Jan 2, 2010
What Should I Get For My Next Mountain Bike?
I currently have a 1998 Marin Hawk Hill, i got it because i didn’t have that much money and i wanted to see if i liked mountain biking, well i do and i was thinkin about upgrading to a new bike so i was wonderin what would be a good one?
Prefferably A hardtail, around $1200, for moderate trail use on weekends
Go ride a bunch of brands. What you’ll learn is that the components are roughly the same. This is a very competitive business.
The biggest differences are in the frame materials and geometries. You will find that you will fit one bike better than the rest. If the bike doesn’t excite you, it’s the wrong bike. But the right bike will ride like a dream.
After fit, I would start looking at whether or not the bike has better forks like Fox. Also, if the bike should have at least V brakes or hydraulic disc brakes. Mechanical disc brakes are of questionable value. If they only have mechanical disc, make sure they are Avid. They seem to have the best mechanical discs.
Your current bike, a 1998 Marin Hawk Hill, has a cromoly frame.
My last bike was a 1991 Marin Bear Valley SE. It was also cromoly. I changed to an aluminium Trek about two years ago.
The ride is very harsh in comparison to the Marin.
In general, steel hardtail frames have nicer ride qualities than aluminium. The slight flex in the tubes makes for a smoother and more comfortable ride.
If you have the money, you should consider a cromoly frame bike. Makers like Voodoo and Jamis should make a cromoly framed bike in your price range.
you should look at the Fire Mountain Deluxe- kona makes that one and one by specialized called Rockhopper. you can look them up online at konaworld.com and specialized.com
I like the Trek 6500. The 6 series from Trek is pretty decent in general.