20 Best Men’S Mountain Bike Under $500 (Feb 2023 Update)

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

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

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

It's a good buy for the average person to use for recreational purposes or to use for transportation having a short distance to & fro work.michaelbannan

The Bike Has FAKE Front Forks Saspention Nothing No Shocks It says Front and Back Saspention 100 Percent FAKE FRAUD FAKEJeffrey Moore

My husband loves his new bike minus the seat,, he will have to replace it for more cushion. As far as shipping is concerned, it was quick and arrived 1 day after the expected date, which is reasonable with all that is currently going on.delisdee

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

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 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

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

Mongoose Impasse 29" Mens Mountain Bike I decided to purchase a new bike about 5 months ago because I don't prefer to use public transportation and most of the area shops are between 5 and 7 blocks away from my home. I didn't think I would use it as much as I do though. Let me first start off by saying I actually paid for someone to put it together but was present and it only took about 20 minutes total with the add-on of a back seat basket that was purchased separately from the bike. The bike is slightly too high for me to get onto – but I am only 5 feet 5 inches tall. Other than getting on the bike though, I love everything about it. Switching gears is done with extreme ease and has excellent handling and maneuvering ability. I can conquer steep hills and roll over any debris that comes along my path. Our city has a few really great biking paths and I found myself more inclined to seek them out over the late summer and make our family outings a bit more active and challenging. I ended up using the bike way more than I initially thought I would and actually use our vehicle less often for quick store trips. It gives me a good excuse to shop for minor items alone and in peace. It also helps me to be more physically active because I will use the bike instead of the bus or our family car when possible. I absolutely love the bike and plan to continue riding until there's too much snow on the ground to conquer. I highly recommend the bike and the actual brand as a whole.Estella1

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

The bike arrived complete. The instructions on installing the handlebars and wheel weren't clear. I wished I'd thought to watch the youtube video first. The size of the bike and the tires make it a bit awkward trying to, start, stop, and ride it for my 5'5" height and build, but doable. I'm still trying to get a hang of the gears. Other than those couple of things, it rides great.Gryphon

Good bike for the money… returns…. few scuffs. Needs to be tuned on the brakes and probably derailer, time/patience. 50 psi nice ride. Needs stiffer tires a tack gave me a flat service road. Impressive for $130.00 blue/green. Disc brakes are awesome. Seat not too bad 182 pnds. Budget friendly just keep in mind maintenance and initial tuning is your job. You will need metric allen wrenches $1.99 Harbor Freight and a 15 mm box in and phillips head. I had to readjust the front disc pads rubbing 2 days to figure out. Set it on a pad to set upside down. After a week noticed crank screw seal loose requires a Tech tool but can use screw driver and hammer or large lockpliers. I also greased the front tire axle today little bit smoother as after I removed the rear tire after a flat the axle was loose little crunchy which was ok packed w/ heavy duty grease tightened still little resistance will work out! Remember the washers go outside the frame on the rear tire that is on the frame as shipped. Gooseneck needs some really tough tightening with the allen wrench I was afraid too much but holding up good.jowen230-2008

The Huffy – Scout/Mountain Bike – isn't too bad for what I do which is roaming around the city to get to various destinies. but if I was to have purchased it for riding on mountainous terrain, I'd be cussing up a storm right now. One of the problem I came across when putting the bike together was the front fork and its suspension. I can see where that's not going to hold out for long. The way the handle bars are attached to the fork rod that goes into the headset of the bike seems to be the main attachment to hold it all in place? Maybe I’m old fashioned, and that’s why I’ve never seen a front fork of a bike held in place like this bike does, but I don’t see how that’s to hold as well as a fork did on any other bike I’ve previously owned. There were no threads on any of the fork rod feeding into the headset of the bike to hold it in place. The part of a mountain bike that I figure takes such a beating it needs all the grip designed. I didn’t find the seat that came with the bike comfortable and can tell it’s because it’s of no real value. I ended up attaching another seat I prefer from a previous mountain bike I have. The gears weren’t perfectly set either but good enough for now. When I have the time, and patience, the gear derailleur needs to be reset. All the moving parts of the bike needed to be oiled and or greased. There were a variety of other such things that made the bike, for me, take time and patience to “finally” get up and running to where I was able to finally get around comfortably. I was, at first, wondering and wanting to know if I could return it. Then, when I found out that might not be worth the trouble, I had already considered selling it, to someone who wouldn’t mind putting up with the limitations I could already see it was going to have. But after day by day, slowly rearranging and resetting the parts of the bike I now have it to where I can finally accept it. But, if I hadn’t been able to purchase this model mountain bike of Huffy’s at such a reasonable discount price that I did, and have the know-how of customizing it they way I was able to, I then may have not have wanted to keep this bike! But for now, I’ve got it working and for now I just can’t wait to see how long it holds out for before the parts of the bike start easily deteriorating.BrianL

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

My daughter has Had this bike for around 3 weeks now and she loves it, she got a puncture and took it back to halfords where they sorted it out there and then for her and charged her no extra for putting it right for her just payed for the inner tube so happy with this purchase thank you halfordsRachel8424

I bought this bike for my son. Within 3-6 months it started falling apart. Now, not even a year old, both pedals broke completely off, the break pad fell out of the front disc brakes, both tires won’t stay on the rim, and the kick stand fell off.Disappointed

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

probably have to tinker with it a little to get it just so, the seat… probably needs a better one… if u value your assets, tighten ALL the fitting on it with the appropriate size wrench (u do have tools, yes? ) I will probably get a CHEAP/WIDE $5 inner tube, cut the valve stem out of it and use it as a tread/tube liner so that thorns do not puncture the tire/tube; put it between the inner tube that is in there and the BACK tire… as I wud any bike as thorns are prevalent here and fixing 7 flats in 3 days because I was CHEAP and didn't get the HEVI WATE INNER TUBES on my last NEW bike was …. and education to do IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME so I didn't have to do it again… and again and again. SLIME is hard to get into the tires through the NARROW hole in the air thingy even with the Schrader valve removed. LOCKS, U LOCKS AND HEVI WATE CHAIN… if u want to keep the bike; as sometimes they ride off by themselves if left anywhere. cable "locks" are ornaments (don't ask how I KNOW this) and not worth throwing out. some gearheads have taken the bearings apart and greased them and have said they are tightened TOO TIGHT from the factory, but DO NOT LOSE THE BEARINGS!!! carpet catches bearings, hard floors=scattered bearings=bad. tires are said to be HEAVY compared to after market, but that is not all bad as once get the tires rolling… INERTIA KEEPS THEM ROLLING with a little effort so that is good. like kicking the clutch out on a BIG TRUCK on the highway… it will coast a LONG WAY with all that weigh/inertia built up in its mass/wheels/tires.18LiterDETROITDIESEL

First of all, it sure is a slap in the face to see the price drop $17 just two weeks after I got it. Now then, my experience has been much the same as other reviews. It is a barely "OK" bike, I guess for the money nowadays. It is built and billed as a "Mountain Bike" which is the furthest thing I intend to use it for. From what I gather, you would have to add another zero to the price to get a genuine, usable mountain bike. I am 68 years old wanting to get some exercise. And when I saw this Fat Tire bike, I had to have it. It is the closest I have seen to the old (even then) bike I had as a kid in the fifties and sixties. I will probably end up spending as much extra to make the bike marginally usable, as the bike cost to start with. It is in the shop right now and I'm not doing that much yet. The seat if terrible. The brakes, we'll have to see after they are adjusted right. I have a new seat ready to put on when I get it back. I had the shop put on a steering riser (probably not right term) to raise the handlebars. Keeping original bar for now but may have to replace that too. And replacing the brake levers. If the brakes don't improve (a lot!!) I'll either replace them, or sell the whole bike and get something else. I even got new pedals. The reflectors on the original pedals break off easily. The shifter is a PITA because it wants to change as you are gripping the bar. It should have been a lever or something. And high gear is not even as high as my old single speed. What good is THAT? I guess what it boils down to is that it is impossible to buy a Fat Tire Mountain Bike for $200 that is not a joke even for just plain riding down the street, let alone riding in the mountains.Tinman98

Due to its tubular steel frame, the 26 inch Mongoose Dolomite seven speed fat bicycle is heavier than 26 inch fat bicycles constructed of aluminium or carbon fiber. However, a new aluminium fat bicycle frames will cost no less than $900.00; carbon fiber fat bicycle frames prices start at about $2,000. As a direct result of the enormous price difference I decided to purchase the Dolomite just to try out a fat bicycle with the full entention of purchasing a far more expensive model if I enjoyed the larger design. I was surprisingly blown away! The Dolomite had arrived at my front door in only two days. I discovered assembly to be rather simple, but as a safety measure I walked the Dolomite ten blocks to my neighbourhood bicycle repair store for an overall examination; at the bicycle shop both disc brakes were properly calibrated, grease was added to the handle bar support collar, a water bottle cage was placed onto the frame, tires were inflated to proper pressure and then were placed in their recommended rotational direction. Finally, the seat pole was adjusted to a safe and comfortable height. I paid my service charge, quickly place my helmet on and then brought my bicycle onto the New York City streets. The ride was so comfortable due to the large amount of inflated rubber between the road bed and the large 4 inch rims. In addition, at slow speeds and at accelerated speeds the tires are constantly providing exceptional traction; I remained in full control of the bicycle as I effortlessly floated above the New York City man hole covers, large steel plate covers, pot holes and the ubiquitous sewer drainage grids. The weight of the bicycle is an attribute when descending steep hills, but when ascending hills be prepared to pump vigorously. The gears do shift rather accurately to their corresponding numbers, but not the smoothest shift. Due to its price, aesthetics, quality of design and durability I strongly recommend the Mongoose Dolomite Men's 7 Speed Bicycle.JNemorin

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