Need a new ride, school me

[PabloVTA]

Okay gents,
back in the day I was a pretty sick MTB rider and old school BMX is in my blood from the early 80's.

Think Stu Thompsen and Harry Leary...yeah, that old school.

alrighty then, I haven't bought a bike since '94 (coincedence, I get a cruiser and stop riding trails) but I've gotten pretty plump from being so fudgy and want to get a new ride that can handle my girth.

I'm 6'4" and teetering around 300#.

no , I don't want as full DH bike, but I want a stout frame and wheels with good components.

What should I look at?

I found the Kona Hoss, love it for the name alone, as it's always been a nick name of mine.

anything I pick will have to be parked in the stable next to my 1988 GT Team Avalanche 22" with XT. (it sits at 39 pounds)
and the DiamondBack Vertex TR I bought 12 years ago, but dont ride cuz it's flexes like a wet noodle underneath me. But at 23 pounds, it's fast.

What say you?
something under 1200 bucks.

I love the GT, and still takes downhills like a horse, just point it and it goes, but that ride is toast. Too big of a frame.

I love the DB too, light and snappy, buton the descents, I feel like i'm saddled to a fish.

 

[bluto]

What a coinkidink - Ive been thinking about getting back on a mountain bike again for the last 2 months. Probably ride more than wheel this summer.

I bought an old Mongoose IBOC (from the 1990s) at a garage sale for $40 to start with. From what I Googled it use to be a bad ass bike before.

All the brands that were hot back in the 80s and 90s can be bought at your local Walmart nowadays.

But I always wanted a Canondale since college. Oh well...

Sorry if this doesnt help you!

 

[SOCALFJ]

I need to get back into riding too. Used to race Big Bear. Right now i ride a TREK FUEL carbon fiber and im so fat i might break it LOL Seriously though, im oldschool as well so i couldn't really recommend anything right now. Grew up riding GT Zaskar hard tail, Mongoose Rockadiles, Gary Fischer, Radmans and of course TREK. Hell, i remember having the first pair of gold Rock Shox! Anyways, good luck with your searching and thanks for the reminder.. i need to pull the bike out and run down some trails.

 

[bluto]

I need to get back into riding too. Used to race Big Bear. Right now i ride a TREK FUEL carbon fiber and im so fat i might break it LOL Seriously though, im oldschool as well so i couldn't really recommend anything right now. Grew up riding GT Zaskar hard tail, Mongoose Rockadiles, Radmans and of course TREK. Hell, i remember having the first pair of gold Rock Shox! Anyways, good luck with your searching and thanks for the reminder.. i need to pull the bike out and run down some trails.

Red - Do you have a couple of pictures of you racing? From the past photos, I know you used to be a hardcore crawler.

Dark Orange - Anyway of seeing this one?
J/K - a got a couple of pounds to lose too!

 

[SOCALFJ]

Alan,

This is way back in 1996... #168 on the hardtail GT zaskar @ Snow Summit NORBA circuit.

Single track behind my house. I strapped a video camera to my head.. and yes i crash at the end lol

YouTube - 1GreatRide

Actually just went riding a couple months ago. Was great. Need to do it more.

 

[landcruising]

39 lbs

Wow 39 lbs is a heavy bike. It sounds like you have been away from biking longer than me now at 6'6" 250lbs. Why not go back to the GT zaskar or avalanche, trek 6700 or specialized they will however be much different, 27 speed, disc brakes etc. $1200 should be able to buy a good high end last years model with xt components with a rigid frame and disc brakes.

Its been about 6 years off for me and I am considering putting the slicks back on my old cannodale just to get the feel again. It is very stout for an aluminum bike but has the old school head shock and is only about 27 lbs. I ended up buying a specialized enduro just before I quit ridding it is also heavy at about 36 lbs but it has hydraulic discs and 4 " of travel front a back. Fun down hill but no fun just cruising around even with the rear locked out. I must say about a month ago I thought I would go for a 5 mile spin in the local canyons, my ass hurt for 3 days. I guess its time to ride more and or get a bigger saddle.

 

[bluto]

Wow! You have alot of stuff to tell your kids!

Just finished the video - clearly show no blood dripping from either knees after you fell.

From the way you situated the video camera, it made it look like you were riding with your head and eyes looking down. Unless you ride that way.

 

[Slomo]

I've got a 2006 Gary Fischer Cake 2 deluxe that I love. Simple, stout, handles like a Ferrari on the up and a Cruiser on the down. It is a 2k bike so that may be a bit much but you can get a Fischer at a lower price point or a sweet Trek (same company) with thier new rear suspension and a wide variety of models for different budgets.

One aspect that is very important to me is they are made in America and they have thier own component line of the Bontrager bits also made in America. Getting harder and harder to find that. GT, Kona, Giant etc.. all made in Tiawan. My .02

 

[bluto]

Just checked - Cannondales are still made in PA. Whew!

 

[Ulyses]

I don't know but I have a mongoose that I bought on base when I was still in the nav for about 200 bucks might not be high end but i haven't had any problems with it down the hill and up (well I struggle up hill but thats because I'm in bad shape not because of the bike. just my 2cents

 

[619TOY]

I still have my GT LTS-1 sitting gathering dust. I haven't been on it for a couple years. My buddy just bought a brand new GT that he really likes. I know it's out of your range but I'm sure there is a GT in your range, no?

 

[cruiserruf]

How About This???

this'll be perfect!!

 

[hawkeye]

Well, I think a Kona will be nice and sturdy, they are notoriously bombproof. and I think for your budget I would focus on a hardtail, with some nice components and high quality hydraulic stoppers. Your other option would be to find a something sturdy like a rock hopper or stump jumper. (I think they are both full Sup. now? Im not a specialized guy) or maybe a kona, and upgrade the brakes (a full Sup. at that price point would almost certainly have cable activated disks) make sure you get hydraulic disks, or maybe good ol V brakes. stay away from cables you will just skid down the trial. Dont get a GT, incase you brake a frame you may or may not be able to get a new one on warranty, they go bankrupt and out of business every three or four years.

 

[PabloVTA]

yeah, GT has a warehouse in Camarillo, I always liked those rides too.
I would like to go full susp. as well. If I get a hankerin for the stiff, i'll ride the DB again.

I like the photo -ruf, those hubs would probly be just the ticket.

I thought of piecing one together from a few different finds on the craigslists, and ebay, but after all of that and the time, and finding the missing shims for the headset etc. and i'd be wrenching and not riding.

I used to ride 40 miles a day, 100 every saturday, but the roads around here are now sans bike lanes, and traffic is knarly. I got hit 7 times, and i'm still here. Main reason I don't road ride anymore.
But I need to get out of the house, and a hundred for a fillup and not burning calories isn't gunna happen.
They've also closed all kinds of trails I started around here. I used to have connections with land owners to get my buddies thru their gates, but now lawsuits have changed all of that.

I used to wrench for a few shops in Tahoe in the early 90's, so I got spoiled real quick with sick trails and gear. Moved back to SoCal and haven't really riden much.

Used to bulid Gary Fishers all day and give trail rides/instructions to Bay area yuppies.

39 pounds baby! Ride that for a month and then get on your race bike....you'll feel like Lance Armstrong.

 

[smittycrusher]

I am dying to get back into riding also. I have never more than a light rider. I have an 05' Specialized Hard Rock sport. Very weak compnents but has not let me down with the very little I throw at it. I did upgrade the seat post, went clipless, and threw some Maxxis tires on there. No help from me but I wanted an opportunity to remember my 1992 Dyno VFR.

Smit

 

[redcheetah]

Pablo - check out the Giant Reign. They are longer travel, comfortable and can be had off of Craigslist for around 1k. The frame is sturdy but meant to be an all mountain set up (equal parts climbing and descending). I am currently looking to pick one up as my NRS1 is really showing its age on the group rides.

 

[PabloVTA]

I have a Giant:
Giant Bicycles - Simple 7 Black (2008)

it rides like a dream. I use to go get stamps and just city cruising. of course mine is 5 years old now, but everyone that gets on it, loves it.
Got the wife a matching white one. I put the old leather saddle on it from the GT actually, and a shock post.

I scored an original set of Oakley 3 grips off of ebay, I wanna put them on, but I haven't got the guts to cut them for the grip shifter.

those in the link are fakes....I got the OG ones. in the bag and all.

 

[Slomo]

Man I haven't see a set of those Oakleys in forever. That brings back a lot of memories. I don't blame you for not wanting to cut up a set of originals.


Forgot to mention earlier as others have. If you can be patient finding a used bike on Craigs List or ebay you can get a good step up in component groups and or suspension peices. If you find any worth looking at down in my neck of the woods I would be happy help check them out if neccessary.

 

[Dynosoar]

I am looking for a MTB too! I will keep my eye on this thread for updates. I am 6'2" 225lbs. so I need a big boy bike as well. My budget is even slimer than yours $3-400 max. I still have my old Redline proline II circa 1984 that I raced.

Dynosoar

 

[PabloVTA]

'84 Redline?
wow, that's worth bank right now.

saw an old SE racing Quad Angle on Ebay getting 1500...and it was hacked.

The Official Klunkerz Website

check out the trailer!

Maybe we have an 80's nite with our old BMX stuff too.
We can see who can endo and still "tabletop"!