Looking for a first (real) mountain bike...

Hi everyone.

I apologize for posting in English - I'm not confident enough with Norwegian to post, but feel free to respond på Norsk as I understand much more than I can speak.

I am relatively new in Norway (been here a number of times, finally moved at the end of January.) and I have been inspired to take up mountain biking - There's something about the accessibility and number of excellent areas to bike in that I couldn't resist.

I'm from the United States and lived in the Washington DC area where there were not many very accessible trails, so all I have currently is a Trek 7100 Hybrid. While that is a good bike, I want to tackle terrain that is way out of its capabilities (and am beating it up just commuting through the forest every day.)

I live on Kråkerøy and will be riding a lot around there, Fredrikstad and Gressvik so I am looking for something that can handle that kind of terrain. I am 183 cm tall and would be happy with a hardtail. My budget is under 6500 NOK (preferably around 45000 - 5000) and I have been looking around a little. Here's what I've looked at:

Hardrocx Shock Machine SL
Hardrocx Disc Machine
Some DBS I don't remember the name of but it has a Rock Shox fork

The problem is I just don't know what's available here in Fredrikstad, where to go and what prices are reasonable. I spoke to Rasmus at Pedalen, and he suggested that I go here and see what you all thought.

So does anyone have any recommendations/tips for a budding enthusiast?

Thanks for the help.

Hey prof,
and welcome to the forums. I don't know if you've checked it out already, but the classifieds are filled to the brim with really good offers! Anyway, someone from your area will surely reply to this thread soon.

Well, to bring this back from the dead...I did some looking around and Pedalen gave me a 20% discount on a 2008 Gary Fisher X-Cal. I ended up spending twice what I intended to spend in the first place but..

It was totally worth it. The bike is awesome and I couldn't be more pleased. I love the 29" wheels and Fox Fork, and it doesn't look too bad either. Rasmus was great to deal with and I feel like he hooked me up with a terrific deal.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Congrats, Professor! As I always tell my friends looking for a new bike: spend some! It always pays back, and with your new setup, you have a good platform for a summer of good fun. Happy trails this summer!

Just like a friend of mine looking for a sub-5k bike, in the end he spent twice that amount on a used bike. He will never stop smiling
Happy trails Prof!

Jeg har en DBS til salgs som vil passe deg. Ramme, bakgir og demper er brukt resten er nytt.

Han har kjøpt seg sykkel?