I messaged 2 people on Facebook one about a diamondback sorrento with a 20 inch frame and the other is a Columbia trail head with a 21 inch frame and disc brakes im not sure which bike I should buy any input would help I’m very new to this
by Lopsided_Claim_3712
4 Comments
What are your goals for these bikes? Are you actually looking to ride single track and dedicated mtb trails or is this just for cruising around town.
FWIW, the Columbia pictured does not have disc brakes.
These are probably pretty equal, so between them I’d choose based on condition. That being said both of these bikes are very old and will require you to manage your expectations accordingly. Don’t think you can’t get out in the dirt and have some fun on them, but the performance will be significantly reduced from something newer.
Presumably, these are both quite inexpensive and that’s why you’re looking at them – but if you can stretch your budget to a few hundred dollars you can get a lot more value for your money.
They seem pretty equal to me as well, although neither one has disk brakes. If theborice is right, I’d go for the one appearing to be in better shape. I wouldn’t think too much about any upgrades. Other than grips and pedals. You could keep looking for a deal on a newer bike with disk brakes and possibly a better drive train. I’ve seen a bunch in my area for pretty cheap. Good luck!
The Columbia had grip shifts, which are actually pretty nice for weekend cruising on paved trails, but an absolute no-go on a MTB. They will accidentally shift when you do things that require pulling or pushing your bars like jumping or riding over obstacles.
If either of those requires any work at all, they will cost you way more than they are worth.
If you are up for fixing some poor assembly issues, there are some trail capable bikes out there now from $300-$400. The Ozark Trail from Walmarts is the best known, but there are some new options that the folks on r/budgetbikes have been getting, like RBL: https://mendhambikes.com/products/29-rbl-sport