Falken2C

I been looking at some bikes and found some ones branded by Jeep. They look good and all but has anyone tried one or bought one. The higher end ones do have dual disc brakes and SRAM derailleurs, and I dont see cheap falcon or no-name derailleurs on the lower end ones. Any idea

free_pizza

Dont go near them, they suck.

the disc brakes are probably of very low quality, and the frame probably weighs a ton. Generally, the components are poor quality too, and chances are if its a "jeep" brand name, it's probably being sold at a big box store where the people that put the bikes together havent a clue what they are doing.

Falken2C

are you really sure, like have you ridden one? im just wondering about this because people said the Mongoose Blackcomb with disc was really good for the price. anyways im not an overboard guy with things like super light frames, XTR and X.0s. I'd rather have a reliable cromoly lol.

free_pizza

this monstrosity of a thing?



from the description:

"Suspension: 4-bar vertical spring dual suspension eats bumps for breakfast "

Falken2C

and thats what i heard from people. They loved the bike compared to their higher end ones
go see yourself
https://forums.bicycling.com/eve/foru.../604106037/p/3
people actually riding, upgrading, and comparing these to GTs

khuon

I like my Jeep but I like it as a Jeep. It's a good offroad machine. I don't own the Jeep boombox, the Jeep luggage, the Jeep bike, etc for a reason. Most are crappily built. And it's not like they're built by Jeep. Even if they were, I wouldn't trust Jeep to build a radio, luggage, baby stroller or bike. That's not their core compentency. Jeep just pimps out the name and it gets stuck on the most low-quality overpriced pieces of garbage imaginable. Jeep should be ashamed of themselves. FWIW, there are some higher end Jeep branded (read: rebadged) MTBs that are not bad performers (not spectacular) but they're still overpriced for what you get and they do scream "poseur".

Falken2C

we dont need super expensive bikes, just thinks that can get the job right
some one actually explained there opinion thx

khuon

Which Jeep bike were you looking at? Pick one and you can bet that a bunch of folks here will be able to point you to a different bike at the same pricepoint which will give you a better bang-for-buck.

Falken2C

particularly the scrambler for $300, which i like the cromoly frame cause i can do modifying or repairs if needed

mlh122

i have no actual experience with them, but i've shopped a lot, mongoose has a wide range of bikes, their top end and medium end ones are actually pretty good, comparable to GT, Trek, etc.... their low end ones are garbage, to be avoided, don't even try it. I think Jeep is the same way, i've seen the cheapo line and they are just crappy, they weigh like 50lbs and just ugh.. stay away. i've heard they have some medium and high end ones that are pretty good, and a 2-wheel drive bike that got mixed reviews. by low end i mean under $100 new, in my opinion any bike under $100 is the low end, i think their medium level is around $300 and their high end is $800 +

features that might denote a crappy bike to stay away from:
like you said- falcon deraillers, also plastic brake levers, weight over 40lbs (low grade steel), plastic bash guard, sticker that says "don't ride off road", unadjustable shocks on an adult bike that bottom out with very little effort, very bad stiction on shocks, brakes that visibly flex under very little effort. thats all i can think of at the moment.

likewise however, i rode my sister in law's full suspension NEXT bike when the wife and i visited her (i was keeping her company on a jog). the sister inlaw said she paid $60 new for this full suspension NEXT and has ridden it on trails and stuff. i rode it and it seemed ok. kinda heavy but not too bad, the suspension didn't bottom out under my weight (200lbs), it rode/pedaled/braked/shifted smoothly and quietly. it was fairly comfortable. the pedaling wasn't too efficient, lots of bob, but for a $60 commuter bike it was actually pretty good. i don't want one but it rode better than i thought it would. though i think the geometry had a problem though, if i hit a bump while turning, the rear suspension would compress and the bike would pull pretty hard in the direction of the turn. i don't know if this is normal for a dualie but it felt weird, it was like the front end was rotating backwards putting extra stress on the wheel and trying to turn it.

DylanTremblay

For the love of god do not buy a Jeep bike!! I used to have one and started off on one. Sure it's built like a tank and could take a beating but I have a feeling thats why it weighed 45lbs. They are the most poorly designed bikes I have ever sat on. I didn't notice this until I rode a real on and now that thing feels smaller than my bmx. Get a good "real" mountain bike for the same price. JEEP BIKES SUCK!

khuon

Are you talking about the Jeep Cherokee Scrambler?



Hmmm... where do I start?

First of all, the main frame is aluminum and not cromoly. Secondly, while the swingarm maybe (can anyone confirm) cromoly, what exactly do you plan on doing to it? Thirdly, that bike uses a low-quality suspension design and components which not only performs very poorly with a lot of bobbing but is also prone to breakdowns. If you're looking at bikes below the $1000 mark (some would say even $1500 mark) then it's best to concentrate on hardtails. No suspension is better than bad suspension. This goes the same for disc brakes. And finally, all the components on that bike are junk... especially if you intend to use it for any kind of offroading.

My suggestion for you would be to take a look at the Specialized HardRock Sport. There are of course other bikes in that $300 pricerange which are also good but the HardRock Sport is a pretty safe bet for both price and performance in the entry-level.

Falken2C

i have a 300-400 dollar range bike and love it, and if you say 300-700 mongoose's are good then your right. at least theres some shimano and sram components, i dont have problems with the shocks because im light. personally i saw what Next and CCM bikes come with and i'd call that low end. but i guess its possible to find decent bikes on a budget, isnt it?

Falken2C

im not actuall shopping for a bike though, im just asking for some opinions. If i could i would move to a bike with swing arm or 4-bar linkage, but my bike is good enough, did some upgrading like the crankset and soon the front derailleur, seat, and add some bar ends for up hills around the city and outskirts.

khuon

It is. Again, look at the entry-level lineup from Specialized, Trek, Giant, K2, Felt, Ibex, Ironhorse just to name a few. REI also has some housebrand bikes which are pretty decent too.

Falken2C

well i do like the trek y-26 although its discontinued i think. I like Ironhorse bikes too, i tested one at a LBS

DirtPedalerB

What good does it do to upgrade a front derailleur???

Jameson

Why do they make XTR front derailleurs????

Blazinall91

turn and run as fast as you can from the jeep bikes, if you're gonna buy a jeep bike you might as well consider the Hummer Folding bike as well.

$300, don't get a new full suspension bike for $300, it's a recipe for disaster should you ever attempt to ride trails on a recurring basis. Just look and consider some entry level bikes form companies known for making good quality mountain bikes.




good jeep rubicon


bad jeep rubicon

Dannihilator

WOAH there nelly.

It's flipping bicycling.com that site is to MTB's as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are to a world series winning dynasty in either magazine form or website form.

DirtPedalerB

To match the rear derailleurs... and for the gram counters.

basically the front cogs are are usually 10 teeth in difference your basically just jacking the thing in gear anyway. It's one thing I'd never consider upgrading if it is working correctly.

iamthetas

while I agree the bikes and the forum apeal to the folks that are on a discount budget, no one has shared an experience of long term use.
SRAM and Shimano make junk , just like Falcon stuff, and depend on "name brand" shoppers.
Ive owned junk bikes and Ive owned top end bikes. the sticker( not intended for off road use) that comes on most dept. store bikes is on there for a reason and needs to be adhered to
I got a Mongoose bike from Walmart once. it has Shimano Acera shifters and der.s,WTB headset, seat and wheels, Kenda tires,Rockshox rear shock, RST fork, Tektro 8" disc brakes for $139( marked down from $700).
good deal right? it weighed over 50# and the suspension was trashed in under a year. I said WTB wheels but it did NOT have WTB hubs. trashed wheels in under a year. seatpost broken in under a year, seatpost collar stripped in a couple of months. tires gripped like an ice cube on formica.
I ended up taking most of the components from an older Diamondback that had a broken frame and replacing them. if not for the shed full of parts, it would have been expensive to keep this bike on the trails.thats why I got it though was I wanted an indestructable frame and I still have the frame, shifters, der.s,crankset and disc brakes, though nothing else is useable except for recycling..
the parts I did end up replacing with new( the wheels, seatpost,seat,chain,collar,tires,middle chain ring,cassette) have transfered nicely to the shed walls since getting my Devinci Guzzler and I do have a bunch of spare parts if needed
I am not saying dont get it, just be careful. name brand stuff does not mean quality and durability.
you can get a GOOD full suspension bike for under $1000 that will last for years , if properly cleaned and lubed, that is worth upgrading components on as you can afford. Ironhorse makes some,Specialized makes some, Mongoose(the bike shop version)does as well along with Jamis. this is brand new stuff too, not used Ebay bikes.
check out Mtbr for the components on the bikes you are looking at, they will be a more unbiased guide to buying a bike.
we , for the most part, are saying stay away from Jeeps and all dept. store bikes from hindsight so you wont end up on the losing end of an investment like so many of us did.

Weeks

why not get like..say, a trek 820? 260 bucks or so and it's light-years ahead of the junk you find in department stores

roccobike

I bought a Trek 820 for my son when he was 14. Really solid, good bike. Not as good as the $500 MTBs out there, but a very reliable trail bike.

trevor

look at the specialized hardrocks, you will be much happier.