Entry Level Bike

[Slow Puncture]

Hi All,

Newbie here, looking for some advice...

What is a good, entry level bike, for someone looking to get into XC? I don't want to break the bank but understand that I'm gonna have to spend some $$ to get going.

There seems to be so many options out there that I am very confused.

What, in your opinion, is the best entry level XC bike?

SP

[Gekigengar]

Well, its best if you give us a budget and we can go from there. Its best if your willing to spend about 900 ish dollars that should defiantly get you rolling. With say a Giant Yukon .

But if your going lower than about 700 ish your looking at a lower quality specifications on a bike but no doubt still enough to get you going. Try shop around around this time of the year ( or wait just a little bit longer ) and try grab yourself a bargain with the 08 clearance specials.

Good luck , happy trails.

[Slow Puncture]

Well, its best if you give us a budget and we can go from there.

Hey, thanks for your response. I was thinking around $1000. Prob no more than $1,300 or $1,400...

maybe not strictly entry level but close enough methinks...

[Dreggsy]

I vote for the Giant Yukon as well,
I think they are around the $800-900 range.
great specs for the price range.

[Gekigengar]

Help the farkin community

Plenty of bargains !!!

http://farkin.net/forums/showthread.php?t=134099 - This is great to just get into it.
http://www.farkin.net/forums/showthread.php?t=132699 - Absolute steal!!

Please note on the size of the frame before purchasing..

But as you can see . With just a little bit more cash you can get alot more.

[Slow Puncture]

Thanks again mate.

the whole bike buying process is very intimidating for a newbie...

[2-Fathers]

I was in the same boat as you for the last few months. I did heaps of research on-line, in magazines and at bike shops and settled on a 2009 Giant Alias last week.

I had a budget set by the war office of AUD1000 for the bike, but I even looked as low as a Giant Boulder before I settled for the Alias (RRP AUD995).

I went for the Alias over the Yukon (RRP AUD845) because of the better fork (Tora 302 with poploc over a Dart 2) and the upgraded Deore over Alivio and Altus running gear. I could have paid more and bought a Talon (RRP AUD1245 I think), but my limit was strict and the difference in quality wasn't as large as the Yukon to Alias upgrade.

Also consider what else you may need to fit in your budget. A pump, repair kit, spare tube, helmet and a lock are a must have and even the cheapest will take you to AUD100.

Australian Mountain Bike rated the 2008 Giant Alias as the best bike under AUD1000 last year.

Good Luck.

PS. Don't pay AUD995 for a 2009 Alias. I paid AUD895 non-cash.

[Slow Puncture]

Cheers Guys,

It's a pretty wet weekend here in Sydney- Perfect for visiting a few bike shops :p

[Simmo.]

Hey, thanks for your response. I was thinking around $1000. Prob no more than $1,300 or $1,400...

maybe not strictly entry level but close enough methinks...

G'day mate,
For about the last 8 months, I've been riding XC on an 08 Giant XTC2.
Great bike, spec is excellent for the price and retails at about $1600. Because the 09 range have come in, you should be able to get a good deal on the bike (I got mine for about $1300 in January).

[Allmountain]

Have to agree with the guys above Giant make very good quallity bike no matter what you want to spend. I have a couple of different giants over the last few and all have been top quallity. Also a guy I knew bought a giant upland which are about $300 in the shops and it copped an absolute hammering over the years and is still in one piece so giant is the way to go.

[Slow Puncture]

It looks like Giant is the way to go alright. I'll let ye know how it goes.

Thanks for the help with this :)

[diskoe75]

I had an 05 Giant Yukon for a few years and it was a great little bike. I originally got it to get me to work while my car was off the road. Didn't initially do any trail riding..........but when I did, for an entry level hard tail, its hard to beat for value. It soaked up some spills and pretty hard trails without a problem and was pretty good to ride...........it's definitely worth considering if you don't want to spend the $$$ for now. But.........having said that, if I were you, probably go for the Alias (as someone mentioned earlier) as it has the better specs which still fit into your budget.
If you are good at haggling and come with cash in hand.............I propose seeing if you can "negotiate" on the price of the Talon. With a bit of luck you may succeed, especially with the 09 range of Giant bikes now being released to replace the 08 stock.

If I were you, I would just take all three for a few laps around the bike shop, and see which one appeals to you most. ;)

[mmm..beer]

Another vote for the XTC2... I had one and absolutely loved it... light as a feather and great spec. As said you should be able to pick up one for about 1300-1400 which is an absolute bargain... great bike to start racing on cuz it really gives you no excuse for lagging behind...:o

[yarra]

Hey slow puncture im in the same boat as you . I can get a 09 yukon for $760 and the Alias for $950 /central coast . Im not sure what way to go either and have been looking at the GT avalanche range too . the yukon for that price is very good though.

[thrill_seeker]

Hi all
yeah i had a mate that was going to b uy a yukon and then i got on the net and starting looking at goldcross site as well.I was looking at the gt i drive which was marked down by $500 but when i looked at it the guy showed me the fuji thrill lt 2.0 which was the same price with save $100 and end up getting that.

[chillbro]

Hey Mate,

Try Panther Cycles in Penrith ;)

Few 08 giants going for good prices there at the moment :)

[heatseeker424]

My dad bought a 09 Yukon just the other week for 700 - 800 i think. It's an awesome bike for the price, hydro brakes, lockout ect. Took it on part of the dh track at orimbah today and it held up well. Although at your price range, consider the Alias.

[thrill_seeker]

I meant save a $1000 on the fuji spewing i didn't see the tance 2 07 when i went looking at goldcross i like the look of the frame on them. My bike has more travel and i am hopefully will be getting a new rear rockshox shock dune to my one mot locking out

[axertes]

Another vote for the XTC2... I had one and absolutely loved it... light as a feather and great spec. As said you should be able to pick up one for about 1300-1400 which is an absolute bargain... great bike to start racing on cuz it really gives you no excuse for lagging behind...:o

Yep, another XTC2 rider here. Also bought one about a year ago and it's going great. Unlike the Yukon and Alias the bike is very upgradeable (e.g. the frame is the same as the XTC1) if you find yourself with that bug.

Edit: paid about $1300 at the LBS for mine, sans accessories.

[2-Fathers]

Hey slow puncture im in the same boat as you . I can get a 09 yukon for $760 and the Alias for $950 /central coast . Im not sure what way to go either and have been looking at the GT avalanche range too . the yukon for that price is very good though.

I would definitely go for the Alias over the Yukon if it is within your budget. The RRP for the Yukon is AUD845 and the Alias AUD995. For that $150 difference, you get a lot of upgrade. The biggest are the running gear and the forks.

Also, don't discount the poploc remote lockout. Many people reckon they are not worth it, but I love mine already, being able to change at the simple flick of the thumb is much eassier than reaching forward, especially with a bit of speed.

Also, expect to be able to get around 10% off each bike, so that's AUD760 Yukon and AUD895 Alias.

[Slow Puncture]

Thanks all,

It's pretty reassuring too that almost everyone here agrees that Giant is the way to go. With so many brands out there I am suprised (but glad!) that there is such a consensus.

[Mainee]

I just got into XC earlier this year, and I purchased '08 Jamis Durango 2.0 from Anaconda. Excellent bike with decent brakes and suspension for a beginner. Has mainly deore running gear. Got mine for $900. Should be able to get a bit cheaper with the '09 models coming out.

Bike only weighs about 12kg, so it's a decent climber too.

It has survived riding around You Yangs and Forrets in Victoria.

That being said, I'll probably look at a Giant Trance as my next bike. My sisters boyfriend and my wife both ride Giant's and they are great for the money. So can't go wrong with a Giant I wouldn't think.

[maxwolfie]

Thanks all,

It's pretty reassuring too that almost everyone here agrees that Giant is the way to go. With so many brands out there I am suprised (but glad!) that there is such a consensus.

People have their preferences, although I don't think that many people would argue that Giant AREN'T a good brand, if you know what I mean.

[jaseh]

If you walk into a bike shop and buy a bike from Giant, GT, Mongoose, Merida, Jamis , Norco, Avanti, Diamondback, Haro, KHS, Kona etc... you really can't go wrong. if your looking at XC/trail bikes at around $1000 they will all have similar geometry and spec, some may be better value than others but just buy something that you like and feels right when you sit on it.

[Martins]

hey guys im in the same boat, so ths has been a great thread. no-one has mentioned the GT Avalanche Expert though. Whats your view on this bike. I bought a GT aggressor (basic mtb) in 2004 and still going well with that, which tells me the GT have good parts.
How much do you think i should pay for the Giant XTC2 2008 model?

Where can you find out the weight of bikes?

[Neon]

yeh i got i giant yukon at the beginning of this year and it's such a good bike.
its boosted my skills really quickly

[axertes]

Got and replied to your PM Martins but reading the thread now. I too had an old GT Aggressor. It'd be weird if you got the XTC2 too. Let me tell you though, the XTC2 is a huge improvement. Really. Huge. Lightness. Betterness. Forks that actually do something. Everything really.

[2-Fathers]

Don't forget to test ride a 2009 Malvern Star (don't laugh, I'm serious!).

They have totally re-marketed a brand new bike range that has also been re-engineered from the ground up. They are no longer an average bike range. Their road bikes are impressing a lot of people.

I compared the XCS (7.0 I think) with the 2009 Alias on paper and they compared very favourably. It came down to brand preference (SRAM/Avid vs Shimano) and the fact that the salesman selling Malvern Star was entirely unhelpful and couldn't even be bothered getting a bike for a test ride (are you listening Joondalup Bike Force? I spent $1300 down the road at JCC because of your lack of client service). Find a good shop and try one.

I haven't seen any reviews on the new MS's yet, but expect there to be soon in the next AMB or MBA magazines. The bits look good, it really just depends on the frame quality and geometry.

[Slow Puncture]

An Update:

After much deliberation, I bought a bike.

2009 Giant Talon.

I did alot of shopping around and 08 stock appears to be in low supply at this stage, certainly in this price range.

It struggled to get a good discount on 2009 models too- probably because they are new in the shop.

Anyhow, I'm happy that I got a bike and look forward to hitting the trails!

Thanks to all for yopur help!

S.P.

[2-Fathers]

Congratulations, you won't be disappointed.

[yarra]

Hows the new bike Slow Puncture? I haven't brought yet . The budgets is slowly creeping up but not as quick as my "must have bike specs " lol
Ive gone from a $300 kmart special to something like $2000.
i missed out on 1 bike i liked from in here but still looking. I saw a nice 07giant the other day I thinking about.

[logo273]

Yeah it would be good to know how the talon is going for you. Im thinking about getting one too

[maxwolfie]

The Talon is a great bike, let us know how it goes!

[frdlvr]

Bought a Giant Yukon SX (Dual Suspension model with Tora pop lock forks) about 6 weeks ago reduced from $1500 to $950.
For the price and components you can not beat it.
Ive been riding it up at Ourimbah XC and switchback tracks with no real problem (just getting use to riding a XC bike as I have been riding DH for the past 3 years).

[Slow Puncture]

My Talon is going great! I recommend one to anyone new to the sport.

What I like most about it is that it feels unbreakable. It might not have the same racing pedigree as more $$$ bikes but it feels very sturdy. It's not over heavy all the same which I think is good for a newbie
Everything is holding up well and it has even got a couple of positive comments from other riders- It looks great in matt black!

I think I'll be holding on to this one for a while.

Yarra- If your budget is $2k, then you'll have plenty of change if you buy one of these