardrock - any pros/cons between the two models/brands??? They seem so similar.

No way will I buy a bike at a dept. store. Especially Wally World. When I saw the employee trying to assemble this bike I actually started to laugh. He was staring at this part and shaking his head and said, "Yo, get me the hammer I'm gonna knock this in place" ugh....not good.

Jarek · Jul 1, 2004

If you are happy with 820, then definetely there is no reason no to buy it. Trek 820 and Specialized Hardrock are mechanically similar bikes; they both belong to the same entry-level class. Personally, I found Hardrock to fit me better (thus the reason I gave away 820 in exchange for Hardrock), on the other hand my wife seemed to enjoy riding 820 more. Hence, it comes down to personal preference and confort.

The bottom line is that $240 investment will pay itself quickly when commuting or riding instead of driving.

Good luck

RC2 · Jul 1, 2004

Used is the way to get the best bang for the $ at your price point... you might try ebay (look at the 400-800 dollar bikes you like, and see if you can find your size online -- lots of unfullfilled new year's resolutions and the like). That said, if you're not good with basic mechanics/maintenance or don't want to bother, having a LBS's services for free is nice to have.

crazy8 · Jul 1, 2004

Is the Hardrock more money because of its aluminum frame?

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