# Columbia Trailhead Disc



## pnightshade (Aug 11, 2006)

Does anybody know anything about this bike? I was considering purchasing to through Amazon. I would like to buy a beginners entry level bike and this sound pretty good. 

Please help.

Columbia Trailhead Disc 26-Inch Mountain Bike $179.99
it features precision Shimano RD-TX50-L rear and TZ30 front derailleurs, and Sram TRX gear shifter for easy and accurate changes on the fly. The RST 191-T6 front suspension fork. 6061 alloy frame has replaceable hanger and disc mounts as well as fender mounts. Other features include a threadless stem with 25-degree rise, steel handlebar, comfortably padded anatomical saddle, lightweight alloy rims, and chunky MTB wheels (26 by 2.1 inches).

Thanks
Mark


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## Eric Hoefer (Jan 19, 2004)

this bike falls under the department store bike category I would take a look at this:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=30921

You could look into something like this:
http://www.ibexbikes.com/Bikes/ALP-350-Details.html

It costs more but Mountain Biking is a sport where you dont want to get something cheap that will end up spending more time being adjusted than it would be used for riding. Allthough the columbia does seem very apealing at that price and does look to be well equipped to the untrained eye it is littered with low end components that most likely wont hold up for a super long time.


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## pnightshade (Aug 11, 2006)

Thanks for the advice Eric. I've decided to go with a Trek 3700 instead.


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## Hawc (Oct 28, 2006)

My Trailhead Disc arrived today from Amazon and it's an outstanding value. $169.00 delivered to my door. I wanted a cheap hardtail and this fits the bill perfectly. It's got an aluminum frame, hayes front and rear disc brakes, sram trigger shifters, an RST omni fork, and Shimano tourney series deraileurs. Of course the tourneys aren't high end deraileurs but, come on, they aren't going to break the first time you ride. The bike is also available in multiple frame sizes.

If you want to write this off as a cheap dept store bike, then that's your own fault, but it's NO different from any lower end bike from your lbs. They're all made in China anyways. 

Anyways, assembly's a breeze. Just attach the handle bars, skewer the front wheel, mount the font disc, and attach the seat post and pedals. The shifters and the brakes were pretty well adjusted from the factory so all I have to do now is ride it.

The bottom line is that it's a great deal for bargain hunters especially with the free shipping.


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## Smitty1283 (Nov 18, 2006)

I know that you are going with a different bike.....that is a good decision. I work at a sporting goods store that sells that bike....they are cheap...we have some problems with those bikes..... From what I was told, they are made by Ironhorse Bikes. I know that Ironhorse makes some pretty nice bikes but the ones that they put Columbia's name on are very low end. 
Jon


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## taikuodo (Jul 3, 2006)

I have both a high end vintage HT and a dept store bike with a Shimano Tourney rer der.

I tried adjusting the Tourney, and I dont think any adjustment works except for hi-low because you cannot get it dead right like my 15 year old LX. Of course, the shifting sucks...
And secondly, every time you go off a curb, the derailler hits the spokes. Eh, horrible cheap derailler, I think the generic ones on my Magna were better.


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## Hawc (Oct 28, 2006)

*Trailhead disc ride update (if anyone is interested)*

Just wanted to give a ride evaluation for those that might be interested. This bike is not my first mountain bike. Also, let me add that this is an entry level mountain bike and is being evaluated accordingly.

I got about forty trail miles on the bike. Obviously nothing too extreme. At 6' tall the 
19.5" frame fits me well. The rear derailleur was really dialed in right out of the box and the bike is still shifting suprisingly well. The sram trx shifters work great and have the same great ergonimics as the higher end sx-4 models. The hayes disc brakes work great as I expected. The RST fork (same as entry level treks) functions decently especially for a bike in this price bracket.

The ground clearance on the bike is not great but for most beginners it shouldn't be a problem. The gearing is decent but not ideal for steep trail climbs. It is only a 7 speed, afterall. So if your trails are steep, you might want to consider changing out the stock 14-28 freewheel (this bike doesn't have a cassette) to a megarange model.

The bike would be fine for a beginner on a budget. It's a bargain for $169.00.


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## Vinny A (Oct 8, 2006)

Glad you're happy with it, not the bike I would have chosen in your situation but hey as long as you're happy. :thumbsup:

Now get out there and ride!


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## taikuodo (Jul 3, 2006)

If your budget is that incredibly low, I would get used. After 1 small tumble on a department store bike [ Mongoose Iboc, no injuries ] the wheel was fried.

With $160 I was able to buy a 15 year old bike, but it came with Araya Rm-17 Superhard rims, which are, "bombproof".


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## jonnieos (Dec 18, 2006)

if you want an entry level price for a good price get the gmc topkick dual suspsension i got that one from amazon.com for 160 bucks too (this bike and the columbia are now back at full price which is still about 260) it takes a massive beating i ride so hard with that bike going full speed downhill over logs rocks roots fallen trees and what not point being its a lot of bang for your buck


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