Corcoransheeran

Hello, I am a long time commuter and road cyclist, but I am interested in buying a mountain bike. I'm moving near the Sequoia national forest and am interested into trying some trails out near there. However, in terms of buying a beginning mountain bike, what should I look for? Would you recommend a hard tail or full suspension? I'm looking to buy second-hand without spending over $400. The bike I'm looking at currently is a 2003 Cannondale Lefty Jekyll 800 for $399. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Schweinhund

I wouldn't ride a one legged fork for all the money you have. I know they are better than they used to be, but when you've broken one....
Jekylls are good bikes, but someone else is going to have to tell you to buy it..

Rolla

Hardtail all the way. $400 won't get you a very good full-suspension bike, even if it's used. A 26" wheeled bike, while outdated in the "new" market, can be a real bargain. Don't let anyone tell you that they're not perfectly capable for off-road trail riding -- it's what everyone rode and raced on for decades. Now that bigger wheels are standard, folks are letting their 26ers go for cheap.

wolfchild

If you do decide to buy a used 26er just keep in mind that tire and wheel selection is a lot less than what it used to be. I would just go with a used 29er hardtail because it gives you more options for wheels and tires. It will be hard to find something good for $ 400 dollars.

veganbikes

If you know you way around a bike at least enough to know if parts are damaged and worn and somewhat levels of quality you might find a decent used bike. I would avoid full suspension at that ultra low price and focus on a hardtail and ask loads of questions on the suspension fork and their care of it or prepare to spend some good money on either a service or rebuild or buy a nice new RS Judy Gold or Reba RL if you want to get spendier or a Recon Silver TK or Manitou Markhor if you aren't going to ride as often.

If I was going to buy a bike I would buy something new hardtail and look to spend around $1200+ but really the key is a good Air Shock from Fox, Rockshox, Manitou, Marzocchi (which is now owned by Fox), DVO, MRP...quality stuff and I want hydraulic disc brakes from Shimano, TRP, Magura or if I have to SRAM (though their new brakes are actually pretty decent but mostly DOT fluid still and that is a no go for me personally) I would want Shimano Deore 10 speed or SRAM GX at the absolute bottom end anything lower and I would pass. Depending on quality of other components I might also consider Microshift's Advent X groupset and would also consider say the TRP 12 Speed or the Ingrid stuff (especially Ingrid only becuase they do a 90s style Rasta colorway on their derailleur).

If you want full suspension be prepared to spend money on it a lot of the same above applies but price will double at least.

Also keep in mind used vs new with the new bike you can get warranties so say for Specialized you get a lifetime on their frames and all the individual component manufacturers have their own warranties so if something does happen you have support. You might also get a free tune up or two from your local shop and you know the condition of the bike and what has happened to it from nearer to the beginning vs used you may not know any history. Plus a new bike from a shop is not going to be stolen which can happen with used bikes. However if you do know what you are doing you can find some neat old mountain bikes that are still perfectly capable old XT is generally bombproof.

prj71

Figure on spending over $1000k for a decent used bike.

Anything else is just asking for trouble and will make mountain biking unenjoyable for you.

Miradaman

Someone who is interested in trying trails for the first time doesn't need a $1000 bike.

Miradaman

Corcoransheeran, if you are just interested in trying the sport for the first time, and are not at a level where you're doing big drops, jumps or anything extreme, a used hardtail would be just fine. Personally I'd hold out for a 27.5 or 29er as I find them to be much more fun that a 26er, and much easier to ride aggressively if you're just starting out

prj71

So what department store junk do you recommend?

Miradaman

I wouldn't recommend department store junk. To a beginner I'd recommend finding a used lower mid-range name brand bike. Something like a used Giant Talon. They can be had with hydraulic brakes and decent gearing. I've used base model Talons in the mountains in CO and they were just fine for beginners.

I got my Co-Op DRT used for $600 and it has everything an advanced amateur like myself needs — quality components, great low gearing, air fork, hydraulic brakes, setup for a dropper post etc. With a little time and luck the OP might find something decent for $400. Then if he sticks with the sport and gets good, sell the used bike and get a $1000 bike.

Eric F 

Your suggestions aren't necessarily wrong, but OP seems to have a budget of $400. Recommending spending $1200+ on a new bike is a whole different world, and probably also a big step too far for someone just wanting to give MTB a try. That said, finding a used bike of decent quality, suitable for real trail riding, for $400 is not an easy task.

My 3 latest bike purchases have all been used bikes, and have worked out really well. However, I knew what I was buying, and I wasn't scraping the bottom of the low-budget barrel.

Eric F 

Are those the only 2 options - $1000+ or department store junk?

I just spent 2 minutes on eBay and found multiple Trek and Specialized MTBs for sub-$1000 that are decent - and not way outdated - machines, suitable for an experienced rider who wants to try MTB, and would still serve them well if it became a frequent type of riding.

veganbikes

The OP was looking to spend that for used. It is a step into an entry level bike which is what I recommend to people the bottom end of the bikes tend to be a poor value so I don't consider them entry level as they can be quite a bad entry into bikes and get more expensive for not much return.

prj71

Were they $400 or less or somewhere between $500 and $1000?

Most of us already know that $400 doesn't get you anything decent new or used. VeganBikes recommendations is spot on.

Eric F 

Not sub-$400, but something like this is only a small stretch from the OPs original budget, and will serve them very well until they are ready to make a bigger commitment to MTBs.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/39437269974...Bk9SR_6Cpf6gYQ

prj71

Entry level bike for Trek at the time that was made with cheap components. At that price and age it probably needs a lot of the components replaced...wheel bearings, bottom brack bearings, fork probably needs service and more than likely needs a new cassette, chain and chain rings. By the time you spend that money...Might as well have purchased something better.

I wouldn't take that bike if it was given to me for free.

Eric F 

The current X-Caliber 8 retails for $1600. I don't know the actual year of the bike on eBay, but SRAM X5 tended to be on bikes in the $1200-1500 range. IMO, this bike (or one like it) is a WAY better choice than dept. store crap, and actually is within reasonable proximity to the OP's original budget. Promoting the idea that you can't find anything decent for a newbie MTB'er unless it's over $1000 and new isn't very encouraging for someone trying to expand their riding experiences on a tight budget. I would suggest making every attempt to increase the budget above $400, but there are good bikes to be had for reasonable prices. I haven't even looked very much. The X-Cal 8 is just what I bumped into with a single search for "mountain bike 29".

I have some faint urges to buy that bike (or one like it) and turn it into a singlespeed.

I've come to like the used market for bikes, as long as you can be patient, and know what you're looking for...and at. In the past couple of years, I've bought 3 not-very-old bikes for 1/2 (or less) than their original retail price. One had some maintenance issues that needed some $ and time to sort out, and they all needed some tweaks to suit my preferences, but I'm fully capable of handling those things myself. In the end, I have a few high-level machines for mid-level money.

prj71

The listing on e-bay indicates it's a 2016. I agree that it's better than a department store bike but the component spec on it is low and if the bike was well used (listing doesn't say) then more than likely the cost will be $450 plus shipping + any maintence costs for a so-so bike. As Wolfchild noted above...It's hard to find something good for $400.

freeranger

For what you are looking to spend, you'll most likely be looking at 26" wheeled, hard tail bike. I don't ride "radical" trails now, but my old 26" hardtail still does fine. I did build it from frame up, so components are decent (nothing special, but not junk either). A 26" wheeled hardtail is probably going to have some age on it, so I think it would be a good idea to have someone familiar with mtn.bikes to look it over with you. Depending on how hard it was ridden, could be a pile of junk or a diamond in the rough. Best of luck with your search--off road riding is a blast!

Darth Lefty 

I definitely think OP should get a mountain bike. I had a pretty cheap hardtail for 15 years before getting a nice one and rode it all over. It's not a deal killer.

Tehachapi has a dense little trail park right by town. There are a ton of trails going north and south of Lake Isabella

Schweinhund

26" tires are hard to find??? 26" wheels have been made for about 100 years, there is no shortage of tires for that size.
In the process I found a smoking deal on some panaracers
https://www.merlincycles.com/en-us/p...26-260430.html

veganbikes

I reread wolfchilds post and what they were saying is there are fewer options then there used to be which is totally true. There are still plenty of options but not as many as the heyday of 26" mountain bikes. Now the rest of what was said you can agree or disagree with. I think 26 is still a fine option and recently built a vintage-ish bike which I need to hit the dirt with at some point.

Eric F 

Those are the tires I use on my 26" singlespeed. They work pretty well for my needs. If I didn't already have a couple new ones in a drawer, I would buy a couple more at that price!

Wolfchild is right that 26" MTB tires are getting harder to find - particularly for technical riding conditions, and a 2.1 width. Less manufacturers are making them, and those that are have less options than when 26" was the standard for MTBs. I bumped into this for myself when I was doing my SS conversion last year. The Panaracer you linked is discontinued, but some retailers still have stock. Merlin's price is very likely an attempt to dump the last of their stock.

Schweinhund

Qualified like that, I understand.

prj71

https://www.switchbacktravel.com/how...-mountain-bike