Anyone do any mountain biking/trail riding? I'm looking at getting into it and did a little research. Trying to find a Specialized Hardrock Disc on Craigslist. Anyone have any experience with these bikes?
I do some trail riding over in Memorial (Ho Chi Minh Trails) and the Ant Hills over off Hwy 6 and Memorial. What is it about that particular bike that interests you?
I ride the Spring Creek Greenway - George Mitchell Nature Preserve along Flintridge in The Woodlands. A short but nice singletrack. My mountain bikes are ancient (pre-disk brakes). I have a blue/gray Cannondale SV2000 and a very old blue Bridgestone MB-3 that I used mostly to tow my daughters in a Burley D-Lite and later a Adams Trailabike. The SBC Hardrock is a decent entry level MTB. It should be pretty affordable as a used bike on Craigslist. Buying used is a good way to go... as long as the components are in reasonable shape and their are no obvious cracks in the frame. The most important thing is bike fit... a few inches of standover clearance and a comfortable position on the bike. Otherwise its like buying uncomfortable running shoes... you will regret buying 'em and they will sit in the closet.
Yeah, that's the one... I usually park over at Hwy6 and work my way to the East through the trails (paved to dirt to trails and back). The length of those trails back in there has always been better for endurance.
Good brand... but the odds of finding an inexpensive Kona (or Rocky Mountain, another alternative) are slim and none... and slim rode off.
If you are looking at affordable aluminum hardtails, you don't need to worry too much about the brand of the frame, other than making sure it's not a department store bike, that will break if you mountain bike on them. The important things are finding the correct size and getting decent components. You aren't going to notice much difference between an entry level Specialized, Trek, Kona, Cannondale, KHS, Giant, GT, etc. frames. Disc brakes work much better when it's wet out. This is a good source of info for beginning mountain bikers. The Beginners forum on mtbr.com http://forums.mtbr.com/beginners-corner/ Also, always wear a helmet. My helmet saved my life (or a bad concussion at least) about 3 weeks ago.
