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After being unemployed for a year, and under-employed as a temp worker for another year, I finally landed a permanent job earning a good salary. So, after pinching pennies and clipping coupons for 2 years, I need to get out and BUY SOMETHING!
My wife offered to get me a bicycle for my birthday so that I can get out and exercise. . . . .too much beer, you know. I used to ride a road bike A LOT, when I was younger and single with lots of free time, but now I'd like to buy a mountain bike and give that a shot.
For those of you who frequent the local bike shops, when do they put on some good sales (e.g., unloading 2010 models to make room for the 2011 models)? I'm looking to buy in the next few months.
Sales at bike shops will pick up between now and the holidays. They generally don't discount too deep right now, though, as they get a bit of a post-Tour influx. I would recommend the Bicycle Chain as I had a good experience there.
One thing to consider with mountain biking is that it requires a certain amount of effort just to get to a trail for a ride whereas road biking can be done right out of your driveway. Also, our frequent rain cause trails to be closed periodically, and they're also closed a good bit in winter due to less sunny hours to dry them out. Oh, and the roots on the trails can rattle your teeth out...even with full suspension...but I guess I was spoiled on the smoother & wider trails out in Arizona and Colorado. I'm a former mountain biker who gave it up in favor of a road bike (and now a commuter bike, too!) due to those reasons. One thing you might consider is a cyclocross bike, which would give you enough off-road ability for some of the easier MTB trails around but would also be forgiving on road rides.
Of course, now I prefer running over cycling and have 2 little-used bikes and a spare frame & parts in the garage.
in late December after xmas at the Bicycle Chain we got 2 2009 model moutain bikes, retail for 770, for about 500-550 each I think it was. Late in the year after christmas and early in the year they are unloading bikes with last years models for a good price.
MDP is clearly an old stick in the mud. There's decent trails in every corner of the triangle. Harris lake to the south east, Crabtree in the middle, New Light, Beaverdam and Little River to the north, and Chapel Hill to the West. That puts good trails within 10 miles of virtually every place in the triangle.
If you are just getting into mountain biking, I'd go the used route and first get a good hard tail on Craigslist. You'll lay out around $500 for a bike you can flip for virtually the same price in two years if you either quit or want to upgrade to a full suspension.
Have you considered cyclocross bikes? I used to mountain bike a lot, then started road biking more. Now, I've switched over to a cyclocross bike for the best of both worlds. You get speed on the roads and paved areas if you want it and a beefier frame, knobbier tires, and a two sets of brakes on your bars (on the drops and on the bars) for the dirtier stuff. I now hit a mix of road/Greenway/Umstead gravel roads and trails. It's not so good if you're looking to do rocky technical stuff, but you can do about everything else, and as I'm getting older I feel like it's the perfect bike.
you may want to ride a cheap bike for a few months to find out what features you like and what you don't like. Walmart sells mens Mountain Bikes for $74 and you may even find it meets all your needs
After being unemployed for a year, and under-employed as a temp worker for another year, I finally landed a permanent job earning a good salary. So, after pinching pennies and clipping coupons for 2 years, I need to get out and BUY SOMETHING!
My wife offered to get me a bicycle for my birthday so that I can get out and exercise. . . . .too much beer, you know. I used to ride a road bike A LOT, when I was younger and single with lots of free time, but now I'd like to buy a mountain bike and give that a shot.
For those of you who frequent the local bike shops, when do they put on some good sales (e.g., unloading 2010 models to make room for the 2011 models)? I'm looking to buy in the next few months.
MDP is clearly an old stick in the mud. There's decent trails in every corner of the triangle. Harris lake to the south east, Crabtree in the middle, New Light, Beaverdam and Little River to the north, and Chapel Hill to the West. That puts good trails within 10 miles of virtually every place in the triangle.
C'mon now...I never said there weren't good trails, just that I found it harder to MTB regularly as opposed to road biking...or running for that matter. I used to ride Crabtree, New Light & Beaverdam A LOT and had a lot of fun doing it...even with the roots! However, I can get in a good road ride or a run in just the amount of time it took to load the bike and drive to/from the MTB trails. That's invaluable as a father of two young children.
you may want to ride a cheap bike for a few months to find out what features you like and what you don't like. Walmart sells mens Mountain Bikes for $74 and you may even find it meets all your needs
Those things weigh a ton and the components are low quality. Given that the OP is a former road biker who is looking to get back into cycling and is asking about local bike shops, I'm guessing he will be looking for a different caliber of bike than this.
Don't get me wrong, these bikes have their place, but I simply don't think it'll fit the needs of the OP.
I would also recommend The Bicycle Chain. I purchased a new cross-over bike (TREK) in May for about $600. So far, it's been an excellent bike. Although I'm a cycling enthusiast, I'm not quite at the level where I could justify $1k +. Maybe next time.
Anyway, I would probably either buy now or wait until January-March for the sales.
Those things weigh a ton and the components are low quality. Given that the OP is a former road biker who is looking to get back into cycling and is asking about local bike shops, I'm guessing he will be looking for a different caliber of bike than this.
Don't get me wrong, these bikes have their place, but I simply don't think it'll fit the needs of the OP.
I agree. But, I'm a bit more zealous here. I honestly feel that buying bikes at Wal-Mart is no better than throwing your money away. You're much better off getting something decent off of Craig'sList. There are huge differences in quality between a low end bike store bike and a Wal-Mart bike.
There are a number of problems with the department store/discount retailer bikes. One the people that put them together don't know what they're doing which results in misaligned gears and brakes. Two, they can't fit the bike to the person. I don't know how many people I've seen riding all hunched over on bikes that do not fit, with seats too low, etc. Three, they typically weigh a ton, as mentioned above. Also, crappy components means that you're going to have a really lousy biking experience. It stinks to try and shift gears only to throw a chain, having it not shift, etc. Unless it's a simple beach cruiser with only one speed and a coaster brake, the sum of all these deficiencies is a bike that's not safe.
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