dreamwalker

I haven't biked in years, but this summer I'm going to go out maybe once a week to bike.

My local store (i'm located in toronto, canada) has a sale on this bike, down from 480 to 240, so I'm thinking of picking it up

I'll do some light trail biking, I was hoping this wouldn't break down on me, and since you guys are all professionals, was just hoping for an opinion if this would last me at least a couple of years?

Thanks in advance, guys.


Raleigh Serengeti

Frame: Aluminum Mono style dual suspension
main frame Z-Box rear shock
Fork: RST Omni 156
Headset: CH281T 8 piece 25.4
Chainset: Vuelta 42/32/22T 170mm
Gears: Fr
Rear Shimano TZ30
Shimano TX30
Shifters: Shimano EZ Fire
Freewheel: Shimano 14/28t 7 speed
Brakes: Fr
Rear TX115C linear pull
TX115C linear pull
Levers: Shimano
Hubs: Fr
Rear 36h chrome
36h chrome
Rims: Alex 36h alloy
Alex 36h alloy
Tires: Fr
Rear 26 x 2 Kenda "Hotpatch"
26 x 2 Kenda "Hotpatch"
Stem: OS 10 degree 100mm
Bar: 620mm/30mm rise Black
Grips: PVC Black 135 mm
Saddle: Selle Royal MTB
Seat Post: 27.2 x 300mm
Pedals: Wellgo 9'16" LU-895
Colour: Red
Sizes: 20, 18" Adult, 13" Boys
Speeds: 24 speed

Cyclist30907654

Don't buy things from Canadian Tire.

pwyll99

At that price point, I can't see the rear suspension being worth the added weight. And seeing where the pivot point is I don't think it will pedal well. Heck, the MSRP on most shocks is more than the cost of that bike.
My opinion would be to spend the money on a hardtail

dminor 

Hey, it looks "just Like" an Orange Patriot VTT!

markhr

I don't know about CT but please don't buy that bike. Especially if you want to do any serious riding, i.e., outside your front yard, with it.

Try and find the nearest good local bike store and talk to them about you, your budget and your cycling needs.

taylor p

it wont even last you a year sitting on your front porch

Cyclist30907654

I was the "proud" owner of this bike before I came to my senses and bought a LBS bike.



I used it on mild singletrack. Within a couple of months, the following things happened:

- Went through 2 tubes
- Both wheels out of true, almost unrepairable, also causing me to lose all braking power
- The "suspension fork" seized
- Pedals snapped, ended up also stripping the threads in the crank
- Cranks arms broke
- Chain broke

Have to say though, at least the frame stayed intact. Too bad it weighed close to 50 lbs.

dreamwalker

So you guys are telling me not to buy this, because it will break down very quickly even on light trail riding..

Hmm.. and I thought Raleigh was a bit better quality than Canadian Tire 'Supercycle' brand .. considering this is a $500 bike when not on sale.

I can't afford the $500 bikes (as ANY of those brands you guys mentioned are ridiculously expensive), I don't think I will be getting into biking anymore

Thanks for the responses though

Cyclist30907654

Bad idea.

So, you were planning to drop around $250 for this bike right? There are definitely options for you. These are all somewhere around that price range. And dealers will often give you a small discount off the msrp.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...dtail/820/820/
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ne_300HT07.htm

At this pricepoint, however, your best bet is on craigslist. I don't know what the craigslist network is like around your location, but there are a lot of people in my area who sell Hardrocks and other entry level bikes for around $200-300.

Cheeto

FOr a cheaper alternative Look at something like a Trek 3900 or a trek 4300- they range from 350-400

and if thats to expensive, dont give up, people sell bikes al the time, I just was checking out a 900 dollar bike for 250 bucks, and it doesnt even HAVE a scratch.
the guy just bought a 3k bike and doesnt want this old one.

Even a trek 820 would suffice for you

dont give up!

Dumpstergrub@gm

Don't get disheartened. I would suggest getting on ebay and finding a used hardtail in your pricepoint. If you find something a few years old it will not only be affordable but it will also be a lot more bike for your buck.

markhr

Check your local thrift stores, second hand shops, pawn shops, e-bay, craigs list and free-ads. You'll be amazed at the cheap bikes available that are much better quality than the CT thing.

I got my mountainbike on e-bay for a very cheap price, other people report CL bargains and $5 thrift store steals. It just takes patience, hunting around and persistence.

taylor p

you can easly get a good bike from you LBS for under $500

troie

I bought my HardRock for $290 and it lasted me for quite some time. Dont quit on the best sport in the world. If youre on a tight budget, check out bikesdirect.com but I stronngly suggest you talk to your LBS first to see if you can work out a deal.

deraltekluge

Chainset: Vuelta 42/32/22T 170mm

Freewheel: Shimano 14/28t 7 speed

Speeds: 24 speed

New math?

junkyard

With that attitude, we don't want you to be a cyclist.

markhr

Chill brother

No-one likes having what looks like, to the OP at least, a good idea shot down in flames by a resounding "NO!"

Give the OP time to come round to our way of thinking.

kill.cactus

I agree, don't purchase that bicycle but DON'T give up!

You can find a decent light trail bike for 300 USD or under off any used list. Try Craigslist or go to a Salvation Army. Make sure to look for big name frames if you're there - try Trek or Specialized. The Trek 800, 3000s, and 4000s should be fine bikes for you to use and they'll be very cheap. Specialized Hardrocks are good bikes too.

Despite how expensive all these bikes we suggest are, mountain biking doesn't have to be restrictively expensive!

The reason we warn you away from the bike you're looking at is that the frame designs aren't thought through (generally) and thus they are heavy and not as durable (read: safe) as the frames you'll find with "real" bikes. Their components are also going to be faulty and the bikes will probably not be put together properly.

dreamwalker

Thanks for the responses guys

I have decided not to give up, and have stretched my budget to roughly 300

I've been looking around and have encountered many bike brands, I'm not sure of these 'Mongoose', 'Dyno' and 'Schwinn' bicycles, is there any list out there that tells you which are the cheap bikes, and which ones aren't?

Thanks in advance

Cyclist30907654

It's pretty easy. Hobby-level bikes will be sold mostly by bike shops. So basically, anything from Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire, Zellers, etc. are all toys.

To get durable bikes, try a local bike shop, these bikes will be nicely assembled and readily serviceable.

chrischross

I've been in your position -- you want a decent bike but you don't have a ton of scratch. There's a couple of ways to go about it:

1. See if your local bike shop does lay away, spread out the payments;
2. Go used (man I wish I had done that on my latest purchase, there's some awesome deals out there).

Definitely don't give up on the sport. It's got an upfront cost, but the benefits are real. The dumbest thing I ever did was take a decade off from riding.

Lebowski

i bought my 2007 hardrock fully loaded with disc brakes for about 350 from my favorite lbs. i love it.

for the price of that thing you could get a real nice bike.



https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkM...sid=08Hardrock

kill.cactus

Mongoose sells both toys and "actual" bikes, but anything coming out of a big box store branded mongoose will be a toy. Dyno? um... I'd veer away from that brand unless it's being sold at an LBS (local bike store/shop). Schwinn is complicated since it is a company that makes good, high quality bikes but at the same time sells out its name to toy manufacturers who sell "schwinns" at wal-mart.

I'd recommend you go to a bike store (LBS) and ask them (trust me, it isn't as embarrassing or awkward as it may seem) if they could help you find a bike for 300 dollars new or used that will be appropriate for light trail use. If they don't have anything in stock you can ask them for advice on what to look out for - brand names and models on the used market.

Continue to check craigslist and ebay. I'll do a quick search and post a result in like 5 minutes for you

kill.cactus

This looks preliminarily promising:
https://cgi.ebay.com/Bridgestone-MB3-...QQcmdZViewItem

Edit - now don't jump on this purchase (you don't know if it'll fit right etc), I'm just showing you that there are plenty of options out there.

Lebowski has a good bike - if you can, see if your LBS has any Hardrocks or HRXCs available.

dreamwalker

Alright guys, need your feedback on some of these bikes I'm looking at

https://www.silentsports.com/store/pr...le-22%22-Root/
https://www.silentsports.com/store/pr...oulder-SE-2XS/
https://www.bayviewcycle.com/NewFiles..._Trek_820.html

What do you guys think?

Thanks in advance

dream