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Old 05-30-2013, 09:48 AM   #901
mav1c
Hoodbridge!
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Member#: 560
Join Date: Nov 1999
Chapter/Region: MAIC
Location: Woodbridge, VA
Vehicle:
2006 STi, 16 Outback
Crystal Gray, Silver

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jyu87 View Post
I've been contemplating on what bike to get guys. I have been out of the mountain biking scene for a couple years because someone stole my Giant XTC 2 out of my garage. Fully clip ons and everything. They left my shoes though.... ?

What do you guys think about the Novara brand within REI? I was looking at their Ponderosa model and their new Intrepid. The Intrepid is a steel frame with some great components. Same as the Ponderosa although that is a Aluminum. I hope to ride with you all soon. I'm definitely down!
Don't know much about them, but probably built by the same company in Taiwan that builds bikes for a lot of other companies.

I'd recommend going to you local bike shop first. Support the small businesses! And from my experience the smaller shops usually have a more a knowledgeable staff. And the smaller shops will usually let you demo bikes for a "real" ride. The flip side to that is that there are always some really good deals online. Places like Price Point, Jenson, and Nashbar always have "closeouts" on bikes for really good prices. Downside is you can't test ride them first (obviously), but the component set for the money is always a great deal. Don't know what your budget is, but if you can get something with SRAM X9 or Shimano XT (or higher), it's a nice setup. Also check out Ferrazi bikes. They do custom fit bikes based on specs you give them.

http://www.pricepoint.com/Bikes-Fram...ainBiking:True
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/SubCate..._202326_202326
https://www.jensonusa.com/Complete-Bikes
http://www.fezzari.com/mountain-bikes
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mountain_bikes.htm


Also, check the classifieds. You can always find something only a couple years old that's a lot better than something new at the same price. AJ is a good example. He got a sweet bike for less than half what it cost new. How tall are you? I'm always scanning the classifieds, so I'll keep an eye out.

http://classifieds.mtbr.com/index.php
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/bia/
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Last edited by mav1c; 05-30-2013 at 09:57 AM.
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