New Low-Cost Mountain Bikes – What $1000 Gets You

For those of you who are considering getting into mountain biking, please read this posting  as much as possible – I believe this is a good set of information for you.  Why, you may ask?  Because, it will be good to first try the sport and see if you would like it…At any rate, the bikes we are covering in this article, will get you to try things at a reasonable entry fee.

What are the $1000 bikes good for:

  • They have relatively entry level components – Shimano Alivio or Deore shifters and drivetrains; Those are shifting OK but they most likely won’t last the strain of continuous riding in the hills – but again, as a beginner you are probably going to have relatively easy rides…So the combination of these components and pricing should be OK
  • Less than challenging rides – especially climbs – as the frames of these bikes are most likely going to be made of aluminum with less rigidity, but hey, again, you are getting a low cost bike, right…
  • Finally, the rest of the components will be low end as well – pedals=flats; front shock = no, you are not getting air shock – in this price range, it will be a spring / coil based shock; seat = entry level WTB

So, let’s look at the list below

Specialized-Rockhopper

Specialized Rockhopper Comp 29 – $950 retail;   The bike is very good when it comes to agility and entry level components; The shock is coil spring 100mm travel custom made by Suntour for Specialized; The brakes are hydraulic Tektro Auriga (2 generations ago the Tektro brakes were really noisy – speaking when braking – check those out well before buying); The drivetrain is Shimano-Alivio and the deraillures are Shimano Alivio and SRAM X5;

Marin-Mountain-Bike

Marin Pine Mountain 1 – $989 retail;   This is a hardtail bike with 27.5″ wheels; Surprisingly (for this price range) it has a chromoly steel frame and further surprising the designers have managed to include an aggressive fork without a shock in this package.  Very interesting.  The drivetrain is 1×10 at the front with a SRAM X7 Type 2 rear derailleur;

 

Rocky-Mountain-Bike

Rocky Mountain Soul 730 – $899 retail;   As expected (in this price range) this is a hard tail bike with 27.5″ wheels; The frame is alloy (the designers at Rocky Mountain bikes claim they take special care in the design even of the aluminum alloy tubing – so may be a bit of an advantage here)  and the front fork includes a Suntour spring coil based 120mm travel shock – this is certainly a good shock given the travel even if it is not air one; The shifters as usual are Shimano Alivio, and the front and rear derailleur are Shimano Acera and Deore respectively; The brakes are hydraulic and are Shimano M355 as expected as well;

BMC-Bike

BMC Sportelite SE – $999 retail;  This is an interesting bike.  Why?  Because it actually offers some less than low-end components in this sub-$1000 price category.  While its frame is still aluminum alloy tubing, the front fork sports a RockShox XC30 TK Solo Air 100mm – yes, the first bike in this category with air shock;

 

Giant-mountain-bike

Giant Talon 29er – $850 retail; The frame of course is aluminum alloy tubing – no surprises there;  The drivetrain is Shimano 3×9-speed and the brakes are now Tektro hydraulic disc;  The front fork includes a Suntour coil based fork with 100mm travel and lockout.  Overall this bike is not a spectacular one, but then the price is very convincing

 

So all in all there are some good bikes in the listing above.  If you want to get in this sport – these are some good machines to test ride and enjoy and decide…

 

 

Electric Bicycles Abound…

Well folks, it is true – I am coming across increasing number of bicycle designers and manufacturers that are bringing out electric bikes.  The more recent ones — that have been brought in the market — are models from Specialized, Polaris, to name a few.  Previously, I had posted on several new brands that were early to market — as in many other industries – the startups bring the new products to market first.  At any rate, here is the link to my earlier posting with several bike manufacturers being listed.

The new models in the market are:

                      Specialized                                                       Polaris

Specialized electric bike      Polaris Electric Bike

The Specialized Turbo S bike uses a Direct Drive rear hub motor and a battery that is integrated in the frame.  The motor provides drive and achieves speeds of up to 45miles-per-hour.   (Side note:  I have been able to get to ~42 miles-per-hour speed with my Specialized Rockhopper Comp 29 SL bike going downhill)

Here, I need to point out that the Specialized Turbo was specifically designed as an electric bike. The frame / battery are designed for this model, special charger was designed as well.  So a very large investment for the company.  The bike is pedelectric only – i.e. power is applied via the motor only when you are pedaling.  By using a torque sensor the bike system then applies varying degree of assist based on how hard you are pedaling rather than how fast.

I wonder how fast really this bike will go and of course what is the range of battery powered assist it will offer.  I could not find much of that on the Specialized.com web site.  One thing is for sure though — the price of the bike is very high — set at $5900!!!

In the next article (later this week) I will pull together a summary on the Polaris bike as well.

Specialized Lithia Gel Seat Update

Hi there!  I wrote before about the Specialized Lithia Comp Gel ladies' saddle that I bought as an upgrade to the standard seat when I purchased my Specialized Jett.  At the time, I was somewhat unsure about paying the extra money to upgrade the quite nice saddle that comes standard with the Specialized Jett.  However, the Lithia Comp Gel seat did seem more comfortable in the bike shop, so I decided to go for it.  Now, after using it for about 6 months, I have to say that I could not be more pleased with my decision.  Previous to this upgrade, I had always had a sore backside after cycling even with various gel saddle pads added to the seat.  (Apparently, the use of soft and squishy extra padding on one's bicycle seat can actually make things worse–something I did not know until being educated by my bike shop when buying my Specialized Jett and Lithia Comp Gel seat.) 

Specialized Lithia

I am happy to say that my backside comfort has improved dramatically.  By using the Lithia Comp Gel seat and making a conscious effort to sit correctly on the bike seat–on my 'sit bones'–my biking comfort has been greatly increased.  And as I'm sure you'll agree–comfort is a key part of extending the length of your bike ride and increasing your overall enjoyment of the sport.

Ladies’ Mountain Bike Shopping–The Conclusion

More mountain bike shopping excitement!  I went back to the bike shop a few days ago to see if I could try out the bikes that they had been holding for me since last Sunday, when i was prevented from doing a test ride due to soggy conditions.  This time, I felt a bit more educated due to my previous week's test rides, and I had a bit better idea of what i was looking for.  The first bike I tried was the well-rated Trek Mamba.  I had been very excited about trying this bike out, due to the excellent online reviews I read.  However, to my dismay, I found it just wasn't very comfortable.  I attribute that to the fact that it was a men's model I was trying out.  Not having a single ladies' Trek Mamba in any of their Austin stores, this was the best they could do.   I'm sure it was a great bike, but it didn't work out for me.  Disappointed, I asked again which ladies' bikes they had available in my size, and I was encouraged to try a Specialized Myka Elite Disc 29.  At a MSRP of $880, this was one of the less expensive bikes that I tried, and according to the bike shop guy, its cheaper price was due to its lower end components.  However, the fit of the bike was great, and I found it quite comfortable to ride.  It was perhaps a little lower end than what I had been planning to get, but its great fit to my body proportions made it a contender.

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/mountain/mykaht/mykaelitedisc29

So, at this point, my two favorite bikes were both Specialized ladies bikes, but their prices and specs were quite divergent.  You might remember from my previous post on this subject that I had tried out a Specialized Jet Comp and had been very impressed.  However, at $1449, it was a bit steep for my tastes.  And I really liked the Myka Elite Disc 29, but it seemed a bit on the low end for me.  Luckily, it turns out that there was a midpoint bike between  the two:  The baseline Specialized Jett. Running a more palatable $1099, it had the same great frame fit as the other two Specialized bikes, but it also handled better than Myka Elite without the steep price tag of the Jett Comp.

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/mountain/jett/jett

On the baseline model Jett, everything felt right.  On the men's bikes, I felt too far off the ground when the seat post was at a appropriate height, and my arms felt like they were straining ever so slightly to reach the handlebars.  On both models of the Specialized Jett that I tried, everything seemed to fit my body better, from the comfortable ladies saddle to the specially shaped handlebar grips.  The Jett Comp, at $1449, felt a little better than the baseline Jett, but to me, the difference was not worth the extra money, especially for the more modest gentle trails and roads that I was likely to use it on.   So I am happy to say that I finally made a decision and went with the baseline Specialized Jett 17 inch, and I'm glad I did.  After an exhaustive and careful fitting at the bike shop, I brought the Specialized Jett home today and I went for my first ride.  The difference from my old Giant ATX 750 was quite stark.  The 29 inch wheels of the Jett powered me up the hills and the bike felt marvelously responsive.  At least on Day One, I couldn't be happier.

Shopping for a Ladies’ Mountain Bike

Well, today one of my front shifters broke, and I decided to take it as a sign that it was time to upgrade to a new bike.  It had been six years since I last bought a bike–a Giant ATX 750 in Beijing, China–and I was excited to see what kinds of exciting new bikes were available.  After looking at some bike reviews online, my husband and I headed off to our local bike shop to check things out.  First, I wasn't quite sure whether I should opt for a ladies mountain bike, or just go with a men's bike.  I had always purchased men's bikes in the past (a Giant Iguana in 1993 and the aforementioned Giant ATX 750 in 2006)–in fact, I don't even remember ladies mountain bikes being an option back then.  But they are clearly quite popular now, to judge from the number of models available in stores and online.  With great excitement, I gave the first bike a try–a Trek 4300 Disc:

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/mountain/sport/4_series/4300_disc/

It was certainly a step up from my current bike, but the bike felt a little stiff, and the model that they had available wasn't the right size for me.  It was a shame, because it was on sale, and it was the cheapest mountain bike there.

The next bike I tried was the Trek Cobia:

 

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My Bike After (Almost) Two Years — What are the Impressions for my First 29er – Specialized Rockhopper

In December 2010 I decided that it is time to try the new type of mountain bike — the 29-inch one. So after about 20-years since my first bike I decided to checkout again the Specialized ones. Surprise, surprise, the Rockhopper — which I was familiar with from the early 1990s is still there as a brand! So I tested a bunch of different ones – Trek, Giant, and zeroed in on the Specialized Rockhopper 29er. Here it is:

29er Rockhopper My Year+ Old 29er Specialized Rockhopper   

Today I decided to summarize my view on the bike — since 29ers are becoming more popular as time goes by.  Startiing with the few (yes, very few) negatives:  

  • The Rockhopper 29er brakes have a strange issue – they make lots of noise when used !   Well documented issue — you can search on Google and will find references to the problem.  The rotors have a problem — I had mine adjusted by the shop where I bought the bike (Bicycle Sport Shop – I am  not affiliated with them – just like their service) and most of the time things are OK. I still would have liked Specialized to have proactively fixed the problem rather than me chasing it….but….
  • The bike is heavier than similar components type bikes…but then you pay for the 29er size!

Now the positives are much greater:

  • Climbs great — great gear ratio and available settings
  • At the same time — yes — it Descends well
  • Durable bike – I have taken a few tumbles and it is in good shape…
  • Fast !!!

Yes, the bike is FAST!  The benefit of the 29er is in its downhill speed.  Without pushing it I have been able to get to 30+ miles an hour speeds which I believe is fast for a bike like that one.  And on one of my road rides I hit 42-miles per hour!!!! Yes on Bee Caves Road in Austin near OneWorld Theather…. if you are from Austin or have ridden on Bee Caves Road you will know what I mean.   So the Rockhopper 29er is FAST!

Here are some snapshots from my brief ride this morning – the snaps are from my Cycle Tracker PRO software (split the ride in two halfs):

Snapshot of a part of my ride Cycle Tracker PRO  The Map of the Ride Brief Ride Map

Speed Graph from Cycle Tracker PRO My Speed Profile  

And then, there is other folks' commentary on the Specialized and the 29er bikes.  Here is one:

 

At any rate, I think the Specialized Rockhopper 29er is a great bike for the money I spent.  Would recommend it for both casual riders and for mid-skill ones.  The only gripe I have are the brakes — they work great but make that not so pleasant noise…