29" Schwinn Axum Mountain Bike, Adult, 19" Frame, 8 Speeds, Black

This bike has some great components for the price. It is the bridge between a much more capable bike and a cheaper bike. With a tapered head tube, you have the future options to put on just about any new front suspension fork you want if you want to upgrade. It comes with double walled rims which are much stronger than the cheaper single walled ones. The geometry is more modern. The big is large, so you need to be a tall person, but I am 6'2". It has disc brakes and that may be where you want to upgrade to hydraulic brakes, but that is only about $80 more for Shimano mt200 set. I put a dropper post on mine for $80, which is the same dropper that the Axum DP uses. Overall, the bike has decent components for a mild trail bike if you arent doing big heavy stuff. If you want a hardtail that is a clear notch up from most low priced bikes, this one really has the base things you need.

Perfect beginner bike. Good back up bike. Great budget build platform. At 6’2” this bike is a little on the small side for me but meh. I have been riding for almost 30 years. Fixed and built numerous bikes. I normally ride $5k mountain bikes. So why did I buy this? First because it’s a great value. Better than buying a used bike. This has very current (2019 ) geometry and part standards. This means it is safe and stable as is, and if this is your back up bike you can put parts on it as you upgrade or replace used parts on your primary. But it’s really good as is. I’ve clocked some good times and gotten a little squirrelly on it. Only upgraded the stem handle bars and seatpost (dropper now) for fit. Everything else is stock and ready to rock… To be clear this will not perform like a $3k full suspension bike. It just won’t. Not stock, not upgraded. But for a beginner the bike is not really the limiting factor. And mistakes and accidents will happen. Do you want to learn (pay for repairs) on a $3k bike or a $500 bike? This is great for starting out. Finally all the parts on this bike perform great together. They are all at the same level and compliment each other. For example, the tires could have more grip, but then they would over power the fork and brakes. The additional leverage from the tires would show that the fork is flexing and not stiff or stable enough. The tires would continue to grip while the brakes didn’t stop. In stock form it all works together. The tires slip a little you get nervous and slow down. At the lower speed the fork and brakes can manage the loads. I’m not saying you should upgrade anything, just once you start you may find you want to upgrade everything! Straight from the factory nothing is outstanding, but it all works well and together. Heck a decent starter frame is this price. Basically you get all these parts for free so you can start riding now. Upgrade what you want when/if you want to.