mtbv

hi,

just wondering if there are any suggestions for a decent quality hardtail mountain bike (with disc brakes) that a newby like me could buy for under $1000, to do 6hr endurance events?

i have a giant road bike, which i'm told is pretty good quality, and was thinking about getting a giant boulder mtb, but there are so many brands out there and each store pushes their 2-3 brands the most so its hard to tell what's actually good.

so could you guys/girls please list say your top 5-6 brands/bikes/models that are hardtail with disc brakes for under $1000 or any other suggestions as to what i should look for in my first decent mtb??

thanks.

I have had quite a few bikes over the years, the brand that has impressed me most has been Giant, both Road and MTB XC.

One thing that I like about Giant, is they will often use a very similar frame across the range. The advantage if this is that you can make an initial purchase to the limit of your budget. Then, if after a few months or longer, you have ridden the components into the ground, you can generally upgrade to them to the next level.

I have followed the geometry of a few brands over a few years, some appear to take great risks, with what you can wonder in hindsight, might have been unproven trial. Giant do make some changes, true, but generally not so radically to cause concern.

Only weeks before the start of last years summer season, my trusty stead of another brand developed a frame failure, and I needed a bike I could wheel out of the show room and on to the race track. The Giant XTC-1 did the job perfectly. I appreciate one of these is a little out side you current budget.

I have not test ridden one, but noticed that you can pick up a "Giant Alias 2009 Mountain Bike" for just under $1000.

I had a Giant MCM for almost 10 years and changed to another band. When I hopped on to the XTC-1, it was like coming home, yes that feeling was back. Fast and maneuverable, predictable response.