Buying a Bicycle: What is a good entry-level mountain bike for under $500?

At that price point, you can get a solid entry-level mountain bike. Here's a list of what to look for: Suspension: Get a hardtail bike. The reason to get a full-suspension bike is that it makes technical (rocky and/or steep) trails easier by just rolling over most rocks. With a hardtail, you will need to be able to control your bike, and avoid the rocks in a smart way. However, the full-suspension bikes at this price just aren't very good. They weigh a good 10-15 pounds more than the hardtail versions. Plus, the cheap rear shocks aren't very good at absorbing bumps anyways, so you're effectively on a hardtail anyways. Finally, hardtails are more versatile and can be used as a city/around town bike also. Braking System: Get caliper brakes. Again, you CAN get disc brakes at this price point. Disc brakes are supposed to perform better in the rain and have better stopping power. However, bikes at this price point will come with VERY cheap disc brakes, and they won't perform as well as caliper brakes, they will squeak all the time, take more maintenance, and your bike mechanic will not be happy. Caliper brakes are straightforward technology that do what they are supposed to do. I think that low-end disc brakes are more of a headache than they are worth for a beginner. Components: Test the shifters on a $200 bike and at $1000 bike. You will be able to tell the difference, and at $500, you should be getting something in the middle. The gears should shift fairly quickly and smoothly. In this case, I trust it substantially more if the brand is Shimano or SRAM. Frame: At this level, the brand that makes the frame doesn't matter much. Most bikes are even made in the same factory. The main differentiating factor in a frame is the geometry- different brands will have different ideas on what the perfect geometry for a bike is. However, no two people are entirely alike, and will have different preferences. Things to think about with geometry (although some of these can be adjusted more on the bike by moving the saddle, handle bars, stem, etc.): - Are you in an upright or bent over position?       Upright = initially much more comfortable (think beach cruiser)       Bent over = lower center of gravity, so it's a more stable and allows for more aggressive riding. - How high is the crossbar? You want to be able to stand over the bike without hitting anything. Again- you will have a lot of quick exits during mountain biking. - Also- How heavy is the bike? A better aluminum alloy will result in a lighter bike, and a lighter bike will be much easier to pedal. So now we get to the question of where to buy this bike. The easiest places to start is somewhere that will carry a lot of bikes that you can try out. National chains like REI or Performance Bikes are good at having a lot of entry-level options, but if you go to the right local store, you should be able to find a few mountain bikes in this price range. Here are a few examples of bikes around $500: http://www.marinbikes.com/2009_html/us/spec_pageLocal.php?serialnum=306 (this was my first mountain bike. I found an few year-old model that was marked down to around $400 at REI) http://www.rei.com/product/825408/novara-portal-bike-2012 http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1114580_-1___400308  (a women's bike, but same idea) http://mikesbikes.com/product/12specialized-hardrock-6329.htm Do NOT go to Costco, Target, Walmart, etc. You want to go to a shop where an actual bike mechanic assembled and tuned the bike after it was shipped from the factory.

GT Avalanche!

Buy used! There are a lot of great deals to be had on Craigslist for $500. You can usually double you're buying power by going used on Craigslist and still get a solid bike. So for $500 you will be getting a $1000 bike that is probably 2-3 years old. You should look for a hard tail mountain bike (quality full suspension bikes start at around $1500) with either Rockshox or Fox fork. Don't mess around with full suspension at you're price point, it will just add complexity and headaches. On Craigslist stick with the brand names and do your research. If you can buy the bike at Walmart or Target (or any department store) don't buy it. Also keep in mind that for the most part, bicycles are really just simple machines. The essential design hasn't changed in the last 50 years. The biggest advancements have been in the brakes and some of the minor areas but most of the improvements have been very minor. If the Craigslist Market is soft (meaning there are not very many bikes available) then check out http://bikesdirect.com (again stick with the hard tails) This bike would probably be a good start: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantom29_trail_xii.htm

You're not going to be able to get a top-of-the-line model for that budget, however you can get a very decent bike that will still be plenty of fun.I moved for 6 months and didn't want to deal with bringing my mountain bike with me, so I just picked up this guy off eBay to have fun with. http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=9&pub=5575111592&toolid=10001&campid=5337629951&customid=&icep_uq=Stowabike&icep_sellerId=&icep_ex_kw=&icep_sortBy=12&icep_catId=&icep_minPrice=&icep_maxPrice=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg Is it as good as my $1000+ bike? No. Is it an incredible value for $180? Absolutely. I am actually very surprised that they were actually able to pull off a high quality mountain bike for this price. However, it is surprisingly full of high quality parts that provide for a smooth and controllable ride. Yeah, you can dig around and try and find the "perfect" bike for you. However, this is a great generic bike at an excellent price that will suit almost all your needs.Use the other $250 for professional tuning and a couple nice upgrades, etc.Happy riding!

Do you enjoy riding a bicycle on an off-road terrain, through woods, up and down the steep hills, across creeks? Then mountain bike is the best choice you can make. But which bicycles are going to fulfill their purpose the best? What is the best price to value ratio that you ought to look for when you make a purchase? In the next few lines you will be supplied with answers and freed of any doubt. The best choice for a beginner cyclist are casual bikes, made for recreation and enjoyment rather than extreme sports, and these ranges mostly below 500$. Packed with quality parts it will provide you with everything you seek in recreational cycling. When choosing a suitable bicycle you should look for the brand name; this provides a guarantee that the bike is made from high quality parts and that your money is invested correctly. Different producers make different parts, but if you notice stickers like Nashbar, Shimano, GT, Diamondback, Schwinn, Trek you're good to go. Avoid cheap, overly stylized bicycles because they are made just to look good. See more information about good entry-level mountain bikes http://mountainbikespirit.com/

You can get a decent bike between $4-500. The best time of year to buy is January, Feb, Beginning of March as the bike shops clearance out their previous model year that are in stock. You can get 20-60% off the new model year price sometimes depending on how much the shop needs to unload to get new inventory in. Some shops will over stock, and need to get their money back. *Yes you can get hydraulic disc brakes under $500, I have seen them on GT, KHS, Marin and Haro. *Yes you can get a decent frame that isn't crap. Avoid Trek, Giant, Diamondback in this price range, they will sell you over priced junk in this category, this is their bread and butter, and they know it. Look for brands like Marin, Kona, GT, Haro, KHS as they are large companies, but still considered "real" companies that make enthusiasts bikes. I have found you will get the most for your money on these. * DO NOT try and buy a full suspension for under $500, you are wasting your money on Wallymart crap. There is no such thing as a decent full suspension in that price range. Look for Shimano Altus, Acera and Alivio in that price range. Look for 9 speed rear cassette (the gears in the back). Many companies will try to pawn off on you a cheap 8 speed, don't buy it. 9 speed is the beginning of the good, and I have seen 9 speed under $500. You want a bike that has a good frame that can be upgraded later. You are better to buy a bike that has good future possibilities, than one you will want to replace in a year. If all else fails, go to craigslist. Know what you are looking at though. Many people will over value their used bikes thinking that they just paid $500, and can resell it for $490. If the bike sold new for $500 10 years ago, it should be worth about $150 now. If it sold new for $500 a year ago, it should go for about $300-400 depending on brand. Do NOT pay $500 for a 15 year old bike, as the technology you can get on a new bike for that price will actually be better than anything that was made 15 years ago, and you don't know the bikes history. Look for a bike a year-5 years old that the owner simply didn't ride, or took very good care of. If it looks abused..stay away.

Buying at a local shop is a great idea, especially if you depend on the shop to maintain the bike.  However, if you are mechanically inclined, or have friends who are capable bike mechanics, and you're interested in getting considerably better components (e.g. hydraulic disc + SRAM X7/X9) at your price point, take a look at Airborne bikes (http://www.airbornebicycles.com).  They even have some respectable air-shock / full-suspension models for only a few hundred more than your target price. Their bikes are shipped directly to your doorstep, partially assembled, in a box, like most bikes are shipped to a store/dealer.  So, they require you to do some assembly, which means you may also need to invest in a few bike tools (depending upon what tools you might already have of course).  Most of the tools you would need for assembly are ones that would be beneficial to own for trail-side, ride-saving repairs anyway. Airborne bikes are marketed direct-to-consumer only, which eliminates a chunk of the cost a local shop must add to cover their storefront overhead and pay someone to assemble and tune each bike.  That also means you won't find Airborne brand bikes in any local store.  Also, if there is a major issue with the bike, you might need negotiate who is really responsible for shipping charges to resolve the issue.  I have talked with a few people so far who were riding Airborne bikes and they raved about good experiences with Airborne's customer service staff.  However, that's second hand info, so I'd also recommend reading forum posts etc. to see if anyone has had a different experience with Airborne. I don't work for Airborne and have no direct experience with their products, but I'm mentioning them here specifically because, as far as I know, they're the only company marketing bikes direct-to-consumer with respectable components and quality that is comparable to the "major" mountain bike manufacturers (Specialized, Trek, Giant, GT, Marin, Cannondale, Yeti, Scott, Gary Fisher, Diamondback, Rocky Mountain, etc).  Based on what I've read about the Airborne Bicycle company and their products the past few years, in MBA magazine reviews, and a few other places (web sites), they shouldn't be overlooked as an option, especially when price vs. value is a big part of the buying decision. See: http://www.airbornebicycles.com/category/55-cross-country-2629.aspx

Why is your question tagged with "triathlons"? If I have any valuable advice at all about triathlons, it would be this: do it on a tri-bike or a road bike - avoid doing triathlons on mountain bikes!

Were I you, I would check out http://bikesdirect.com for sure. My freind got his road bike from there and has had nothing but good to say about them. I personally would go for this: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/g29ss.htm But a singlespeed might not be your thing.