So, I'm looking at buying a mountain bike in the near future. Nothing hard-core but something I can ride to and from work on, use on the weekends when I don't feel like running etc. I haven't had one in the states for about 5 years and was wondering:

a) if anyone had any recommendations in the $400 - $600 range.
b) if anyone could recommend some good shops in the Raleigh and / or Fayetteville areas.

much obliged . . .

3/20/2007 12:40:44 PM

All-Star Bike Shop was having a sale on their 2006 models when I stopped by last week. They had a Specialized HardRock Comp Disc for less than $500. I was looking to get into biking and thought they were really great at narrowing down what sort of bike I really need.

http://allstarbikeshop.com/index.cfm

3/20/2007 12:47:22 PM

http://www.rei.com

check out one of the local rei's as well

there are a lot of good bike shops in the area. shop around and sit on and test ride a lot of bikes and find what you like the feel of.

3/20/2007 2:32:03 PM

my cousin works at all star at ridgewood. he seems to think it's about the best shop around.

they've been around a pretty long time and have expanded to open other stores, so i guess they're doing something right.

3/20/2007 2:53:57 PM

don't go to REI for a bike

try Allstar or Flythe. I recommend the Ridgewood Allstar. The one is Cary has a cranky guy that I don't like.

3/20/2007 3:21:51 PM

there is a bike shop behind the bojangles at my apt

3/20/2007 3:21:57 PM

consider "the bicycle chain" in chapel hill (use to be Franklin Street Bike Shop) as well

3/20/2007 3:39:03 PM

I purchased my mountain bike from flythe cyclery when i was a freshman (4 yrs ago). At the time, I knew nothing about mountain biking. I simply wanted to purchase a bike I could ride around campus. Luckily, the guy suggested that I get my trek (Trek 4500 WSE), which was a bit much for what I intended to use it for... but it was great when I decided I wanted to start mountain biking with friends. I'm still impressed by my bike, and I think that it was a reasonable buy. Unfortunately, I've been in a few times since then and have never been impressed by their customer service. I definitely WOULD NOT purchase a bike from REI... they're notorious for being overpriced, but some of their bike maintenance classes seem pretty cool.
There are a number of cycle shops in the triangle area... I'm pretty sure you can find a thread on it here: http://www.trianglemtb.com/

Also, you can find some decent used bikes on Craigslist once you narrow down what you're looking for. My boyfriend got a full suspension bike for a great price off there a little over a year ago.
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/bik/

A few more are listed here: http://pinkdirt.com/html/triad_area_bike_shops.html

As for recommendations, just do some research online and talk to a plethora of bike shops. Some people on here should be able to give you some good suggestions, but I'm definitely not one of them~!



[Edited on March 20, 2007 at 3:49 PM. Reason : damnit. this is ncsukat... didn't realize I wasn't signed in. sorry for any confusion]

3/20/2007 3:44:13 PM

i'll never ride a sub 1k bike again....

3/20/2007 3:56:34 PM

I had an REI bike as a kid and always had trouble with the front fork, never could get it fixed. Don't get me wrong, REI is great and whatnot, but when you're going for something specialized, you go to a specialty store.

I'll check out All-Star and maybe Flythe, though I'm very big on customer service. So we'll see.

^I've got friends who do triathalons w/ $2500 road bikes. Neat-o and whatnot, but I'm looking for something practical.

3/20/2007 4:16:07 PM

Try "The Spin Cycle" in Cary. It's right near Kildaire and Cary Parkway.

I just bought a Trek 1200 there the other day when they were having a clearance sale and managed to get it for about $200 less than what they usually go for. Their prices are reasonable and the guys there know what they're talking about.

3/21/2007 9:51:28 PM

kind of a related question.... if i wanted to get rid of a bike, and id rather not completely give it away, is craigslist worth my time? would i be better off going to ebay?

the bike is a BMX bike i built last summer, Fly Pantera Frame, some good parts, some not so great parts, but either way it doesnt seem like there is such a huge market for bmx bikes

3/21/2007 10:57:21 PM

^I'd try craigslist first. It isn't hard, it's local, & it's all free. If you don't get what you're looking for there($$ or responses)... then you can try Ebay. Selling a whole bike on ebay sounds silly to me... but parting out your good parts could be profitable.... (of course, these are just my ideas... i'm no expert on these things)

3/21/2007 11:44:52 PM

Hey Flythe Cyclery is having a big sale as we speek. All bikes are on sale and 20% off accessories

3/22/2007 10:53:06 AM

^Flythe is a great shop with good service. Its too bad all they have are Treks. I had to go elsewhere to get my last 2 bikes. Call me picky, but Treks just don't do it for me.

3/22/2007 12:07:10 PM

BTW, I'm in the market for a 21" to 23" mountain bike so if anyone has one let me know.

3/22/2007 12:21:44 PM

the two brands id highly recommend are huffy and mongoose. you simply cannot go wrong.

3/22/2007 12:37:25 PM

Quote :

"but something I can ride to and from work on"

How far are you looking to commute on this thing?

MTB and commuting to work don't really mesh well together unless you live pretty close or you don't mind swapping tires out for work and trail.

3/22/2007 2:33:23 PM

perhaps he lives down a mountain from where he works

3/22/2007 2:49:52 PM

Or up one.

^^ Nah, the distance is ~ 6 miles. I live right outside the Pope AFB gates and would ride to Bragg probably twice a week. I'm going for a MTB b/c I only plan on buying one bike and I plan on using it for pretty much everything, and don't even plan to stick exclusively to roads during my commute. So, I'm not going with a road bike.

We used really crappy mountain bikes to get everywhere on post when I was stationed in Iraq, so I'm not worried about the MTB / RB deal.

3/22/2007 2:56:08 PM

I have a Raleigh M20 and it's held up for over a year with no repair work or any major adjustments needed, despite the fact that I've crashed it multiple times and beat the hell out of it. They start around $250, so it's definitely an entry level MTB, but a great value for the money, IMO. It's an all steel frame, so it's quite a hoss, but it'll take a beating all day long.

3/22/2007 6:07:08 PM

Go talk to Ed at Cycle Logic on Hillsborough, he usually has good deals and is willing to work with you on prices

3/22/2007 7:44:34 PM

I got my mtn bike from Franklin Street Cycles (i believe they are now part of the http://thebicyclechain.com/ , 3 local stores).

The price was competitive, got some good deals on accessories, and I think they gave me tune ups for a year. I also went to them for service after my 1 year was up and was happy with the quality and price of the work.

I also wanted an all around bike so I went for a mtn bike with medium sized tires instead of monster knobbies. Works well for me, I do around 80% off road and 20% on the road.

-- Dave

3/22/2007 7:57:03 PM