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nagooro
05-18-2011, 07:14 PM
In the market for a new bike, price cap at ~$600. Checked out bowcycle today, but was limited on time so only got to test out one kona bike (link below).

Within my price range, are there any bikes you guys recommend? As well as thoughts on the Kona below?
I will be going back tomorrow or friday to try out a few more.
The sales rep also mentioned some specialized bikes so will give those a shot too.

kona fire mountain (http://www.bowcycle.com/bc11/bikes/mountain/kona-fire-mountain.shtml)

Khyron
05-18-2011, 11:54 PM
What are you going to do with it?

Rocky Mountain is another good brand at the Bike Shop.

nagooro
05-19-2011, 09:08 AM
Mostly nosehill park and other parks around Calgary. Might do some trails around Canmore/banff, but not very often.

Mixalot27
05-19-2011, 09:49 AM
I recently was in the market for a mountain bike of a similar price range. Since your price range is on the low end, I would recommend looking for a good deal on a new 2010 or even 2009 model. I ended up buying this 2009 Giant Yukon brand new, not a scratch on it from Tuxedo Sports for $525, its usually around a $725 bike:

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/772291/

They currently have this one for a decent deal although its a small frame and price is $750 including tax:

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/831538/

Also when I was at Ridley's cycle in Kensington about a month ago, they had a few 2010 Norco Kokanee's for I believe $500 or $550.

The things I was looking for when I was buying were lockout on the front fork. I find I ride with the lockout on a lot on smoother trails like Fish Creek and it allows me to go a little faster. Also I was wanting to get at least Deore components. Although in the end I ended up getting Deore rear derailer and Alivio front. I was also wanting to get disc brakes but I didn't care if they were hydraulic or mechanical. In the end I am happy with the bike I purchased. The only thing I wish was that it is a bit lighter, but then it would also be more money.

Khyron
05-19-2011, 10:35 AM
Unless you're going hardcore downhill, or in the wet mud (deep), you can save a bit by grabbing a model without the disc brakes and going with the standard v-brakes. They work just as well, but everyone wants disks - even the crappy 200 walmart specials just throw something on.

It's like a rear shock - the crappy one's are worse than having none at all.

Mitsu3000gt
05-19-2011, 11:11 AM
Definitely look at used bikes, they have huge depreciation. A LOT of people buy bikes and hardly ever use them. You will end up getting a much better bike for the price as well. Look at 1-3 year old bikes, they haven't changed much at all except for the price.

I would also make sure to get something with decent disc brakes...they are more and more common these days and a million times better than V-brakes. Even the mechanical ones are way better than V-brakes. Most mid-range and up bikes from the major brands will have a decent set on them.

Pinkbike and Kijiji are good starting points.

The Giant XTC line is awesome if you want a hardtail and offers pretty big bang for the buck as well.

Khyron
05-19-2011, 11:32 AM
Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
I would also make sure to get something with decent disc brakes...they are more and more common these days and a million times better than V-brakes. Even the mechanical ones are way better than V-brakes. Most mid-range and up bikes from the major brands will have a decent set on them.


How exactly are they better, aside from conditions where your rim surface is completely caked in mud (ie, not trail/nosehill) or extreme downhill where they're on most of the time?

I will point out than a 10,000+ dollar cervelo p4 still uses v-brakes...

My mountain bike has discs, but they are good/expensive ones. With a 500-700 dollar budget, he'd be blowing 200+ on just brakes. And good luck repairing/adjusting them on the trail.

That said looks like most shops gave in to the marketing anyway:

This looks promising:

http://thebikeshop.com/product/11-specialized-hardrock-disc-72412-1.htm

Mitsu3000gt
05-19-2011, 02:00 PM
Originally posted by Khyron


How exactly are they better, aside from conditions where your rim surface is completely caked in mud (ie, not trail/nosehill) or extreme downhill where they're on most of the time?

I will point out than a 10,000+ dollar cervelo p4 still uses v-brakes...

My mountain bike has discs, but they are good/expensive ones. With a 500-700 dollar budget, he'd be blowing 200+ on just brakes. And good luck repairing/adjusting them on the trail.

That said looks like most shops gave in to the marketing anyway:

This looks promising:

http://thebikeshop.com/product/11-specialized-hardrock-disc-72412-1.htm

Road bikes use V-brakes because they are light, and the fork design doesn't lend itself to a disc brake. I don't imagine they are doing intense braking nearly as often as on a mountain bike. Disc brakes would be overkill on such light bikes/frames anyways.

Mountain bikes are often caked in mud/water, etc....that is a pretty huge reason why disc brakes are so good for them. Even a tame trail can turn into a mud pit after some rain. It happens in Fish Creek all the time on the most basic of trails. Mountain biking typically also involves lots of hills and descents...I wouldn't want V-brakes for that.

V-brakes have their place but not on a mountain bike IMO. Even a cheap set of mechanical discs would be better.

Disc brakes are very easy to adjust on the fly, and a pad change on a trail is super easy too. I haven't needed to change my brake pads in almost 3 years though, so this isn't an issue anyways. Not sure why you think it's hard? Maybe the most entry level disc brakes don't have adjustment levers or something but every pair I have seen has them.

There are guys at COP riding V-brake bikes on the easy trails that go through a set of pads in one day.

I also would never buy a $500 bike brand new. Good hard tail mountain bikes start much closer to the $1000 range, so if the budget is $500-700 used is the way to go. Bikes depreciate at an alarming rate and it's sooo easy to find hardly used ones.

A 1-2 year old Giant XTC 1 or 2 would be perfect.

bmeier
05-19-2011, 02:08 PM
used is the way to go for sure, lots of people buy expensive bikes with good intentions then never ride them. those bikes end up on pinkbike or kijiji for half price....

i bought a kona jake the snake for $850 last year, (retail $1500) and it literally had been ridden once.

Khyron
05-19-2011, 02:28 PM
Oh I agree about the quality - my hardtail was over 1000. If you can't afford it, better to get a used one.

I was on a powderface run with a girl from work and she ended up walking out from about the half-way point with no brakes cause one of the seals blew (or something). Can't remember why but she had no brakes at all - pissed me off.

Most people I see on the pathways or riding the single track are fair weather only, and I argue disks are wasted on those sorts of conditions.

nagooro
05-19-2011, 05:28 PM
Do you guys have any recommendations on names of bikes I should be searching for on kjiji, pinkbike, etc?

Wasn't able to find any used giant XTC's for sale on either website.

Have contacted a few people selling:
giant yukon
giant rincon
kona blast
norco kokanee
norco sasquatch
norco bigfoot

Khyron
05-20-2011, 11:31 AM
Specialized Rockjumper or Stumpjumper is a good series, pretty much anything Kona, Norco, Rocky Mountain - main thing is to not buy a dedicated downhill, or a full suspension that's all blown to hell.

Pedals and tires can be had online for cheap so don't worry about that.

nagooro
05-20-2011, 11:41 AM
Contacted someone with a 2008 kona blast for $575, might go check that one out. Otherwise, not much luck finding used bikes.

bmeier
05-20-2011, 12:19 PM
Originally posted by nagooro
Contacted someone with a 2008 kona blast for $575, might go check that one out. Otherwise, not much luck finding used bikes.

the blast is a nice bike, i would maybe talk him down a bit in price but you would be happy with that bike if you want a HT mountain bike.

bmeier
05-20-2011, 12:22 PM
Originally posted by Khyron
Specialized Rockjumper or Stumpjumper is a good series, pretty much anything Kona, Norco, Rocky Mountain - main thing is to not buy a dedicated downhill, or a full suspension that's all blown to hell.

Pedals and tires can be had online for cheap so don't worry about that.

as a side note where do you guys buy your bike parts online? i need a new set of tires for my cyclocross but the selection in calgary is somewhat limited.

nagooro
05-20-2011, 02:56 PM
Is there anything specific I should be looking out for when buying a used bike? In terms of wear and tear on specific parts of the bike. Checking out this one today.

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-sports-bikes-Kona-Blast-Reduced-W0QQAdIdZ282312232

OU812
05-20-2011, 03:12 PM
Originally posted by nagooro
In the market for a new bike, price cap at ~$600. Checked out bowcycle today, but was limited on time so only got to test out one kona bike (link below).

Within my price range, are there any bikes you guys recommend? As well as thoughts on the Kona below?
I will be going back tomorrow or friday to try out a few more.
The sales rep also mentioned some specialized bikes so will give those a shot too.

kona fire mountain (http://www.bowcycle.com/bc11/bikes/mountain/kona-fire-mountain.shtml)

Did Bow have any 2010'a left?? They are usually marked down pretty decent.

When I was in the market I looked at everything and ended up with a Kona. I think they are a great ride, but ymmv

Afrodeziak
05-20-2011, 03:22 PM
It still has reflectors and the plastic spoke guard on the back cog. If the bike were beat on or used off-road a lot, I'd say those would be gone by now.

You want to watch for any kind of oil seepage on the front forks, if it seems like a lot, the seals need to be re-built.

Not sure if it was mentioned, as I only glanced through the thread.

disc brakes are better because with prolonged braking, they cool much better. Heavy lengthy braking on a rim, causes the v-brake style pads to glaze up and not brake well. ie. on long downhills, technical trails, etc. you still see if a bit of this with discs, but much less.

Disc brakes have a better lever input. ie. you barely pull the brake lever, but the hydraulic does all the work. With mechanic wire pull brakes, you have to do more of ther work.

Your wheel also flexes a bit while riding.. When you're braking off the wheel (v brakes) you are dealing with a different force than one attached directly to the hub (disc) so you will experience stronger braking since your braking surface isn't flexing as much.

With that said, there's a lot more mechanical know-how/maintenance with discs (bleeding the hydraulic kind) dealing with warped rotors, replacing more expensive brake pads.

I still ride a hard tail with v brakes, as well as a couple other bikes with discs. V brakes are fail-proof, never had an issue.

Hope this helps.

1 other thing, if you're buying new, you probably won't notice much difference in parts, just fit, so I'd ride the brands mentioned above for fitment and comfort. You might get lucky with someone offering a discount on helmets, locks, thrown in free tune-ups for a year, etc.. but as far as price, they will probably all be par, regardless of what shop you visit. Bike Shop, Bow Cycle, Pedalhead would be my recommended.



Originally posted by nagooro
Is there anything specific I should be looking out for when buying a used bike? In terms of wear and tear on specific parts of the bike. Checking out this one today.

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-sports-bikes-Kona-Blast-Reduced-W0QQAdIdZ282312232

nagooro
05-20-2011, 04:39 PM
Originally posted by OU812


Did Bow have any 2010'a left?? They are usually marked down pretty decent.

When I was in the market I looked at everything and ended up with a Kona. I think they are a great ride, but ymmv

Which kona model did you end up buying?

nagooro
05-20-2011, 04:46 PM
Originally posted by Afrodeziak




Thanks for the info. Will keep that in mind.
So far found a kona blast for $575 obo and a kona lana'i for $450 obo. Will check em out today and Tom. Both are 2008's.

ekguy
06-15-2011, 05:42 PM
Shop around. I got a 2000$ brand new for 999$ because it was a 2009 and I bought in 2010.

Got a Devinci free ride bike.

Awesome deal for a really fun bike.

Everyone says used but honestly just go to ALL the bike shops and tell them what your budget is. You'll probably find something just a little outside your budget (by a hundred or two) which is what happened to me and I had no problem spending a little bit more than my budget at the time.

If you can't find a new one try on pinkbike.

I have a couple bikes I've bought on there now.

Kritafo
06-15-2011, 09:26 PM
http://www.bowcycleclassifieds.com/Classifieds/xcClassified.asp

is another good link for used bikes. I found lots of guys on Kijiji are not honest about how many times they have crashed some of bikes they were selling. lol. We ended up buying a Rocky Mountain off the Bowcycle classifieds for my son, it is an awesome starter bike and way more bike than I he would have got if we bought brand new, markup on new bikes is insane.

You may even want to look into buying a frame and building yourself Nashbar always has amazing sales and we have never had a delivery issue.

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/TopCategories_10053_10052_-1