Mountain Biking

[BENWAR]

I know some of you have some road race experience (thor) but I'm looking to ride some trails and still ride a few miles with my daughters.

I was looking at the GT Avalanche 21" with disc brakes and it would be $525.00+ tax

Does anyone have any opinions on what bike I should buy?

I am 6' 5" with an inseam of 32".

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Smails]

I used to be a pretty active trail rider before the arrival of my third kid and now I'm thrilled to get out 8-10 times a season. GT makes a good bike and I would definitely go with the disc brakes. They'll take a little time to get used to because they are very grabby, but you'll like grabby on the trails. At 6'5 fit is going to be everything. I'm 6' and my frame is a 19.5. Unlike street riding, you shouldn't be nearly as hunched over on a mountain bike. Do you know what kind of components GT is putting on their bikes? Hayes..Shimano..?

A guy I ride with has an Avalanche and has no complaints as far as I know. I would stay away from a dual suspension bike and stay with the hard tail. Dual suspension looks cool, but unless you're doing a bunch of downhilling, it's really not necessary.

On a side note, I don't know if you're into the whole used/craigslist thing, but there are some killer deals on used bikes there. A lot of people who originally bought $800-1000 bikes are loooking to unload them on the cheap these days. PM me if you see one you like and I can tell you within reason if it's junk or not.

[Cheesehead]

I have a GT Nomad. It's described as a fitness bike (most folks all it a hybrid) and I like it so much that I use it more than my road bike or my mountain bike these days. A good bike shop will be able to fit you. I like the staff at Performance over near Kenwood Mall; if you're in town.