[Merged] Mountain Bikes - Buyer's Guide

[arc' teryx]

am thinking of buying a "mountain bike" too.

will 5 k be enaf?

[pollywog]

Teka, what's the difference bet. a mt. bike and a road bike. Ang alam ko lang mas manipis ang gulong ng mt. bike.

Dc.

[mc_316]

mas manipis ang gulong ng road bike, also called a racer bike! If i were to choose between a mountain and a road bike, i'll choose the former given the bad conditions of the roads here in metro, mas heavy duty kasi ang mt. bike coz, well, it's made for the mountains/off road! Pero depende na rin yan sa yo at sa needs mo!

It would be best kung punta ka na lang sa Cartimar, choose a store, halos pare-pareho din kasi mga presyo nila sa pag benta ng parts. Tapos NEVER buy yung naka package na, yung binuo na nila. It would be wise kung magpa-buo ka sa kanila with you, choosing whatever parts you want for your bike. Ask them for the "best" buy pag bibili ka ng parts!

Sa overall cost naman, around 10k will fetch you a mt. bike na maganda na, Shimano pa rin ang pinaka ok at affordable na brand. I'm affraid 5k would be "kulang" if you were to assemble a "competitive" bike! Oh and btw, mas mahal ang mag buo ng road/racer bike kesa mt bike. Much cheaper ang parts ng mt.bike!

[pollywog]

OK, thanks.

Dc.

[woofers]

Here are some pics of my mountainbike and my roadbike.

[woofers]

Originally posted by mc_316
Sa overall cost naman, around 10k will fetch you a mt. bike na maganda na, Shimano pa rin ang pinaka ok at affordable na brand. I'm affraid 5k would be "kulang" if you were to assemble a "competitive" bike! Oh and btw, mas mahal ang mag buo ng road/racer bike kesa mt bike. Much cheaper ang parts ng mt.bike!

Actually, the lowest you would spend on a Shimano-equipped MTB would probably be in the P12 range. That's with the cheapest Shimano groupset -- Acera -- and a rigid fork like what my MTB (see pics above) has.

If you're on a budget, be on the lookout for second hand and used/old parts or bikes then just replace them when they break.

As for MTB parts being cheaper than road bike parts, that's only true when considering the lowest-end components. I've seen MTBs built up for P200k, locally.

[aina_crazy_girl]

Originally posted by woofers
Actually, the lowest you would spend on a Shimano-equipped MTB would probably be in the P12 range. That's with the cheapest Shimano groupset -- Acera -- and a rigid fork like what my MTB (see pics above) has.

If you're on a budget, be on the lookout for second hand and used/old parts or bikes then just replace them when they break.

As for MTB parts being cheaper than road bike parts, that's only true when considering the lowest-end components. I've seen MTBs built up for P200k, locally.

Here are some pics of my mountainbike and my roadbike.

sweetheart,

do you really have to post your bikes' pixtares again?

hehehe

love you, baby


Anyway, y'all could go and check out the coolest and most amazing rides in POWERBIKES along Rockwell Drive near the Powerplant Mall (hence the name Powerbikes). It is clean, airconditioned and despite it's great ambience, very reasonably priced!

Edmund, the most visible owner is a fantastic rider himself and his guys (those who assemble and fix your bikes) also compete and have won awards.

Woofers, sweetie, can you post their numbers or something?

[taongbundok]

Cartimar is ok, but there are also a lot of bike shops in Marikina and QC. The above posts are spot-on, mga 12K for a "decent" MTB with suspention fork. Better if you buy your bike where you'll have it serviced regularly. If you plan to ride it frequently, you WILL have it serviced at least once a month. That way, kilala ng mekaniko yung bike, and you can get freebie services too...

[yrrejboy]

Originally posted by taongbundok
Cartimar is ok, but there are also a lot of bike shops in Marikina and QC. The above posts are spot-on, mga 12K for a "decent" MTB with suspention fork. Better if you buy your bike where you'll have it serviced regularly. If you plan to ride it frequently, you WILL have it serviced at least once a month. That way, kilala ng mekaniko yung bike, and you can get freebie services too...

if ever sa cartimar nga... may kilala ka bang store and mekaniko mismo?? referral?? and who should i mention referred me to him??

pwede pa PM nalang??

[altec]

thanks for the posts din , am planning to buy one din kase (my old bike which has been with me for 4 years has a frame that's slightly small for me, and i think i'm ready for something better...)

i haven't been to cartimar, so saan pong LRT station ang pinakamalapit don (bababaan)? any shops with websites para makapag canvass na ako ng mga parts?

and btw, anyone here read "rag mag?" i hope the bike shops there sells some mags din...

[pallas_athena]

where do you live, altec?

the powerplant mall in rockwell has THE most number of magazines. it's the one near marks and spencer and you can also check out POWERBIKES.

[woofers]

Originally posted by altec
and btw, anyone here read "rag mag?" i hope the bike shops there sells some mags din...

Do you mean Dirt Rag Magazine?

[altec]

i live in laguna, am just a recreational rider, saturday mornings and occasionally on afternoons...

Originally posted by woofers
Do you mean Dirt Rag Magazine?

yeah that's what i meant ganda kasi ng mga artik eh no? so where do you buy one? i only have 4 issues (i just chanced on some kase sa booksale and never had the luck of finding more ever since...)

[andyknight18]

mga bro im planning to assemble an easy rider bike i have some parts na like the "batilya" and the handle mahirap hanapin yung ibang parts. sabi naman ng mga bike shop sa abroad mo pa raw makikita yung mga parts non at higit sa lahat you need the budget rare kasi yung mga yon kasi yun ang gusto ko simple but stylish.

[andyknight18]

mga bro im planning to assemble an easy rider bike i have some parts na like the "batilya" and the handle mahirap hanapin yung ibang parts. sabi naman ng mga bike shop sa abroad mo pa raw makikita yung mga parts non at higit sa lahat you need the budget rare kasi yung mga yon kasi yun ang gusto ko simple but stylish.

[woofers]

Easy rider (a.k.a. cruiser) bikes are getting more popular. Unfortunately, it's still difficult to find parts for them in most bike shops that cater to either road bikers or MTBers. Still, try the shops in cartimar. Find out what size dropout spacing your frame has, as it will determine whether you can use 7 or 8/9 speed hubs from either a road bike or MTB groupset. Also find out what size headtube your frame has, and if it will take 1 1/8" (new standard) or 1" (old standard) steerers, whether threaded (old standard) or threadless (new standard). If it takes 1 1/8" threadless forks, you can just use any MTB or road fork.

For the bottom bracket, hopefully you should be able to use either the old non-cartridge bottom bracket or the new sealed cartridge type. It's just a matter of getting the right cartridge and spindle length.

If you just want a new cruiser, check out Powerbikes. They have several models of steel singlespeed cruisers that look retro and cool. Good enough for making "porma" at Starbucks. Not as technically up-to-date as an Electra, or as cool an old Schwinn Krate, but affordable at P8,000 last time I asked.

Finally, have you tried ebay? I've found it's a great resource for vintage and hard-to-find parts. I bought a Cinelli ** 1" quill stem there for my vintage Italian road bike.

[woofers]

Oh, and if you do check out Cartimar, the store you should check first is New Paulinas. They have some old bikes there. I saw an old Vitus touring bike there, gathering dust. Maybe I could get it for cheap if they don't know what it's really worth...

[CervantesDeLeon]

woofers,

Alan ba yung frame ng roadbike mo

I love those lugged chromoly.

ingat lang sa pagbili ng 'restored' bike, i once saw a caad3 in christys really cheap pero may tragedy inviting crack.

a crack in an al alloy is not acceptable.

[CervantesDeLeon]

i really like that roadbike of yours woofers

is that a real leather saddle? kinda hard to find one

dura ace shifters?

ano brand ng white bartape mo?

[woofers]

Thanks Cervantes. You're correct, it's an Alan Super frame. The tubing is aluminum, while the lugs are chromoly. It's in amazing condition, considering it's probably almost 20 years old.

The saddle is a Cinelli Volare SLX. It's leather (suede, actually) over plastic. Brooks still makes leather saddles, and you can order them online.

The groupset is Shimano 105. From my research, the Alan Supers came with Campy Super Record originally. I'm gonna score some parts on Ebay.

Bar tape is Cinelli, but there are some small rips and I'm planning on replacing it with black to match the seat.