Best Mountain Bike to Buy. Suggestions?

What do you think which is the best MTB, and why?

Comments

  • +2

    MTB — Mum to Be? MTB — Meant to Be? MTB — Meet the Beatles? MTB — Minus The Bear?

  • +3
  • +2

    Us second guessing the things that are important to you will just get you second rate answers.

    Try this sweetheart

    https://www.99bikes.com.au/norco-fluid-2-2-fs-kids-mountain-…

  • Sorry about that Mountain bike = MTB

  • +3

    I like how the Title has both the Acronym and the elaborated meaning

    • +1

      Yes, because someone earlier asked what do I mean with just "MTB". :)

  • +3
    • How much travel on that bad boy?

  • +1

    What's your price range?

  • +1

    Best you can afford on Gumtree near where you live (50km radius). Allot cheaper than new and it sounds like you may not need the best as they are like $9K+.

    • You might be right. :)

      • +1

        Also have a look at Crime Converters, our local always has bikes in there…

        • had to laugh at crime converters, presumably cash converters, because they actually started in W.A as a police sting to recover stolen goods.
          Went so well they started a business, cracks me up

          • +1

            @sharkyoz:

            because they actually started in W.A as a police sting to recover stolen goods.

            Citation required.

            • @brendanm: Sounds like a WA urban myth.

              https://www.cashconverters.com.au/about

              Suggests otherwise. When they get the internet over their they will soon realise.

              The story began when founder Brian Cumins saw an opportunity to expand the pawnbroking industry into retail

          • @sharkyoz: so nothing changed except for the police involvement….

  • +1

    It depends on your budget. You can pick up a decent dual suspension bike for about $2k, but you can spend a lot more than that. Have a look at Polygon on bikesonline.

    • +1

      Second this. Polygon are pretty good value for the components.

  • I finally got an NCM Aspen+ and it's absolutely fantastic on the trails at Ku-ring-gai and around blue mountains on rocky, gravel, slippery, wet terrain. You can spend a lot more on better ones too but it's a good starting bike for trails.

  • Trek Fuel Ex 8

  • +1

    Depends on what riding you do.

    Different MTBs serve different purposes - buy a bike that covers 90% of the type of riding you do.

    At one point in time, I had 5 MTBs for different types of riding.

  • +1

    A crap spec will get a crap outcome. You should do project briefs for the state government.

  • No one can possibly answer your question with knowing:
    Where you ride
    What skills you have, beginner to Danny mcaskill.
    What terrain you want to ride
    Wether you are an aggressive or conservative rider
    What size you are
    What fitness you have
    What budget you have
    Will you shuttle or ride
    ….
    The list can go on.

    To start with prices range from $700-20,000. Then there are hardtail, rigid and dually. Then cross country, trail, all mountain, free ride, downhill, touring categories.

    Go do some research and come back with some help for a decent recommendation, or to choose between a couple - and outline some of the points above.

    Otherwise I suggest a Giant Boulder.

  • Just to give you an idea. If you spent between $2k and $4k on a dual suspension mountain bike with aluminium frame and 140mm suspension travel from any decent brand - specialised, giant, trek, nuke proof, GT, polygon, YT, Canyon - I could list 10 more brands…. you cannot go wrong and there will never be a situation where your bike cannot handle what is coming ahead. Your skills will take a decade of continuous riding to reach close to the limits of the bike so it will be one and done.

    • +1

      Totally agree that a dually in that price will do 90% of MTB riding, we have absolutely no idea what OP wants to ride.

      I suspect that anyone asking this question really only wants to ride to the park with kids and has no idea that mountain bikes are so specialised in their designs (and price)

      • -1

        Hi, nice that you are suspecting, let me tell you that I know what means the MTB. I just wanted some other opinion. If you can tell something you are welcome, if not, you don't have to waste your time answering this question.

        • +2

          It’s not uncommon for someone who knows nothing to simply ask ‘what’s the best xxx?’ We can’t get anything from that simple statement as here is no ‘best’ MTB. Anyone who answers without getting some background information is a waste of everybody’s time.

          I’m happy to give you a suggestion, but can’t do so without knowing at least some of the points I’ve outlined in my post above.

          I went MTB riding this afternoon and saw everything from a basic hardtail to a flash dual suspension e-bike on the trails we rode. They were all perfectly capable on those basic trails, but only YOUR budget could pick the best for you out there. I was riding a trail dually, way overkill a 29er hardtail would have been much better.

          • -1

            @Euphemistic: There is no "best", at all. I absolutely agree with that. There is not the best guitar, there is not the best dress, there is not the best brand and so on. But you can tell what is the best for you and why, and it is so simple. Depending of what you give me as a suggestion I will think what suits me the "best", and that's it.

            • @PoppyB: What’s the point of that? You acknowledge there is no best, yet ask anyway. Why would I bother to make a recommendation. you will probably dismiss it out of hand because it’s not ‘right’ for you. Why recommend a $2k bike if you want to spend $5k, or $500. There’s no point recommending a cross country race bike because I think it’s fast but you want to ride enduro where a cross country bike will be sketchy.

              There are about 8 mountain bikes in my garage.ive been MTB riding since last century. I would say that 4 of them are best for their purpose. 2 are best for me for my riding options, 2 are best for their riders.

              All you have said so far is ‘I know mountain bikes’. If you really knew mountain bikes, you’d be asking a more specific question.

              • -1

                @Euphemistic: Don't bother to make recommendation. :) ;)

                • @PoppyB: I won’t. You sounded uneducated at first, but now you sound ignorant.

                  I’d be happy to recommend with something to go on.

                  • -1

                    @Euphemistic: I am not here to argue with you or anybody else. It is obvious that you have way more knowledge and experience than me in this one, that is something that I admit. But I just wanted to see hat other people think about different types f MTB, about different brands, weather is some bike worth to spend more money to buy it or not. Simple stuff like that.

                    • @PoppyB: I’m trying to help you. The ‘simple stuff’ you want to know depends on your end use. Other posters have offered similar responses or offered a ridiculous suggestion. Outline your use and budget and you’ll get a decent recommendation from several people to help you choose.

                      Even If you want to know which is better of two bikes will depend on your usage. Generally the more you spend the better the bike, but the improvement for $ diminishes rapidly after a certain price point - depending on the type of bike. .

                      If you said ‘what’s the best car?’ It’s the same thing. A Ferrari is great for track days, a land cruiser for towing a caravan, a Suzuki swift for commuting. Without knowing what you want to use it for there’s be no point recommending a Bugatti because it’s the fastest when you want to take a family of 6 on a holiday.

  • TheBilly, thank you for your idea.

  • I bought this one a few years back

    https://www.velectrix.com.au/bike/ascent-29

    Good entry level for an e-mountain bike. Did some pretty hard riding on various tracks, it help up OK. I quickly outgrew it though as I needed something more advanced and sturdy as I got more confident.

    • That’s a lot of coin for a pretty basic MTB.

      • It's quite cheap for an e-Bike. A lot of the cost comes from the electrical components.

        • Yep. It’s a $500 bike - if that.

          • @Euphemistic: Personally speaking, an eBike is well worth the extra coin when it comes to MTBs. I'd much rather ride a $500 ebike than a $5,000 standard bike just because the electric component is too damn convenient on the track. Being able to sit back and rest while you get pushed up a rocky/sandy hill means you get hours more enjoyment from your sessions. Nothing worse than having to waste all your time and energy peddling up some of the ludicrous tracks.

            • @SlavOz: Totally disagree. That’s like comparing a 1980s 4cyl automatic mustang with a Ferrari on a race track.

              Having ridden rubbish bikes, average bikes and good bikes there’s no way I’d want to ride a $500 e-bike on anything other than smooth fire trails without serious descending. Sure you get a boost from the motor, but the handling, brakes, suspension and grip on a good bike make riding so much more enjoyable. Unless you’ve got $6k for an e-mtb just get fit enough to pedal.

              • @Euphemistic: I've ridden all levels of bikes too and in my experience, the particular one that I linked to was more than acceptable for even demanding rides.

                A $500 MTB from a dedicated manufacturer is worlds apart from a $200 MTB that you can buy from ALDI that was probably designed by their marketing team.

                There are smart ways of making a bike cheap without compromising on the critical components. Eg, this particular one is a hardtail rather than a dual suspension. The seat is terrible. The pedals are flimsy. The rubber handles can wear down easily. But the drivetrain, brakes, and body can put up with even advanced riding. It's not going to be as comfortable as a top-tier bike but you're not riding a deathtrap.

                • @SlavOz:

                  the particular one that I linked to was more than acceptable for even demanding rides.

                  Well, depending on what you think is a ‘demanding ride’. Everyone’s definition is probably different.

                  Although I haven’t ridden that one, I’ve ridden similar. It’s not suited to ‘demanding’ riding but looks perfectly adequate for basic mountain biking - fire trails and smooth single track. If you start to get into rock gardens or rocky descents you’d quickly find out it has serious shortcomings. Particularly the extra weight of the motor being unsprung in the back wheel. The forks look pretty flexy too.

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