Can anyone recommend a mountain bike, 22" frame. Not looking to spend 2 grand, but want something decent. Any good online retailers?

Thanks

Wife and I are beginners in the mountain bike world, but we've been happy with our Diamondback Recoil 29's. Full Suspension + disc brakes for well under a grand. But... I think their frame size tops out at 20".

There are others here with more experience and equipment knowledge, I'll also be interested to see their suggestions. You might provide some more info for better feedback... what terrain you ride, how often you ride, any preferences on bike style (full suspension, no suspension, rim size preference, etc...).

Can't say about online retailers. I didn't go that route to get ours.

It is depends on how much mountain biking you will be doing... what features do you want?

Specialized or nothing...


That is all.

After you determine your budget and features, a recommendation is impossible because #1 priority is how it feels to YOU when you ride it. Others opinions and the brand is meaningless if it doesn't feel right. Use a local bike shop (or multiple shops if available) and test ride lots of bikes in your price range. You'll be amazed how different they feel. Some will fit your body geometry and others won't. Don't be in a rush and never buy without test riding thoroughly or you'll end up unhappy. Good luck.

Horrible advice.

And don't go online as you will inevitably (and probably early on) need your LBS. Get it from them. The support you will get from them is well worth it. Only consider online if you can maintain and repair just about anything yourself. When your flying around on a mountain bike and taking on obstacles you do not want a mechanical failure. While you lie in your hospital bed you'll realize how foolish you were.

+1
Good local bike shops with folks who know their sh!t are invaluable, well worth any extra fee they charge over internet shops. --Don't be afraid to drive a little to find a really good shop. My go-to guys are at a shop 40mins from my house, but they know me and know how I ride; have knowledgeable sales staff and wizards for mechanics.
Once you learn the ropes and are comfortable supporting your MTB habit then look to internet shops.

..there is much humor in this statement :-)

Visit some local shops and maybe attend a local demo event. I know when I used to ride for companies part of our deal was we had to attend and help at product demo days. It was the best was for folks to try different bikes and see what they liked.

Look for events like the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saturda...ts-17081260510

I really like my Trek

Listen to the guys in the above posts like @hikenbike . Test ride, test ride test ride. Why go to a local bike shop (LBS for those of us that have been riding a bit) instead of the internet?

Your bike must fit you (and your riding habits) or else you will hate it and hate to ride it. You asked for a 22" but that is just one dimension out of many that is important for riding enjoyment. What about head tube angle? That is a critical angle that will let you enjoy yourself on a ride or cause you to absolutely hate your bike. Let me explain:

Mountain bikes are built to do different things. Sure, they are all built to ride a trail but it is HOW you ride that trail that matters. Are you a seasoned veteran that races every weekend in the top class? No? How about a casual rider just learning and maybe not in the best physical shape yet? Maybe?

These two examples of riders will use totally different bikes. Sure, the components will be different but that's not the point. The GEOMETRY of the bike will be much different too! One will need a bike that handles like a F1 race car and the other will need a bike that handles like a SUV if they want to enjoy their ride. One of the differences (and one that is hard to see) is head tube, or slacker angle. This is the angle from the head tube (where your handlebars mount) to where the front tire touches the ground. Here's why that is so important:

The first guy, the racing one, will want his front tire tucked back towards the rider really far. Why? Because the bike will be much more responsive on the trail. It will turn quicker and be much faster through the rough stuff. The downside to this bike is you must know how to ride and be in the right physical shape to ride it. It is not a comfortable ride either. You are having to transfer your weight a lot more on this type of bike, meaning that if you are going down a short steep hill (say six feet down) on this bike you will have to move your butt way back behind the seat to keep from going over the bars. Same for climbing, you have to move your weight way forward to keep the front wheel on the ground. Is it fast? You bet but it's not a comfortable ride. Now lets take the second guy, the casual new rider that wants to get back into riding and will start on easy, short rides. He will want a greater slacker angle (only a few degrees can make a huge difference), one that pushes the front wheel away from the rider a bit. It won't be as twitchy when trying to dodge a rock (the other guy just goes over the rock) and when climbing up or dropping down a hill this rider won't have to move near as much to maintain balance.

My point is for a new rider there are several important considerations on geometry that literally will make your ride an enjoyable experience or a hated trudge that you can't wait to finish. Unless you know all this up front then you need the guy at the LBS to help you out. He knows all this and deals with it daily and will put you on the right bike for what you are doing. The best part of dealing with a LBS? When your thingamabob won't move and that whatchamacallit don't turn all you have to do is call the LBS and they will take care of it. Good luck.

Edit: Damn, I spent all this time being nice and helping out a two month old post? FML.

Care to make any suggestions of bikes for the latter group? Im interested into getting into mtbing but ive got a limited budget and ive never done it before. Id go to a shop but the closest one is nearly an hour away and I get a solid 13 mpg.

Greenville should have a good LBS. I have been there once upon a time. Take a look at the Cannondale Trail 5 29'er hard tail. It runs around $750 and is a good starter bike. Down in your area a hard tail is all you need, especially to begin with. I ride up at the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte and over around FT. Mill a lot in the winter.
There are several good bikes to start with in the $750 range as long as you know what to look for.

I googled it and there is a place in Greenville called Freehub Cycles.

Yea that's the place I found, I'm just way out in the boonies so it's a long drive haha. I'll have to check it out. I'm in high school so even $750 is ALOT haha I'm a waiter so I don't make a ton of money.

I'm an engineer and $750 is a lot.

But then, maybe I just need a new job.