Mountain biking is one of the best ways to explore and see all that mother nature has to offer us.
However, mountain bikes are not like regular bikes as they tend to be a lot more expensive. If you aren’t familiar with mountain biking, then you might not be willing to drop a lot of money on a mountain bike. Thankfully, we are here to help. We have assembled a list of the best mountain bikes under 500.
We are going to review each one and tell you why it is worth considering. If you don’t feel like reading each review, we recommend picking up the Mongoose R2780 Impasse Dual Full Suspension Bicycle.
A Spotlight On Some of The Best Mountain Bikes Under 500
Best Mountain Bikes Under 500 Reviews:
Vilano Blackjack 3.0 29er Mountain Bike MTB
For the first product on our best mountain bikes under 500 list, we have a real doozy of a bike. Those of you familiar with mountain biking, or biking in general, will be familiar with the name Vilano. For those who haven’t heard of Vilano before, they make some very high-quality bikes, including mountain bikes, road bikes, and much more. To find a Vilano mountain bike for such a cheap price is quite a steal.
The Vilano Blackjack 3.0 has a ton of really useful features that make it one of the best mountain bikes on this list. For starters, it has a very solid frame. As we will explain later on in this article, having a solid frame is extremely important on any bike, let alone a mountain bike.
The Vilano Blackjack boasts an impressive Butted 6061 Alloy 29er Hard Tail Frame. This not only makes the bike very durable, but it also makes it a lot easier to use on difficult terrain. The durable frame will keep this bike in action for years, if not longer. Likewise, when your ride the bike over rocky or uneven terrain, you will notice that the frame absorbs a lot of the shock and allows you to keep steady on the bike.
Almost as important as the frame, is the quality of the brakes (it is probably pretty obvious why you want good brakes when riding a mountain bike). Thankfully, Vilano has equipped the Blackjack with some very high-quality disc brakes. These brakes allow you to stop very quickly and they don’t degrade quickly, so they will last you for a long time.
As you would probably guess based on this review so far, the wheels on the Vilano are just as well-made as everything else on this bike. The wheels are, as the name of the product says, 29-inches. The 29-inch wheels really help the bike to get over bad terrain. They also feature very high-quality double wall alloy rims.
To top it all off, the Vilano Blackjack uses a Shimano 8 speed shifter. Shimano is a brand, that much like Vilano will be familiar to those who are really into biking because they consistently produce some of the highest-quality shifters, brakes, and other internal bike components around. Their inclusion in the Vilano is just another sign of the high-quality aspect of this bike.
The only downside to this bike is the seat, which is disappointingly uncomfortable. This isn’t too much of an issue, however, as seats are fairly easy to replace on your own (and good-quality seats from a bike shop aren’t even that expensive).
Pros:
Very high-quality, hard tail frame.
Uses a Shimano 8 speed shifter.
High-quality alloy rims.
Large 29-inch wheels enable serious off-roading.
Good disc brakes.
Very affordable.
Con:
Seat isn’t comfortable.
Gravity FSX 1.0 Dual Full Suspension Mountain Bike
Next up on our best mountain bikes under 500 article, we have the Gravity FSX 1.0 Mountain Bike. As with the Vilano Blackjack that we just finished reviewing, the strength of the Gravity FSX lies in its fantastic internal components.
First off, the Gravity comes with both front and rear disc brakes. So, not only does it boast high-quality brakes, but it also has them in two separate locations. As we mentioned earlier in the article (and as we will discuss later on) brakes are a very important aspect of mountain biking. The high-quality brakes on the Gravity are thus definitely a major positive aspect.
As with a lot of other high-quality mountain bikes (not to mention quite a few of the bikes on this list), the Gravity FSX also comes with Shimano shifters. Being able to shift gears easily and being able to trust your gear shifter are both very important aspects of any mountain bike, and the Gravity FSX uses the highest quality shifters around.
On the subject of gear shifts, we should also mention that the Gravity FSX boasts an impressive 24 speeds (to give you a comparison, the Vilano Blackjack only had 8 speeds).
Sadly, you do have to assemble this bike, however, the assembly is fairly easy. Even if you aren’t personally experienced with bikes, you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting this bike up and running.
The wheels are very well-made on this bike. They are fairly large (roughly 24-inches) and are pretty solid. They are complemented with very good, double wall rims. Overall, the wheels are great, and you shouldn’t have any issues with them.
Finally, we want to discuss the frame on this bike. As we have said before the frame on a mountain bike is important. The frame on the Gravity FSX is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it is pretty well-made and feels sturdy. However, it is made of aluminum, which means it doesn’t absorb shock as well as certain other materials, like steel.
So, while the frame will be good enough for most, beware that the ride might be a bit bumpier than you are expecting if you go over rough terrain. Aluminum does have its advantages, such as being easier to maneuver with, but that will be discussed later.
Pros:
Very good wheels and double wall rims.
Uses Shimano shifters.
Comes with 24 speeds.
Good front and rear brakes.
Very easy to control.
Cons:
Aluminum frame doesn’t absorb shock all that well.
Will likely need to get bike professionally tuned.
Mongoose R2780 Impasse Dual Full Suspension Bicycle
The Mongoose R2780 Mountain Bike has a legitimate claim to being the best mountain bike on this entire best mountain bikes under 500 article. Everything about this mountain bike, from the frame of the bike to the internal components, and even the price of the bike is great.
For starters, the Mongoose comes with an aluminum frame. Now, we mentioned some of the downsides to an aluminum frame in an earlier review. To recap, aluminum frames absorb the shock that comes with riding on bumpy trails worse than steel frames. However, the Mongoose has several ways of mitigating that, most notably, it comes with an Element suspension fork that helps the bike to absorb more of the shock.
As you would expect from a mountain bike that we are praising so highly, it also makes use of a 21 speed Shimano shifter. While 21 speeds may not be the highest option available, it is more than enough when it comes to gears.
The wheels on the Mongoose are as good as you would expect them to be on a mountain bike that is being featured on this best of list. The wheels are 29-inches, making them well-suited for difficult terrain. The wheels also come with a quick release front. The brakes on the bike are just as good as the wheels. The Mongoose R2780 boasts front and rear disc brakes.
Despite having all these great features, the bike is very reasonably priced. Obviously, the individual price that you end up getting it at may vary, but at the time of writing, this is one of the cheaper options on this entire list.
It is roughly on par with the Vilano Blackjack in terms of price (although this one is slightly cheaper). So, if you are new to mountain biking and you don’t want to spend a ton on your new bike or if you just happen to have a strict budget, then this is a very good option.
The only negative aspect of the Mongoose R2780 that we need to mention is the weight. Despite having an aluminum frame, which are typically lighter than other kinds of frames, this bike is actually fairly heavy.
Pros:
High-quality aluminum frame.
Element suspension fork helps to absorb shock.
High-quality, 29-inch wheels.
Good brakes.
Very inexpensive.
Con:
A bit on the heavy side.
Mongoose Status 2.2 Mountain Bike 26″ Wheel Men’s Bicycle
For our next mountain bike, we are looking at yet another Mongoose bike. The fact that Mongoose appears twice on the best mountain bikes under 500 list should give you a good idea of the sort of high-quality mountain bikes that Mongoose puts out. This Mongoose mountain bike has a lot in common with the previous one that we just finished reviewing, so you should expect to see a lot of the same features reappearing.
For example, like the previous Mongoose mountain bike (and like most of the other mountain bikes on this list) this comes with high-quality Shimano shifters. These of course work well, they let you change gears quickly and with minimal hassle.
By now we have talked a lot about Shimano shifters, so we won’t spend more time on them as you know that they work well. It also gives you a very good gear selection, as it uses a 21 speed Shimano shifter.
The wheels have very light, yet still durable alloy rims. More important, however, are the 26-inch wheels. While 26-inch wheels are a bit smaller than the 29-inch wheels on the previous Mongoose mountain bike, they are still more than capable of handling all sorts of rough terrain and overcoming obstacles.
Overall, this is a very functional bike, and given the price, you can’t really go wrong with it. The only criticisms that we can really level at this bike are that seat is extremely uncomfortable and that putting it together can be difficult for a newcomer because there is no real manual or detailed instructions.
Pros:
Affordable like all Mongoose mountain bikes.
Has a 21 speed Shimano shifter.
26-inch wheels offer good off-road capabilities.
Good front and rear brakes.
Alloy rims that are both durable and lightweight.
Cons:
Uncomfortable seat.
Hard to assemble for beginners.
Schwinn High Timber Mountain Bike
We are ending our best mountain bikes under 500 list with yet another high-quality brand. Schwinn makes some great bikes and the High Timer Mountain Bike is no exception to this rule.
One of the best aspects of this bike is the very solid frame.
The frame does a great job of absorbing shock and being very sturdy, while also fairly easy to maneuver. The frame is made even better by the presence of Schwinn’s own unique suspension fork, which makes it even better at absorbing shock.
Schwinn also makes use of very high-quality shifters (we are sure that you can guess who the shifters are from by this point). When you combine the 21 speed shifter with the very high-quality frame, you end up with an absolutely amazing bike for tackling the toughest terrain.
One nice thing about the Schwinn that we haven’t seen so far on this list is that it actually comes in a few different sizes. Every other bike on this list doesn’t really have different size options, so the fact that this one does is definitely worth noting.
Sadly, we must mention that a few of the internal components of the bike aren’t all that great and in fact, they seem somewhat cheap. However, given the amazing price of this bike, one has to expect that, they are also easily replaced.
Pros:
Cheapest mountain bike on this list.
Very high-quality frame and suspension fork combo.
Good Shimano 21 speed shifter.
Comes in multiple size options.
Con:
Some of the internal components are a bit on the flimsy side.
Mountain Bike Buying Guide
We didn’t mention it at the beginning of the article, but we actually aren’t just reviewing mountain bikes in this article. As you might guess from the name, in addition to picking out the best mountain bikes under 500, we are also going to walk you through the process of buying a mountain bike of your own.
In this guide (which is tailored to beginners and those who don’t know much if anything about mountain bikes) we will discuss, briefly, some of the most important things to consider when shopping for a mountain bike.
Frame
One of the first things that you need to consider when shopping for a mountain bike is the frame of the bike. Frames are important with mountain bikes in particular because the frame of a bike determines to a certain extent how well the bike handles and how well it can do on rougher terrain (which is something that mountain bikers have to deal with).
Generally speaking, frames can be divided based on the material that they are made out of. Aluminum frames (which you saw appear often on the best mountain bikes under 500 list) are easier to steer due to being lighter.
However, the lighter build of aluminum frames means that the shock generated going by over rough terrain is amplified because the aluminum doesn’t do a good job of absorbing shock.
On the other hand, steel frames are heavier, which can make them a bit more difficult to steer for certain people. But they are also a sturdier as a result. When it comes to absorbing shock, steel frames also have a big advantage.
Gears
Gears are another very important aspect of buying a mountain bike. Gears are crucial for navigating the often tough terrain you encounter while mountain biking so you need to make sure that the bike that you get has two things.
Firstly, you want a high number of gears. On our best mountain bikes under 500 article, we often featured 21 or 24 speed bikes, and for good reason. Secondly, you want high-quality gear shifters in whatever bike you happen to buy.
As we repeatedly stressed throughout this article, you can’t go wrong with Shimano gear shifters, but there are other good shifters out there besides the ones from Shimano.
Tire Size
Tire size is another crucial aspect of buying a mountain bike. The size of a bike’s tires can have a massive effect on the way that the bike handles and how well it can handle certain kinds of terrain. With casual bikes, you want smaller tires as those make navigating city streets easier.
However, with a mountain bike, you want larger tires. The larger tires may be slightly more difficult to maneuver with, but they are also much better at handling the sort of terrain that you encounter while mountain biking. That is why on the best mountain bikes under 500 list, most of the tire sizes were in the 26 to 29-inch range.
Conclusion
This is the end of our mountain bike buying guide, and thus the end of our best mountain bikes under 500 list as a whole.
Hopefully, you got some use out of at least one part of the article. If you have any feedback that you want to share or comments on the article, we encourage you to leave a comment.