Right now i have a cheap dyno full suspension bike and its time to upgrade. i do alot of riing around the county, just flat land but real muddy so if my budget was 500 $ what would be a better investiment, getting a harttail bike or getting a full suspension bike. Also for those conditions what wouldbe better, V brakes or Disc brakes.
2007-03-20 10:29:02 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Cycling
If buying a bike to a price point, you are better off with a well-built hardtail with better components than a cheap full-suspension bike (they have to compromise on something to get you FS at a low price). Disc brakes work better in the mud. Try to find a quality steel bike because its slender tubes will not collect as much mud as an aluminum bike and will be a more comfortable ride. Just give it a good rinse and regular lube to keep things working well. Don't worry about rust so much. By the time a steel frame rusts through, you'd have beaten the heck out of it and are ready for a new one anyway. Also research the web for tires that are good in mud (grip, mud shedding capability).
2007-03-21 02:35:43 · answer #1 · answered by Ben P 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For $500, you can get a better hardtail (HT) than a full suspension (FS). Also, what kind of riding are you planning on doing? If large drops, etc. that's what a FS is designed for. Or if you just want to do some single tracks / trails minor drops, etc. a hardtail is the better choice. In all, I find most trails are designed for HT. Again for $500, you will get better components and specs with a HT. For $500 if you look hard you can probably also get some disc brakes, make sure they are on both the front and back. The brakes would probably be Hayes Mx4 or Tektro IO Mechanical disc for that price range. Also checkout some of the Giant's, they have a nice model in that range called the boulder. Best of luck and enjoy.
2007-03-20 21:30:13 · answer #2 · answered by Roger J 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
for the 500 limit, i'd go hardtail because the quality of teh components you will get for that price will be better than many starter bikes. As for the disk/v brake selection, if you are riding in wet, muddy or sandy areas... (really wet, muddy or sandy) than i'd go disc brakes. If not, or if what would be considered normal terrain, i would just stay with v-brakes. For the 500 limit though, you can possibly find a bike with mechanical disc brakes on it. Maybe a "last year" model bike.
2007-03-21 00:52:48 · answer #3 · answered by vail2073 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that a hardtail will be the right bike for your application. If your trails were pretty rocky, and you had some more budget, probably a full suspension would be better, but it doesn't sound like it.
And for mud, discs rocks! It won't matter if your rims get covered in mud, you will be able to break as much as possible (not skidding in mud while braking is near to impossible).
2007-03-20 22:39:17 · answer #4 · answered by Roberto 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For $500, I would get a hardtail.
2007-03-20 18:43:24 · answer #5 · answered by rambling vine 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hardtail, no question. Disc brakes rock. Get hydraulic disc if you can afford it like Avid Juicy.........
2007-03-21 05:31:42 · answer #6 · answered by M V 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get a hardtail, u have to spend big bucks to get a full sus. thats light enough to ride in my opinion. Vbrakes should be fine.
2007-03-21 07:59:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋