Best Intermediate Bike

[Tedrzz]

Hey guys,

I used to ride 5 years ago, and now I have a deep urge to do it again.:) However, my current bike is lets say, a little too small for me.

So far, I'm leaning towards the 2004 Fisher Tassajara. Does this sound good? Any concerns?

I'm trying to get the best bang-for-your-buck bike. I really don't want to spend over 700 dollars.

I will be doing Cross Country riding mainly.

Thanks,

Ted

[wooglin]

With $700 to replace a 5 year old bike that's too small I'd buy a frame, move the parts over, and then start replacing/upgrading things as they broke.

$1200 will get you an intermediate bike IMO.

[Tedrzz]

Well, I don't know how well that would work. Most of the parts on my old bike were heavily abused, rusted, and don't work very well anymore.

I think I just need to get a whole new setup.

Also, I can't afford 1200 bucks. :(

Thanks,

Ted

[TN]

I would suggest buying used...preferably something local to you so you could ride it before shelling out the cheese. You can usually find great deals if you are patient.

[Dirty]

yeah, wehre you from and what size bike do you need?

[Tedrzz]

I'm from Kalamazoo, Michigan. I'm 6'1" right now, and my dad is 6'4", every bike shop so far has reccomended the 21" frame.

Thanks,

Ted

[eastcoastzigzag]

welcome bro! make sure u check that other site too ;) go w/ the fisher, its a good bike u can upgrade down the road.

[douglas]

Kona Cinder Cone

http://www.konaworld.com

[Tedrzz]

Douglas,

That seems to have the same components of the Fisher, only the Fisher has rockshox, and some other better components (If I'm correct?). Plus, I can sit on the Fisher before I buy it.

Thanks,

Ted

[tomyboy]

Have you tried looking through some of the listings in the buy and sell section? You should be able to find a much better deal for a used bike than a new one.

[bean]

I've been happy with my Cindercone. Component-wise there will be trade-offs with whichever bike you go with. I ended up choosing the Kona over a Fisher because I preferred its feel.

[pixelninja]

Originally posted by Tedrzz
Douglas,

That seems to have the same components of the Fisher, only the Fisher has rockshox, and some other better components (If I'm correct?). Plus, I can sit on the Fisher before I buy it.

Thanks,

Ted The Cinder Cone is a great bike. I bought one back in '94 and rode it up until a year ago, when I switched to full suspension.

Being able to test a bike before buying it is a BIG plus, though. But make sure you test ride several different bikes before you settle on the Fisher. And you may want to try a couple different sizes, just to make sure the 21" really fits you.

Do a bit of research on this site, as well as http://www.mtbr.com about forks, and you'll see that most people prefer Marz over Rock Shox, hands down.

[punkassean]

elitists will wank but the best bike in your price range is a raleigh M-80, it is under $600 retail ($500 at my old shop) and has mostly LX and shimano mech. discs. w/ Alex eyeletted black disc wheels and it looks pretty cool. We sold GF also and the Tass is a good bike but overpriced. Same goes for any big name brand. Raleigh is the best deal by far in that price range. It comes in a much cooler darker color scheme than the picture also if you don't like powder blue. Don't be afraid to ride a Raleigh, name means nothing.

[punkassean]

Originally posted by Tedrzz
I'm from Kalamazoo, Michigan. I'm 6'1" right now, and my dad is 6'4", every bike shop so far has reccomended the 21" frame.

Thanks,

Ted

base your decision off what feels good not just the number on the frame. Every manufacturer's bike will feel different even if they are labeled as the same size, just like a pair of jeans. Try before you buy, and if you think you will grow a few more inches buy only a little bit big, and have the shop swap you for a shorter stem for now until you grow.

[Skookum]

I'm 6'1" as well and the last hard tail mt. bike i owned was a 20" and think that would be too big for me to ride if i were to own one now... Try a 19" and 20" (or one size smaller) to see for sure, the most important thing is getting fit correctly for a bike!

Good luck and keep browsing around for parts that alot of people like and read WHY they like em too. Being how you're getting a bike on the cheap most of the time the bikes components are gonna be lacking a tad. But don't fret, get your money's worth out of em, learn what you are looking for by riding more, and have the satisfaction of upgrading later. It's what we all do even when we spend alot of money anyways.:D ;)

[rjcobra]

The Tassajara is a great bike in that price range. Also look at the Fisher Marlin. About $200 less and almost as good. See the reviews on MTBreview.com
I'm also 6'1" and use a 19" bike. It depends on your inseam length, not your height.

[blue]

Don't be fooled by drivetrain stuff. Down in the sub-1000 dollar range, companies will sell their bikes based on whats hanging off the drivetrain. While its important, drivetrain difference between say Shimano Deore and LX isn't that big. They will say "oh, well it has LX or XT drivetrain stuff" but then the wheels suck, the fork's a POS, and everything else has been skimped on. Make sure you buy a good solid bike, not one with a few awesome components for the price, and then crap. With 700 you can get a decent bike used, but if you want to go new and don't care about the name, I'd pickup one of Supergo's Access frames and build it up with their Weyless parts (They are decent quality), Deore level drivetrain, and whatever else you like. Also, when you look online for parts and such, typically you'll be able to find the 03 stuff for a lot cheaper than the 04, especially with forks. Do not skimp on the fork, I'd reccomend a Manitou Black or Marzo EXR/MXR for your price range. If theres one thing you can afford to skimp on, its the drivetrain, why, its cheap to replace parts generally, and not too expensive to upgrade if you want to.