Awesome intro mtb. Nice tight ride, good weight for downhill stretches, light enough to not bonk on long uphills. Smooth shifting all the way thru.

Stock pedals; I upgraded to Shimano SPDs. Grips are weak, need upgrade. Tires (Schwable) are a bit heavy on the stock ride. Saddle a tad weighty; upgraded to a Vetta.

Highly recommended for the beginner to mid-experienced rider. Great value, pretty plush off the floor.

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Had a Fisher Hoo-Koo-e-Koo. Lighter, faster, but the FM is a great re-start ride.

Great package, comes with pretty good components for the price. Strong frame, Brakes and Fork.

Rear derraileur Deore.If it were Deore Shadow, the work will be better.

Great Bike for XCO. Better than any bike for the same price. My next bike will be Kona Cinder...

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Caloi T-Type, Alfameq Tirreno.

Great beginner bike, shox, brakes, wheels, and frame.

Pedal broke in a week, randomly shifts or doesn't shift (wear and tear possibly), and tires are crap.

Great bike lots of fun, great quality, and a couple minor issues. Good bike but you should probably replace the tires and pedal soon after purchase and also watch your gears before they get too damaged. Still using this 3 and a half year old bike.

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Cannondale F7

Very good for price.

Some components

I LIKE IT

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A few

It's a very sturdy, indestructable bike, with a alright stock setup.

The weakness is the brakes(the tend to loosen during long downhill sessions), the shocks(very gunky,wobbely,sticky and loose)

This is an amazing bike for learning on, but shouldn't be taken to the next levels. Its best feature is the frame, so if you swap everything else out,you have a good setup...

Everything...but...

Stock tires and no turnkey lock

Super great bike, but stock tires are in need for immediate changes.

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Target bikes

The Fire Mountain Deluxe has a great frame that is completely upgradeable. As soon as I purchased this bike I put it through hell--800 Kilometers in two months, through gravel trails and mountain paths! If you are looking for your first bike or a decent priced bike to build off of--the Fire Mountain Deluxe is perfect.

I haven't experienced any problems with the shifters or brakes as mentioned in another review, but from a novice perspective I have little to compare against. I quickly replaced the pedals and the grips. Due to numbness in the hands I went with the Ergon GX2--pricey, but well worth it. This bike likes her maintenance. The Shimano chain stretched quick, and in the first 60 days I burned out two gears on the Cassette. I'm not racing so I switched to a SRAM chain and upgraded to a better quality Cassette.

This bike has a great frame, from what I had been advised the 08 Fire Mountain Deluxe frame is the same as 07 Cinder Cone. If you are looking for a great bike at a decent cost this one is it. It's good as is, but with minor personality tweeks you really make it your own.

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Kona Shred

brilliant frame, can withstand a battering, brakes good, good stopping power, good weight for price, excellent for cross country

front shifter needs adjustment on a regular basis, front gears lost a few teeth in first 300km (possibly because of hard hills & rocky roads!)

Brilliant price for a bike that compares well to more expensive bikes, did a 55k race through Umfolozi game reserve in Zululand (home to the big five) very rocky bumpy jeep tracks, big hills and big descents, soft sand river crossings, lots of thorns, some long grass, bike went perfectly without missing a beat. Excellent for those on a budget or starting out. Bike is upgradable and whilst the components are decent, upgrades such as tubeless rims, front crankset & hydraulic brakes would give you a great spec level at minimal cost.

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raleigh mtrax

Money goes into the stout, quality frame with nice welds and good paint.

Money saved on some nasty components.

I bought this bike in excellent condition cheap. I intended to use it as a sort of around town bike to beat on. Then I damaged my Rocky Mountain Element last season and I took out the little Kona so I didn't miss any rides. At first me and my friends joked about it, but really I was won over by the frame's Perfomance even with the so-so componnts. Stuff on it started breaking, so I started replaceing it with nicer stuff. Before I knew it I was riding it all the time so I did a frame swap with my Rocky and couldn't be happier!

This bike is just about perfect for a rider who plans to upgrade. The money goes into a frame taht's a real keeper and the components are passable bits that you won't feel bad about replacing.

If I had any complaint it would be that the long top tube may not be to everyone's liking. At first I though I would have preffered longer stays and shorter top tube, but with a short enough stem I eventually got the fit right. Still the geometry may not be to the liking of a pure XC rider.

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Diamond back something, Raleigh M40.

Good value - provides a solid platform for dirt and urban exploring. Fairly upright riding position and plush saddle make it a comfy rig for longer rides. Frame is very solid and well put together.

As with any bike at this price point, compromises are made in the spec. The crank in particular stands out as rather low end. But again, can't complain as you get what you pay for.

I picked this bike up (a 2007 model) to keep at the in-laws place in Japan. Given that we only get over there 1-4 times a year for a few weeks at a time, there seemed little point in going with a more expensive ride. And this bike gets the job done - solid feel thanks to the bomb proof frame, mechanical disc brakes that so far work fine, and a simple rock shox fork to soak up the bumps. This is a solid ride for weekend/occasional use or for someone just getting into the sport. For more frequent riding, a few extra dollars would be well spent for a plusher, adjustable fork and more durable components.

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This is the first Kona I've ridden.