20 Best $600 Mountain Bike (Jan 2023 Update)

I have had this bike for a month now and ride it everyday on Florida trails …sandy and rooty. It is everything that you can want… suspension and durability… best money I have spent!Russell Veronda

This bike is crazy cheap for a full-suspension mountain bike. I did have the rear freewheel come apart on my 13th ride. They are sending a replacement. Keep in mind you get what you pay for but for the price, I still think it is a good deal. I have put 120 miles on it so far, probably about 30% off-road miles. Did I get $148 worth – yes. That is a very low bar of course but what do you expect for $148 in a mountain bike. The suspension is just springs, not proper shocks. A proper rear shock would cost much more than this whole bike. It rides decent and I am getting great exercise on it, and exploring trails for only $148. I was looking for a mountain bike and there were not many available due to COVID related issues. I was looking for a cheaper bike, under $1000. Choices were very small as nothing was in stock anywhere. I was at Walmart and saw this assembled and ready to go. I looked at the price and thought, what the heck. How could you go wrong for $148 and I could ride it today, so I bought it. I fully expected assembly, reliability, and quality issues. I had the rear freewheel issue but even if that was not under warranty a new one is under $20. I also had the handlebars slip as they were not tight enough but that was easily fixed. I should have rechecked everything to begin with so I do recommend that. A good full-suspension mountain bike normally runs thousands of dollars. My rating is considering the extremely low price.Jim

Bike came with a bent rear axel. The rear break cable is positioned so that it hits your leg, eventually shears off, and cuts your leg on the resulting sharp wires. Do yourself a favor: look at the back few pages of reviews, all posted on the same day, in the same poor English. Pages and pages of fake reviews, giving the product five stars, thus giving the illusion of a much higher rating than what it is actually. Do yourself a big favor and save up for a bike that doesn't come from a department store, you will not regret it.micheal

when I got the bike. the front wheel came bent and wobbles and hits the breaks when riding, I fell a few times and almost scraped my arms and legs. front brake wire came without the end cover. the Chain catch/cover/ring was half broken(cracked in half) upon arrival and at first I thought nothing of it but when riding to work ut shattered completely. what makes this worse is that I am unsure of how to contact the company to get replacement parts or bike. Overall I wouldn't recommend this product. If possible I would like to get replacements for the front wheel and chain ringLebron

My bike was delivered to a "local" cycle shop for assembly. I was riding my new bike within 2 days of ordering it. I love my new bike a lot. I am heading out with it in about 30 minutes. Thanks again Jet. My new sofa which I bought through Jet will be delivered tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.Ralph F

Assembly instruction is not clear, very poor quality of pictures.After all the chain is working noisy like old broken junk , probably need to be adjusting or something.Not worth the money paid.bodek

I received the bike today. First thing noticed was, contrary to what it says in description that it has front and rear disc brake, only the front has disc brake. Rear has just the regular linear pull brake. The assembly instructions are kind of universal; looks like they send the same for all their bikes and leave it to the customer to figure out which section to use. The pictures are confusing and doesn't match the instructions. To make things worse, front wheel axle washers and nuts were missing. I am not keeping it.Praju

The rims arrived damaged and wouldnt fit the bike properly, one of the brake cables were damaged enough to render it useless… the adjustments for the components on the derailleurs are not even close to an accurate adjustment in which case is impossible to adjust properly unless its brought to a bike shop where they specialize in that kind of stuff everyday. also the chain is stretched out or maybe wrong size but it doesn't sit on the gears as it should. the frame so extremely heavy in fact i feel its too heavy in my opinion. I WOULDN'T recommend buying this product without first checking it out in person.Misty

This bike is very appealing to the eye. Nice frame however the front breaks are a real pain. I returned this bike due to it being built improperly. The break line was rubbing aginst the tire. The bike seat was torn and the front breaks rub against the break pads. If you are knowledgeable about bike building and breaks then this will be a great bike of not then buy at store where its already built.Paula

The two new Huffy bikes we had on same trail got flat and this one did not. Solid bike and good suspension for lower cost MTB.Daniel

I bought this bike and had it assembled at Walmart for free…which was a great perk. The bike is of good quality and is a good ride. Well, save for just one thing…the bike seat. The seat is either too small or not ergonomically sound. After riding a few laps around a local bike trail my rear end was hurting something fierce. But that's my only complaint. It's probably just sound to buy another bike seat that fits me better.Sandy

My daughter fell in love with this bike instantly. She loves how beachy it looks, considering she's always at the beach.Alfonso29166

This is an initial review of the bike. Shipping was quick. Got it way before Walmart estimated the delivery. The overall fit and finish is very good. No flaws at all. Easy to put together if you are even half way mechanical. Very impressed and like the bike a lot. Looks much higher end than what the actual price was. I read other reviews and the only thing people didn't like was the seat. It is a bit small and uncomfortable. I ordered a much more comfortable seat from Walmart and replaced the original one. I only had to adjust the gears a little bit and disc brakes. YouTube videos show how to do it. From manufacturer instructions I will have to true up the wheels. Beyond those little things it is a beautiful quality bike. Don't bother paying for expedited shipping. They shipped it from FL on a Monday and received it on Thursday in CT.LK

The bike itself seems to be of decent enough quality, but you should be aware of a few issues. Firstly, it is very easy for the bike to be damaged in shipping. The rear derailleur of my bike was damaged during shipping and I had to spend $54 to have it fixed. The second issue is vilano’s terrible customer service. I reached out to them after I assembled the bike because the derailleur was damaged and they refused to reimburse me for the repairs; they stated that the bike is advertised as needing tuning from the factory so it is normal to have to visit a bike shop. The problem with this is that it had nothing to do with assembly or tuning, it was entirely due to the fact that the derailleur was damaged either from the factory or during shipping. The third problem I’ve ran into so far is false advertising. The brake calipers in the promotional images and in vilano’s instructional videos are a different brand and design than the ones that are actually on my bike. While it is likely caused by a supply chain issue which is understandable, they should at least give a disclaimer. These brakes do not adjust or fine tune in the same ways as the advertised ones. This made the assembly process an extra hassle and an overall poor experience as I had to figure out how to adjust these strange brakes. The brakes also don’t appear to reach down far enough onto the disc, so the braking power is absolutely abismal for disc brakes, I’ve had cheap Walmart bikes with V brakes with significantly more power than these. Other than the previous issues the bike and it’s components seem to be of reasonable quality, and I do especially like the shifters derailleur (after getting it fixed of course.) I would strongly advise against purchasing this bike online, but if you can see one at a local bike shop and verify that it has the correct brakes it could be a good buy. If you ever have to deal with Vilano’s customer service however, expect a terrible experience.Ethan Stout

I bought the Men and Women's bike from BJ's. I just started riding a bike after 30 years of not riding one and this one is basically an intermediate bike to me. (probably would be to others as well) I had to replace the tubbing in my wife back tire after she rode the bike 200 feet or less from the house and there were no nails on the street and I couldn't find any type of indication of why the tire went flat. (tubbing must've been old or dry rotted-idk) Changing the gears on my bike is pretty easy, but since I did that, I still haven't been able to get my bike to stop making noises while I'm riding it. (chain noises) The only reason why I didn't return the bikes to BJ's is because it's too much of a hassle and the price was economical.JB

Poorly made bike that had many problems from the time we unboxed it. Would not go into multiple gears initially. The tension was so far off that it basically had to be refine from scratch. After 3 hours of work and additional adjustments, the bike worked. Our 9 year old was ecstatic. After each ride around our neighborhood on roads/sidewalks, something would need tweaking. Then, after 6 days of light use, he was riding down the street and fell over on the bike. He was unharmed. We asked what happened and he said, "It felt like the bike just collapsed when I pushed down on the pedal." The back brake was grinding badly. My husband started resetting those when my son noticed that the wheel looked "wobbly;" my husband looked at the wheel and noticed it was significantly bent. That explained why the brakes were not working! Not sure if the wheel was bent and just got worse as he rode it or if it was compromised and just snapped, but it was not normal. We returned the bike to the store and received our money back.HoosierMama5

Nice bike, well made. But way too tall for my 11 yr old. This is the tallest 24 inch bike I've seen, almost too tall for me (I amm 5ft tall). Meaning seat at lowest position sits very highAnaG

We are very happy with the bike. It is my son's first brand new bike that he was able to pick out. It is already getting a lot of use. He likes the color of course. It rides smooth. The hydraulics are nice too. We had a computer glitch with shipping and billing but it was resolved fairly quick so it doesn't impact our review. Hopefully the bike shortage will be over soon.j.may

I bought this Bike for my Son keeping in mind that Huffys is a good brand and thought to go with higher end of Huffy for better quaility. But within 3 weeks its Chain is making noise on any speed (Tak Tak Tak) and Handle became loose. Very annoying None of the academy sports in dallas has this bike available. Appreciate if Huffys can help in getting it replaced or fixed.Harsh

I've been extremely disappointed in these. I bought 2 at the start of the pandemic and I feel like they just have never-ending minor issues. The derailers were alway problematic and they would always click as the chain went past. Also one of my kids knocked them over in an "out of a movie" line of bikes falling into the next one and the main sprocket bent enough that it was riding against the front derailer, and I looked down to see what the issue was and got to wach as it caught the derailer and it just crumpled. I ended up just bending the front derailer out of the way and using the back one. I've also had a lot of issues with the braking system and cannot get the front break to stop squeaking constantly. Also – and to be fair I can't figure it out, so maybe it's not their fault, but we just ride with friends in our neighborhood – no trails, and we've gone through 4 tires in 4 months. I've become an expert at putting them back on. Honestly I really should have invested in a better bikelJustin Dubya

This bike is crazy cheap for a full-suspension mountain bike. I did have the rear freewheel come apart on my 13th ride. They are sending a replacement. Keep in mind you get what you pay for but for the price, I still think it is a good deal. I have put 120 miles on it so far, probably about 30% off-road miles. Did I get $148 worth – yes. That is a very low bar of course but what do you expect for $148 in a mountain bike. The suspension is just springs, not proper shocks. A proper rear shock would cost much more than this whole bike. It rides decent and I am getting great exercise on it, and exploring trails for only $148. I was looking for a mountain bike and there were not many available due to COVID related issues. I was looking for a cheaper bike, under $1000. Choices were very small as nothing was in stock anywhere. I was at Walmart and saw this assembled and ready to go. I looked at the price and thought, what the heck. How could you go wrong for $148 and I could ride it today, so I bought it. I fully expected assembly, reliability, and quality issues. I had the rear freewheel issue but even if that was not under warranty a new one is under $20. I also had the handlebars slip as they were not tight enough but that was easily fixed. I should have rechecked everything to begin with so I do recommend that. A good full-suspension mountain bike normally runs thousands of dollars. My rating is considering the extremely low price.Jim

Bike came with a bent rear axel. The rear break cable is positioned so that it hits your leg, eventually shears off, and cuts your leg on the resulting sharp wires. Do yourself a favor: look at the back few pages of reviews, all posted on the same day, in the same poor English. Pages and pages of fake reviews, giving the product five stars, thus giving the illusion of a much higher rating than what it is actually. Do yourself a big favor and save up for a bike that doesn't come from a department store, you will not regret it.micheal

when I got the bike. the front wheel came bent and wobbles and hits the breaks when riding, I fell a few times and almost scraped my arms and legs. front brake wire came without the end cover. the Chain catch/cover/ring was half broken(cracked in half) upon arrival and at first I thought nothing of it but when riding to work ut shattered completely. what makes this worse is that I am unsure of how to contact the company to get replacement parts or bike. Overall I wouldn't recommend this product. If possible I would like to get replacements for the front wheel and chain ringLebron

I am a Male and I intend on sharing this bike with my daughter. I am 5’7.5” and my daughter is 5’3” and the size is just right for both of us. I bought it in a local Walmart. I was lucky enough that they have a few units in stock and that I was able to test ride it. I was really impressed and it exceeded my expectations. This is a great starter bike. For the price, of $198, it is a great deal. The bike is sturdy, even if made of steel and not aluminum, it is not too heavy. The shifters and brake levers used are not shimano but are good and sturdy enough and crisp. The front derailleur used is also not branded but is good enough in shifting the chain without problems. The rear derailleur used is Shimano Tourney and it gives a smooth shift into the gears. The front brake has a mechanical disc brake and the rear has a V-type brake. The brakes are crisp and nice, but the rear brakes are squeaking everytime I apply it (might just need a little bit of adjustment, nothing biggie). I rode it in cement and asphalt surfaces and the ride is really smooth. I can’t attest to off-road riding though, I haven’t tried it. The seat is comfortable, and the handle bars are placed in good neutral and leisure driving position. Over-all the bike is really good, I love it!Banono

I bought this for my wife. Note that this model of the Sidewinder has an aluminum frame with a threadless headset; the older model was a steel frame and quill headset. You won't find many aluminum frame bikes for a buck and a half. This bike weighed 31.6 lbs on my scale fully assembled; pretty good for a basic bike. The components are otherwise basic but functional. A basic Shimano Tourney rear derailleur provides index or "click" shifting from a twist grip. The front derailleur is not labeled and is a "friction" or linear shifter, meaning it does not "click" into gear but you have to move the derailleur guide the appropriate amount with the twist shifter on the grip. But they are functional and work well. Front fork is a no name basic spring with maybe 2" of travel. There is no preload adjustment. The seat was a little firm for my wife's taste; I exchanged it with a more padded one. Brakes are linear pull brakes. The tires are unlabeled. They are 2 x 2.5 with a modest knobby pattern. Suitable for all around use including casual off road, though if your primary riding is on the street you might want to opt for more narrow tires with a solid center bead. Rims are reported to be alloy and look like they may be double walled, but there is no label indicating it. Spokes are black, probably steel. The bike comes with a kickstand. I was disappointed to find there were no quick release mechanisms for either the front or rear wheels. One of the answers to a question for the black frame with pink fork version of this bike erroneously indicated there were quick release wheels. I ordered this bike on-line and assembled it myself. It's not difficult but I am experienced working on bikes. The instructions that came with it were clear and complete. The wheels were true. The brakes and front derailleur needed adjustment. If you are not handy with tools you might want to have a bike shop adjust it for you. Overall, a good basic aluminum bike for the price I paid. It is suitable for casual street and off-road use. It is noticeable lighter than the same sized steel frame bike my wife had. My wife likes it and says it rides well, and she likes the lighter weight. It's a pretty good bet for a bike in this price range.Iriemon

Unbelievable! Good thing we started with the front wheel. The front fork was welded on wrong. It is twisted. You cannot even put the wheel in. It was just unbelievable that Schwinn would make such a careless and obvious mistakes. I didn't even read the 1-star reviews, but now I see that there are many reviews with the same issue. Plus, when I tried to return the product that I bought online. It said that it is not returnable. But the return policy for the bike said that it can be returned within 90 days of purchase and that it "can be" returned to the store. I will try returning to the store, but I shouldn't have to. Return policy on the description page also said, "Most items soldUnsatisfied

I’m not a very athletic person but I live in a rural area ( dirt roads ) and wanted to find a bike I could use to take my kids for rides. This bike arrived practically already put together. I had to insert the handle bars, pedals and seat. Adjustments for the chain and breaks were done by my husband who is more familiar with bicycles. The entire set up took about an hour that includes unboxing. I chose this bike for its low price, appearance and the fact that it’s a mountain bike and I can ride it in my neighborhood. I’m 5’2 and could have probably gone with a smaller size but I adjusted the seat as low as it goes and it’s a perfect fit. Perfect fit for me a non professional rider cruising the dirt roads with my children.karen

This bike is good looking and feels solid to ride. Unfortunately the derailleurs need a lot of adjusting. If it were only that I would be ok with it. The real problem is how horribly out of true the wheels came. They are incredibly wavy to the point where you can't set the brakes and the tire rubs the frame and chain. One wheel was so out of true that it was 1/4 inch out of round. It was literally oval shaped. It could be a great solid bike. Grip shifters work nicely and often times those don't on bikes so that's a plus. Poor wheel build makes it unusable.Matthew

I've had this bike for a year now to leave an accurate review. This bike was the best bike when I first got it. I ran smoothly and is great over large bumps without feeling a thing. about 4-5 months in, someone slashed my tires. No one wanted to work with me to fix it even though I was under warranty and protection plan [Walmart or Kent]. I found someone else who said to put slime in the tire so it wouldn't need to be replaced. Now as a year in goes, it is very hard to push, my chain has popped off twice changing the gears, needless to say, I will be getting another bike. The seat that came with it was not at all comfortable I had to get a new one. One pro is that is is easy to clean and I can lock my bike up anywhere because of its design. but to conclude this is a good bike if you're willing to provide 100% of the upkeep to you.Heaven10132

We bought two of these. Men's and Women's. The woman's bike assembled OK, but a lot of adjustment was needed and the shift only has about 50% usable distance. The men's bike was missing a screw on the front brake adjustment and the front derailleur was bent. I tried to fix as I did not want to bring this back, but then found out that the gear change on the left handlebar only had less than 50% movement as well. To see what was up, I completely loosened the cable to increase the movement, but no dice. The fault was inside teh shifter. Back to the store for a refund.Sharon

Was preassembled when purchased. Went through all the nuts and bolts to ensure tightness before riding. Although preassembled, I had to align the seat and handle bars. No big deal. It was pretty light considering the price. I’m 65” and bike felt comfortable. I didn’t like the seat and got a wider one nothing against current seat just my preference. Bike handles well. One word of caution- the front tires did come close to my feet when turning. It didn’t touch but just something to be aware of. U did purchase quick disconnects for the tires. This again was more of my preference because of how I will transport the bike. Good bike for the price.Kilo

Bought this bike 1 month ago and already had to have it worked on. The shifters, main derailluer are the worst! (I have another Huffy bought around the same time with the exact same problem!!) They are very cheap making it nearly impossible for my 13 year old to change gears, even when the bike is being ridden. The repair person informed me that Huffy is known for the low quality parts and that replacing them all might solve the problem. He recommended buying Shimano parts to replace the original cheap parts so that my child might get some real use out of it. This is supposed to be a new bike, yet it has a lot of internal rust like it was left outside in the rain before it was brought inside to be sold. Lesson learned, I will never buy another Huffy bike nor any other bike from Walmart!!Angela

This bicycle is very comfortable to ride, but it's not heavy. It has 21 speeds to choose from. It makes me feel the fun of riding a bicycle. The appearance is so fashionable. I like it and wanna share my experience.rj-depot

I really enjoy it the price is great, and it does the job very well. I ride the bike around he city and to college, and its great. Great product.valdfran_klytc

I purchased the bike for my nearly 14 year old grandson who is approx 5'7", probably a bit more. It's an absolute perfect fit. It was becoming difficult to find both the right size and look in the store. So we sized him in a store and decided to purchase directly from Huffy bc of the reputation of quality and service. That Tekton blue (not sure I have the correct color name) is "awesome" says the teen. I think it's gorgeous. His mom and dad assembled it with out much difficulty and has since left them feeling like empty-nesters because he's been all over God's green Earth each day. Just like my GenX kids…gone until the street lights start to come on with a random groups of kids stopping by now and then for a snack and a drink. Thank you Huffy! He couldn't be happier!!! And I'm Grandma of the year, lol!GrandmaMoo

Great bike. Only three minor complaints. Seat is very uncomfortable, brakes are difficult to adjust, and front derailleur hits chain in certain gears, making a clicking sound while you’re riding. I read the directions on the brakes and was doing it correctly I think but they just move around regardless of what screws you tighten, making contact with the wheel uneven and inconsistent.Joec