Any recommendations on a decent entry level MTB? I had a GT I Drive but my movers destroyed the BB, just spins around wont engage.

I am looking to just get back to riding, nothing too expensive.

Thanks

I think every major brand has bikes for $400-600 that are all comparable to each other. Personally, I wouldn't go much lower in price than that, because then you start getting junk. But that's just my preference.

I like Specialized bikes -- I have a seven-year-old Stumpjumper Comp hardtail that I paid about $1500 for on sale back in 2002. That bike was pretty top-of-the-line for a hardtail, and you can still get a hardtail Stumpjumper for a little more than that. I've never regretted that purchase for one second. I love that bike.

If you're looking in a lower price range, the Specialized Rockhopper hardtail would be around $600. That's probably as low on the line as I would go, personally. Although the Hardrock is OK, too. You might be able to pick one of those up for $400-500. Definitely I would go no lower than the Hardrock in the Specialized lineup. Trek, Gary Fisher, Giant, GT, Haro, etc., all have similar bikes in the same price range. Check them out and give them a test ride.

If you want dual suspension, expect to pay over $1,000 for a cheap one. Some of these mountain bikes are ridiculous in terms of price these days. It's not out of the ordinary to pay $4-5,000 for some high end dual suspension rigs. I went to look at an Intense 5.0, and I was expecting something around $2,500, based on what my friend paid for a comparable Santa Cruz a few years back. Nope. Those days are gone. Try $4500! The forks alone in some cases cost upwards of $800. It's kinda crazy. You'll probably want to go hardtail to keep the costs down, but since you're on a BMX forum, I'm guessing you have no problem with that.

thanks, I will have to do some shopping.

Your bb doesn't "engage" anything, it's supposed to just spin. The problem sounds more like the freewheel (if it has one) or the cassette body.... That's what's not engaging. And moving it (or throwing it down a flight of stairs) won't cause that. So, have a shop look into it, it is worth saving/fixing. Can't go wrong with a trek/fisher or specialized. Test ride before you buy, even though you may find similar parts on these, the ride and fit is what matters most.

thanks, makes sense

Check out www.Ridemonkey.com

GT's and Mongoose have some pretty decent completes with a decent price. Best suggestion that I could give is spend a little time checking out the MTB classifieds. Usually, you can get a "better" bike for the same as you would spend for a new decent bike, but it is used, and how it was ridden and maintained is the "X" factor.

I have a 2007 GT DHi downhill bike and have owned a 2005 DHi and a 2006 I-Drive "all mountain" bike and have had zero problems with the I-Drive system. Take Todd's advise and have a shop take a look at it.

Cheers,
Brian

Since you're living in NC, you might want to try Eastern Bikes. They make some way rad MTB's.