r/MTB May 18 '25

Discussion Before you post a picture, please read this post!

94 Upvotes

We’re hitting that time of year where interest in mountain biking is picking up. We have been getting quite a lot of picture posts of Facebook marketplace ads and vendor website screenshots, which are against the sub rules. As a reminder for all picture and videos, please follow rule 3:

Photos should be of people riding mountain bikes.

Posts & Comments

Photo and video submissions to /r/mtb should be of people riding mountain bikes. All other photos or videos should either be submitted as text posts with links to your images in the post body, or in the Weekly Gear Gallery thread, posted every Friday by automod.


r/MTB Oct 19 '24

WhichBike First Ride: Your Guide to Buying a Mountain Bike

155 Upvotes

Hey all, 219MSP here, and I'm attempting to start maintaining and updating my buying guide and FAQ posts again. I started getting into cycling about 10 years ago and was so lost. Over the last decade I've spent a lot of time learning about the industry and what makes a good bike. Every day I see dozens of posts asking what bike I should get, or what is a good value bike. I hope this guide can be used as a tool on this forum and others to help them find a bike they will be happy with for a long time. This is a living document. I will attempt to update it on a semi-regular basis and I'm always open to new bike recommendations.

In addition to this guide, I have created two FAQ's as well that answer common mountain bike questions.

FAQ 1 FAQ 2

u/midwestmountainbike also has some great guides on buying a first bike, what to look for in a used bike, as well as a selection of his own suggestions of good value bikes at this page.

MTB Authority


What to look for in a bike

When looking for a starter bike there are a few things I'd recommend that will get you onto a solid and safe bike that should be built to last and be worth upgrading as you see fit. Before we get started on talking bikes and prices, always make sure you're getting a bike that fits you. If the bike doesn't fit, it doesn't matter how good of a deal it is. Also, this guide is assuming you are intending on riding on actual mountain bike single track, not just smooth dirt paths and gravel. If that is all you are hoping for and don't plan on advancing beyond, any entry-level mountain bike from a major brand like a Trek Marlin 5 will do just fine, but if you are hoping to ride anything above green-rated singletrack, I'd suggest a more capable bike.

First, some rough price guidelines. As low as $500 should get you into a used but solid entry-level hardtail and about $900+ can get you a used but decent full suspension. In regard to new, you can double those prices. A new solid entry-level hardtail will be at likely be $900 and around $1800 for a decent full suspension bike.

Regarding used bikes, there are lots of places to look. Used bikes offer you a ton of value and is the best way to get the most for your money. You can get 2-year-old $4000 bikes for a huge discount. The most common places are Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Pinkbike, etc. You also can sometimes find great deals at local bike shops selling demo models (which often come with warranties) and rental fleets. Rental bikes are usually good options. They typically are well maintained and only have a season or two on them before they replace them with something newer. If you are new to the biking world and looking at used bikes, I'd recommend bringing along a friend who knows bikes or at least ask for advice on here. Lastly, if meeting someone, always be smart. I would recommend meeting at police station and bringing a friend. Now, let's get into the bikes.

Last but not least, people here are often willing to help narrow it down. Feel free to post on here a "which bike post" but follow the guidelines of this sub listed below.

  • The type of riding will you be doing.
  • Where you will be riding.
  • Your budget (with included currency).
  • What you like/didn't like about your current bike.
  • Your experience level and future goals.

In addition to that, if you are listing multiple bikes, please use 99Spokes.com to create a side by side comparison. Providing this side by side comparison will make other members of the sub much quicker to help.


These are the specs I’d look for at minimum as of 2024.

  1. Air fork: The cheapest fork I'd safely recommend is something like the SR Suntour XCR Air fork. Anything less than that from SR Suntour or RST is pretty much a pogo stick with poor damping and limited adjustability. The low-end RockShox coils aren’t terrible, but I'd shoot for air. Forks can be upgraded down the road but are often the single most expensive component on the bike.

  2. 1x Clutched Drivetrain: In the last 10 years there has been a shift to 1x drivetrains across the board. At this point, any slightly trail-worthy bike will have this type of drivetrain from the factory. To clarify what this means to those new or not familiar, 1x is when there is only 1 chainring/cog attached to the crankset instead of the more traditional 2 or 3. Bikes used to need multiple chainrings up front to allow for both high speed gears and low speed climbing gears. Now, with 1x drivetrains, the difference is made up by having a very large rear cassette. Most cassettes that come on mountain bikes now have a small cog of 10 or 11, and go all the way up to 52t on the large cog. This gives you the same amount of range as those old 3x8 bikes, but with less overlap and far more simplicity. Beyond simplicity, the advantages are less weight, less cables/derailleurs, less to think about when riding, and less chain drops etc. In addition to the larger cassette, 1x drivetrains feature a narrow-wide chainring (alternating size teeth to match the chain) which helps with chain retention and a clutched rear derailleur. The clutched rear derailleur provides extra tension on the chain to reduce chain slap and the odds of dropping a chain. For the most part, dropping a chain or it falling off the chainring while riding are a thing of the past.

  3. Hydraulic brakes This one is pretty simple, Hydraulic brakes use fluid to move pistons and squeeze down on the brake rotor to stop the bike as opposed to mechanical disc brakes that use a cable to actuate the pistons. This typically results in stronger braking, better modulation/control/and are self-adjusting. The only time I'd suggest mechanical brakes is for a bike packing/touring bike as they are easier to fix trailside. SRAM, Shimano, and Tetkro, all offer solid entry-level brakes.

The following aren’t as important but will help future proof the bike and make it a frame worth upgrading. If you get a bike with all these things, it's going to be rock solid for a longtime

  1. Tapered steerer tube: Most modern forks use a tapered steerer. If you get a bike with a lower-end fork/frame and want to upgrade down the road, it's easier if your bike has this. At this point this is pretty common in all but the cheapest of bikes.

  2. Thru-Axle wheels and Boost Spacing: In theory, both of these things offer higher levels of stiffness, but in reality, the biggest reason to make sure you have them is future upgradeability. Thru-axles also keep your wheels always aligned perfectly so you don't get as much disc brake rub as you would with Quick-Release axles.

  3. Tubeless Compatible Wheels: Going Tubeless is one of the most cost effective upgrades you can perform on a bike that will make the biggest difference. Some of the benefits of going tubeless include shedding weight, tires that are less likely to have flats, and the ability to run lower tire pressures which allows you to have more grip and better ride properties. If you ride on a regular basis, you should go tubeless. They may require a little more maintenance and can be a pain to mount/install, but the positives drastically outweigh the negatives.

  4. Dropper Post at this point is a necessity in my opinion but fortunately it can be added to nearly any frame, so I wouldn't make it a requirement on a bike as you can easily add it yourself. Dropper posts can be bought brand new for as low as $150. There are lots of options, but in my opinion OneUp, PNW, and some smaller brands like TransX and KS offer the best values.

  5. UDH/Universal Derailleur Hangar Compatible Frame. This one is purely convenience and future compatibility benefit, not really a performance upgrade. (Transmission excluded, more on that later) For those that don't know, all modern bikes feature a derailleur hangar. This is a sacrificial component on your bike that acts as an interface between your frame and your derailleur. If the derailleur takes a hit, the hangar is allowed to bend/break. The idea is if a softer part is allowed to bend or break first, it won't damage the frame and less likely to damage the derailleur. These hangars are usually $10-$20 bucks. Way better than a frame or derailleur in terms of repair cost. The problem however is that up until 2019 there was no agreed upon standard. Every bike had its own unique hangar for the and if you broke one you usually had to resort to ordering one online and waiting for it to come. In 2019 SRAM changed all that by introducing an open and shared design called the UDH. It was well thought out and designed and SRAM worked with most manufactures to get them to implement this on their bikes. At this point almost any high end bike is coming with this as standard. Because of that, most bike shops are going to carry this hanger, so you aren't forced into special ordering something. Also, SRAM was playing some 4-D chess with this UDH. If a bike has a UDH compatible frame, it also means it is compatible with SRAM new drivetrains called Transmission, which actually bypasses a derailleur hangar all together and mounts directly to the frame giving an extremely strong mounting point and extremely high precision shifting.


Value Bike Recommendations

Here are some solid entry-level bikes. Not all of them check off all my recommendations, but they all are solid for the price. I don't have first hand experience with all of them, but most bikes and options from legitimate bike brands are pretty solid.

Full Suspension (Cheapest ones that are still solid bikes IMO)

  1. Giant Stance (29er or 27.5) $1400+ - Check's off most boxes, but has a quick release rear axle which is not ideal.

  2. Marin Rift Zone 29 $1700+ - Solid Frame, lower end, but solid components. Main downside is the lack of a dropper post.

  3. Polygon Siskiu T7 27.5 or 29 depending on frame size $2000 - This bike is lacking nothing and check's off all my recommendations. The T8 is a solid upgrade as well.

  4. Giant Trance 2 29 $2000 - In my opinion, the best cheap bike at the moment. Check's off every box and get's you local bike shop support and a good warranty. The Trance X is an equally equipped bike with a little more travel if that's what you are looking for.

  5. Canyon Neuron $2300 - Solid bike trail bike. Check's off most boxes, but has a weak drivetrain with the SRAM SX groupset.

  6. Commencal Meta TR $1900 - Great frame, but has SX Groupset and is lacking Dropper post. Sale Price

  7. Specialized Status 140 $2250 - Hard hitting trail/enduro bike. Very high end components and lacking nothing. Sale Price

  8. Norco Fluid FS A4 $1900 - Pinkbike Value Bike of the Year in 2023. Missing nothing.

  9. Rocky Mountain Element A10 Shimano $2000 Another solid bike that checks all the boxes. Sale Price

  10. YT Jeffsy $2250 Solid Trail Bike that had everything you'd need. Sale Price

  11. YT Capra $2400 Probably one of the best budget enduro bikes. Sale Price

  12. YT Izzo $2300 Cheapest Carbon Full suspension bike you can get. Only downside is the SX Drivetrain. Sale Price

  13. GT Sensor Sport $1725 Appears to check all the boxes.

  14. GT Zaskar FS Comp $1800 Another solid option that checks all the boxes.

  15. Salsa Blackthorn Deore $2200 Sale Price.

  16. Haro Daley Alloy 3 $2000

  17. Go-Outdoors UK Calibre Bossnut £1500 Super good deal, but I believe only available in the UK

Hard Tail (Cheapest ones that are still solid bikes IMO)

  1. Polygon Xtrada 7 $1100 - Solid bike, boost frame with air fork, but lacking a dropper post.

  2. Norco Fluid HT 2 $900 - Solid hardtail, great drivetrain, dropper post, but has a lower end fork.

  3. Salsa Rangefinder Deore 11 $1200 - Air Fork, Solid Drivetrain, Dropper Post. Unfortuantely no rear thru-axle

  4. Trek Roscoe 6+ $1200 This bike check's all the boxes, air fork, good drivetrain, boost spacing, dropper post. The Roscoe lineup as a whole is a good value.

  5. Specialized Fuse 27.5 $950 - Check's all the boxes.

  6. Marin San Quentin 29 $1400 Check's all the boxes in terms of components.

These are not all the options, but they are some better and more common budget/value bikes. This list is always changing, I try my best to update it, but it's difficult to keep up.

Last but not least make sure you save some of your budget for additional accessories that you will need

  1. Helmet

  2. Tire Pump (Most high-end bikes use a Presta valve, make sure the pump is compatible)

  3. Hydration (Either bottle cage and bottle or hydration pack of some sort.)

  4. Multi-tool with a chain breaker and basic tools.

  5. Tire irons/levers and spare tubes (and the knowledge of how to change both).

  6. Bike cleaning supplies, chain lube, etc. Taking care of an MTB can be a lot of work, but it will save you in the long run if you properly maintain your ride.

  7. Quick-link to repair a broken chain.

  8. Spare Derailleur Hangar.

Along with those required things, here are some things I'd highly recommend.

  1. MTB Platform shoes (or you can opt to go clipless).

  2. Tubeless tire kit. Most bikes come “tubeless ready” but don't come with them setup typically.

  3. Starter tool kit with the basic tools.

  4. Suspension pump assuming you have air suspension.

  5. Work stand

  6. Torque Wrench, especially with carbon parts

  7. Padded shorts or liner to wear under regular shorts.

  8. Gloves, Kneepads,Eye Protection.


Extra Ways to Save Money!

Check Activejunky.com which is a rebate site can get you decent savings on a lot of bike websites.



r/MTB 1h ago

Discussion Welp got out to whistler and...

Upvotes

I've got some kind of goddamned cold. No crazy crash or broken bones but haven't gotten any riding yet. Haven't been actually sick in forever and it just had to be this week.

Midway through my flight two days ago started to get bit of throat tickle. Spent pretty much all day yesterday in my hotel room sleeping and shivering. Could barely walk up stairs without feeling dizzy. Feel better today but I can't decide if I want to push through my remaining sore throat and fatigue to get some riding today or just take another day to chill and hope I'm fully recovered tomorrow. I've still got 5 days if I skip today but God it sucks sitting here.


r/MTB 18h ago

Video Finally checked off this feature that’s intimidated me for the last few years 🥲

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441 Upvotes

r/MTB 7h ago

Discussion Did you see me get attacked at the top of the Iron Grate Trail?

28 Upvotes

At approx. 9 a.m. on Sunday, July 5, while preparing to walk my Husky down the Iron Grate Trail in Frick Park, I was attacked by a large, off-leash, mixed breed dog in the parking area on English Lane, sustaining a major injury to my lower leg. If you were among the bikers passing nearby who witnessed any aspect of this altercation, please let me know!


r/MTB 44m ago

Discussion Bike Park Design - Minimal Elevation | Feedback needed!

Upvotes

Hey everyone!

I work in parks planning for a local government, and we're in the early stages of expanding an existing bike park. Our biggest challenge is that the site is almost completely flat, no natural hills or elevation to work with.

I'm hoping to learn from this community. Have you ridden any great bike parks built on relatively flat terrain? What made them stand out? Are there any features, trail styles, or amenities that turned a good park into a great one?

We're looking beyond just jump lines and are interested in ideas like skills areas, pump tracks, technical features, progression zones, kids' areas, shade, gathering spaces, or anything else you've seen done really well.

On the flip side, what features sound great on paper but don't actually get used?

I'd love to hear about parks you've visited (or even your local park), and photos or links would be awesome. Thanks!


r/MTB 12h ago

Video Desert Cruisin'

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47 Upvotes

r/MTB 8h ago

Suspension Is steerer tube length accurate if measured from outside without removing the fork from the frame?

5 Upvotes

Just the title


r/MTB 1h ago

Gear Alternatives to Giro Fixture mips ii?

Upvotes

I recently bought a Giro Fixture mips ii after trying it on in a bike shop. It's my first bike helmet since I was a kid, so I wasn't really sure what I was looking for. I've ridden it twice now and come to realise that even on the smallest setting, it's still too loose (I have an exceedingly small head).

I gather this is a safety issue so was thinking about trying to sell this helmet and buying the women's version, as that's smaller. (I want to avoid youth helmets because I don't know if they're designed to take the weight of an adult. Which is a shame, because I much prefer the youth colours!). Unfortunately however the women's version is really hard to get a hold of.

Are there any helmets in a similar £50-60 price range that fit similarly, but come in small sizes?


r/MTB 5h ago

Discussion Moving to Minnesota from San Diego, need riding recommendations

4 Upvotes

Hello all,

Ive been living in San diego for the past ten years and the riding is amazing. I prefer to ride rocky, chunky technical enduro/ DH trails and I also love a good flowing jump line. I know the riding in Mn probably won’t compare especially since I am in the st.cloud area. but I’m hoping there are some hidden gems out there that you all could recommend. I have already rode Spirit Mtn in the past and really enjoyed it. so any other trail recommendations and their locations would be great!


r/MTB 1d ago

Video A tad bit to deep on this....

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450 Upvotes

r/MTB 5h ago

Discussion Can I slam a 180mm dropper on my bike?

1 Upvotes

I own a propain tyee 6.1 in size large. Max insertion is 242mm. The one up v3 total length is 480 and the stack height is 210 meaning I thing the max
Insertion would be 270mm. I’m bad at understanding dropper posts, does that mean I wouldn’t be able to fully slam/lower my seat all the way?


r/MTB 3h ago

WhichBike Should i upgrade my diamondback 27.5 or find a "new" used bike

2 Upvotes

Hey guys, i have this Diamondback Overdrive 1 27.5 i got a while back after watching a seths bikes hacks videos when i was getting ready to buy my first mtb back in 2018ish. since then i have ridden it A LOT, i would say 80% has been on road/paved trails and the other 20% on small mtb trails or just doing random jumps off curbs and stairs haha.

Long story short i have been looking into upgrading this bike for a while but never did. and I'm trying to decide now weather i should spend the time and money upgrading this bike, or if i should sell it and go find a second hand mountain bike that might be more worth spending the time and money on? I've seen that a lot of people like 29ers more now, while 27.5's are more agile, I've also seen mullets (29f/27.5r) as of today which really caught my attention! that seems like a project i would love to do.

I recently sold my trek road bike and picked up a giant defy 3 composite to take place for all my road biking so i would try to setup the MTB specifically for trail riding. My budget is around $500 USD for a bike i would be willing to be able to pickup and ride and slowly upgrade. I'm moving to Tennessee so I'm sure there will be a LOT more trails where ill be.

(I'm not sure if this info is necessary) but the diamond back i have is:
bike Weight: 31.7 lbs.
bike size: medium/18"
my height: 5'10"
seths video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K882pvG395w
link of the bike sale: https://sport.woot.com/offers/diamondback-overdrive-1-27-5-hardtail-mtb


r/MTB 23h ago

Video I wish I could go to bike parks more😭

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77 Upvotes

Just a video about me going down the locals idk


r/MTB 47m ago

Suspension issues with my fork

Upvotes

I bought a used bike and now im trying to set up the fork but it smells rotten and is really soft no matter what? It's a SR Suntour XCT i think


r/MTB 1h ago

WhichBike Orbea Laufey H10 sizing

Upvotes

Hello, I want to buy an Orbea Laufey H10.

I am 176cm (between 5'9 and 5'10), and I seem to be in-between sizes. I want to learn tricks like bunny hops and manuals, which size should I buy?


r/MTB 15h ago

Discussion Inescapable headaches

14 Upvotes

Hi all! I (22F) got into mountain biking in the last year or so. Been active in a variety of similar hobbies for years. Now that it’s summer, I’m finding I can’t stop having these dull headaches after riding, which I’ve been finding so strange as I’m very used to hydrating well for long hikes/runs. They aren’t alleviated easily, they linger for hours. I do have a history of migraine and these feel similar as to when I have one coming on.

Currently, it’s definitely warm where I live on the west coast (25-30 Celsius) but nothing crazy. My rides are typically 15k with at least 400m gain, 2 hours generally. I bring a 1.5L bladder which I put a packet of salt heavy electrolytes into (LMNT, liquid IV type stuff) and a standard bottle on my bike with regular water. After my ride, I always drink a full liter of water with electrolyte (and plenty of plain too) to try to get the headache to go away. Nothing really works.
Bike geometry wise, I never leave a ride with anything tight or hurting, no neck/back issues there. I eat well before and after a ride.

Anyone had similar happen? Do I need to be prehydrating more? Bring more water? Use less electrolytes?
Would love to hear what you typically bring to hydrate on a summer ride.
Any advice is welcome, I’m genuinely confused over this.


r/MTB 4h ago

Brakes BR8220 with BL500 handles?

1 Upvotes

So I'm running into some braking issues with my 2018 Merida OneTwenty XT edition. I'm a heavy rider (95 kg) and I'm not happy with the 180 mm rotors and BR500 calipers. I'm looking into replacing them with 200 mm Shimano thick rotors and BR8220 calipers. Can I keep myBL500 handles and would there be an issue with braking oil?


r/MTB 4h ago

WhichBike Kona Process 153 DL

1 Upvotes

I currently ride an old norco Fluid 3 hardtail in a XL frame.

While getting it repaired, I had an offer on a lightly used bike (a month) normally selling for 3500 CAD and could get it for around 2800.

My question is about sizing as the Kona is a L frame.

I'm 6,2,5 Which according to Kona charts would be just over the L limit. I measured my inseam and it is around 32 inches.

The shop offered me to change the stem for a slightly longer one to see how it'd fit. As a note, I feel like my arms are often fully extended on my current bike and find it uncomfortable.

I never rode a full sus bike before test driving the Kona around the city.

I'm still a pretty low level rider so it'd be a bike to grow my skill while being safe !


r/MTB 18h ago

Discussion How many of you ride in the rain and snow and how much is too extreme for that weather?

9 Upvotes

I'm good with hot weather, and cold I think the coldest I have ridden in is around 0 degrees. No wind chill those days. Rain I am always willing if there's not thunderstorms in the forecast. Snow I haven't tried yet, I'm not sure if that's even safe to try unless I stay off any paved parts of the main trail.


r/MTB 12h ago

Discussion Has anyone else beat ADD and horrendous target fixation?

3 Upvotes

I have quite bad add, it doesn’t really effect normal life except when reading things I often can’t get to the end if a sentence before I forget what the beginning says. And I’m a builder so don’t need to do a huge amount of reading.

So anyway I’d love to downgill but I’ve had two very bad crashes from staring at things I shouldn’t, anyone fixed that tendency? Advice?


r/MTB 8h ago

Discussion Is the Fake Stanton Bikes Still in Operation by that German Company While the Real One is Still Operated by Dan Stanton Himself?

1 Upvotes

I remember the controversy and I just visited that German company's site that looks broken and like it wasn't updated in years.

So has there been any resolution?


r/MTB 1d ago

Video One of these days - Flims, CH

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15 Upvotes

Upper Runca trail. Drone kept kissing trees. Gave up and just rode on. Fantastic trails. ❤️🇨🇭


r/MTB 13h ago

Discussion upgrade from sram guide R

2 Upvotes

hello all i would like to upgrade from my sram guide r's. is th sram db8 a solid choice? are they as powerful or more? the guides are off a 2018 trek remedy 8


r/MTB 16h ago

Gear Looking for heavy duty shorts

2 Upvotes

For my dads birthday he really wants some shorts similar to dakines older models that are thick and pretty heavy duty any reccomendations?