Hey Guys, I've been wanting to pick up Mountain biking on the weekends. I have no idea where to start. Good websites to research bikes? Good trails in Houston? What bikes do you guys have? Thanks!
Bike barn had a sale a month ago that was really just too good to pass up. Ended up getting myself and gf bikes - so guess you could say we just started getting back into biking too. Think each bike was under $300 after 50-80 discounts on each.
Trails around Houston: Terry Hershey Park "The Anthills" - Intermediate Memorial Park - Intermediate Cypresswood - Beginner to Intermediate Doublelake in Cold Spring, TX - Beginner Jack Brooks in Hitchcock, TX - Intermediate to Expert
why do they call it mountain biking even if there's no mountains? anyway, i just bought a new Gary Fish Wingra hybrid bike (cross between a mountain and a rode bike) last weekend -- on sale for $440. i've written it a few times and love it...
This is hands down the best one in the Houston area. But damn it is dangerous. A helmet is an obvious must here. Awesome place. Google it.
since we're nit-picking, why do they say written, when its clearly ridden just kidding, this is all great advice, thanks guys
lol you said written instead of ridden I've been looking for a bike myself and these are great ideas! Thanks! Is the bike brand that important? Sometimes I sit on bikes from Costco & Target and wonder if the brand name bikes from the Bike Store is worth the extra couple hundred. Your thoughts? I have not ridden a bike in years and have been looking into this as well. J
haha, touche. i was in the same boat...hadn't ridden a bike in years and didn't know how important brand name really is. how much do wal-mart bikes cost nowadays? i remember 10-12 years ago, you could get a decent 10-speed from walmart for $99...
I have this bike... except the version they were making back in 1999. Bright yellow with Rock Shox Judy. Bought it through Daniel Boone Cycles. http://www.voodoocycles.net/08_hoodoo.htm
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I just went through all that some of you guys are going through. Finally, I got my bike (Marin Hawk Hill) and ten minutes into the trails at Rocky Hill in Smithville I had a spill and broke my ankle. Luckily, I wasn't to far into the trail since I had to ride my bike back on the bad ankle. That 10 minutes of mountain biking has cost me a few thousand dollars. I would say be careful, but I think that's why I got hurt. I was trying to go up a fairly steep incline too slowly and I lost my momentum and fell backwards and landed awkwardly on my ankle. I think that if I would have went through the dip with some proper speed I would have made it right up the incline and not gotten hurt. Good luck!
Bikes sold at target, toysrus, walmart, are not made for riding off road. If you spend less than $400-$500 on a new mountain bike, the derailleurs and fork won't last if you use it for mountain biking often. craigslist.org . Get a used thousand dollar bike for $300-$400 and it will serve you much better than a new $300 bike. If you buy a full suspension bike, it will really cut down on fatigue. I haven't lived in Houston for a long time, but the trails in Memorial park were great fun. Ho-chi minh, Cambodia, etc. Great site for bike reviews and trail reviews: http://mtbr.com/
