You want to buy a mountain bike, but you don’t want to spend a bundle in the process. When you are a new rider, you may find that you don’t go out on trails or to the bike park enough to really justify buying an expensive bike. After all, some bikes are meant for professionals, and some are meant for the entry level rider. If you’re unsure in which category you belong and you want to get the best bang-for-the-buck take a look at the 3 best value mountain bike picks we collected.

Now let’s take a look at the 2 best entry level mountain bike options you must see.

Ghost SE 1200 Hardtail Bike 2013

The Ghost SE 1200 has to make our list based on price and features. For an incredibly low price, this is a bike that you must really consider if you are just starting out and not sure if you will like the mountain bike feel and ride.

Ghost is a well-respected brand and the SE 1200 comes with a great set of features and parts, including:

• A hardtail suspension. See 4 more great hardtail bikes at the best hardtail mountain bike post.
• 26-inch wheel size.
• Shimano chainset, shift levers and derailleurs.
• SRAM cassette.
• Tektro V-brakes.

There is an oversized headtube seen which will allow for shock transfer to be put through the frame more efficiently. This ensures that stress never causes damage. The bike also weighs just 13.2 kilograms, which allows it to be used for slight jumps and cross country riding.

This is the ideal bike for new riders and features 24 speeds. While classified as a male bike, the manufacturers ensure that it is a great bike for him or her.

NS Bikes Holy 2 Jump Bike 2013

The Holy 2 is meant for the more ambitious rider and is preferred over the SE 1200 when it comes to jumps, street riding, and park riding. As its name indicates, this is a bike made for jumps and more rough riding. While it may not be the best choice for mountain trails, it is a great bike for the beginner.

The Holy 2 features the following:

• 24 – 26-inch wheel size.
• V-brakes.
• KMC-410 chain.
• Weight of 12.2 – 12.5 kilograms depending on wheel size.
• Kenda small block 8.
• Fat seat-post combo.

The Holy 2 is a single speed bike that is ideal for the rider that doesn’t want to complicate things too much. Oftentimes, people buy a cross country or racing bike only to find out it can’t perform well making jumps or the frame breaks after going to the bike park. For the younger rider, it is essential to buy a bike that can withstand a lot of abuse, and this is exactly what the Holy 2 allows.

The frame is designed for taking jumps and the bike is ultra-lightweight. If you are buying a bike for a younger rider, this is probably the better choice of the two because it is more versatile. If the rider will be mostly cross country riding or long distance riding, the SE 1200 will be the optimal choice.

Both bikes feature a 24- or 26-inch wheel size, so you will not see the benefits of a 27.5 or 29er in terms of stability and obstacle handling on a trail.