Mountain biking

Question
Hey my friend is selling me his 09 rocky mountain switch with fox 36 forks and a fox dhx spring rear shock along with other upgrades for 1700 is this a good deal?

Answer
Hey Tyson,

First of all keep in mind that no bike, no matter what the price, is not a good deal if it doesn't fit. Being that this is a "freeride" bike the frame should allow you plenty of clearance, the handlebars should be nice and close, but not so close as to hunch you up. In other words you should have a comfortable, upright, riding position.

The next thing to consider is that being a freeride bike there is a good possibility that the bike was "ridden hard and put away wet." I would have the bike checked out by a local bike shop. However, there are somethings that you can check: see if there is any evidence that the shocks are leaking (a rebuild of a shock can be a couple of hundred dollars), see if there is any side to side flex of the frame at the pivot points, check to see if the chain rings are bent or worn. And even little things add up, new grips, a new saddle, cables, housing...

The bike seems to have received some great reviews from what I have read. $1700 seems a bit high, in my opinion, but might be OK given the up-grades. I would still have it checked out completely by a LBS, get their opinion.

A quick word about "up-grades." Many years ago I was always searching for the lightest, coolest, parts for my bike. I remember building up a GT Zaskar using a lot of titanium parts, the lightest this, the lightest that... when done the bike weighed in at under 17 pounds (no suspension back then). As beautiful as the bike was and as fast as it was on single track, it was a pain in the butt. All the one-off parts I used made the shifting picky, the brakes needed adjusting after every ride, and the ride was harsh... My off road ride now is a bone stock Breezer with a mix of XTR and XT. I have had no problems at all (knock wood).

And just another quick word of advice, you might just want to take your $1700 and check out some end of the year deals at your LBS's. You might just find a new ride - with a warranty - for not too much more money.

I hope this helped.

Ride.

Tad