expired Posted by dcpre5 • Apr 28, 2022
Apr 28, 2022 9:24 PM
Item 1 of 5
Item 1 of 5
expired Posted by dcpre5 • Apr 28, 2022
Apr 28, 2022 9:24 PM
REI Co-Op Members: Ghost Bikes Square Cross 1.8
+ Free Store Pickup$680
$800
15% offREI
Visit REIGood Deal
Bad Deal
Save
Share
Top Comments
If 1-2k is your price range, than a hardtail is the bike for you. I personally lean in the direction of a wider 29er or 650b mid-fat tire to give additional undampened suspension. I lean towards 29x2.6 for all riding that isn't XC racing.
The Cannondale Trail SE 2 https://www.rei.com/product/186716 would be a solid contender in this category from the REI selection
Others (not at REI to look at): Ghost Nirvana Trail Universal (only if it has the Recon RL avoid if equipped with Suntour fork, Trek Roscoe 7/8, Niner Air 9, Specialized Fuse Sport, Giant Fathom 29 1, Marin Pine Mountain 1, and any of many other brands. (of these the Niner is a particularly good build with the Marzocchi Bomber Z2 fork for $2k. The Trek Roscoe also rides extremely well).
With any/all of these, if they don't come with a dropper seat post , then by all means plan to upgrade to one when you can. I recommend the PNW Rainer Gen 3 for the best bang for your buck).
As a general rule of thumb for a mtb between $1-2k look for:
Frame: Aluminum
Fork: Rockshox or Fox fork (stay away from anything Suntour!)
Components: Shimano Deore or better (recommend SLX or better), Sram SX or better (recommend NX Eagle or better)
Tires: 29x 2.35-2.6" or 27.5x 2.6-2.8 (aka 650b+)
Axel: Boost TA (110mm x 15mm front, 148mm x 12mm rear)
Brakes: Hydraulic disc
IMHO, the best value "serious" entry MTB, is the Giant Talon 2. Rocky Mountain Fusion was right there with it, but skyrocketed its price from high $6xx last year, to $999 or something, and although it is a better frame than the Talon (tapered head tube, more modern geo), doesn't worth it for "entry".
The Giant Talon 2, at $735 gets you a 1x9 Drivetrain with clutch, 11x42T cassette that gets you "low enough" for most trails, hydraulic disc-brakes (basic Shimano or Tektro, does the job much better than basic mechanical disc brakes, mainly because those are true 2-piston vs. the cheap "floating carrier", single-sided mechanical calipers that cheaper bikes get. Yes, there are excellent mechanical disc calipers out there, but you won't find them in cheap bikes (we could be talking $250-500+ for a pair of calipers alone).
The Talon 2 doesn't come with a dropper, but is dropper compatible and you can add one for $150ish (yourself) or a bit more if you have a store do it for you (and sell you the parts at a slight markup, they need to survive, thank them), so you can have a great bike for sub $1,000. This is not a bike that worths daydreaming about buying and pimping. Ride as-is, perhaps go tubeless tires as you venture into more challenging terrain, but don't buy bikes to upgrade, buy bikes to ride. The Co-Op DRT 1.2 is a good bike, but...not really better than the Talon 2 for the reasons above. If I was sticking with REI, I would look into the GHOST Kato Universal 27.5/29 - seems better spec.
I don't think Specialized, Trek etc, make bikes that are better value than the Talon. You tend to spend more for similar specs, close to the $1000 mark and still lack the dropper and still having a basic coil fork w/o rebound adjustments, and still having a straight head-tube and old-school QR wheels that block you from upgrading to a more descent fork on the cheap (all new forks are "tapered", i.e. the steerer tube the handlebar attaches to is 1-1/8" @ top, but 1.5" at bottom, plus the front axle is meant for 15x110 front hubs. All these cheaper bikes come with 1-1/8" "straight" head-tube, and 9x100 (aka QR) front hubs = you cannot just swap a better fork and call it a day. The GHOST Kato Universal 27.5/29 seems to have the 15x110, but with a basic coil fork. I am not sure it has a tapered head-tube though.
For a more serious trail bike, things start getting expensive, especially post pandemic. We are deeping into $1500+ for something that will get you a good frame with modern geometry, a descent air-fork with rebound adjustment, descent wheelset (preferably with thru axles Front and rear), a bit better drivetrain and perhaps better brakes. Brakes are more important than the drivetrain in many cases as "basic" drivetrains do the job already, but basic brakes start suffering if you go down-hill fast, but marketing departments probably have proof that a better drivetrain sells better than better brakes, so they focus on those. The 2022 Trek Roscoe 7 29" is a good bike, the Cannondale Trail SE 2 looks OK, the Specialized Fuse 29, the Salsa Timberjack , the Giant Fathom 2, the Canyon Stoic, the Kona Honzo etc, are all good options, and platforms that one can argue you can build on and spend $ upgrading.
I would advice against going for "all-mountain" / ultra slack and long travel (more than 140mm) hardtails. Niche bikes like the Kona Honzo ESD, the Norco Torrent HT (had and loved that bike, but ... wrong bike for most trails that care for long travel IMHO) and to a bit lesser extend the Rocky Mountain Growler, are just too long and heavy and have too much travel for HTs. I'd advise more people to look into a ful-sus if you think you need more than 130-140mm travel.
Again, I would not buy a sub $1K bike and "hope" I can gradually build on to get to the level of those above, the geo and the old standards adopted by manufacturers won't allow it and/or will cost you more vs. just getting a bike that is "there" already. I typically make the example of buying a Prius and wanting to turn it into a street racer..."sure", its is possible, but for the same $$$ you can probably find better platforms. If you insist to go with the "wrong" car as a base, it is more because you care for trolling people, than real performance and/or riding (driving) enjoyment.
41 Comments
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Looks like the one advantage this one has over the rei bike is it has a dropper seat which from talking to someone at rei is a really good thing to have...
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank randomslickdealer
If 1-2k is your price range, than a hardtail is the bike for you. I personally lean in the direction of a wider 29er or 650b mid-fat tire to give additional undampened suspension. I lean towards 29x2.6 for all riding that isn't XC racing.
The Cannondale Trail SE 2 https://www.rei.com/product/186716 would be a solid contender in this category from the REI selection
Others (not at REI to look at): Ghost Nirvana Trail Universal (only if it has the Recon RL avoid if equipped with Suntour fork, Trek Roscoe 7/8, Niner Air 9, Specialized Fuse Sport, Giant Fathom 29 1, Marin Pine Mountain 1, and any of many other brands. (of these the Niner is a particularly good build with the Marzocchi Bomber Z2 fork for $2k. The Trek Roscoe also rides extremely well).
With any/all of these, if they don't come with a dropper seat post , then by all means plan to upgrade to one when you can. I recommend the PNW Rainer Gen 3 for the best bang for your buck).
As a general rule of thumb for a mtb between $1-2k look for:
Frame: Aluminum
Fork: Rockshox or Fox fork (stay away from anything Suntour!)
Components: Shimano Deore or better (recommend SLX or better), Sram SX or better (recommend NX Eagle or better)
Tires: 29x 2.35-2.6" or 27.5x 2.6-2.8 (aka 650b+)
Axel: Boost TA (110mm x 15mm front, 148mm x 12mm rear)
Brakes: Hydraulic disc
If 1-2k is your price range, than a hardtail is the bike for you. I personally lean in the direction of a wider 29er or 650b mid-fat tire to give additional undampened suspension. I lean towards 29x2.6 for all riding that isn't XC racing.
The Cannondale Trail SE 2 https://www.rei.com/product/186716 would be a solid contender in this category from the REI selection
Others (not at REI to look at): Ghost Nirvana Trail Universal (only if it has the Recon RL avoid if equipped with Suntour fork, Trek Roscoe 7/8, Niner Air 9, Specialized Fuse Sport, Giant Fathom 29 1, Marin Pine Mountain 1, and any of many other brands. (of these the Niner is a particularly good build with the Marzocchi Bomber Z2 fork for $2k. The Trek Roscoe also rides extremely well).
With any/all of these, if they don't come with a dropper seat post , then by all means plan to upgrade to one when you can. I recommend the PNW Rainer Gen 3 for the best bang for your buck).
As a general rule of thumb for a mtb between $1-2k look for:
Frame: Aluminum
Fork: Rockshox or Fox fork (stay away from anything Suntour!)
Components: Shimano Deore or better (recommend SLX or better), Sram SX or better (recommend NX Eagle or better)
Tires: 29x 2.35-2.6" or 27.5x 2.6-2.8 (aka 650b+)
Axel: Boost TA (110mm x 15mm front, 148mm x 12mm rear)
Brakes: Hydraulic disc
Looks like the one advantage this one has over the rei bike is it has a dropper seat which from talking to someone at rei is a really good thing to have...
I think calling their bikes "cross" is a bit of a misnomer. I would have expected it to be a cyclocross bike, but as was already said, that particular one is more of a hybrid.
The Slamr 29er looks like a good deal for a full suspension with the eagle drive. I won't go back to anything else, tho I still need to put a dropper on my bike.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
I think calling their bikes "cross" is a bit of a misnomer. I would have expected it to be a cyclocross bike, but as was already said, that particular one is more of a hybrid.
The Slamr 29er looks like a good deal for a full suspension with the eagle drive. I won't go back to anything else, tho I still need to put a dropper on my bike.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank Dimitris
IMHO, the best value "serious" entry MTB, is the Giant Talon 2. Rocky Mountain Fusion was right there with it, but skyrocketed its price from high $6xx last year, to $999 or something, and although it is a better frame than the Talon (tapered head tube, more modern geo), doesn't worth it for "entry".
The Giant Talon 2, at $735 gets you a 1x9 Drivetrain with clutch, 11x42T cassette that gets you "low enough" for most trails, hydraulic disc-brakes (basic Shimano or Tektro, does the job much better than basic mechanical disc brakes, mainly because those are true 2-piston vs. the cheap "floating carrier", single-sided mechanical calipers that cheaper bikes get. Yes, there are excellent mechanical disc calipers out there, but you won't find them in cheap bikes (we could be talking $250-500+ for a pair of calipers alone).
The Talon 2 doesn't come with a dropper, but is dropper compatible and you can add one for $150ish (yourself) or a bit more if you have a store do it for you (and sell you the parts at a slight markup, they need to survive, thank them), so you can have a great bike for sub $1,000. This is not a bike that worths daydreaming about buying and pimping. Ride as-is, perhaps go tubeless tires as you venture into more challenging terrain, but don't buy bikes to upgrade, buy bikes to ride. The Co-Op DRT 1.2 is a good bike, but...not really better than the Talon 2 for the reasons above. If I was sticking with REI, I would look into the GHOST Kato Universal 27.5/29 - seems better spec.
I don't think Specialized, Trek etc, make bikes that are better value than the Talon. You tend to spend more for similar specs, close to the $1000 mark and still lack the dropper and still having a basic coil fork w/o rebound adjustments, and still having a straight head-tube and old-school QR wheels that block you from upgrading to a more descent fork on the cheap (all new forks are "tapered", i.e. the steerer tube the handlebar attaches to is 1-1/8" @ top, but 1.5" at bottom, plus the front axle is meant for 15x110 front hubs. All these cheaper bikes come with 1-1/8" "straight" head-tube, and 9x100 (aka QR) front hubs = you cannot just swap a better fork and call it a day. The GHOST Kato Universal 27.5/29 seems to have the 15x110, but with a basic coil fork. I am not sure it has a tapered head-tube though.
For a more serious trail bike, things start getting expensive, especially post pandemic. We are deeping into $1500+ for something that will get you a good frame with modern geometry, a descent air-fork with rebound adjustment, descent wheelset (preferably with thru axles Front and rear), a bit better drivetrain and perhaps better brakes. Brakes are more important than the drivetrain in many cases as "basic" drivetrains do the job already, but basic brakes start suffering if you go down-hill fast, but marketing departments probably have proof that a better drivetrain sells better than better brakes, so they focus on those. The 2022 Trek Roscoe 7 29" is a good bike, the Cannondale Trail SE 2 looks OK, the Specialized Fuse 29, the Salsa Timberjack , the Giant Fathom 2, the Canyon Stoic, the Kona Honzo etc, are all good options, and platforms that one can argue you can build on and spend $ upgrading.
I would advice against going for "all-mountain" / ultra slack and long travel (more than 140mm) hardtails. Niche bikes like the Kona Honzo ESD, the Norco Torrent HT (had and loved that bike, but ... wrong bike for most trails that care for long travel IMHO) and to a bit lesser extend the Rocky Mountain Growler, are just too long and heavy and have too much travel for HTs. I'd advise more people to look into a ful-sus if you think you need more than 130-140mm travel.
Again, I would not buy a sub $1K bike and "hope" I can gradually build on to get to the level of those above, the geo and the old standards adopted by manufacturers won't allow it and/or will cost you more vs. just getting a bike that is "there" already. I typically make the example of buying a Prius and wanting to turn it into a street racer..."sure", its is possible, but for the same $$$ you can probably find better platforms. If you insist to go with the "wrong" car as a base, it is more because you care for trolling people, than real performance and/or riding (driving) enjoyment.
Spend more and get quality rather than waste money on shit.
Spend more and get quality rather than waste money on shit.
so much drama without any conclusive evidence to backup anything . . . battery + motor + controller, this is not rocket science.
use an existing bike, or get a quality one from CL. for battery you can get a ryobi 3 year warrany no "explosion", or look at local vendors.
at the end you can have a quality e bike at 1/2 the price.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXVmXj0
X-Pro 50cc Moped Scooter Gas Moped Scooter 50cc Moped Street Scooter Aluminum Wheels ,Black https://smile.amazon.co
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
As a general rule of thumb for a mtb between $1-2k look for:
Frame: Aluminum
Fork: Rockshox or Fox fork (stay away from anything Suntour!)
Components: Shimano Deore or better (recommend SLX or better), Sram SX or better (recommend NX Eagle or better)
Tires: 29x 2.35-2.6" or 27.5x 2.6-2.8 (aka 650b+)
Axel: Boost TA (110mm x 15mm front, 148mm x 12mm rear)
Brakes: Hydraulic disc