Mountain bikers...Norco-Any good?

[BiggJawn]

Saw one at the thrift store last night for $17...Shimano "Deore" group.
Hell, the deraileurs ought to worth at least that much, right?

Hope it's still there tonight on the way home....

[Township75]

1. I haven't heard much about Norco, but

for some reason I think I remember hearing them associated with low quality. Anyway, try going to this site to look-up the bike reviews:

http://www.mtbreview.com/reviews/

Shimano Deore are pretty much the lowest end components shimano makes. I would like to see the rest of the bike to make a judgement.

But for $17, I say take it. A pair of tires costs more than that. Hell, that is about the price of 3-4 tubes. It would be a good beater bike if nothing else.

Have fun, wear a helmet.

[BiggJawn]

2. I thought "Falcon" and "Tourney" were Shimano's low end?

"Beater bike" is exactly what I was thinking...that or parts...

I'm a Roadie, that's why I'm cluless about MTB's

Thanks for the link!

[pmbryant]

3. Never heard of Norco

I'd be hesitant about taking a mountain bike of unknown quality on rough terrain, unless you're prepared to deal with a broken wheel or some other drastic failure. (The Deore derailleurs shouldn't be a problem, though, if they are in good condition.)

But if you just want to do some relatively smooth, unpaved road/trails, it's almost certainly worth the $17 to see if you enjoy that kind of riding. Then you can upgrade to a higher quality bike when you're ready.

--Peter

[Township75]

4. PMB...

what kinda mtn bike to you ride, and what is the mtn biking like in TX?

[pmbryant]

5. I have an old Canondale rigid frame bike

I think we have some very nice places to ride here, though I can't compare them to anywhere else since I didn't get into mountain biking until I moved to San Antonio.

We prefer to ride on relatively easy stuff (e.g., gravel roads or smooth trails), but there are some great off-road trails in places like Hill Country State Natural Area and Government Canyon State Natural Area (and more, no doubt) that the hard core riders really enjoy. We've tried them out a few times ourselves, but those trails are kind of rough on beginners. :-)

How about yourself?

--Peter

[Township75]

6. I have a full suspension Jamis Dakar Comp 2k2...

but Friday I was riding and I was just about as far as I could be from my car, and the frame broke. I was upset, but that is the nature of full suspension frames...my friend I was riding with is on his 4rth Trek frame. Jamis is taking care of me really nicely though, and sending out a new swing arm (it was the drive-side chain stay that cracked).

Anyway, I ride in the Appalachian Mtns, mostly in PA and VA. The riding is outsanding here, but is typical of this area, where it can be very rooty, very rocky, and when it rains, very wet. I am really worried that when I finish school (hopefully in June), I will end up living in some place flat. I can't imagine enjoying biking as much after riding in a place like this for a few years. I guess I would have to make the switch to road riding.

T75