I am often asked the question, “What kind of bicycle should I buy”.
First background and my perspective:
While in graduate school I started where most cyclist begin. I bought a Big Box Store Murray “Mountain Bike” for less than $200 in 1993. I got what I paid for. At $150 lbs, I don’t add much gravity stress to a frame however within a year of simply commuting (not even riding trails) I had to replace the bent handlebars, broken cranks and the front fork which slowly bent out in front of me until the bike appeared to be squatting into a low-rider position. Whoever stole it off the back of my car-rack in the summer of ’95 did me a favor. My next ride was significant step up in quality. I paid $350 for an entry level Kona Hahanna and over a decade later, its still in periodic use despite its demotion to campus cruiser. When I moved to Los Alamos New Mexico and was introduced to actual mountains, I upgraded to a Kona Fire Mountain. The fiery numbness in my hands caused by the jackhammer chatter of multiple long winding descents on the Hahanna’s static fork, faded away with the entry level front suspension of the Fire Mountain. Four years later, I was offered a Schwinn Homegrown for half of the $1500 retail but I’m still not convinced my skills are worthy of a $1500 bicycle. Into the new millennium I expanded my outlook to cycle touring. Thanks to sponsorship, I paid the wholesale price on a top end Cannondale T-2000 and rode it from Dallas Tx to Fairbanks Alaska over the summer of 2003. After moving to Washington DC, I gave up the extra gears afforded me by my previous rides and purchased my first single speed. Its simplicity and utter lack of pretentiousness convinced me that a single speed Mt Bike would be fun too. And it is. I also know that a fixed gear mt bike is terrifyingly fun.
Luke’s carefully considered and distilled Do’s and Boo boo’s of buying a Mt Bike are as follows.
DO:
1. Buy from a bicycle shop. Ask around and get a feel for the shop with the best reputation. They should cover general maintenance for at least a year to keep brakes true and derailleurs shifting correctly. Don’t be surprised if they suggest you buy more than just a bike. You will need more than a helmet and gloves, but you don’t have to buy everything they push. Generally, shops that serve Metropolitan areas are less concerned about their customer service than small town shops since the word spread quickly for the latter and the former enjoys/suffers a more transient clientèle. Under some circumstances, outdoor shops (REI, Hudson Trail Outfitters, Eastern Mt. Sport etc) have a worthwhile (ie free) lifetime maintenance deals with their bikes.
2. Ride several models around first to get a feel for different frames and saddles.
3. Buy simple. In the spirit of Occam’s razor, less maintenance means less time tinkering and more time riding.* Eschew air shocks for elastomer and spring. Avoid a full suspension. Buy technology that’s been around for at least a few years.
4. Ask about any upcoming sales on gear. They may be willing to take a percent off whatever extras you’ll be buying. You’ll need the following.
a. Helmet- As with a bike, try on several and get one that fits. I prefer Gyro because it fits my tiny noggin.
b. Compact tool- Lots of variety but at a minimum get one with a chain tool, allen wrenches, Phillips and flathead screwdriver. I prefer Park tools.
c. Compact pump- I prefer Topeak’s road morph.
d. Extra tubes – Slimed tires keep you riding longer and will get you home in a pinch.
e. Tire liners – I’m not as weight conscious as I am ride time conscious. Flats are a drag.
f. Tire levers (2)- Flats happen.
g. Gloves- For the inevitable fall and to temper the possibility of numbness while compacting the ulnar nerve in your palm.
h. Seat bag- Unless you prefer carrying the tools, pump and extra tube on your person, it’s the most comfortable way to tote emergency gear.
DON’T:
1. Buy from Wal-mart, Target, Sears etc. If the store also sells jewelry or groceries, it doesn’t sell real bikes. (see Do #1) Avoid Pawn shops and the internet. The former is a haven for stolen bikes and the latter is for wasting time on facebook and your 4th, 5th or 6th bike. Until then support your local bike shop.
2. Buy the latest trend. Like wine, it takes technology a few years to mature. In that time, engineering improves and the price drops.
3. Buy full suspension for your first horse. The maintenance will frustrate you not to mention the extra weight.
4. Buy a seat shock. When you need it, you should be out of the saddle anyway.
*One of the philosophical cornerstones for returning to a retro static frame, fixed gears, and flat pedals.
Buying an expensive bicycle is like buying expensive wine. I seriously doubt the average person can tell the difference between a $20 bottle of respectable wine and a $200 bottle of top shelf reserve*. Even if one's palate is delicate enough to tell the difference, I seriously doubt the difference in pleasure matches the difference in price. Likewise, I can have a lot of fun on a $350 entry level Mt. Bike and I doubt my fun would increase by an order of magnitude if I rode a $3,500 carbon fiber, full suspension cherry bomb complete w/ hydraulic disc brakes, tubeless tires and ceramic rims.
An expensive bike does not make one a better rider. If anything, it has the opposite effect. The ultra-light, long-travel, hi-end Mt. bike makes certain trails too easy. It takes a lot more skill to drop into a series of stair-stepped waterbars on a hard tail, than on a plushy laz-e-boy full suspension. Anyone can slop through a rock garden w/ enough travel. It takes skill to read and float a line through a boulder field on a simpler machine. It’s also more ego-tastically fulfilling to smoke the next guy when he’s on a long travel and you’re spinning a steel-is-real hard tail.
Also consider that it is more expensive to maintain a top end spinner. Unlike road biking where a fall is rare, Mt biking its hard on its components. If you’re not falling, you’re not riding to your potential. Things bend, break, warp, crack, cave, chip and pop. The wight difference between replacing a hi-end XT derailleur and and higher end XTR is about 60g. For saving roughly the weight of 10 quarters, one pays an extra $60 dollars. Benjamin Franklin said a penny saved is a penny earned. Conversely each gram saved is a dollar spent. On the other hand, toting more weight makes one a stronger rider. Train (and learn) w/ cinderblock, race w/ a feather.
There are some who believe that unless you invest a lot of money in a Mt. Bike, you won’t be motivated to use it. I’m not a subscriber. If you need monetary motivation to search out the luscious curves of a deserted single track or spin through the rooty technical section of a wooded grove, grab another bowl of ice cream and get back in front of the TV, you’ve got the wrong hobby. The right frame of mind, comfortable gear, the right friends to ride with and matching the technical aspect of the trail to your abilities play a more important motivational role than the price tag of the roller under your tuckus.
“What are your expectations”. If you plan to ride every other Saturday for 30 minutes during the summer but only if it’s a sunny 75 degrees, and not windy and only if your significant other will ride with you, and only on the paved trails near your house, by all means drop $150 on a garage ornament from Super Wal-Target-Sears or other Big Box Store. It will last the three times you’ll “find time” to ride it when all conditions are met. Be sure to buy some bicycle hooks to hang it so it won’t get in the way the other 363 days out of the year. Even if you ride it once a week during riding season (mar-oct) you’re looking at 32 times in the saddle. If you buy a sweet $2000 ride, that comes out to over $60 per ride the first year. At that rate, it will take seven years before a ride EVERY week drops below $10 per ride,** NOT including maintenance costs.*** Once you’ve established how often you plan to ride, consider the terrain. Unless you plan to get off road and really do technical single track, any entry level bicycle ($500-$700) will work fine. If you’re serious about riding and have your eye on eventually racing, I would be prepared to drop twice as much.
I believe riding a low end or entry-level Mountain bike has the unintended consequence of making a rider stronger, faster and more technically sound. It’s like riding with a small handicap. They are generally heavier and less responsive. It takes more effort and skill to carve a turn with such a ride. Its nice to upgrade and feel the difference. Once you satiate your appetite with a lighter, more responsive horse, it is tough to return to the world of the less expensive.
General bike setups:
1. Static- No shocks. Few Mt Bikes are equipped w/o shocks but there is a movement towards this more austere setup.
2. Hard Tail- Front shock only. Get one to start with unless you live in Squamish/Whistler. Elastomer and springs are the best to start with due to their lack of maintenance. I still ride a Hard tail.
3. Soft Tail/Pivotless- A small elastomer between the two triangles takes the chatter but the travel is nominal. There is no pivot, and the flex of the frame itself absorbs the flex.
4. Full suspension- Although it makes for a plush ride, its heavier, takes more maintenance and sucks some energy on ascents.****
Pedals:
1. Flats- Standard flat pedals. Ridden by beginners and retro purists and experts.
2. Clips- Counter intuitively, it’s a pair of black cages that go around your foot and can be used w/ most closed toed shoes. I prefer these for my commuter and campus cruiser.
3. Clipless- Demands special shoes w/ “cleats” on the bottom that click into the pedal. For single track, I prefer Time brand to SPD (shimano pedal designs). Crank Brothers are similar to Time but I have no experience with them.
Brakes: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_brake_systems)
1. Cantilever - Tried and true rim brakes. Won’t gather mud but the least responsive of the three. Uses friction between the brake pad and the rim.
2. Horizonatl pull/V-brakes- More efficient. Simple. Same stopping method as above. I still use these.
3. Disc Brakes- Uses calipers and disc. Much better in wet conditions then rim brakes.
* I consider Big Box Bikes on the level with Mad dog, Arbor Mist and Boons.
** If you think this math is scary, try figuring out how much every mile in your car costs you. I’ll give you a hint, on average; a tank of gas costs you an extra $100 of wear and tear and devaluation.
*** Tubes, tires and cleats wear out.
**** Some shocks have a lock-out mechanism to be used on long ascents.
