Mountain Bike...First time buyer

[Davs2601]

I want a mountain bike to ride the trails out at Thunder Bird and Draper for fun and for fitness. There are a lot of decisions to make. Can someone school me on several things?

1. 29er or 26er?
2. Which bike shop do you spend your money at?
3. I searched and did not find any USA made bikes. Closest was Trek with R&D work. What brand do you own?
4. I know fit of the bike is the most important thing. What else is important? Components?
5. Disc brakes. Are they worth the extra cost? How easily can they be added after the fact? The cost really jumps up with the disc versions.
6. Does anyone offer a military discount? Where can I save some money?

There are so many technical details with the bikes and it’s hard to sift through the madness!!
I am trying to keep the purchase price between $350-500. I really like the following bikes.
- Diamondback 213 Overdrive V 29er..Amazon $399. It may be a bad idea ordering a bike from Amazon, but that price is hard to beat. http://www.amazon.com/Diamondback-Overdrive- Mountain-29-Inch-Wheels/dp/B008O2FUNS
- Giant Revel 1 - $500 from BikeOne. http://bikeone.us/product/12giant-revel-1-131318-1.htm
- Trek 3500 - $439.99 from BikeOne http://bikeone.us/product/12trek-3500-94365-1.htm
- Trek 3900 Disc - $519.99 from BikeOne http://bikeone.us/product/11trek-3900-disc-71543-1.htm
- Trek 820 $369.99 from Bikeone http://bikeone.us/product/trek-820-121179-1.htm

Sorry such a long post, but help me please.
Thanks

 

[gfercaks33]

First off I'm in the same boat and I'm trying to upgrade from a Walmart bike.

My advice is buy a 29" also go to a bike shop if you ever make it into okc vist pro bike on 63rd and MacArthur Jon is the owner and he knows his stuff and will get you fitted and set up

 

[Davs2601]

Thanks. I am off on Friday so I plan to visit a few shops

 

[Peabody]

I had a Specialized brand mountain bike and loved it. $$$ but worth it.

 

[jmike314]

1. Go with the 29. Absolutely.
2. I'm a huge fan of Wheeler Dealer on May & NW 50th. 405 Cycles just south of Moore is a good one too.
3. I doubt seriously that you'll find an entry to mid-level mtb made in the US. US made bike will be toward the elite end of the spectrum.
I ride Specialized and swear by them. Excellent bikes. The one I ride now is a 26 from 2000 and it is still solid.
I've also ridden Canondale...good stuff. Trek bikes are nice too.
4. Fit is key. The component set up of the bike should be solid depending on what you want to spend. Things you might change up front BAR STEM, SADDLE, & PEDALS.
BAR STEM - I got short T-Rex arms and need a tighter cockpit because I can't reach out too far and be comfortable
SADDLE - If you going to be sitting on it, make it comfortable...a slimmer seat with "relief" areas.
PEDALS - Do you plan to ride with the toe-clips? Or clipless...where your shoes lock in - much better ride, once you get used to them you'll never switch back.
I weigh 210-215lbs...if you're a bigger guy make sure you get a solid frame and wheelset.
5. Get the discs.
6. I'd guess that bike shops around the base might offer a discount. Wheeler Dealer has always been good about taking care of folks. Call around.

I recommend buying from a local shop. They'll take care of you and most offer free tuneups for life (yes...tuneups...you will need them).
You'll also need a helmet...do not hit Draper or TB without one. You will fall.

Of the ones you listed I like that Trek 3900 Disc...nice setup.
Check 405 Cycles or Wheeler Dealer for this one - http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/mountain/hardrock/hardrockdisc29

If you plan to ride regularly...spend what you can. Believe me, if you take to riding and spend a good deal of time on it you can actually feel the difference.

 

[SABOT]

I've been riding going on since '95. One thing I can tell you is you get what you pay for, and fit is extremely important. If the bike is uncomfortable due to poor fit, you'll probably not ride it much.
And yes, absolutely disc brakes are worth it.

I would suggest shopping around, Pro-Bike, Schlegel's, and maybe, dare I say, Wheeler Dealer.

I've owned Mongoose, Pro-Flex, and 2 Specialized.

 

[Tuplumber]

I would stay away from the diamond back. I bought one a few years ago for 350.00. It was the worst purchase I have ever made. The bike was junk. I ended up selling it on Craigslist.

 

[elwoodtrix]

spend the $$ if you are going to stick with it. Don't get all the extra's if you're gonna go for a bike ride every now and again

 

[93 FOX]

I went through this 2 years ago when I first got into MTBing. This will be my second year racing. If I had to do it all over again I would buy my first bike off Craigslist. Without knowing weather you will like it or have the time, buy used and when you sell it you won't loose as much money. After you ride for about 4-6 months, you'll know exactly what you want. Get on google and you can get a really good idea of what size bike you will need. PM me if want and I can help you out.

 

[Travis73]

I got a used Trek off of Craigslist for a price I'm happy with. 29" seems to offer better performance than the 26". But I went with the 26" tires because its a more common size. (Shtf, don't judge me, lol)
I read alot of articles like this to decide the appropriate frame size:
http://m.bicycling.com/maintenance/bike-fit/if-bike-fits-buy-it

I'm new to biking, so these are newbie opinions.