What kind of bike do you ride?

[rendermandan]

Hey guys, I've been in the market for buying a new bicycle and wanted to get some input from some other riders. Here is a little background.
My current bike is an old (25 years) Shwinn. Its a steel frame so its super heavy, tires are cracking from age, brakes slip, and its stiff to peddle.
I'm going to mainly ride the bike on paved trails, however there are a few more challenging off road trails around here. Nothing too major though. There are not mountains withing 500 miles of us, So I know I don't want a full suspension bike. Ive been looking at different brands of bikes. For instance, Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, Gary Fisher. Tonight I ran across the brand Fuji. Never heard of them before. Most of the reviews online say that they are just a good a brand as Trek, without the name, so they are a little cheaper. The bike I was looking at is a Fuji Nevada 3.0 I think. It had adjustable shocks on the front, but only 50mm travel. It had disk brakes front and rear. 24 speed. Shimano derailers, but off brand shifters. Reviews say their frame is really good and solid, but the components should be upgraded if you plan on doing any serious riding. I know I can get a nice Trek bike for around $150 more, but it doesn't have the adjustable shocks, or disk brakes.

So here's my question, What kind of bike do you ride, and what is your opinion on the other brands I listed.

Thanks.

[BuzzKillington]

I'm setting money aside to purchase one of these guys (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220410711577&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT). Not top of the line but it's damn sexy and has some qualities that you'd expect from higher priced bikes such as alloy frame, f/r disks and some decent travel.

[Luke122]

Mongoose was always good for BMX, but I havent ridden any of their MTB's. I've had a GT, a Foes, and 2 Kona's in my time, but I'm curently down to just a cruiser. Treks are good solid bikes, and dependable. That gets my vote, but I'm also a bit partial to Specialized... Stumpjumpers used to be super kiler bikes, but no idea what they are like these days.

[msmrx57]

I've got a nice Bianchi that I pick up at a police auction cheap.

[Datech]

My current bike:
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/9918/2006kawasakininja250re.jpg

My next bike:
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/1685/2009kawasakininja650rg.jpg

That help?

[FuzzyPlushroom]

I rock the hell out of a ten-year-old, bright-orange, unsuspended Gary Fisher with modified green fenders off of an early-70s Raleigh. (One of my friends dubbed it 'the Pumpkin'.)

Photos are here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzyplushroom/sets/72157616559744856/) if you want a laugh, and aren't just in it to remind me that I'll need a new chain soon.

I ride it on gravel, rough pavement, smooth pavement, dirt... terrain that's just rough enough to justify the knobby tires but not enough so that I wouldn't mind a lighter bike. Honestly, though, it's only one form of transportation, and I usually ride it recreationally, to get outdoors and get some exercise (and the heavier bike with more friction works well for the latter).

My backup bike, which I rarely ride, is a bone-stock early-'90s Huffy, maroon with gold and green lettering, about as tacky as they come. Non-adjustable front shock, made of pig iron, slow leak in the back tire, bent front third-set sprocket, disconnected rear brakes. Could be a lot worse, though. It was worth what I paid for it (free).

Then there's this (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzyplushroom/sets/72157617608100665/), which you don't want.

Now, as for what you're talking: That Fuji sounds pretty solid. Trek are quite good, as are Specialized, if you have the money. Mongoose, at least some of 'em, are slowly turning into Wal-Mart specials; I've seen some terrible ones in the last couple years, but their higher-end models are probably still okay. You certainly don't need full suspension, particularly if you're going to be doing a lot of riding on smoother trails or roads, as it eats a lot of force at the expense of comfort. A front shock can be good, but you'll likely prefer that it be adjustable.

[rendermandan]

Hey guys, thanks for the input.
A friend of mine brought over his bike that he was selling for me to take a look at. Its a Marin bike. Never heard of them either. but it was a pretty nice bike. We rode about 8 miles this morning on it, and it seemed to have a pretty rigid aluminum frame. Front 80mm shocks, 24 speed that needed a tune up. and rim brakes, but it was upgradeable to disk. He was only asking $100 for it. I took it up to a local bike shop to have it adjusted, so that will only cost me about $65. They said Marin makes pretty good bikes. Almost all the equipment is Shimano. He also said for $100, that was a pretty good deal, so I went ahead and bought it from him.

I'll keep the thread open for a little while longer incase anyone wants to way in on Marin bikes...

Thanks.

[billygoat333]

I have ridden a marin and liked it. twas my bro's bike. :) felt nice, not as nice as my specialized, but was a good bike for the years he had it before he upgraded.

man, I really want a new mtn. bike! lol my specialized is getting old. and I really want disc brakes. *drool*

[aintnothang]

DB Response sport.

[Zephik]

Walmart brand baby! I even rode it out of the store with a walmart brand helmet. :smoker:

You should of seen the ladies, they were checking me out! ...I don't know why they were laughing, though. Must of been the helmet.

[BuzzKillington]

lol, Datech never misses a chance to rep his 250.