[marxxx]

Hello,

I am new to mountain bikes in general. I have been looking for a good quality entry level bike. I have looked at the trek 4300 and 4500, the gt avalanche 2.0 with disc brakes, specialized, and cannondale F300. What would you recommend.

I can get the cannondale for about the same price as the trek 4500, both of which are $100 more than the GT.

Here are some specs:

Cannondale F300
Double butted frame
Manitou axle comp Fork
Mavic X139 rims
Shimano RM-40 Hubs
IRC Mythos XC tires
Wellgo alloy cage pedals
Sugino X150 Crank
Shimano Alivio Front derailleur
Shimano Deore Rear derailleur
Shimano Alivio shifters
Ritchey SC Handlebars
Cannondale Expert Brakeset
Head set TH 1 1/8" in adapter cups
$450 for a 2003 model

Gt Avalanche 2.0GT Triple triangle 6061 butted frame
Zero stack headset
Rock Shox Judy TT Fork w/ preload adjustment
Shimano 24 spd Drivetrain w alivio rear derailleur EF 29 shifters
Shimano M-475 Mechanical Disc Brakes
Alloy ATB rims Formula disc hubs
Tioga factory extreme XC tires
$320

Trek 4500
Alpha SL Aluminum frame
Rock Shox Judy TT Fork
Alloy front hub, Shimano rear hub Matrix 750 rims
Shimano MC08 Crankset
Shimano Deore rear Derailleur
$420

Of course there are 1000 other choices. I also have a local dealer with both haro and jamis bikes. I will look at those as well, but I am strongly leaning toward the F300. This is the top of my price range right now, so I can't go any further up the ladder. I am hoping to get a good solid bike to start with that I can either replace or upgrade as needed.
I will not be doing a crazy stuff on this bike, but I assume I will do my share of trail riding as well as the occassional make your own trail...

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

marxxx

 

[smash-itup]

the cannondale is a very good choice in my opinion. i bought one last year, and i love it. the components are good for the price. the best parts of the bike are definately the frame and the brakes. the welds on the frame are beautiful, and it has ample tire clearence, for an x-c frame. the brakes are very powerful, and are simmilar to many top of the line avid models. mine came with a headshock super fatty dl, which is a far superior shock made by cannondle. it comes on most of there more expensive models. it was put on my bike because near the beggining of the summer cannondale must have run out of manitou axels, so i suggest you call around to as many shops as possiable, to see if you can find one with the headshock. if you can't the manitou axel should be just fine for a begginer bike. lastly i would reccomend replaceing the over-sized saddle. it just gets in the way.

 

[UltraViolet]

i brought the Trek 4500 2004 model [back in feb] its a lovely ride for the money, i had some trubble with the V's it came with, so i just got a Deore brake box-set and wacked those on.
the stem should be replaced with something a little meatyer sometime down the road.
the seat was a bit big aswell but thats a minner prob realy.
other than that i've had no probs with the bike

 

[mtballday]

GT all the way!!!!!

 

[Sir_Crackien]

man i would buy the F300 even though i'm not a fan of cannondale for various reasons. it has the best wheels fork and drivetrain of the bunch. don't buy the GT it is not worth the disc brakes at this price point, you lose so much in ever other part of the bike. the trek i'm neutral toward but the cannondale is the winner here!

 

[redcannon]

5 years too late, but I hope you got the F300! I've had a '99 model since 2000, used it on all sorts of nasty stuff in Hong Kong and Indonesia. Only the old CAAD 2 frame is still original, everything else has been changed; in some cases, many times over..