What mtn bike for my teen boy?

[Pen]

My ds needs a new (or at least new to him--could be used--though that would be harder for us to find, I think) bike.

 

I'd appreciate thoughts and suggestions on type of bike including suggested models, equipment to look for, type of carrier, and teen using bike for going to and from school.

 

conditions: It needs to be able to handle 1) desired by ds long bike rides on dirt and gravel logging roads / trails, which can be quite hilly; 2) IMO, back and forth from home to school / sports practices around 3 miles each way paved and need something to carry gear (at least IMO gear carrying is needed, ds seems to think this would be uncool, but from my pov having ds be more independent in his transportation would be a major reason to get him a bike right now). Possibly at some time in future would be to ride far enough (10 miles or so) to meet up with a city bus that has a bike rack, in order to get into city on his own.

 

weather: This is in rural western Oregon, so dry in summer, rain other times. Lots of mud in winter. Rarely snow, but he'd not be riding in snow.

 

brands: "Local" bike shops carry Trek and Scott--which ds seems to favor as a choice. And Giant, Specialized and Santa Cruz--for whatever reasons, ds has so far not even wanted to look at these latter 3 brands, and has not wanted to test ride anything, possibly related to anxiety. We can also get whatever an REI might have, and might be able to find places with other brands if we knew to look for that.

 

Price: Ds particularly wants front suspension. He'd probably like full suspension, but the price tag for that seems to be too high. I want him to have good brakes, fork, derailleur from safety pov. I'd like the price not to be outrageous. Though if he would really use the bike and save me daily chauffeuring, a higher price on bike would be worth something to me.

 

 

Issues on bike for transportation: DS likes taking the school bus in AM (it is fun for him, and stops right across from our house), but it won't take bike, and that then means he needs ride home after sports every afternoon. Potential dangers include a dog who bit him while he was riding his former bike on the route to school / sports -- it is supposed to be confined and we are supposed to report to animal control if it is seen out of control, but certainly don't want another bite as well as the usual things like traffic including log trucks. Theft etc. of bike potential. Most kids in this area do not ride a bike to or from school or other activities, but rather take bus, or get rides from parents.

Edited August 15, 2017 by Pen

[MEmama]

DS (competitive cyclist and works as a bike mechanic) recommends Trek Marlin 5 or 7, depending on your budget.

[mommyoffive]

We all have Trek and Giant bikes.  

 

 

What I will tell you look on CL.   In our area there are tons on there.   I have gotten amazing deals there.  Got DS a one year old Giant bike that retails for over $500 for $100.

 

Got two great Giant bikes for $60 for the both of them. 

 

You can get amazing deals and just like new ones.  

[MEmama]

We all have Trek and Giant bikes.

 

 

What I will tell you look on CL. In our area there are tons on there. I have gotten amazing deals there. Got DS a one year old Giant bike that retails for over $500 for $100.

 

Got two great Giant bikes for $60 for the both of them.

 

You can get amazing deals and just like new ones.

Yes, but. Definitely know what you are looking for and looking at. Mountain bikes especially can come severely abused and you don't want surprises after shelling out lots of $. That said, DH does tons of research on bikes and has found great deals on eBay. DS has a carbon race bike worth...a mighty lot... that we paid much, much less for.

 

Also don't sucked into the shiny but unneccesary (full suspension, in this case) but do know which upgrades are worth paying for (mechanical disk brakes--though not necessarily hydraulic-- over rim brakes).

[Pen]

Thanks for comments so far! I am having trouble with site today--likes (consider all replies liked)--and putting spaces between my paragraphs, links, and quoting.

 

Consumer reports apparently gave a high review to this "Mongoose" bike https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006Y5GIF6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bguidelink-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B006Y5GIF6&linkId=7691b11c00d49e9c94cc80aa69c45e24

On Amazon it seems to have reviews all over the place and I've never heard of that company before. Anyone know anything about it?

 

More info on disk brakes, hydraulic or otherwise would also be appreciated!

[MEmama]

DS warns that Mongoose are famous for poor build quality. I assume our boys ride similarly on the trail (given their age and other similar interests)--I'd be wary of lesser expensive brands as they tend to cause much frustration and you may end up spending more on replacing or upgrading parts.

 

Disc brakes are superior to rim brakes especially on mountain bikes. They perform better in the wet and don't gunk up the way rim brakes can and do on the trail (think grass or mud getting between the rim brake and the wheel, causing brake failure). Importantly, they also don't lock up as easily, which theoretically means fewer crashes and going OTB (over the handle bars).

[MEmama]

I'll put my plug in now since you said he will be riding to and from school/practice--don't forget daytime running lights (front light and back blinking light) and make sure he uses both, every time he is on the road. The light quality will start decreasing rapidly in the next few weeks and there is nothing that catches a driver's attention and thus keeps cyclists safer than using lights.

 

(Also obviously he needs to wear his helmet, no exceptions)

 

(Signed, a mama of a kid lives on and for his bikes and who worries endlessly)

[Pen]

DS (competitive cyclist and works as a bike mechanic) recommends Trek Marlin 5 or 7, depending on your budget.

 

 

There are a couple of Marlin 5 in stock at lbs right now (different sizes).  And ds likes the idea of a Marlin 5.  What of significance would a Marlin 7 give over a 5?  

 

I noticed that tags on bikes give name of who assembled bike. Is there any way to determine who is especially skilled at bike assembly at a shop? (I assume how it is put together matters a lot.) Or, why do they include that info?

 

Any suggestions for bike racks or that sort of thing?

 

And shop says it can change out wheels to wider if desired, or make others such changes (seat etc.)--are there any things like that which would be desirable?

[Pen]

PS Please thank your ds for his input.  And how did he learn how to be bike mechanic and become able to work at a bike shop at 14 assuming your sig is not out of date?

[MEmama]

PS Please thank your ds for his input. And how did he learn how to be bike mechanic and become able to work at a bike shop at 14 assuming your sig is not out of date?

He's happy to help! :)

 

He's been racing (road, triathlons, cyclocross and some mountain biking) since he was 10 and is passionate about bikes. He's a regular at our local bike shop and they know he knows his stuff, so I suggested maybe he inquire about an internship. The manager wanted to straight out hire him and in Maine, a 14 yo just needs a work permit so he's been putting in 20 or so hours a week there all summer. It's a perfect fit for him and he's learning a ton. :)

[MEmama]

There are a couple of Marlin 5 in stock at lbs right now (different sizes). And ds likes the idea of a Marlin 5. What of significance would a Marlin 7 give over a 5?

 

I noticed that tags on bikes give name of who assembled bike. Is there any way to determine who is especially skilled at bike assembly at a shop? (I assume how it is put together matters a lot.) Or, why do they include that info?

 

Any suggestions for bike racks or that sort of thing?

 

And shop says it can change out wheels to wider if desired, or make others such changes (seat etc.)--are there any things like that which would be desirable?

It's likely the shop puts the builder info on because the mechanic might get paid by build in addition to by the hour. I suppose it adds some accountability as well; you are right that getting it built up correctly is super important. At the shop DS works at, the manager goes over every bike before it goes out the door, just to make certain.

 

DS says the Marlin 7 has a Rock Shox air fork, better for off trail than the coil fork that comes on the 5. In addition it has hydraulic disk brakes. Neither might matter for what your DS is looking for, given the price difference, though the Rock Shox will be a significant improvement if he rides on a lot of technical, rooty, rocky terrain. Other than that it looks like the 5 has more basic components, but those are upgrades you can make in time if desired. Both come with fender mounts, nice in a wet environment.

 

By bike racks do you mean panniers?

[Pen]

It's likely the shop puts the builder info on because the mechanic might get paid by build in addition to by the hour. I suppose it adds some accountability as well; you are right that getting it built up correctly is super important. At the shop DS works at, the manager goes over every bike before it goes out the door, just to make certain.

 

DS says the Marlin 7 has a Rock Shox air fork, better for off trail than the coil fork that comes on the 5. In addition it has hydraulic disk brakes. Neither might matter for what your DS is looking for, given the price difference, though the Rock Shox will be a significant improvement if he rides on a lot of technical, rooty, rocky terrain. Other than that it looks like the 5 has more basic components, but those are upgrades you can make in time if desired. Both come with fender mounts, nice in a wet environment.

 

By bike racks do you mean panniers?

 

 

by bike racks I mean a metal rack on which to somehow attach his book-backpack or some such thing.

 

 I'm thinking he would not want to have to unload gear from a bag style pannier into his backpack and back again twice per day.  Rain and wet also an issue in this regard.  But I guess maybe something waterproof could go over gear.  I think his backpack is water resistant, but not probably waterproof enough for local conditions.

[Tess in the Burbs]

we all got Trek bikes a few years ago and love them.  Check CL for a higher end bike as well.  But you got to try it at least a little...otherwise you might hate what you purchase.  

[catz]

My husband is a serious biker.  He owns 3 bikes (road, mountain, fat tire) and has lots of thoughts.

 

Is he still growing?  If he is, I would watch budget if you'll need to look again in a couple years.

 

I think a good thing to do is keep track of the used market on Craig's list.  There's a local facebook bicycle group for us where serious bikers sell stuff when they're ready for an upgrade.  You may look for something like that local to you.  Check reviews on anything that comes up. 

[mommyoffive]

Yes, but. Definitely know what you are looking for and looking at. Mountain bikes especially can come severely abused and you don't want surprises after shelling out lots of $. That said, DH does tons of research on bikes and has found great deals on eBay. DS has a carbon race bike worth...a mighty lot... that we paid much, much less for.

 

Also don't sucked into the shiny but unneccesary (full suspension, in this case) but do know which upgrades are worth paying for (mechanical disk brakes--though not necessarily hydraulic-- over rim brakes).

 

Agreed.

 

I find ones that look good on CL and Dh checks them out.  He is a bike guy so he knows what is what.  

[Pen]

Another question, hoping someone will look at this again!

 

Given a terrain with lots of ruts, hard packed dirt (from heavy log equipment) and large chunky irregular type gravel  rock (say fist, half fist, and quarter fist size chunks--not little round stuff) what sort of tires and wheels would be best?  Would the same type be okay when on asphalt road?

 

Is there any way to keep tires so that they are good for absorbing impact of rough terrain, but also not easily punctured by thorns?  We have had "slime" in past bike tires, but I gather that while this helps against punctures, it has some sort of other negative effects on ride quality.