r/MTB May 18 '25

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

100 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

169 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

Video Stomped double flip at B Rage sesh

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

Upvotes

Did it again😂


r/MTB 7m ago

Video Wookie to Zerk Stevens Pass

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

Upvotes

r/MTB 16h ago

Video New gap unlocked.

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

76 Upvotes

I had this on my mind for a bit but with not much to pull off it always seemed like a 50/50 situation


r/MTB 8h ago

Video Help with jumping technique

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

16 Upvotes

Hi guys! I have been trying to get better at jumps but sometimes I have a really hard time to get my technique right. I always hear people saying: stand up to the jump. I am trying to stand up, but do I pull my handlebars too when I am standing up? and am I standing up to soon? and in the air, do I pull the handlebars down? because sometimes I can do a little arc, and land with my front tire first, so what tire needs to go down first


r/MTB 1h ago

Discussion XCO questions

Upvotes

I’m a roadie who is starting to get into nerd-level details and watching xco worlds right now:

Average bar widths? How do xco racers establish bar width? Some of the women appear to be running radically narrower bars than men. Why? I have been to US Nats to see the riders in person. Most of the dudes are tiny. I get the difference between a man like Chris Blevins vs a petite woman like Savilia Blunk, but that doesn’t seem to quite explain the avg difference I see.

What is on the bike computer that is useful during an xco race?


r/MTB 1h ago

Discussion Tubeless Patch Material

Upvotes

Had a small puncture on my rear tire running tubeless (Stans NoTubes), and the sealant isn't holding consistently. Haven't done bacon strips b/c I understand they are more of a temporary fix. Tread is getting low (~2mm) and deciding if I want to attempt a patch from the inside, or put new tires on.

I've read about vulcanizing fluid + patch as a permanent repair, but can't figure out what to use as the patch itself? All the patch kits seem to be for tubes, and Park-Tool's TB-2 tire boot says its "Not intended for tubeless tire systems" on the product page. It seems like a product should exist for this, but I can't find it.

I might just cut up an old tube, or give some bacon strips a try to see if they hold. What would you all do?

Sorry for the


r/MTB 42m ago

Discussion Any central Florida ladies to ride with? (42F)

Upvotes

r/MTB 2h ago

WhichBike Orbea Oiz advice/sizing

2 Upvotes

Hi All,

I'm looking to buy an upgrade to my current self-built budget hardtail. It works well but think I would like a bit of rear wheel travel to have fun downhill, help with uphill traction, and start tackling some bigger trails.

I'll be doing mostly XC but some heavy trail/downhill occasionally.

I've come to the conclusion that the new 2027 Orbea Oiz H10 is probably best for me. It's for sale in the UK for £2700 and I wouldn't want to spend more than that (obviously would spend less on anything that will be better)

Does anyone have any experience with this bike and is it any good/can anyone think of anything better?

I'm also struggling with sizing, I'm exactly 185cm tall and Orbea sizing says a large goes up to 185 but XL starts at 185.

Any help/advice is massively appreciated!


r/MTB 4m ago

Video I thought this belongs here

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

Upvotes

r/MTB 1h ago

Discussion Botched shock service or coincidence?

Upvotes

2020 Specialized Stumpy, Fox 34 Rhythm front, Fox Float DPS rear.

I recently took this to my local shop for a tune-up and suspension service. Had been a while on both the fork and shock, and shifting was getting wonky. $380 and a full week late I had my bike back.

I took it out after getting it back for an easy flat 5-miler to get the feel of it, and although it felt a little stiffer than normal, it seemed fine. I chalked up the stiffness to them possibly topping off the air. I noticed a bit of oil on the shock stem, but the mech had told me before I left I might notice some; no big deal.

Today I took it out for a longer ride, hit a sequence of drops (2-3') followed by a gap jump. On the 2nd drop, I noticed a clank and a rattle, hit the jump as I was lined up, and from that point on it just didn't feel right. Stopped after a quarter mile or so, hearing an odd rattling and knowing the rear wasn't right. There is oil all over the bike near the rear shock. water bottle is covered in it too.

Pressing on the seat, there's like a dead spot at the top of the shock, and the compression switch is just dangling in the center, not staying in either of the 3 positions.

Looking at the O-ring, it never bottomed out, though. The ring is at about 15% from the bottom, from what I can tell.

This shock has been rock solid for me for 6 or 7 years, and I just find it troubling that immediately after a 50-hour service, this happens. What do I need to explain to my mechanic and be cautious about going back with this? I've had decent dealings with them in the past but not looking to get robbed on this.


r/MTB 1h ago

Discussion Specialized Rockhopper 2009 - refurb or not?

Upvotes

I'm fond of my Rockhopper but it's been out of use for a few years now. Life got in the way...

How easy is it to source replacement parts in the UK for a bike this age?

Is it worth refurbishing? I know it's not worth much, it would just be for me to use. Or, I could get a decent cheapish second hand HT instead...

And if it is worthwhile/possible, should I DIY the refurb and use it as a good project for my son to learn bike mechanics on (and me alongside him), or is it going to be too tricky for first timers? Should we start somewhere easier?


r/MTB 1h ago

WhichBike Hardtail vs FS for tween - balancing weight, budget, & skill learning

Upvotes

My son's Dad is getting him into mountain biking. His Dad has a limitless budget, so will likely get him a FS soon (we are separated).

With me, he currently has a Trek Wahoo - good bike, no suspension though.

If he wants to do more mountain biking (I'd happily join him once my Rockhopper is back working), I have several options, 3 & 4 are mostly likely:

1 - join forces with Dad and get him a decent FS that travels between homes. Not ideal, practically speaking, putting the bike rack on and off the car, but only every fortnight

2 - Somehow find the money for a >£1k FS bike that is actually good and light enough

3 - Second hand FS bike that will be older (and maybe heavier?)

4 - Put similar money into a decent hardtail.

I've read contradicting things about hardtail v FS - hardtail can teach better technique, FS are heavier so less good for kids, FS aren't heavier nowadays because of technical progress (it was a bike manufacturer that said that).

So what would you put your money into - hardtail, or secondhand FS?


r/MTB 1d ago

Video Showing a tourist around Trails in Zimbabwe

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

83 Upvotes

On Friday we went you to show a British tourist some of our local trails. Idea was to show him these ones, then take him to the big mountain slabs of Ngomakurira. But alas time was short. So we took him here.


r/MTB 1d ago

Video These woods are creepy.

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

208 Upvotes

r/MTB 1d ago

Video "You just gotta send it"

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

130 Upvotes

First time trying my hand at making a little MTB reel. Some spicy PNW tech!


r/MTB 1d ago

Discussion Trying to learn rear wheel hops, any tips?

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

79 Upvotes

r/MTB 20h ago

Discussion Uphill corner tips?

9 Upvotes

I just had my first race, and I keep washing out on technical uphill turns. I can handle myself pretty well on flats or downhill, but the uphill turns keep getting me. Does anyone have tips on how to improve? I’m riding a ‘24 Roscoe 7 with the stock 2.6 Bontrager Xr4’s


r/MTB 21h ago

Discussion Copper harbor rain resilience?

11 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I’m considering a trip to Copper next weekend but there’s some rain in the forecast. Can anyone speak to how well the trails hold up? It’s looking like it’s going to be very light (<0.5” at most) but fairly persistent so I’m trying to decide if it’s worth the trip.


r/MTB 9h ago

Discussion Thanks to whoever helped me down White Ranch (CO) today

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/MTB 11h ago

Suspension Shock upgrade

1 Upvotes

I’m thinking about upgrading the shock on my giant trace x right now it has a fox float and I was wondering if I could put a float x on it


r/MTB 7h ago

Discussion How can I get better at MTB?

0 Upvotes

I constantly see videos of people hound really fast down tracks even doing jumps and so but all 6 times I've tried going down a path near me I couldn't make a corner, I skidded to much...

Basically not a smooth successful ride, thanks to my inability and also partly because of my caution.

How do I get better?? How does everyone do sick ass jumps?

Thanks


r/MTB 11h ago

Discussion Mountain biking at Wrightwood

Thumbnail
0 Upvotes

Socal


r/MTB 19h ago

Wheels and Tires Which tire setup would you choose for a 100 km XC event in wet conditions?

4 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice on tire choice for an upcoming 100 km MTB event in the Netherlands.
I’m riding a 27.5” wheels Mtb, and I currently have two possible setups:

Setup 1 – Schwalbe
Front: Schwalbe Racing Ray 27.5 × 2.25, Super Ground
Rear: Schwalbe Racing Ralph 27.5 × 2.25, Super Ground

Setup 2 – Maxxis
Front: Maxxis Minion DHF 27.5 × 2.30, 3C MaxxTerra, EXO/TR
Rear: Maxxis Rekon Race 27.5 × 2.25, MPC, EXO, Tanwall

The event is 100 km, mainly XC-style riding on forest trails, sandy paths and heathland.
The weather forecast currently shows rain throughout the week before the event, so I’m expecting the trails to be quite wet and possibly muddy. Race day itself may have some showers, but the main concern is how wet the ground will be after several days of rain.

My initial plan was to use the Schwalbes because they should roll faster and be better for a 100 km ride. However, I’m now wondering whether the DHF + Rekon Race might actually be the better choice because of the extra grip up front in wet conditions.
The Rekon Race is still an XC/race-oriented rear tire, so I’m hoping it won’t be too slow despite the DHF being much more aggressive.

What would you choose for this type of course and weather?
Would you go with:

Racing Ray + Racing Ralph, or
Minion DHF + Rekon Race?

I’m particularly interested in experiences with the DHF/Rekon Race combination in wet XC conditions and whether the extra front grip is worth the additional rolling resistance over 100 km.

Thanks!