... with Shimano 5.0 and SRAM MRX.
My old mountain bike needs a tune up and it costs $90 to do it. Costco sells a nice model for $280. So I am thinking about ditching the tune up and getting a new one. It is a cheap bike but I am not going on nasty trails etc.
Anyone owns one of them?

Just bought one for our daughter, she hasn't got to use it much. It looked like a great deal.

It is a good deal for the $ and a casual biker. I just found out that a friend's son worked at a Bellevue bike shop and said they used to sell bikes like it (Component wise) for $500 to $700 plus a free tune up within the first 2? years. New bike won't need a major tune up for a long time and you can tweak things yourself. By the time you can use a free tuneup the store has a new owner or gone Mine was busted and abused in salt water for many years and needed some work.

My Trek 820 had a nasty accident and I was going to look at the Costco bikes. I need to have a mountain bike equipped with a rack and plastic tubing that I can carry a couple of fishing poles. I think the Motiv Vortex has a suspension system so it cannot be equipped with a rack. Would be nice if they made a rack that would absorb the shock and transmit less vibration to the poles. I need to figure something out before summer steelheading.

Stihlhead, G.I. Joes does bike tune-ups for $45, at least the one here in Lynnwood does.

Didn't know GI Joe does bike work. Bike shops charge you alot! Thanks

Steelheadman,
The Vortex has Front & rear suspensions but I don't know why you can't put a rack! I used to attach my rods on my backpack at an angle but you have to watch for branches

Here is a link to a pic of my rack setup.

http://www.netbyte.net/steelheadman/images/steelhead/summer/pages/Mattrack_jpg_jpg_jpg.htm

The rack hooks up below the seat and on both sides of the rear axle. My father-n-law used plastic instead of plywood to attach the rod tubes.

I checked out the Motiv Vortes today. The only thing I don't like is the rear brake is kink of one of those cheap Chinese side pull brakes. The front disc brake is good.
The suspension is great and would take out some of the shock from the bumpy logging road.

I found some bike cargo racks on-line that just attach to the tube under the seat. One of the racks has side tubing that I can attach plastic sheet and my rod holder tubes. A little pricey.

I need to take a look at the other bikes out there before I choose.

That is some cool setup I need to come up with something better than a backpack.

The Costco bike is $250 not $280 and I looked at few bikes in that price range and Costco bike was much better. I checked out couple of bikes in $450-500 price range and they had one step higher Shimano rear derailleur but no disk break or rear suspension and they looked cheap and not as solid as Vortex and didn't ride as well. I test drove the vortex inside Costco It was before they close and there was nobody in the aisle
I guess when the break pads start going, you can replace the rear break or change the components as time goes by. I ended up buying one and it rides VERY smooth. I liked a $700 shop bike but didn't want to spend that much money.

I checked out some Cannondale and Raleigh bikes today. Prices ranging from $400-$1200. Can get any type of brakes but pay more for the disc brakes. They have bikes with full suspension, shocks only on the front forks, hard tail, or no shock absorbers. It suprised me that you can get a Cannondale with the cheap brakes. You just pay more for the better components. The frames are light weight. The most expensive model adjusts the shocks with air to eliminate the bobbing. Costco is looking pretty good. I think a full suspension would absorb the most shock and be better on my poles. Just need to fork out the money on a one point rack.

Here are some racks that fit full suspension bikes.

http://www.cambriabike.com/rack&bag/cargo.htm

A little on the pricey side.

A little modification and attach the tube holders on the back. Maybe one rod holder tube on each side and a box on top.

I may consider one of those racks. Thanks.

FYI:
I found out that you can change the rear break to disk. I was told that it is disk break "ready" and all it needs, is the parts. I am checking into parts to see if it worth doing it. Last thing I want to do is to keep upgrading an inexpensive bike

Check your PM.

Here's my new improved mountain bike all set up for fishing those summeruns.

very nice setup