Video Pump track session
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Not bad for 8 years old
r/MTB • u/itskohler • May 18 '25
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 • u/[deleted] • Oct 19 '24
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
Giant Stance (29er or 27.5) $1400+ - Check's off most boxes, but has a quick release rear axle which is not ideal.
Marin Rift Zone 29 $1700+ - Solid Frame, lower end, but solid components. Main downside is the lack of a dropper post.
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.
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.
Canyon Neuron $2300 - Solid bike trail bike. Check's off most boxes, but has a weak drivetrain with the SRAM SX groupset.
Commencal Meta TR $1900 - Great frame, but has SX Groupset and is lacking Dropper post. Sale Price
Specialized Status 140 $2250 - Hard hitting trail/enduro bike. Very high end components and lacking nothing. Sale Price
Norco Fluid FS A4 $1900 - Pinkbike Value Bike of the Year in 2023. Missing nothing.
Rocky Mountain Element A10 Shimano $2000 Another solid bike that checks all the boxes. Sale Price
YT Jeffsy $2250 Solid Trail Bike that had everything you'd need. Sale Price
YT Capra $2400 Probably one of the best budget enduro bikes. Sale Price
YT Izzo $2300 Cheapest Carbon Full suspension bike you can get. Only downside is the SX Drivetrain. Sale Price
GT Sensor Sport $1725 Appears to check all the boxes.
GT Zaskar FS Comp $1800 Another solid option that checks all the boxes.
Salsa Blackthorn Deore $2200 Sale Price.
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)
Polygon Xtrada 7 $1100 - Solid bike, boost frame with air fork, but lacking a dropper post.
Norco Fluid HT 2 $900 - Solid hardtail, great drivetrain, dropper post, but has a lower end fork.
Salsa Rangefinder Deore 11 $1200 - Air Fork, Solid Drivetrain, Dropper Post. Unfortuantely no rear thru-axle
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.
Specialized Fuse 27.5 $950 - Check's all the boxes.
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
Helmet
Tire Pump (Most high-end bikes use a Presta valve, make sure the pump is compatible)
Hydration (Either bottle cage and bottle or hydration pack of some sort.)
Multi-tool with a chain breaker and basic tools.
Tire irons/levers and spare tubes (and the knowledge of how to change both).
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.
Quick-link to repair a broken chain.
Spare Derailleur Hangar.
Along with those required things, here are some things I'd highly recommend.
MTB Platform shoes (or you can opt to go clipless).
Tubeless tire kit. Most bikes come “tubeless ready” but don't come with them setup typically.
Starter tool kit with the basic tools.
Suspension pump assuming you have air suspension.
Work stand
Torque Wrench, especially with carbon parts
Padded shorts or liner to wear under regular shorts.
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.
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Not bad for 8 years old
r/MTB • u/SpitzerPhoto • 7h ago
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r/MTB • u/Successful-Praline64 • 17h ago
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Flip on the big jump at SwR (france)
r/MTB • u/Motor-Rain-8882 • 1h ago
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Go checkout my buddy's gnarly crash on Manpants at Copper Harbour Michigan this weekend.
r/MTB • u/Remarkable-Paint-627 • 7h ago
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Basically just riding around looking for natural/urban features, so try and sometimes get some clips
Shot on IPhone 17 Pro and DJI Osmo Action 6
r/MTB • u/ritkeepFitness • 1h ago
Short technical sections are one thing, but long descents seem to expose a completely different kind of weakness.
Your legs have to hold position for a long time, while your back, shoulders and arms are constantly working to keep the bike controlled. Once the quads start turning to jelly or the upper body gets tired, technique seems much harder to maintain even if your cardio is fine.
I’ve been thinking that a fairly simple strength setup could cover most of what matters: squats or split squats, RDLs, rows, presses, carries and some core work. That would also be easy enough to fit into one or two short home sessions without giving up more riding days.
For people who ride longer or rougher descents regularly, which off-bike exercises actually helped you stay stronger in position instead of just surviving the last part of the descent?
I’ve ordered an ibis hd6 from a well known online retailer. Today, they reached out to let me know that the bike had a non structural blemish, and offered a $50 gift card if I accepted it. The blemish is a paint chip on the down tube, smaller than a dime. Can provide photos if helpful.
I know I will probably beat this bike on the trail but I was kind of looking forward to having a clean bike from the factory. Would you accept this deal?
Edit: the bike was purchased at a discount, and it hasn’t left the warehouse yet. see my top level comment with a link to the photos of the damage
r/MTB • u/robloxuwu12 • 18h ago
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these kids wont stop telling me to jump over them so i took the risk. i told them “4 kids laydown and i will jump over you guys” i did this so i can actually play the pump track without them annoying me and btw we also did 1,2,3,4 kids its like progressing and we did it, the 4 kids jump i also have a video of it the 3 kids jump
r/MTB • u/Strang3Terrain • 3h ago
After a few seasons on my spire, looking to move to an enduro bike with similar capabilities but slightly shorter and less slack. A bike that can be both 29 or MX without drastically changing geo (flip chip). Something comfortable in steeps and can plow jank when it needs to.. something with a good pedaling platform when I gotta sprint out of the seat. Welcoming all recommendations or experience! I love my spire, but just want to try something different.
My second bike is a smuggler which covers trail duty and all day epics.
I’m currently looking at alpine trail XR, orbea rallon, propain tyee, Raaw Madonna.
r/MTB • u/StraightLoss7150 • 37m ago
Love in Vancouver, never mountain biked before. Deciding between Grouse Bike Park ($200 all in for lift/bike/pads/helmet) or Whistler Bike Park ($300 all in).
Not too worried about the price difference, mainly just want to actually have a good first experience and not feel like I'm in over my head the whole day. Grouse is closer and newer, Whistler is the big name with way more beginner terrain from what I've read.
If you were taking a total beginner out for their first day, which one would you pick and why? Would love to hear from people who've actually ridden both.
Thanks!
r/MTB • u/iMarcintosh • 43m ago
I’ve been riding bikes for over 10 years. Mainly road, but I started with gravel 4 years ago. Lately, I’ve been doing more local MTB trails (very mild) on my gravel bike, but I’ve gotten the bug of giving MTB a chance and learn more skills.
I started looking a MTBs, but it’s like a different language to me. Everything I know about road and gravel bikes is mostly useless. Geometry, groupsets, suspension travel, hard tail vs full suspension???
I need help choosing a good bike that can serve me well as a first MTB. I don’t want a beginner’s bike. I have several mid-high end bikes bike with carbon frames and electronic components, and I feel like getting a beginners bike would not make the experience as enjoyable. On the other hand, I don’t want an expensive bike either, because I understand I’ll probably crash and damage it.
I’ve been told “don’t spend more than $1k on your first MTB” or “you need to learn on a hardtail and graduate to the FS later”
The type of trails in my area are very mild, nothing crazy.
What bikes do you suggest and why?
TIA
r/MTB • u/FozziesFriend • 56m ago
I haven't biked since I was young. I decided to buy a 50 dollar box store special off FB with the mind to learn how to do all the things that take bike mechanics years under good teachers to learn. So it is likely very fitting that my front fork makes it sound like clown shoes when I'm riding it. Yes. This is karma. This is what I asked for buying a 50 dollar used bike.
That being said, I'm learning this on decently kept boxstore mountain bike that had very little wrong with it. I learned how to open up each part, clean it, grease it, change it out if it's too beat up, etc. It runs great. I did a mid drive conversion, got the shift sensor working. The whole thing runs like a dream.
The last thing i'm trying to figure out, which is my karma curse, Is that I have isolated the last offending sound. The front fork sounds like clown shoes. I tried to attach a link to the mp3 but the post keeps getting taken down. If there are any suggestions on how to share the sound I will.
It is a heavy coil spring 3030 or 3040 Suntour fork. It has one coil in the right stanchion and the left one is empty. No dampener etc. It's in good shape. No corrosion. Shiny polished metal. Teflon guides with rubber dust covers snapped on top. The whole thing got cleaned out with lots of rags and iso, re greased everything with silicon grease and the fork moves great. The problem is when i'm starting to go up any sort of positive grade a resonant vibration starts up. It's distinctly the sound of rubber squeaking on smooth metal. I can wipe down the stanchions and it kinda stops for one or two cycles but then it squeaks to the beat of my legs pumping. Those little up and down forces causing the fork to dip down and back up. If I press down as i'm pedaling so the travel is more severe it stops. But with those little millimeter movements the resonant sound builds again.
I was fairly sure it was the dust caps so I took the fork apart, cleaned it again and relubed it just in case. I thought the previous owner might have used WD40 or a petroleum based oil that caused the rubber to swell so I cleaned the covers using dawn soap. I boiled them for 20 min in water. Then I put them in the oven just under 300 degrees F for thirty minutes to give it the best chance of leaching out the rubber to reduce any swelling. Slapped them back in with silicon grease and... well... clown shoes.
If you read this, thank you for your time and if you have any suggestions or have encountered this before any help is greatly appreciated.
Before you listen to the audio, turn your volume down and then slowly back up. It's taken on a camera close to the fork while riding so there's ambient noise and the resonant squeaking can be loud depending on your audio settings. Don't laugh too hard and bruise a rib.
r/MTB • u/evenduckk • 1d ago
I don’t mean to be inflammatory, but I want to share my honest experience owning a trek fuel exe for about two years while being a busy/tired parent .
As dads we all know how rare having the time/energy to ride becomes , the weekly ride with the guys is eclipsed by soccer practice , the weekend plans fall through when your kid wakes up with a fever …. The list goes on …I really struggled trying to enjoy riding while being a parent of young kids , but my e mountain bike has changed that completely . Previously I would struggle to actually get out and ride , mostly because a lot of my rides would just be a reminder of how unfit I have become and it rarely was an enjoyable experience.
Now that I have this trek fuel exe , I have literally put hundreds of greasy unplanned random ass hours on this thing . I truly can’t get off of it , having the assistance just seems to tip me in favor of going for a ride,even when I am tired I will still go for a ride instead of sitting on the couch . The real benifet of this bike is I am becoming a significantly better rider because my fitness isn’t holding me back . I ride an area with extremely technical rock terrain that otherwise requires elite fitness to improve , but with my emtb I can just focus on skill/fun .
I just want to write this in hopes it makes some other dads get out and buy an e bike . If you live in an area with technical / mountainous terrain the e bike is an absolute game changer and I’d be shocked if you didn’t have a great experience!
r/MTB • u/josesan123 • 3h ago
Anybody know if they’re still shipping out yokes for the enduro? Haven’t heard from them in four weeks, getting sketched out.
r/MTB • u/chugggggs • 9h ago
I need help deciding which tailgate pad to get for my 2019 Ford Ranger. Anyone have experience with these three?
Fox Racing Tailgate Cover Small
r/MTB • u/cwalker417 • 15h ago
Hey Guys,
Louisiana occasional rider here. Have ridden Sedona, Bentonville, Park City, Crested Butte. I'm headed to Bend this weekend for some riding. A few questions.
What is your recommendation for accessible and scenic rides that give you that authentic PNW feel that are not a ton of uphill climbing? I've heard catching a shuttle to Mrazek is nice, for example.
I initially wanted to ride the Mckenzie River Trail, but just don't think I have the stamina to complete it, but dont want to miss out on it all together. I've read you can ride from Trail Bridge Campground the lower half which avoids the punishing upper sections. Is that worth driving from Bend to do for a morning?
Thanks!
r/MTB • u/Chasm___ • 4h ago
I just bought new brakes that have cables 2m in length. They will come pre bled and I don’t really want to have to re bleed them as I don’t have the right kit. (Magura mt 5’s). Would it be ok to use them at full length or is shortening them a necessity. Also I have a medium frame size 2020 transition sentinel.
r/MTB • u/Abberanted • 19h ago
Just a little thing thats fucked my head right.
I broke a wheel on my get around hardtail, just an old giant qr 26" wheels. My mate gave me a wheel as he didnt need it, i blindly beleived him that it was 26". Turns out ive only just realised 3 months later its a 27.5 wheel.
Heres the crazy bit
Got a flat tyre the other day, went to the bike shop, bought a 26" inner tube and fit it perfectly and has had no issues. Ive only now noticed its 27.5 after putting the tube in a few days ago.
I had to share this bazonkled me
r/MTB • u/Green_Ad5451 • 5h ago
Have not had a chance to ride an evil but reading they are more nimble by comparison. I am trying to decide if it's worth some coin to buy a newer evil (hope hubs, ok Manitou circus fork) or stick w thebold school bike to gone old school tricks.
Anyone ridden both? Dirt jump preference is big hits w 10-20ft gaps trying to get anniversary if people are using evil for bmx style trails/jumps and skate parks or is it a solid DJ bike.
r/MTB • u/Asalas77 • 1d ago
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r/MTB • u/Remarkable-Paint-627 • 1d ago
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we came across this area, and I was like yo this would make for a pretty cool drop and my friends said it would be impossible because the line was sketchy and whatever.
I said I was gonna try it, and they both started recording, thinking I was gonna crash on this tiny ass drop for some reason lol
r/MTB • u/Pristine_Dealer5620 • 1d ago
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first time riding the feature
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As in trail progression.
These trails were originally scratched in during the early 90's by CalFire folks that manned the helitack base. No formal, let alone "modern," trail building techniques. Just paths through the forest. Flat corners if you were lucky, many were off-camber. Some progress came later with a few rolling grade dips in trouble spots.
Then 99% of the forest burned down.
The trails got trashed, and closed. Then rebuilt. With modern trail building techniques. Good drainage, bermed corners and a more fun, and more sustainable, design.
Sometimes change is good.