The Ultimate Mountain Biking Buyer's Guide

Fantastic!

Actually, when I stop to think about it:
... what are we even going to talk about for hours now?
What kind of jokes are we supposed to pull on people who don't know anything?
How are we going to steal snacks from our moms' fridge and pretend we outsmarted the grocery store inventory system?
How are we meant to flirt with someone while riding a bike, only to immediately ruin the vibe by aggressively dropping a link the second they ask a single question about their gear?
Where is the world heading?
😁

haha, well, I guess the whole cycling flirtation thing is officially over

brightranger43 said:Awesome.
Actually, now that I've given it some thought:
So, what are we going to spend hours arguing about now?
What kind of pranks should I pull on people who don't know anything about mountain biking?
So, what's the plan? How are we gonna swipe some leftovers from Mom's fridge and actually think we're geniuses for dodging the cleanup?
So, how are we supposed to flirt with someone over mountain biking now? You try to be nice and ask a genuine question about their bike, just being helpful, and then they hit you with... this link? Seriously?
Where is this world even headed?
7.😁

You think... maybe at Kraft?
Anyway, about that... we can just talk about it on the forum. None of them. The debate just keeps going. Never.
Ad 3. You need brains for the salad. Those who don't have them can just sink.
Post 4. I used lard to grease it up—not exactly my brightest moment.
Point 5. No need to push it. If they don't know anything besides a link, let them sink along with the crowd from point 3.
Man, seriously... some people act like we’ve already crossed the finish line when they haven't even figured out where the hell they're headed next.
ad 7. 🙂

I've got ideas, sure... but why don't we just skip straight to step seven?
🍿

brightranger43 said:Oh, great ideas here... really. Like, can we just skip straight to step seven?
🍿

"I'm ready when you are..." 😍

For everyone—but especially for these last two:
http://youtu.be/vSsYBmj0TfQ

Don't you dare come at me about the guides. A ridiculous amount of blood, sweat, and tears went into this, not to mention the endless stream of emails that everyone just ignored 😁! Besides, this whole thing is localized to the San Francisco area, so it’s a cakewalk—you'll have plenty to chat about with the locals. The terrain and humidity levels are completely different here 😉... and my club is making my life miserable; I won't be able to help out the old-timers over at Golden Gate Park anymore 🤣

Chloe Hall5 said:Don't you dare go against the guide! So much blood, sweat, and tears went into this, not to mention all those unanswered emails😁! This is just for the San Francisco area, so it’s easy—you’ll have plenty to chat about with the locals regarding different terrain or humidity levels😉... plus, my club is going to kill me because I won't be able to help out the regulars at Golden Gate Park anymore🤣

Wait, you actually helped put this together?

I tip my hat to you👍

Just one quick question though: whose brilliant idea was it to list Dick's Sporting Goods and Hervis as recommended spots for buying a Mountain Biking setup?
I mean, none of you guys in the club would ever buy a bike there, so why suggest it to everyone else?😕

I won't say too much about REI, since I know they're basically the only decent bike shop in San Francisco and they were the only ones who actually stepped up. But beginners—who are the whole reason this guide exists—will have a hard time finding a decent Mountain Biking rig there (something with a solid low-end fork, hydraulic brakes, a quality drivetrain, and good wheels) for that typical $3,000$1333 budget.

Thanks!
I wasn't part of the crew actually hauling the project across the finish line—I'm on the racing side of the club, so training took priority—but I contributed through discussions and ideas. I know firsthand how much work goes into pulling something like this together, especially in a city like San Francisco!
As for why Dick's Sporting Goods and Intersport were involved, it’s simply because options are limited around here. Plus, what you mentioned is true: you'll get much more bang for your buck if you pick up a Specialized over a Trek or Fuji in a similar price bracket from a boutique shop... The people browsing those big-box stores are usually beginners who aren't planning on tearing up trails; they'll find bikes there that serve them well for years, and honestly, the gear is often better than what you'd find in specialized shops 😉. We in San Francisco are actually jealous of the selection you have in Washington, D.C.; imagine how limited things are for us 😉!

Linda White67 said:"I'm ready when you are..." 😍

Sure, I’d give you a time and place in a heartbeat—you seem like a decent guy—but I’m not looking to be pressured by your constant "+1" energy. 🙂
Once I run a quick cost-benefit analysis on this, I might actually get a little nervous. 😁

wearyotter36 said:for everyone, but especially for these two:
http://youtu.be/vSsYBmj0TfQ

😂You hit the nail on the head with the structure and the topic. 🤣
Spot on! Thanks!!!

Chloe Hall5 said:Don't you dare turn the guides against us; we've bled and sweated for this, plus there's a mountain of unanswered emails sitting in our inboxes 😁! This whole thing is localized just to the coast, so it’s easy—you'll have plenty to chat about with the locals. Different terrain, different humidity levels😉... and my club is going to screw me over; I won't even be able to help out the old-timers at Central Park anymore🤣

It's snowing; they couldn't get to a computer😁

Anyway, off-topic (or maybe on-topic 🤔), kudos to you! 👍

If I could ask the mod for a small favor 🙂 — could you please update the title to include "buying guide" Trek bikes?

brightranger43 said:mhm, I could give you a time and place, you seem like a nice guy and all, but I don't need you pushing that "+1" thing on me🙂
once I run a quick cost-benefit analysis, I get a little nervous😁

The only "+1" around here is my alter ego😍

whatever, I get the fear. just keep practicing, maybe we'll cross paths on another thread😁

Linda White67 said:The only thing that could possibly be my alter ego is "+1". 😍

So that’s the "feminine" side of you showing up again on some random bike thread—I have no clue which one, but you'll know. You were explaining that your handle is Linda White67 because it’s a shared nickname? Seriously?
Where on earth is this world heading?
🤔 Forget it, I already asked that earlier... 😁

Linda White67 said:Look, I get the fear. It’s understandable. Just make sure you're putting in the work and training hard. Catch you later in another thread. 😁

A calculated retreat—because being smart is just as important as being brave.
🤣
Hey, how tall are you again?

brightranger43 said:"A wise retreat is just half of bravery."

alright, enough with that
time to get serious

why are you ignoring knee pain?
what were your stats at 61 vs 55?

Linda White67 said:fine, that's settled
now let's get serious

why are you ignoring that knee pain?
what was the breakdown for the 61' vs the 55'?

are we? 🤔 though, I think we (unintentionally) miscommunicated slightly... we won't be doing everything this publicly in the future 😁

seriously though: everything was done using the small front chainring (39 teeth). I tried to maintain a high cadence, but the derailleur was acting up when I tried to shift up...

61 min: 20-ish min warm-up at level 2, middle section 35 min at level 3, occasionally shifting to "harder" gears—though the resistance felt identical... every 10 mins I did one minute of unweighted pedaling, plus cooling down for myself and the tires at the end.

55 min: (did some jump rope for 10 mins first, then warmed up on the bike): 10 min warm-up, "main" part 35 mins (alternating between levels 3 and 4 for roughly 5 mins each, same cadence and rear cog), 10 min cool down...

I'm not ignoring the knee; it was a sharper sting than usual this time. When it got uncomfortable, I just did most of the pedaling with my left leg—it needs the work anyway, since it's the weaker side.
I Googled it immediately and this morning (while heavily warmed up) I knocked out some strength and endurance exercises specifically for knees. No pain. It likely won't be an issue during my afternoon run either.

It would be a massive help if someone could put together a comprehensive guide specifically for road bikes. At first glance, people tend to think a bike is just a bike, but anyone who has spent any time in the saddle knows just how much a dedicated road machine differs from a Trek or a standard commuter.

Since I'm planning on pulling the trigger on a new road bike myself very soon, I have to admit I’ve spent an exhausting amount of time obsessing over every little technical detail. A solid, well-structured guide would save a future racer a lot of unnecessary headaches and endless research loops.😁

gentlepuma96 said:It would be great if someone made a guide specifically for road bikes. At first glance, a bike is just a bike, but we all know how much a dedicated road machine differs from a Trek or even a hybrid.
Since I'm planning to pull the trigger on a road bike soon, I have to admit I've spent way too much time overanalyzing everything.
A solid guide would save many future racers a massive headache. 😁

Heh, not quite. Not every bike is "just a bike"—not by a long shot. Even a complete novice gets the difference, if only based on the colors.😁

As for a buying guide for roadies? Absolutely. But honestly, such a guide would be just as useful for anyone buying their very first bike. Once you actually start digging into the specs of your own ride and looking at alternatives that fit your needs as a racer, you’ll find yourself heading straight back to specialized forums and following the advice of people who clearly know more than you do...

brightranger43 said:"A smart retreat is just half of being brave."

Thoughts?
feels a bit dry—too much theory, not enough substance