I'm getting back into biking after probably a 15 yr. lay off. I've never done any super serious riding but had a schwinn sierra MOS bike in college and loved it. I will be riding mostly on dirt trails but nothing extremely hardcore right now. I went and rode a 2006 GT avalanche 2.0 disc yesterday and can get it for around $489. I like the fact that its got the shimano deore rear derailleur and the acera front derailleur. I'm not familiar at all with SRAM so I like seeing the shimano components. Is this a pretty sound bike for what I'll be doing? It felt good the short time I rode it.
I am also looking for a bike for my 9 year old son. He's pretty easy to please and won't know a huffy from a haro. But, he wants RED! I found a new in the box, 2005 GT avalanche 2.0 on ebay for $298. It retailed for $450. In the $300 price range I can also get him a schwinn mesa at the shop where I'm buying mine. The avalanche seems to be a better bike but I'm not sure about putting it together myself. Would a LBS put it together for me for a fee (how much)? If so, would you go with the GT vs. the schwinn?
Keep in mind that we'll basically be doing trail riding with a small amount of off road riding. Thanks in advance for the input. Greg
I am also looking for a bike for my 9 year old son. He's pretty easy to please and won't know a huffy from a haro. But, he wants RED! I found a new in the box, 2005 GT avalanche 2.0 on ebay for $298. It retailed for $450. In the $300 price range I can also get him a schwinn mesa at the shop where I'm buying mine. The avalanche seems to be a better bike but I'm not sure about putting it together myself. Would a LBS put it together for me for a fee (how much)? If so, would you go with the GT vs. the schwinn?
Keep in mind that we'll basically be doing trail riding with a small amount of off road riding. Thanks in advance for the input. Greg