Bike Choices

[falconlover]

Hi i'm a 14 year old boy and I want to get a new bike my choices are as follows.
Gt 2006 Avalanche 3.0
Giant Boulder
Trek 3700
Gt Chucker 3.0

I've done a bit of research and these bikes fit my needs.

Which bike should I get and which ones the best? Cheers!

[Mulger bill]

G'Day again Falconlover, what sort of riding are you into? XC, Dual, Street or a bit of park and bowl?

Shaun

[falconlover]

I will be doing xc a little bit of jumping and on the street.

[Mulger bill]

OK then, the Boulder is out, it's not strong enough for a sixpack, I can't say I know much about the Trek, anybody else got something to say there? GT are a damn good brand, prolly go the Avalanche if yer more towards XC, the Chucker is as strong as a chilli fart if yer big on jumping, but does have a weight penalty.

See if the LBS will let you take a test ride.

Shaun

[falconlover]

Whats wrong with the boulder is it a crap bike? Is it weak?

[Mulger bill]

It's a good recreational bike, perfect for a gentle ride on mild singletrack, but I'm not sure I'd trust it to last very long jumping unless you never case the tranny . I'm not gonna bag Giants, I love my two, but ya gotta pick the right tool for the job.

Shaun

[MountGower]

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[falconlover]

Cheers mount gower!

[falconlover]

What brand is the Merida TFS frame?

[MountGower]

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[falconlover]

Are Meridas any good? Because i've never heard of that brand.

[MountGower]

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[falconlover]

Cheers Mountgower i appreciate it!

[Bnej]

Just beware at the price, although you still get a good bike, nothing for that price will be indestructible - use it but don't abuse it. Mind you, being young yet you're probably pretty light, so the frames you get can probably take your abuse better than some of ours.

An entry level MTB is not for BMX tricks is all. As long as a "little bit of jumping" doesn't mean "a little bit of huge jumps, involving bottoming out the suspension on landing", and rather means "bunny hops and brief, low liaisons with air", I think you should be okay.

[falconlover]

I think the gt chucker 3.0 would be the best for dirt jumping.

[Bnej]

I think the gt chucker 3.0 would be the best for dirt jumping.

I think you're right. Looks like a BMX x MTB, like the Giant STP bikes.

If you want to do decent jumps & some downhilling at a low price, that's probably the way to go. OTOH, a bike like that on a long ride sucks, believe it. It's no fun if you have to go *up* a hill.

[falconlover]

Would you reckon the gt chucker would be at least 20kg?

[Bnej]

I would guess it would be between 15 and 20. I doubt it would be over 20.

The main things that will hurt you if you want to do some longer trail rides on it, are the seating position, cramped, downhill/jump oriented geometry, and extra weight.

Compare:





The Chucker is a smaller frame, and has a seat you can't effectively pedal from. The bars are close in to you so you can yank it around, and the tubes are thick and heavy.

The Avalanche gives you a good seating position for pedalling, bars positioned where they will let you crouch forward to climb technically challenging slopes, and a longer stem to make the steering more stable.

Unfortunately the things that make each good at one thing, make it bad at the other, so you really have to pick what sort of ride you prefer.

[Wanta-bike]

i'm UBER bias towards GT - mainly doe to the fact that i've owned 2 and really ever had GT's (mtb's)!

over the past years i have pretty much thrashed the absoloute $hit outta me GT's (one was a 1999 Tempest and the current one is a 2004 Avalanche 0.5) and the frame still holds strong and true. one of me mates actually got a 2006 avalanche 3.0 - red yeah? he loves it!

go out and get yerself a GT - u'll love it too!

[falconlover]

Would you think the gt avalanche could take some jumps?

[CoffeeNut]

My son has a Trek 3700 and it is %^&&*$ solid.

[falconlover]

Any reasons why the gt chucker would be bad to ride on long trips?

[Wanta-bike]

Would you think the gt avalanche could take some jumps?

depends on how big!

i've been downhilling in me avalanche and took some sizable - but not overly big - jumps and the only thing that went amiss was me landings.... and consequently went A over T and 'tacho'ed' front wheel. tho me rear factory wheel (wtb laser disc) is still goin quite strong and haven't had to change it all all! tho mind u, it has had a few 'repairs' done on it. nevertheless, for over 3 years of pretty hard ridin, its lifespan is greater than expected.

but i guess it all depends on how a good rider u are and how hard these 'jumps' are....

[Kalgrm]

Any reasons why the gt chucker would be bad to ride on long trips?

The main things that will hurt you if you want to do some longer trail rides on it, are the seating position, cramped, downhill/jump oriented geometry, and extra weight.

Cheers

[falconlover]

Hi I was just wondering what size the gt chucker 3.0 frame is? And can you adjust the seat to go higher, or is it always in a stationary position?