Viich

So, back to topic.

I bought a used, 3-ish yo Gravity Bullseye Monster.
I was very lucky to fine this bike for a decent price. Has 2x8 SRAM, 135 / 170 QR...... and it's a pile of fun. Definitely no regrets, and was out for 4 hours the first 2 days I had the bike.


As far as new availability here, pretty much nothing under $4500 available, Costco Northrock XCF bikes are being snapped up by re-sellers and immediately on sale for $800-1000, or $1500 with "upgrades".



As far as the cheap bikes:

1. Try to get freehub (generally 8 or more speed) instead of freewheel. Much harder to upgrade, and the freehub is just a better design. Flip side if you're commuting, though, is that the 7sp freewheels are dirt cheap to replace when they rust from riding on the road.
2. My tires aren't great for my riding, though doing the job (Vee Mission in the snow), and they're actually better than some other cheap fatbikes. Tires aren't cheap - I intend to run these until I either wear them out or a good deal presents itself. I would love to have studs though.
3. People are telling me to go shorter stem, wider bars for a more "modern" fit. I don't MTB, or at least haven't since mid-90's - the bike already feels short and wide to me. Probably keeping as is.