Educate me on mountain bikes

[Tickdoc]

Bought my son one two years ago, a spec. Aluminum low/mid grade hardtail model with xt? Components.

I have ridden his around the neighborhood but it just never took hold. It seems heavy and slow and cushy, and I just figured I'm always gonna be a road bike guy.

Well, now I'm thinking that if I had one, we could at least ride together. Great MTb trails are just a short ride away, and we have land that is fun to ride on.

So, if I try to pick one up used, what do I look for? I'm a total newbie here and have no clue what is decent. How much for say, a hardtail like his, but not off the showroom floor? ( I think his was about $600.00)

I'd be fine with a worn but not broken, used but not trashed example.

Are they harder to flip if I don't like it?

Do I have to get mtb specific shoes?

[benb]

You could just get flat pedals and wear sneakers. Road pedals and shoes are pretty much a disaster in the woods, especially if you're not an experienced mountain biker. They gum up with mud/dirt very easily even in dry conditions and you have a good chance of falling trying to walk the bike since road shoes have no traction.

Mountain bikes are sensitive to a lot of things in terms of fit and setup (suspension settings, brake setup, etc..) and you definitely get what you pay for, there's probably lots of stuff used that would make you happy but it's hard to say what. They're always going to feel slower than a road bike until you are on terrain where you actually need a mountain bike, but with careful setup they usually don't feel terribly slow and you should get used to the feeling pretty quickly and then won't notice the extra weight, etc..

I usually don't really notice the weight once I'm in the woods because a "tough climb" in the woods is one I probably couldn't climb at all on my road bike or gravel bike. In terms of handling in corners and stuff my MTB tends to be way more nimble due to geometry/setup.

[Tickdoc]

You could just get flat pedals and wear sneakers. Road pedals and shoes are pretty much a disaster in the woods, especially if you're not an experienced mountain biker. They gum up with mud/dirt very easily even in dry conditions and you have a good chance of falling trying to walk the bike since road shoes have no traction.

Mountain bikes are sensitive to a lot of things in terms of fit and setup (suspension settings, brake setup, etc..) and you definitely get what you pay for, there's probably lots of stuff used that would make you happy but it's hard to say what. They're always going to feel slower than a road bike until you are on terrain where you actually need a mountain bike, but with careful setup they usually don't feel terribly slow and you should get used to the feeling pretty quickly and then won't notice the extra weight, etc..

I usually don't really notice the weight once I'm in the woods because a "tough climb" in the woods is one I probably couldn't climb at all on my road bike or gravel bike. In terms of handling in corners and stuff my MTB tends to be way more nimble due to geometry/setup.

Good info. His is flat pedaled and I find myself bouncing off the pedals a lot on any rough terrain. Not sure if that is due to my poor technique or de regueur?

Thanks for the reply.

[vqdriver]

Yes, flats and sneakers. But get the pinned flats for mtb, not the cruiser flats. you can find a decent composite pair for about 20 to 30.

If you troll your local cl for hardtail or 29er youll get lots of hits. Mtb does seem to be more prone to trends so they don't hold value that well, which is good to try used.

I suspect youll like it. Not only do you get to ride with your son, trails from a saddle change your perception of them the same way a neighborhood looks different from a bike.

[Villgaxx]

a decent, inexpensive mountain bike should be pretty easy to sell on, as long as we're talking reasonably recent name-brand hardtail with easily-recognizable components.

i'm not sure you're not better off getting a new kona from a bike shop, but if you buy used, get a mass-market bike that looks pretty much like it did when it was new and you should be fine. the weakest link on the bike is probably going to be the stock fork, so if you suddenly really love mountain biking and ride the heck outa the bike, eventually you will wind up spending the cost of the bike again to get a better fork for it when the oem fork dies, but then you'll be ready for anything.

[Tandem Rider]

Mountain Biking is what got my son hooked on cycling and we did it together and still do. Used middling equipment lets you focus on having fun together. Decent tires are pretty important. Shoes and pedals are good to have. I just use worn road kit but TR junior prefers specific kit, YMMV. Don't forget to keep it fun for him. :)

[Villgaxx]

flats are fine to start--and maybe forever depending on your perspective.

but if you are an experienced road rider, clipless pedals in the woods are wicked easy to get used to as long as you want to spend for new pedals and new shoes.

[CampyorBust]

Judging by your location, I would make the following assumptions... not too many technical trails and miles upon miles of heavenly rolling open sky xc miles. Which is a great thing for roadie trying it out. I think you will love it! Some good pickings in your area…Not sure if your interested in full squish but those Giant Trances look interesting.

https://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/search/bik?query=29er

I rode toe clip pedals for years before clipping in. Flats = shin burger = no beuno!

[sailorboy]

I'm similar to the OP except my kids aren't old enough to get out with me but I hope to soon. I think I would never forgive myself if I 'got them into' road riding and then something bad happened. It's already too dangerous out there with distracted driving etc compared to when I started in the 80's but I'm too far invested in it to quit.

That said I just got a mtn bike for the first time in over a decade. I was spoiled by living in Vermont in high school and college and since moving away never really saw the point in driving somewhere to ride my bike....fast forward and the advent of big wheels and tires, better and lighter suspension technology that has taken place has re-introduced the fun factor for me.

Some of the modern complexity does make the parts more fiddly (disc brake pad flew right off my bike on 3rd or 4th ride due to the retention pin breaking) and the forks require maintenance etc, but if you are ready to deal with that factor, it is probably worth the investment.

I recommend a big box brand as they have many pricepoints with less compromises than we used to see. I'm on a trek superfly carbon, but the alloy version looks just as good but a bit heavier.

There are deals on used ones, but unless you know the person took care of things and did the right maintenance or you have someone with you who knows when suspension parts are trashed and the like, I would not easily trust a used bike. ymmv

[nash]

Definitely go clipless. The bike will feel light, more responsive, won't lose footing. Maybe try rigid. Lighter, demand you pick better lines, more fun IMO. Test ride some if you can. Lots of variances. Some mtbs are slow and klunky, some are faster and more nimble. Wheel size, suspension, geo. It all changes how it rides.

[Greenpea]

I would say look for a Surly Karate Monkey. Surly makes bomb proof bikes and they really do know what they are doing with the goe. They're an odd group but I kinda like that.

The KM is extremely versatile. Run it single speed, run it geared, rigid fork is great too if you can't find one with a squish fork. There are a couple on ebay now that are all Single speed but switching that to a 1X system would be really easy.

Plus if you can pick up one in that price range(which you can), you'll get you money back out of it if it's not your thing and you want to sell it on.

[tumbler]

flats are fine to start--and maybe forever depending on your perspective.

but if you are an experienced road rider, clipless pedals in the woods are wicked easy to get used to as long as you want to spend for new pedals and new shoes.

+1. Just pick up some cheap SPDs pedals, which are around $35 online. If you can clip into road pedals, you will have zero issue adjusting to MTB SPD and I think you'll find them more familiar than switching to flats.

[malcolm]

I've been on the mtn bike almost exclusively for several years now and suspect except for certain events, organized rides and the like won't ride road much at all if ever. Mtn biking is more of what I ride for.

A mtn bike on pavement is incredibly disappointing especially to a roadie used to a nice road bike. Get yourself a decent not uber expensive mtn bike and ride it where it's meant to be ridden and see what you think.

I would start with flats but use real mtn flats that are studded. I started off clipless and made the transition to flats a year or so ago and now ride almost exclusively on flats. They allow me to clear tech sections I couldn't or wouldn't do clipped in and I don't lose much on less tech sections. My loop times are the same with either pedal. Like everything there are advantages and disadvantages to each and some of it will depend on where you ride. It took me a while to adjust to flats and your feet moving around but it comes quick. One other thing if you use flats and decide you like them and the mtn bike invest in good shoes meant to ride on flats. I like several models of the 5.10s

It's fun give it a try, spending some time with your son will be a bonus

[Fatty]

Might be worth it to borrow the kids bike and hang out a bit on trails near you.
Local knowledge goes a long way.


http://reviews.mtbr.com/11-best-mountain-bikes-for-around-1000

[Jaybee]

Don't have much to add to the excellent advice above, other I'm also in Oklahoma. If you're close to the City, I'd be happy to ride with you sometime. Modern full-sus is great, but there's not much in OK, maybe with the exception of Turkey Mtn and Medicine Park that isn't hardtail friendly. I sold my FS from disuse after moving here, and have an Al hardtail and a steel rigid singlespeed that I like for the flowy twisty stuff around the metro.

[Tickdoc]

Don't have much to add to the excellent advice above, other I'm also in Oklahoma. If you're close to the City, I'd be happy to ride with you sometime. Modern full-sus is great, but there's not much in OK, maybe with the exception of Turkey Mtn and Medicine Park that isn't hardtail friendly. I sold my FS from disuse after moving here, and have an Al hardtail and a steel rigid singlespeed that I like for the flowy twisty stuff around the metro.

I'm in Tulsa, and ride past turkey mountain on a regular basis ( bout 5 mi from my home)

I doubt I would need fs as I don't anticipate falling in love with the sport so much as just being able to ride with my son.

Are there many decent places to ride mtb in okc? I lived there through school and don't remember many hilly sections, but lots of wind and red dirt.

[adamhell]

i second the surly notion. i ride a surly mountain bike (krampus) because it's bombproof and inexpensive to beat up on. no suspension means no suspension adjusting and no suspension BREAKING. i could never see breaking this bike and i wouldnt hesitate to buy one used, even with some use. same goes for the karate monkey which are even more ubiquitous and less expensive.

honestly my riding style has evolved (devolved) from fancy road bike stuff to cross, and now to mountain and mountain touring. i think the dirt is so much more fun and dynamic, but that's, just, like, my opinion, man. jackie treehorn treats objects like women.

[Greenpea]

i second the surly notion. i ride a surly mountain bike (krampus) because it's bombproof and inexpensive to beat up on. no suspension means no suspension adjusting and no suspension BREAKING. i could never see breaking this bike and i wouldnt hesitate to buy one used, even with some use. same goes for the karate monkey which are even more ubiquitous and less expensive.

honestly my riding style has evolved (devolved) from fancy road bike stuff to cross, and now to mountain and mountain touring. i think the dirt is so much more fun and dynamic, but that's, just, like, my opinion, man. jackie treehorn treats objects like women.


Oh Man if you could get into a Krampus that would be killer. 29+ is legit for the fun factor. I went with the Ice Cream Truck because of the idea of snow riding but the Krampus would have been a better fit.

All that being said, a KM is still super versatile and fatties fit fine in there for sure. Plus steel:beer: