First Bike

[Joel Mueller]

Greeting, I am looking at getting into Mountain Biking and I was looking for some ideas on "the
first bike". I have been shown Jamis bikes and Gary Fisher bikes in the $300 - $400 range any pros
and or cons to either one? Any other ideas?

Thanks;

Joel

 

[Gwen Morse]

On Mon, 21 Apr 2003 00:38:48 GMT, "Joel Mueller" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Greeting, I am looking at getting into Mountain Biking and I was looking for some ideas on "the
>first bike". I have been shown Jamis bikes and Gary Fisher bikes in the $300 - $400 range any pros
>and or cons to either one?

I don't know about either bike.

I bought a Trek 4100 for $260. It goes up and down and turns and brakes, and all the rest that a
mountain bike should do. I've been learning how to ride trails on it for the past few weeks and I've
really enojoyed it.

>Any other ideas?

Go to a local bike shop and tell them you're new and you'd like to test out different bikes.

You want a frame that's as light as you can afford. The rest of the bike will be modular, so, you
can tweak components as you start getting used to riding and seeing what you like and don't like.

>Thanks;
>
>Joel
>

Gwen

--
Gwen Morse -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "Love is a snowmobile racing
across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice weasels
come." -- Matt Groening

 

[Ctg]

"Joel Mueller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Greeting, I am looking at getting into Mountain Biking and I was looking for some ideas on "the
> first bike". I have been shown Jamis bikes and
Gary
> Fisher bikes in the $300 - $400 range any pros and or cons to either one? Any other ideas?
>
> Thanks;
>
> Joel

Test ride several different kinds and go to as many shops as possible. The name on the bike is
probably the least important thing. The most important thing is fit, the one that feels the best is
the one you'll want to ride when it's at home. If you're pretty sure you're going to get into the
sport spend more than you can afford, it will be cheaper in the long run.

Chris

 

[Mx-Pilot]

CCM all the way baby. "Joel Mueller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Greeting, I am looking at getting into Mountain Biking and I was looking for some ideas on "the
> first bike". I have been shown Jamis bikes and
Gary
> Fisher bikes in the $300 - $400 range any pros and or cons to either one? Any other ideas?
>
> Thanks;
>
> Joel

 

[Westie]

"Joel Mueller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Greeting, I am looking at getting into Mountain Biking and I was looking for some ideas on "the
> first bike". I have been shown Jamis bikes and
Gary
> Fisher bikes in the $300 - $400 range any pros and or cons to either one? Any other ideas?
>
> Thanks;
>
> Joel
>
>

There are a couple of trains of thought on this:

First, Spend a lot more money on a better bike. You end up spending more money than you can afford
for a really good bike that will end up in the back of the garage gathering dust if you do not
enjoy mtbiking.

Secondly, Spend a lot less money on a basic entry level bike that you can afford while you don't
know any better. Learn more about bikes and biking if you decide that you do enjoy it. Then, when
enlightened, either buy a new bike or upgrade with great new parts. Ideally, the first bike/parts
has/have died a natural death from being worn out.

Myself, I'm inclined to go with number two. $300 - $400 is really just entry level so it's a bit of
six of one, half a dozen of the other as to which bike to choose. Test ride both and go with what
feels best. It's what I did, and you'll be amazed what you've learnt after just twelve months of
riding and reading and talking. The first bike is now the beater and the
s.o. uses it a lot too. The new bike is carefully researched and matches what I wanted and could
afford once I knew what I wanted. I don't see the upgrade as a waste of money at all.

Other tips? Be nice to your mother, and hang around this newgroup if you've got any more mtb
questions. One or two of the guys occasionally have something relevant and useful to contribute.
Seriously though; you can get some good advice. ;-)
--
Westie

 

[Kronos]

On Mon, 21 Apr 2003 00:38:48 GMT, "Joel Mueller" <[email protected]> reckoned:

>Greeting, I am looking at getting into Mountain Biking and I was looking for some ideas on "the
>first bike". I have been shown Jamis bikes and Gary Fisher bikes in the $300 - $400 range any pros
>and or cons to either one? Any other ideas?
>
>Thanks;
>
>Joel
>

Gary Fisher makes good bikes but I don't know the other brand. What you want to look for is a light
frame, but also strong. Do a bit of research on various components, look for bikes with Shimano
Deore gears (some will have just Deore on the back and lesser quality on the front). Stand on the
pedals and look for the least flex in the bottom bracket. Be careful of the quality of shocks on
some bikes, they are lightweight OEM **** and bottom out too easy so test this out by pushing down
on the handle bars with lots of force. Of course this all depends on your own body weight as a
heavier rider requires more durable parts than a lighter rider. Top tube should be about 1-3" from
your knackers on a MTB and top tube length varies on bikes so sit on it and find one that doesn't
make you feel boxed in or too stretched out. Getting a shorter or longer stem can customize how it
feels too. If you want to change the stem then ask them to do it when you buy the bike because they
usually will do it for free and just switch the stems but if you do it after purchase you will have
to buy a new stem yourself. I've ridden Gary Fisher and they are nice, IMO.

--
Not For Email

 

[Ruprecte]

<snip> Im still very new to Mtb'ing, my first bike was a bargain bike (GT aggressor, 98 I believe,
rode it last year) and besides being somewhat into the sport when I started I relied heavily on the
influence of my friends when it came to frequent riding which very nicely balanced out the
frustration I had with my GT, now it wasent a bad bike but it is a nice example of grabbing a
cheaper bike without the right motivation or knowledge regarding maintanence etc. My advice is this,
and trust me Im no expert so temper this with advice from far more knowledgable folks you'll find
here: go with a mid-level bike (400-700 doller range) I switched to a trek 4900 this year and I
couldnt be happier, it didnt exactly break the bank at 550 (I just got a phantom ass pain from where
my wallet usually sits..now realizing what I did upgrade wise) but its alot of bike for the price.
What it comes down to is this, try out as many bikes as you can, but realize that if you dip down
too far price wise you will undoubtfully either: put more money into it when you could have just
bought a nicer bike, or get frustrated and possibly miss out on a sport you could so easily grow to
love. Okay Ive spent my low level of mtb knowledge. Hope this helps.-Ruprete

 

[Ruprecte]

<snip> Im still very new to Mtb'ing, my first bike was a bargain bike (GT aggressor, 98 I believe,
rode it last year) and besides being somewhat into the sport when I started I relied heavily on the
influence of my friends when it came to frequent riding which very nicely balanced out the
frustration I had with my GT, now it wasent a bad bike but it is a nice example of grabbing a
cheaper bike without the right motivation or knowledge regarding maintanence etc. My advice is this,
and trust me Im no expert so temper this with advice from far more knowledgable folks you'll find
here: go with a mid-level bike (400-700 doller range) I switched to a trek 4900 this year and I
couldnt be happier, it didnt exactly break the bank at 550 (I just got a phantom ass pain from where
my wallet usually sits..now realizing what I did upgrade wise) but its alot of bike for the price.
What it comes down to is this, try out as many bikes as you can, but realize that if you dip down
too far price wise you will undoubtfully either: put more money into it when you could have just
bought a nicer bike, or get frustrated and possibly miss out on a sport you could so easily grow to
love. Okay Ive spent my low level of mtb knowledge. Hope this helps.-Ruprete

 

[John Dinh]

> Gary Fisher makes good bikes but I don't know the other brand.

Everything the previous person said is good advice. I've ridden Jamis and Fisher bikes... I wouldn't
really say that either company is better, but in the sub-$600 range, I think the Fisher bikes are
much better in **general**. However, you really have to ride them to see which one is a better
**fit**. The Fisher bikes have a different geometry from the Jamis. I have a really tall long armed
friend and he got a Fisher bike because they have longer top tubes.

It's true that looking for Deore group parts is a good sign of component quality, but I've never
seen them on a full price bike under $400, unless there was something else wrong with the bike.

Be careful changing stems. If you make it too much longer or shorter the handling is altered.

good luck. Hope this helps...

- JD

 

[Penny S.]

John Dinh wrote:
>
> good luck. Hope this helps...
>
> - JD

those initials are already taken... don't say you weren't warned.

penny

 

[John Dinh]

Ahh yess...

good point. I don't post very often, each time I do... I notice this whole initial thing, and
then forget...

I think it's pretty obvious who is who though.

- J...

"Penny S." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> John Dinh wrote:
> >
> > good luck. Hope this helps...
> >
> > - JD
>
> those initials are already taken... don't say you weren't warned.
>
> penny

 

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Here are reviews of Jamis / Gary Fisher bikes. Look down the lists for the model you are looking at.

Jamis http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/manufacturers/2650/

Gary Fisher http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/manufacturers/2552/

 

[Dave Stocker]

I went the second route on my first bike. A $350-400 (I forget now) Haro Vector V3. I rode that bike
for about four years and got the taste for mountain biking.

Then I bought an elder (mid 90's) FS bike an ran that for a year and a half. I became serious about
learning technique. I went clipless - my friend Bob made me do that. I started learning about
repairs and componetry and upgraded the fork (to a bomber).

Last month I plunked down a couple thousand ?s on a new FS bike.

Remember, if you buy a bike that is "too" expensive now, it may still not be enough when/if you
become a bike snob. I suggest the entry level route. I have a friend with the entry level fisher and
it is not a bad bike.

-Dave

 

[Gyp]

Joel Mueller wrote:
> Greeting, I am looking at getting into Mountain Biking and I was looking for some ideas on "the
> first bike". I have been shown Jamis bikes and Gary Fisher bikes in the $300 - $400 range any pros
> and or cons to either one? Any other ideas?

My first mountain bike lasted 3 years and the best thing that could be said about it was that it was
cheap!. Steal frame, low grade components. Very heavy but it got me back on a bike and it didn't
break the bank. Plus as a "try it and see if I like it" toy there wasn't any risks if I didn't like
the sport. (Love it). Also I had no appreciation for what I could pay up to 6k for (Swine after
pearls) so it was IMHO at my level <Grimice>

A useful tips when buying bikes from new is to check out "last years model" I got a 150 quid
discount on my 380 pound bike. Ali frame hardtail, front disc, Acera dierailers etc. Great when I
first upgraded but I'm looking forwards to upgrading again.

The most important thing that I discovered mountain-biking was a local mountain bike store that as
well as being friendly and doing the repair work I can't do have given me invaluble money/time
saving advice of the years. I'll certainly be going to them first to talk about new bikes.

Gyp

 

[Bomba]

Gyp wrote:

> My first mountain bike lasted 3 years and the best thing that could be said about it was that it
> was cheap!. Steal frame, low grade components.

Don't steal frame, buy frame. Thieving gypsy *******...



--
a.m-b FAQ: http://www.t-online.de/~jharris/ambfaq.htm

b.bmx FAQ: http://www.t-online.de/~jharris/bmx_faq.htm

 

[Gyp]

bomba wrote:
> Gyp wrote:
>
>
>> My first mountain bike lasted 3 years and the best thing that could be said about it was that it
>> was cheap!. Steal frame, low grade components.
>
>
> Don't steal frame, buy frame. Thieving gypsy *******...
>
>

But it was only mild steal!!

<Chuckle>

Gyp

 

[Spider]

Gyp <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

> My first mountain bike lasted 3 years and the best thing that could be said about it was that it
> was cheap!. Steal frame...

Now we can see why it was so cheap.

For shame...



Spider