"EQ Shaman" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ok, I have narrowed my list of bikes to 4, I am thinking either Trek 4100, Trek 4300, Gary Fisher
> Advance or Gary Fisher Wahoo. Anyone have any recommendations based on the 4 listed above? I like
> the Wahoo due to the fact that it comes equipped with Rockshox Judy, (which I am assuming is
the
> better fork/shock.) I am 210 lbs and will be riding about 65% on road and 35% off road, also this
> will be my first mt. bike (asside from a cheap ass walmart bike)
So many factors make the perfect bike. Some of the most important are:
Fit/Size: Does it fit you comfortably (in every dimension)? Reliability: Can you depend on this
bike for your type of riding? Price: Can you afford it? Can you justify the expense? Tires: Are the
tires appropriate for the terrain you're riding? Fork: Is the fork setup for your weight range? Can
it be modified?
Almost everything else is icing on the cake. There are dozens of brands of bikes out there, and over
a dozen major brands with bikes in your price range: Fuji, Giant, Marin, Kona, Specialized, Trek,
Gary Fisher, K2, Jamis, GT, Diamondback, Mongoose, Norco, etc, etc.
My advice is to ride as many bikes as you can possibly ride. Try them on varied terrain, wearing
both street clothes and cycling clothing. Try bikes above and below your ideal price point, to get
an idea of the differences. Remember that you can swap pedals, tires, stems and saddles very easily
- and most shops will build that kind of customization into a package price (often with free or
reduced-cost labor).
Personally, I find that Giant is very hard to beat for value. For every Trek bike, Giant has one
with better components at a lower price.
Brand recognition on forks is not necessarily a guarantee of value. SR/Suntour forks are very good;
but nobody knows the name. RockShox has built plenty of unreliable forks. I don't know how the 2003
Judy's are built.
Lastly, if you're thinking of doing any "urban assault" or "hucking", be aware that you'll probably
trash just about any bike that you buy. That kind of abuse isn't what most bikes were designed for.
Let us know what you decide after you've looked at 10 or 12 more bikes.
-Barry
