How are these mountain bikes?

[Wilhelmson]

These would be for my wife and kid to use now and then so $1,000 is the limit. General trail, gravel, and road. We also do some easy downhill which they have done multiple times on lesser bikes. They're beginnner mtbers. We have rocks and roots here in new england - the typical intermediate trail doesn't need much more of a description.

Trek Hi Fi Pro - Gary Fisher Collection
This is a 2011 with 29s

Specialized ‘Ruze Expert’
Year not specified (guesseing 2015/16) with 27.5s

 

[LiquidFeet]

For those reading who mtb out west and have never been on New England trails, here's what some intermediate ones look like.

...rocks

and roots

rocks and roots together

 

[scott43]

Home Sweet Home!

 

[Superbman]

Can you fit a modern wider tire (especially rear tire) on a wider rim on the older trek?

 

[Erik Timmerman]

I got my daughter a Ruze and it's been great.

 

[Plai]

@Wilhelmson +1 on the newer Ruze. You'll (eventually) want the newer geometry for the ride and newer tire/brakes/frame for parts, besides the less likely wear and tear.

Given your budget, something within 5 years old Hard Tail (HT) would be perfect.

Don't know if @LiquidFeet pictures represents what you meant by "eastern intermediate trail", given the rock garden nature of those trails, you'll want a well-known brand. This will give a little more confidence of reliability/durability of the parts. But, you're already seem to be doing just that with the specialized and trek brand selections.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Thanks for the responses. Looks like the Ruze was deleted since I first saw it a few hours ago. I'll hold off on the trek and keep looking.

@Wilhelmson +1 on the newer Ruze. You'll (eventually) want the newer geometry for the ride and newer tire/brakes/frame for parts, besides the less likely wear and tear.

Given your budget, something within 5 years old Hard Tail (HT) would be perfect.

Don't know if @LiquidFeet pictures represents what you meant by "eastern intermediate trail", given the rock garden nature of those trails, you'll want a well-known brand. This will give a little more confidence of reliability/durability of the parts. But, you're already seem to be doing just that with the specialized and trek brand selections.

That's basically what we're dealing with if you want to ride in the woods, but depending on the trail there are usually smoother sections between. We grew up doing it on bmx and then got mtb in the 90s. The difficulty lies more with getting up the steep bumpy stuff or drops of course.

 

[martyg]

Lots of great deals to be had right now on new bikes. Both Specialized and Trek have sales going through retailers.

Note: Specialized essential canned the women’s line. They also own Retul, and have 20,000+ data points on fit. The range of variation of cyclists proportions , say of a height of 5’7”, is equally diverse within one sex, as it is between the sexes. Which is to say, the cost of tooling, developing and inventorying lines that are gender specific makes zero sense from a fit / performance standpoint.

 

[Wilhelmson]

I

Lots of great deals to be had right now on new bikes. Both Specialized and Trek have sales going through retailers.

Note: Specialized essential canned the women’s line. They also own Retul, and have 20,000+ data points on fit. The range of variation of cyclists proportions , say of a height of 5’7”, is equally diverse within one sex, as it is between the sexes. Which is to say, the cost of tooling, developing and inventorying lines that are gender specific makes zero sense from a fit / performance standpoint.

I was looking at some new ones but as has been said $1,000 doesn't get much new.

 

[martyg]

I was looking at some new ones but as has been said $1,000 doesn't get much new.

Sales are running about 20 - 30% off right now. It is a good time.

Purchasing a used mtn bike can be such a crap shoot, unless you really know what you are looking at. Geometry has evolved so much. Some of those iterations have led to evolutionary dead-ends. Some have spawned successful gene pools. And with new bikes cheap, used bikes are generally not representing the value that they were.

Best to you.

 

[Doug Briggs]

For those reading who mtb out west and have never been on New England trails, here's what some intermediate ones look like.

...rocks
View attachment 100380
and roots
View attachment 100381
rocks and roots together
View attachment 100382

Roots, rock, reggae.

Ah, home.

 

[princo]

I
I was looking at some new ones but as has been said $1,000 doesn't get much new.

Trek, Giant, and Specialized (I assume others as well) on their websites allow you to search the inventory of the local bike shops. Find a bike that you like in the ~$1,200 range (probably a hard tail like a Trek X-Caliber or Specialized Fuse?) and search for a local store that has it in stock. Give the shop a call and ask if they have any sales. If not, make them an offer for your $1k budget. You've got nothing to lose. Some stores will probably be happy to offload inventory in these trying times.

 

[Ross Biff]

Sales are running about 20 - 30% off right now. It is a good time.

Purchasing a used mtn bike can be such a crap shoot, unless you really know what you are looking at. Geometry has evolved so much. Some of those iterations have led to evolutionary dead-ends. Some have spawned successful gene pools. And with new bikes cheap, used bikes are generally not representing the value that they were.

Best to you.

Totally agree on the crap shoot aspect. Most of the "great deal" used bikes that come into the shop for a service or check over need new chain and cassette as a minimum with so many other potential issues that need a deeper dive to reveal. Good luck.

 

[scott43]

I was a bike tech for a long time..I'd personally never buy used unless it was someone I knew. I just don't have time to go through all the things that could be wrong..

 

[Wilhelmson]

Same difference i can buy a 2,000 bike for 850 and put 400 of better parts on over a couple years or pay 1200 for a 1400 bike and put 400 of better parts on over a couple years. Got my kids seek for 175 after noticing bb was loose that cost a whopping 50 installed even though i can do it myself. Cars i buy new.

But i do appreciate everyones input so thank you for the knowledgeable advise. I was checking out the local fuses - not much in medium around here.