# Did I make a good decision?



## Skullfrog479 (Jun 27, 2011)

Hey guys,

I'm new to the forums, though I've trolled for about the past week or so without becoming a member. I'm hoping some of you more knowledgeable folks will tell me if I should take my bike back for another at the LBS(they have a 30 day trade-in no questions asked policy). 

I will be using the bike to commute from a remote lot to campus after I leave work, and I really wanted a bike that could take the trails like a champ as well. I'm no expert rider so 1000+ bikes didn't make sense to me because I figure, like in everything else, it's the user that truly defines the equipment. 

I'm 5'11, 235 lbs, 24. And while I'm getting kind of tubby from the baby and everything I'm working my rear end off to get back in shape before I get kicked out of the Army and waste the last 6 1/2 years of my life. After sizing in the shop I was told I needed a small frame since either my legs are so short or my jewels hang low. It feels good, and has taken everything I've thrown at it to this point. I can trade it back in for a sub $700 Giant or Kona. What are your opinions, should I? It basically looks identical to a specialized hardrock to my untrained eyes. And are there any components I should perhaps change out prior to tackling more than the beginner trails?

I bought the Giant Roam 1.
Frame 
Size S 
Colors White/Red 
Frame ALUXX-Grade Aluminum 
Fork SR Suntour NEX 4610 w/ Lockout, 63mm Travel (short but takes my heavy weight like a champ after riding it off of loading docks and such during my test ride)
Shock N/A 
Components 
Handlebar Giant Sport, Alloy 30mm rise 25.4 
Stem Giant Sport, Alloy 
Seatpost Giant Sport Alloy, 30.9 
Saddle Giant X-Road Sport Men's 
Pedals VP-992S Steel Cage 
Drivetrain 
Shifters SRAM X.5, Trigger 
Front Derailleur Shimano Altus 
Rear Derailleur SRAM X.5 
Brakes Avid BB5 Disc 
Brake Levers Tektro 3 Finger w/ Kraton Comfort Grip (I'm in love with these so far)
Cassette SRAM PG830 11x32, 8-Speed 
Chain KMC Z72NP 
Crankset Shimano M361, 28/38/48 
Bottom Bracket Sealed Cartridge 
Wheels 
Rims Giant Sport, Double Walled, Disc Specific, 700c 
Hubs Alloy Sealed w/ QR, 32h 
Spokes Stainless Steel 
Tires Kenda Kwick, 700x40


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## Skullfrog479 (Jun 27, 2011)

Oh and it weighs 33.6 lbs.


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## Sean831 (May 22, 2011)

the components seem pretty regular for the price range. you bought your bike WAY too small though. Usually people your height go for a large. Unless that bike seems to fit you better than any others (hopefully you tried more than one) I would trade it in for one with a larger frame

EDIT: sorry i didnt quite get all of the details the first time i read this. are you sure that is your size and that the shop isnt just trying to sell you that specific bike?


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## Koppuh Klyde (Jul 13, 2010)

You said it best. "It feels good and has taken everything Ive thrown at it."

From what I understand our first MTBs are "throw away" bikes for us to learn on and to beat the ish out of. The components are similar to my Fuji that I spent about the same amount of money. Apparently enrty level bike are similarly equipped and only the geometry varies a little. In the end theyre just bikes and no matter which one you ride the end result is the same.

I say beat the heck out of it then sell it or save it as a backup. BTW, thanks for serving your country (us  ).

Edit- I just noticed the tire/wheel size and suspension travel. Are you thinking you might want something bigger? That one looks like it might be more for recreation use (not so much for trails/off road).

LOLz! I didnt even look at the size. Just noticed the "feels good part". Small does seem........well small. But you cant argue with "feels good". Have you taken it for a longer ride yet?


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

At 5'11", a small size frame does not sound correct. You would have to have damn short legs for that to make sense. Standover height is, in all honesty, completely unimportant in bike sizing. Sure it's nice but it has little to do with the way a bike should fit your body while riding. I would think that after an extended ride you might feel cramped on a small size bike. Of course, without seeing you on the bike, it's just speculation, but the numbers aren't making sense.

Another thing to consider is that the Roam is mostly designed for pavement and the occasional dirt road. Trail riding will not be its forte and I would not expect a long life from the bike if you're going to do any serious trails. As this is a mountain bike forum primarily, you will have to excuse any bias on my part but I would suggest that if trail riding is going to be part of your purpose on this bike then you need to pick out a mountain bike. The reason is that the parts will be made to cope with the rougher handling that trails dish out; bigger tires, better brakes (usually), different gearing, different geometry and riding position, and usually tougher wheels all add up to a machine that is built to cope with the terrain encountered off the road. No ofense meant, but you aren't a lightweight as far as bikes are concerned so you will tend to be a little harder on parts like wheels, so you should be picking your bike based on a so called "worst case". Your worst case will be mountain bike trails, so you should pick a bike to go on mountain bike trails. It will still be suitable for roads (especially if you get a set of road wheels and/or tires to swap back and forth) but it will last much longer and work much better when you take it off road.

Either way, I would question the bike fit you had done. You could go to a different shop and ask them to take a look at your fit. Just mention to them that you aren't sure it fits properly and ask if they can take a really quick look. They might ask you to pay for a fit, but I wouldn't bother just see if they'll do a quick eyeball to see if they would have put you on that size bike.

Long winded today, I guess. Sorry about that.


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## Skullfrog479 (Jun 27, 2011)

Only taken it 5 miles on a mixed pavement/offroad trail so far. I started with the large but standing over it I was basically singing soprano, but the salespeople said they'd trade up in size if I felt I needed to(within the 30 day window, of course). I figured I should be looking at larges as well but they put me on them and said it looked like I needed a small since my legs seemed to be pretty short. I was also wearing flat shoes not made for riding that had about a 1/2 inch sole on them. 

Also, from what I can tell is that since this bike is a hybrid, it's using road bicycle wheels. I need something that can do it all as well as possible without being terrible at the others. There is a shop down my street that only does adjustments, tuning, and custom wheels(I think the custom wheels are the main component of their business). Should I have them make me a set of wheels more in tune with off-roading and just switch them out when I plan to go trail riding?

And yes, I know I probably need to ride it a little more, but the components seemed better than the revel 1, even though it's a 'dedicated mtb'.


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Skullfrog479 said:


> Also, from what I can tell is that since this bike is a hybrid, it's using road bicycle wheels. I need something that can do it all as well as possible without being terrible at the others. ...
> Should I have them make me a set of wheels more in tune with off-roading and just switch them out when I plan to go trail riding?


I would say that the wheels aren't the only thing keeping that bike from being good at trail riding. I don't think you can put very thick tires on that frame and that will hold you back, the geometry isn't good for trails, and the parts may not hold up.

A really good option for you might be to get a 29'er mountain bike and have that custom shop build a set of road wheels for it. That way you have a strong platform that you can still take out on the road when you need to. The 29'ers use a road bike diameter wheel but with wider rims and more tire clearance.


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## Skullfrog479 (Jun 27, 2011)

zebrahum said:


> At 5'11", a small size frame does not sound correct. You would have to have damn short legs for that to make sense. Standover height is, in all honesty, completely unimportant in bike sizing. Sure it's nice but it has little to do with the way a bike should fit your body while riding. I would think that after an extended ride you might feel cramped on a small size bike. Of course, without seeing you on the bike, it's just speculation, but the numbers aren't making sense.
> 
> Another thing to consider is that the Roam is mostly designed for pavement and the occasional dirt road. Trail riding will not be its forte and I would not expect a long life from the bike if you're going to do any serious trails. As this is a mountain bike forum primarily, you will have to excuse any bias on my part but I would suggest that if trail riding is going to be part of your purpose on this bike then you need to pick out a mountain bike. The reason is that the parts will be made to cope with the rougher handling that trails dish out; bigger tires, better brakes (usually), different gearing, different geometry and riding position, and usually tougher wheels all add up to a machine that is built to cope with the terrain encountered off the road. No ofense meant, but you aren't a lightweight as far as bikes are concerned so you will tend to be a little harder on parts like wheels, so you should be picking your bike based on a so called "worst case". Your worst case will be mountain bike trails, so you should pick a bike to go on mountain bike trails. It will still be suitable for roads (especially if you get a set of road wheels and/or tires to swap back and forth) but it will last much longer and work much better when you take it off road.
> 
> ...


I mostly test rode the Giants, and to me it just felt like the Revel 2s weren't really worth the money, as they didn't feel that much better than my 'dept store bike'. The components aside from wheels seemed to be identical to me on the Revel 1. Should I try out one of the Kona bikes? I believe the bike in the price range I was looking at was the Fire Mountain.
Frame Material Kona 7005 Aluminum Butted 
Sizes 14", 16", 18", 20", 22" 
Fork RockShox Dart 1 100mm 
Crankarms FSA 
Chainrings 42/32/22 
B/B Xerama SP-500 
Pedals Wellgo LU-A9 
Chain Shimano HG40 
Freewheel Shimano HG30 11-32 8 spd 
F/D Shimano Acera 
R/D Shimano Alivio SGS 
Shifters Shimano Altus EZ Fire Integrated 
Brake Calipers Shimano M445 Hydraulic Disc 
Front Brake Rotor Shimano 160mm 
Rear Brake Rotor Shimano 160mm 
Brake Levers Shimano M445 Hydraulic 
Headset FSA 
Handlebar Kona Aluminum Riser 
Stem Kona Control 
Seatpost Kona Thumb w/offset 
Seat Clamp Kona QR 
Grips Kona Mooseknuckle 
Saddle Kona XC 
Front Hub KT Disc 
Rear Hub KT Disc 
Spokes Stainless 14g 
Rims Shining MT-20 
Front Tire Vittoria Geax 26 x 2.0 
Rear Tire Vittoria Geax 26 x 2.0 
Paint Color Black & White


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Skullfrog479 said:


> I mostly test rode the Giants, and to me it just felt like the Revel 2s weren't really worth the money, as they didn't feel that much better than my 'dept store bike'. The components aside from wheels seemed to be identical to me on the Revel 1. Should I try out one of the Kona bikes? I believe the bike in the price range I was looking at was the Fire Mountain.


If you have other shops, it might be worth shopping around to get some other options. But in Kona bikes I would suggest that you look at the Mahuna

http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=mahuna

A touch more expensive than the Fire Mountain but it has 29" wheels which you may or may not like. With either the 26" or the 29" wheels you could get a second set of wheels or tires for road use so go with that you like to ride most.


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## Skullfrog479 (Jun 27, 2011)

Unfortunately I can't actually let more money out my pocket and the Fire Mountain only costs another 11 bucks to trade in for. I can always go down levels and get cash back, but I have a feeling those bikes wouldn't handle trails much better than what I already have. The LBS here has such good customer service and are so friendly on top of having top notch return/reward policies that none of the other shops have managed to survive except for some outdoor stores that don't have knowledgeable staff. I get 10% store credit for any purchase I make in the store. So my 620 bike got me 62 bucks to spend in the store(they have a lot of outdoor recreational sports gear for things like mountain climbing and kayaking as well) plus they have free classes/organize rides, etc. I really want to go with them since the other shops around here charge 50+ for adjustments and 90 for a full tune+35/hr and some even offer an (oh joy) free service for a year versus lifetime. When I can take it to them for free and pick it up later that day. 

The lady that was helping me said herself that I should probably be on a Medium or Large frame except for how short my legs seemed to be, but I also went in there looking for a hybrid which I believe for road bicycling it might actually be more important. My wife has a cannondale that I really like but she won't give it to me.


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Having a good LBS is worth it's weight in gold so I think you're making the right decision to stick with them. With your options currently, I would say that you should be looking at a Medium frame (unless you have truly ungodly short legs) and you need to decide to what extent your trail riding will be. 

I'm not talking about 90% on road 10% off road, that doesn't really help when you're picking a bike. I'm talking about when you do go off road, what are the trails like? What kind of riding will you be doing off road? How much experience do you have off road? These kinds of questions will hopefully steer you towards the correct bike. Remember that if you're doing more than just gentle dirt roads you will probably be overstepping the comfort zone of a hybrid bike. You can always set up a mountain bike to be OK on the road, but you can't do much to make a hybrid bike OK on the trails.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Trade it in.

It's too small for you and hybrids suck. We all make mistakes, but you don't have to live with this one.

Why hybrids suck - suppose you start really enjoying mountain biking. You may have trouble fitting a full-sized 29er tire on the Roam, and it's got funky geometry, appropriate for an unathletic riding style and likely to cause back pain for someone who's putting out a little more wattage. While it would probably be okay for the geometry to put a longer-travel fork on the front, which you'd have to when you killed the stock one if you wanted suspension, doing that voids the warranty and can cause frame failure. Hybrids are typically not built as solidly as mountain bikes and you're a big guy, so that would be even more of a risk in your case than it always is.

Now suppose you start really getting into road riding. (Hey, it could happen...) Some people believe they have a place on road bikes, but if I'm doing long rides in a more static position, flat bars tend to murder my shoulder. There's a reason that road bikes have had drop bars for the last hundred years or so. The suspension fork will be needless extra weight, and the bouncing will irritate you. You can certainly shuffle some parts around to make it better on the road, but why throw money at turning something into a slightly better substitute for something it still won't be?

Some people prefer hybrids for tasks like riding to work, slowly, and grocery shopping, slowly. But if your goals include fitness, you really need a long enough bike to have a comfortable riding position when you're riding at training effort levels and for training lengths of time.

The Fire Mountain will have its shortcomings, all bikes do for those of us who have a budget to work with, but the frame should be solid, the geometry is appropriate for riding like an athlete if you get the right size (I'm confident that small is not the right size for you) and while it's still not going to do a great job on the road, I'd take a 26" mountain bike with slicks or, better yet, road wheels over a hybrid any day - the flat bars may still screw up my shoulders, but at least the bikes run long enough for me to have the riding position I like.

While I'm being "that guy..." Campuses can be a really bad place to leave nice bikes. Scout around yours a little bit. If more expensive bikes than yours are locked outside and there aren't any stripped frames around, you're probably okay. If you mostly only see beater bikes and especially if you do see stripped frames or bikes missing parts like the saddle or a wheel, you really need a cheap bike to use for your commute. Like, sub-$100 cheap.

I think people with short legs for their height actually stand to do better by going up a frame size, not down. Bigger bikes have longer top tubes, and while there's a lot of vertical adjustability in the way a bike is laid out, when you start trying to make a bike that's not very long from front to back have more space in that dimension, there are handling problems. Unless you have to run a -17 degree stem all the way at the bottom of the spacer stack and the handlebars are still too high, go with the bike with the top tube length that works.


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## Skullfrog479 (Jun 27, 2011)

zebrahum said:


> Having a good LBS is worth it's weight in gold so I think you're making the right decision to stick with them. With your options currently, I would say that you should be looking at a Medium frame (unless you have truly ungodly short legs) and you need to decide to what extent your trail riding will be.
> 
> I'm not talking about 90% on road 10% off road, that doesn't really help when you're picking a bike. I'm talking about when you do go off road, what are the trails like? What kind of riding will you be doing off road? How much experience do you have off road? These kinds of questions will hopefully steer you towards the correct bike. Remember that if you're doing more than just gentle dirt roads you will probably be overstepping the comfort zone of a hybrid bike. You can always set up a mountain bike to be OK on the road, but you can't do much to make a hybrid bike OK on the trails.


Well I've been riding every day (except 3 in a row because I was out of state and they wouldn't let me take the bike with me to an FTX) for the past 6 weeks and I love doing it more every day. I rode daily when I was probably 5 until I was 16 and then took an 8 year break because I've been busy doing other things. I rode my dept store bike on some trails and it handled them fine but needed some adjustments and tuning and once I looked at prices for that stuff I immediately took it back. I noticed that kona has a lifetime frame warranty on their non-carbon fiber frames, and me being as heavy as I am I'm thinking that might be a good idea if I start riding advanced trails. Right now I'm still just getting used to being heavier and I take the bikes I've had over the past few weeks over every single thing I see be it a giant dirt mound(got the front tire to the top before the dirt broke and I fell down.) to jumping it off anything I see. I actually sprained my wrist yesterday taking the Roam off of too high a jump since I had the forks locked out from the ride there on the road. I'm going to wrap it up and go riding again in a few hours, but I might go pick up either a Giant Revel 1 or one of the 2 Kona XC hardtails Lana'I or Fire Mountain depending on they feel to me. They really dont have anything else in my price range. I might spring for that Mahuna, though. This shop is right next to our areas high-class living area so most of the bikes they have in there are 3k-8k except for about 1 size each of the Konas and Giants.


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Skullfrog479 said:


> Right now I'm still just getting used to being heavier and I take the bikes I've had over the past few weeks over every single thing I see be it a giant dirt mound(got the front tire to the top before the dirt broke and I fell down.) to jumping it off anything I see. I actually sprained my wrist yesterday taking the Roam off of too high a jump since I had the forks locked out from the ride there on the road.


Ok, well the way I see it you NEED a mountain bike. Your Roam is not long for this world with the kind of riding you are doing at your weight. Something is going to give sooner than later. If it were my money I would go back and get a properly sized (I still assume that means Medium, possibly large but probably not) Kona Fire Mountain. Use your bonus bucks to get some pedals that have a metal body. I would suggest something like the Kona Wah Wah, but they're not cheap. Good pedals are very much worth your money so spend wisely or buy them over and over again.

Now go, get yourself a mountain bike! Join us!


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

AndrwSwitch said:


> I think people with short legs for their height actually stand to do better by going up a frame size, not down. Bigger bikes have longer top tubes, and while there's a lot of vertical adjustability in the way a bike is laid out, when you start trying to make a bike that's not very long from front to back have more space in that dimension, there are handling problems. Unless you have to run a -17 degree stem all the way at the bottom of the spacer stack and the handlebars are still too high, go with the bike with the top tube length that works.


Quoted for truth. All good advice from Andrw but there's your gold when it comes to what size to get. You would have to have impossibly short legs to truly need a small frame. The hybrid probably makes the bike fit much differently than a mountain bike, taller wheels means taller standover which leaves you with a smaller frame.

Long torso = larger size bike => better, more comfortable riding position.


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## Skullfrog479 (Jun 27, 2011)

AndrwSwitch said:


> Trade it in.
> 
> It's too small for you and hybrids suck. We all make mistakes, but you don't have to live with this one.
> 
> ...


I have a cheap dept store bike I decided to ride to make sure I still wanted to keep at it. I have a $49 huffy from Academy that I rode for 3 weeks. It does what I expected for being that cheap, so I might just do some adjusting on it myself(sure as heck not paying more than the bike cost to tune it professionally) and use that if I have any classes that don't have super-high visibility bike lock areas. I plan to U-lock the front wheel to the frame and rear wheel into the fixture so the only things that can be stolen are so inaccessible most intelligent people won't attempt it other than the seat.

(of course most intelligent people don't resort to stealing)


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

The Huffy is a good plan. As long as it stops reliably and doesn't collapse under you, it's safe enough to ride to school. The big thing to worry about with these bikes, in terms of safety, is sheet metal brakes. As long as you keep the wheels on the ground, they should be at least safe otherwise.

While I hate to think of bike thieves being intelligent people or intelligent people stealing my bike, it's a bad idea to give criminals too little credit for ingenuity, and bike locks are relatively easily defeated.


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## Skullfrog479 (Jun 27, 2011)

its only problems from what I've used it for which is mostly road riding with belligerent attempts at tackling any obstacle I think might be fun is that it weighs a ton, doesn't have disc breaks(at my weight I build so much momentum those discs are awesome) and it's shifting is terrible from not being in line. I have a guide they sent to do the adjusting so I'll take your advice and look around at the bike racks and see what things are looking like before taking my new baby into a bad situation.

The price range I'm working within is the exact amount of a per-semester parking pass on campus which is how I justified buying a bike instead.


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## Skullfrog479 (Jun 27, 2011)

Ok so the bike is back at the LBS and they're bringing in an 18 inch Kona Fire Mountain(sister store a few cities over) and an 18 inch Mahuna(they have to order and build) for me to try out.

They had a large framed Giant Revel 0 that actually felt pretty good to be on.

so now my options are
Giant Revel 0
Sizes XS, S, M, *L*, XL, 2XL 
Colors Black/Green 
Frame ALUXX-Grade Butted Aluminum 
Fork RockShox Dart 2, 100mm Travel 
Shock N/A 
Components 
Handlebar Giant Sport Alloy, Low Rise 31.8 
Stem Giant Sport, Alloy 
Seatpost Giant Sport, Alloy, 30.9 
Saddle Giant Sport MTB 
Pedals Alloy Platform 
Drivetrain 
Shifters SRAM X.5, Trigger 
Front Derailleur Shimano Altus 
Rear Derailleur SRAM X.5 
Brakes Avid BB5 Disc 
Brake Levers Tektro Alloy, 2 Finger 
Cassette SRAM PG830 11x32, 8-Speed 
Chain KMC Z72 
Crankset Shimano Acera M361, 22/32/42 
Bottom Bracket Shimano Cartridge 
Wheels 
Rims Giant XC Alloy, Double Wall 
Hubs Formula Disc, 32h 
Spokes Stainless Steel, 14g 
Tires Kenda Small Block Eight, 26x2.1

Kona Fire Mountain
Frame Material Kona 7005 Aluminum Butted 
Sizes 14", 16", 18", 20", 22"
Fork RockShox Dart 1 100mm 
Crankarms FSA 
Chainrings 42/32/22
B/B Xerama SP-500 
Pedals Wellgo LU-A9 
Chain Shimano HG40 
Freewheel Shimano HG30 11-32 8 spd 
F/D Shimano Acera 
R/D Shimano Alivio SGS 
Shifters Shimano Altus EZ Fire Integrated 
Brake Calipers Shimano M445 Hydraulic Disc 
Front Brake Rotor Shimano 160mm 
Rear Brake Rotor Shimano 160mm 
Brake Levers Shimano M445 Hydraulic 
Headset FSA 
Handlebar Kona Aluminum Riser 
Stem Kona Control 
Seatpost Kona Thumb w/offset 
Seat Clamp Kona QR 
Grips Kona Mooseknuckle 
Saddle Kona XC 
Front Hub KT Disc 
Rear Hub KT Disc 
Spokes Stainless 14g 
Rims Shining MT-20 
Front Tire Vittoria Geax 26 x 2.0 
Rear Tire Vittoria Geax 26 x 2.0 
Paint Color Black & White

or a Kona Mahuna - my initial impression that this is a big wheeled Lanai'i and not the Fire Mountain as everyone says. I don't like the idea of paying an extra 380 for the same components just to have larger wheels and disc brakes. Correct me if I'm wrong, but most of the parts seemed to be the same.
Frame Material Kona Race Light 7005 Aluminum Butted 
Sizes 14", 16", 18", 19", 20", 22" 
Rear Shock N/A Fork Suntour SF11 XCT V3 100mm 
Crankarms FSA 
Chainrings 42/32/22 B/B FSA 
Pedals Wellgo LU-A9 
Chain KMC HG40 
Freewheel SRAM PG 820 11-32 8 spd 
F/D Shimano Altus 
R/D SRAM X4 
Shifters SRAM X4 
Brake Calipers Avid BB5 
Front Brake Rotor Avid G2 185mm 
Rear Brake Rotor Avid G2 160mm 
Brake Levers Avid FR 5 
Headset FSA 
Handlebar Kona XC/BC Riser 
Stem Kona XC/BC 
Seatpost Kona Thumb Double Clamp 
Seat Clamp Kona QR 
Grips Kona Race Light LOG 
Saddle Kona XC 
Front Hub Formula Disc 
Rear Hub Formula Disc 
Spokes Stainless 14g 
Rims Alex EN-24 
Front Tire Maxxis Ignitor 29x2.1 
Rear Tire Maxxis Ignitor 29x2.1 
Paint Color Charcoal Metallic


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## Koppuh Klyde (Jul 13, 2010)

What? No Giant 9er? http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/model/talon.29er.2/7377/44106/

Just for arguments sake. If you liked the fit of the Roam, you might like the fit of the Talon. LBS sounds legit. :thumbsup:


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

I think you've made a good decision so far. I don't see any earth shattering differences between the bikes as far as parts go so I would say that pick the one that fits and rides the best. Give them all a fair try in the parking lot and walk out with the one you like riding the most.


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## jeff193 (Jun 13, 2007)

So this shop sold you a small frame and your 5'11"? and a Hybrid when it sounds like your after a MTB? I've worked in shops for 15 years, and plan to for the rest of my working life and In my opinion, this shop has failed to 1) address your needs as a rider and 2) size you properly. 

The bikes you have been presented with are completely different and will deliver completely different experiences on the trail. Forget comparing component spec, compare the designers intention for each bike. Who is it designed for? What does it do? Why does it have the parts and geometry it does? These are the things that will matter and a good bike shop will help you completely understand these features.

When you buy a bike from a good LBS you should have 100% confidence in the product they sold you, as well as the fit. The fact they let you walk out the door with a bike miles too small speaks loads. When I sell a bike, If my customer experiences any kind of buyers remorse or doubt about their purchase, I've failed to do my job correctly. Plus you mention the servicing is cheaper and they provide lifetime service. If they don't make any income do you think they will value the time they spend working on your bike? or training their staff to do it properly. Free service is useless if the quality is poor. I've never seen a shop I would recommend to any of my friends which also provides lifetime service. 

Find a shop which asks you lots of questions about what experience your after on your bike, then takes the time to ensure your riding an appropriate size bike. Life is too short to be riding a bike which is too small or the wrong style.


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## jeff193 (Jun 13, 2007)

To answer your question I think you made the best decision you could armed with the information you had, but unfortunately for the experience your after the product you got is very wrong. Your LBS should have been there to help guide you in the right direction. I'm not saying go storming back with anger and accusations, nor would they have intentionally sold you the wrong size. They just did the best they could with the knowledge they had. But when we are talking about your money, I'd say its not good enough, and there's much better shops. Just ask for a refund which it sounds they will be happy to offer and find somewhere that is going to look after you.


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## Skullfrog479 (Jun 27, 2011)

I went back with more appropriate attire and told them to get me what I need and not what they think I might want. Ended up with 18 in Kona and L giants. Being as heavy as I an I like the lifetime frame warranty for Kona. Their only mistake was listening to 'i want' instead of digging deeper to find out what I needed. 

And the reasons got me not being interested in the 9ers is theyre basically bottom level entry level bikes that cost more than the top entry level 26s. I haven't completely crossed them out yet, though. I plan to try out every bike extensively this time around.


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## Ice Cold (Aug 20, 2008)

Def not I am 5'9 and barely fit in my Cannondale Quick CX 3 which is virtually identical to the OP's bike. 

5'11" in a small NO WAY!!


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## mythos (Jun 25, 2011)

nice bike


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## Skullfrog479 (Jun 27, 2011)

I ended up bringing home the Kona Fire Mountain. Taking it out Thursday for a quick little jaunt through the woods with the weekly ride hosted by the LBS. As much as I don't want to sit back and have them teach people I could probably learn a lot as well since I probably have terrible habits from BMX. Not to mention they should be able to help me with my mtb form/stance. And if I don't like the Fire Mountain they'll just bring another bike in for me and I'll ride the Fire Mountain until it's built and ready. From my very limited excursions on it so far I am very impressed, but lament not being able to afford the Nunu for the lockout shocks. But being that I am adjusting my crappy huffy for campus commuting, I figure it really doesn't matter all that much. I appreciate everyone that helped me out. You guys that offered advice are the best.(AndrwSwitch and Zebrahum in particular)

I'll probably get something from bikesdirect for my next bike, but for my first serious mtb I wanted to have the support of a LBS and the ability to switch bikes every day if I want until I find one that's perfect(which I fully intend to do, if the Fire Mountain doesn't work out the way I think it will.)


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Skullfrog479 said:


> I ended up bringing home the Kona Fire Mountain. Taking it out Thursday for a quick little jaunt through the woods with the weekly ride hosted by the LBS. As much as I don't want to sit back and have them teach people I could probably learn a lot as well since I probably have terrible habits from BMX. Not to mention they should be able to help me with my mtb form/stance. And if I don't like the Fire Mountain they'll just bring another bike in for me and I'll ride the Fire Mountain until it's built and ready. From my very limited excursions on it so far I am very impressed, but lament not being able to afford the Nunu for the lockout shocks. But being that I am adjusting my crappy huffy for campus commuting, I figure it really doesn't matter all that much. I appreciate everyone that helped me out. You guys that offered advice are the best.(AndrwSwitch and Zebrahan in particular)
> 
> I'll probably get something from bikesdirect for my next bike, but for my first serious mtb I wanted to have the support of a LBS and the ability to switch bikes every day if I want until I find one that's perfect(which I fully intend to do, if the Fire Mountain doesn't work out the way I think it will.)


Awesome choice! Some quick notes: 
Don't worry about not having the lockout fork. I can count on one hand the number of times I've used my lockout on my fork over the last several years. You won't miss it and in all honesty having a little bit of give is nice for those unexpected bumps in the trail while you're climbing.

Bikesdirect.com is a sham. I think the only reason I would consider their bikes is to get a cheap Ti frame, and even then their prices aren't great. Don't let that website fool you into thinking they have $1,000 bikes selling for $400. You always get what you pay for one way or another. Don't shun your LBS just yet is all I'm saying. Especially if you might be thinking full suspension for your next bike. If there's one thing BD.com can't do, it's full suspension.

You've had your bike for hours and you haven't even posted a picture of it? Have you learned nothing from this website? :thumbsup:


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## Skullfrog479 (Jun 27, 2011)

Here it is. Am I right in keeping my bikes sitting on their seats/handlebars when in my garage while I search for a rack I am happy with? I figure there's a reason that real mtbs don't come with kickstands, and I'm assuming other than the potential hazards of having extra bars of loose metal hanging onto your bike, it puts undue pressure on your tires if you let it sit too long. Forgive me if this is the first 300+ bike I've ever owned. It's all I could afford and then quite a bit more. But I figured from everyone's advice here that it really is best to spend everything you can up front. Right now I'm still considering it rented with a full purchase price deposit for the next 30 days. Hopefully I'll enjoy it. I'm kind of wondering how long the shocks will last under my robust weight, though.


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Skullfrog479 said:


> Here it is. Am I right in keeping my bikes sitting on their seats/handlebars when in my garage while I search for a rack I am happy with? I figure there's a reason that real mtbs don't come with kickstands, and I'm assuming other than the potential hazards of having extra bars of loose metal hanging onto your bike, it puts undue pressure on your tires if you let it sit too long. Forgive me if this is the first 300+ bike I've ever owned. It's all I could afford and then quite a bit more. But I figured from everyone's advice here that it really is best to spend everything you can up front. Right now I'm still considering it rented with a full purchase price deposit for the next 30 days. Hopefully I'll enjoy it. I'm kind of wondering how long the shocks will last under my robust weight, though.


Hydraulic brakes don't like to be turned upside down. If there is any air in the system then it will travel to the highest point. If you store the bike upside down then any air can get trapped in the caliper. The lever body has a bladder that compensates for changes in fluid pressure and is much better at dealing with air in the system. Point is: don't turn your bike upside down to store it for long. Your tires won't flat spot from sitting for a month just like your car tires don't flat spot when you go on vacation for a couple weeks.

Just lean your bike up against the wall. I always try to tell people that as long as you put rubber against the wall, it won't move. We currently have 8 bikes in the house and with the exception of the three cruisers they are all sitting on their tires leaning against something. Kickstands tend to get worn out and run the risk of deploying at inopportune times, any actual bike that gets rode on trails should probably not have a kickstand on it. It's not the end of the world to lean a bike up against a tree or even lay it gently on the ground.


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## RCP FAB (Jun 15, 2011)

I can't believe they sold you a small giant.


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## scale70 (May 28, 2011)

I'm glad you listen to the advice given here and finally got yourself the Kona and in size 18.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Congratulations on the new bike.

Looks like zebra covered your last questions. So, enjoy it!


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