WALGOOSE and RECOMMENDATIONS

[Warhen]

Hi all,
This is my first post and second time to Cycling Forums. I'm a former bike pro, two years in retail and two years as a tour leader for Bike Vermont.

I hope to get some help from you! OK, I admit it- though I despise Wallyworld and its politics, I was attracted to the XR200 Walgoose. Three things:

1. I am extremely poor now
2. I've not read a cycing magazine in many years
3. I was a roadie with limited MTB experience

With that said, I'd like to get a MTB because I'm up three miles of tough gravel roads and need one to get back into riding. I won't be riding more than some woodland trails and gravel/asphalt road and have no delusions of grandeur.

So, is the Walgoose frame truly THAT bad? In my dated, but informed eye, I saw a TIG-welded aluminum frame, MOZO fork, and rear shock, mid-point Shimano derailleurs and cantilever and disk brakes, alloy wheels, Grip Shift brand shifters. Could someone quantify how bad it is?

If so, what is the cheapest, reasonable quality bike I should look at? In my retial days, it would've been Specialized or Giant. And/or, what is a good resource for scoring a nice used bike, eBay, etc? I seriously cannot spend more than a few hundred right now but don't want a piece of trash either.

Thank you so much! Feel free to write directly.

Truly, Warren

 

[Scotty_Dog]

Don't buy the "Walgoose". It's a cheap frame, **** components, and probably assembled by a part-time high school student. End of story.

I would check your local bike shop, classifieds or Ebay for a good used bike such as Cannondale, Gary Fisher, Giant, GT, (older) Schwinn, Specialized, Trek, and a few others. From what you said in your post concerning light trail use and limited funds, you don't need a full suspension bike, so stick with front suspension only. You can eliminate alot of cheap bikes by making sure the bike has at least 24 speeds(8 gear cassette X 3 gear crank).To make this even more complicated, you might even want a hybrid bike: a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike. You can research that on your own.

The most important thing to do is figure out the correct size bike for you. The best way to determine your size is to go to a local bike shop and be fitted, but if you go the Ebay route you'll need to research it yourself. Bike fitting is a whole other lengthy topic, so maybe start here:
http://www.coloradocyclist.com/bikefit/

I have purchased 2 mountain bikes from Ebay and have been very pleased (1 used and 1 new). Just try to research what you are buying by checking out Mtbr.com (with a grain of salt) or simply asking people's opinions.

Here's a quick link to Ebay's front suspension mountain bikes:
http://sporting-goods.listings.ebay.com/_Cycling_Mountain-Bikes-Parts_Complete-Bike-Front-Suspension_W0QQa30299Z30466QQa30300Z30474QQalistZa30299Q2ca30300QQfromZR2QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQgcsZ1517QQpagetypeZ2QQpfidZ1847QQpfmodeZ2QQreqtypeZ2QQsacatZ22678QQsbrsrtZlQQsocdpfcatZ98083QQsocmdZListingItemList