ned
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| posted on 1/10/07 at 06:14 PM |
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Mountain bikes..
You guys always have the answers and I'm sure there'll be some avid bikers amongst you so here goes..
Not had a bike in years and thinking of getting one, don't want to spend the earth, willing to buy new or pref second hand from a reputable
source if you get a much better used bike for the money.
Never had a bike with suspension before, do I need it and what should I look for travel wise if I need it, front and/or rear?
Only ever had side pull or centre pull brakes, should I be looking at just v-brakes or discs, are they worth it/that much better what are maintenance
costs eg pads like?
Pref a quick release sadle and front wheel (for getting in out car) are about my only stipulations I can think of, apart from something that
won't rust.
Looking to spend a couple of hundred quid or less (much less if poss!), seen bikes at these sort of prices new online, but never heard of the makes.
That said I know very few of the expensive 'big name' ones aswell so I know nearly nout it would seem.
Other half is into running and I would rather be cycling than running (and at the moment I can't keep up wioth her anyway!) so looking for a
mountain bike for offroad/wooded/hillside and probably a bit of road/footpath (sorry bridleway) riding.
suggestions/comments/what to go for/steer clear of please!!
Ned.
beware, I've got yellow skin
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roadrunner
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| posted on 1/10/07 at 06:42 PM |
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I'm old hat when it comes to bikes, especially mountain bikes with suspension , i would only go for one with suspension for more seriuos down
hill riding, if it's going to be all flat riding, road especially, i would go for fixed, suspension takes away the effort put into the pedals,
makes it harder so to speak, as for brakes, only go for discs if you are spending lots of money, cheap ones dont tend to work that well, as for makes,
i would go for a second hand Speciallized, they are a good make, and prices tend to start at about £500 new.
Hope this helps.
P.S. dont go to halford's.
[Edited on 1/10/07 by roadrunner]
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Paul TigerB6
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| posted on 1/10/07 at 07:04 PM |
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I bought a used Scott Tampico off fleabay myself for £150 (around £500 new) and was very happy with it (for a while anyway) so wouldnt hesitate going
for 2nd hand over new at that sort of price range.
From the sounds of the riding you intend doing, stick to front suspension only. A decent saddle (and maybe proper cycling shorts) will keep you comfy
enough unless the going is pretty rough. Rear suspension can be a pain to maintain / clean and just adds weight. Disks are great when riding in wet /
muddy conditions but are again maybe excessive for your needs?? They are heavier than rim brakes and a new set of pads cost me more than those on my
tintop (£15 pr).
Saying all of that, i now have a full susser (again off ebay) with disks and 5.5" suspension travel - but my riding includes the mountains of N
Wales and the Lake District.
Avoid cheap £100 full susp bikes at all costs.........please. 
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PhilCross66
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| posted on 1/10/07 at 07:08 PM |
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I would agree with the brakes, I've stuck with vbrakes on mine simply because they are more than I've ever needed. I can stand mine on the
front wheel quite easily. The only thing I can say against them is rims get wet easier than disks so riding through water makes them fade briefly but
that only really applies to off roading.
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nathanharris1987
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| posted on 1/10/07 at 07:08 PM |
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get a race / dirt bmx, far cooler than mountain biking...
so small it will fit in the back of the car and theyre built for control you can do anything with them
^^^ me dicking around^^^
and as for brakes, dony use any is the simple answer, makes you go faster and not chicken out of anything
[Edited on 1/10/07 by nathanharris1987]
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andylancaster3000
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| posted on 1/10/07 at 07:19 PM |
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Must agree with statement about cheap 100pound full suspension bikes. Theyre all overweight and more energy tends to go into bouncing up and down
rather then forward propulsion! Ebay can be your friend as I foundout as i managed to get an Orange Gringo for £230 which was brand new. If you would
prefer to buy one new my suggestion would be an entry level Specialized, you can't really go wrong with them. If you buy when the new models are
coming out you can often gat good deals on the previous years models
Front suspension is a must really for any offroad riding and if possible go for discs. Hydraulics maybe a bit above you're what youre wanting to
spend but some more recent cable operated ones are very capable.
Hope this is of some help!
[Edited on 1/10/07 by andylancaster3000]
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ned
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| posted on 1/10/07 at 07:24 PM |
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Thanks guys,
I have heard story's of halfords so already steering well clear 
Have been looking online at last years entry level specialized/giant/trek as they seem to be well respected and going around £180-250ish. I'm
guessing I need a 17-19" frame as I'm just over 5'11"
Had a quick look on ebay but guessing theres a load of cheap junk with some reasonable stuff in there but not sure I know what to look for apart from
names of branded components I've picked up off other sites: is this any good?
ebay
link
cheers,
Ned.
beware, I've got yellow skin
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Peteff
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| posted on 1/10/07 at 07:40 PM |
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Giant hybrid
If you aren't going to be off road a lot go for a hybrid with 700c wheels and road tyres and just get a suspension seat post to take the worst
of the bumps out. I got mine 3 years ago, alloy frame and front suspension for £200 in a sale and it's good for anything I need. Don't go
for the knobbly tyres unless you do a lot off-road, the ones on my old bike were so grippy I had to pedal downhill  .
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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Paul TigerB6
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| posted on 1/10/07 at 07:41 PM |
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I'm also 5ft 11 and ride a 17" frame but prefer the head down approach of a X-country racer (i'm an ex road racer) so you will be
about right on your sizing.
Will have a look through ebay myself now - see whats there. As mentioned previously - Specialized dont make bad bikes. Others to look for would be
Giant, Scott, Orange, Trek, GT, Marin .........amongst others
Paul
[Edited on 1/10/07 by Paul TigerB6]
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givemethebighammer
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| posted on 1/10/07 at 07:55 PM |
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Worth looking for a new bike that is a previous years model (i.e. brand new 2006 model bike) Prices tend to be quite a bit lower and you'll be
getting a new bike with a warranty to boot.
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk is one place that stocks such bikes.
Some good brands on there too. (dig around the site the bikes aren't all £500+)
[Edited on 1/10/07 by givemethebighammer]
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roadrunner
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| posted on 1/10/07 at 08:08 PM |
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quote:
and as for brakes, dony use any is the simple answer, makes you go faster and not chicken out of anything
Dont listen to this one, went to work this morning on my road bike, travelling down hill through town, some twat pulled out in front of me, i was
doing nearly 30mph, but i thought it was a dead sert for a collision, luckily enough he saw me at the very last minute, but i could feel the
pain.
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ned
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| posted on 1/10/07 at 09:21 PM |
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What do people think of these two entry levels Giants?
http://www.cyclexpress.co.uk/.%2fproducts%2fRock_.aspx
http://www.cyclexpress.co.uk/.%2fproducts%2fBoulder_.aspx
or this mongoose?
http://www.sunsetmtb.co.uk/shop/index.php?product_id=503&category_id=10
[Edited on 1/10/07 by ned]
beware, I've got yellow skin
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Paul TigerB6
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| posted on 1/10/07 at 10:00 PM |
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You wont go too far wrong with a Giant bike - you might want the front suspension on it mind if going offroad - takes the jarring out of your
wrists.
There's a few on ebay - this looks nice to me depending on how the bidding goes.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/specialized-hardrock-sport-with-hydraulic-brakes_W0QQitemZ250171337477QQihZ015QQcategoryZ33503QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewI
tem
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Benzine
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| posted on 1/10/07 at 10:37 PM |
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Windcheetah = Epic win
Might need to times your budget by ten though 
[Edited on 1/10/07 by Benzine]
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RK
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| posted on 1/10/07 at 10:43 PM |
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Go to a reputable bike shop and talk to the guys in there. Don't buy online or anywhere you can't get fitted properly. The problem with a
road bike per se, is the speeds can be high with limited braking. Mountain bikes are more versatile, if heavier and slower.
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larrythelathe
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| posted on 2/10/07 at 07:59 AM |
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300 pounds
there was a full sus in mbuk for 300 pounds they thought was awesome i 'll try find the article.
Don't just look at second hand look at last years model as well. I bought the wife a Giant trance 2 for 700 brand new.
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larrythelathe
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| posted on 2/10/07 at 09:14 AM |
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CHEAP AS CHIPS
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/rockrider-63-07-20096
[Edited on 2/10/07 by larrythelathe]
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The Great Fandango
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| posted on 2/10/07 at 09:22 AM |
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Giant get my vote EVERY time...
The Giant XTC can be had for a smidge under £400 if you look in the right places
Front suspension (with lock-out which I feel is a requirment when you don't need the use of suspension).
This might sound like me being a snob but I wouldn't buy second hand because a bike will inevitably have problem just like buying a second hand
car. In addition, the feel and balance of the bike is more important to me than most offer attributes so I'd always want to actually sit on the
bike and test ride it before the purchase.
[Edited on 2/10/07 by The Great Fandango]
He Who Dies With The Most Toys Dies The Happiest
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ChrisGamlin
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| posted on 2/10/07 at 02:30 PM |
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Hi Ned
You need to try the bike really before buying, a 17" frame from one manufacturer (and even one model within a manufacturer) will be different to
another simply because of the way the frame is designed and so therefore how its measured.
As others have said, Giant, Trek, Specialized etc are good ones to look at, especially year old models.
If you're going off road a lot though, discs do come into their own especially in the winter when rim brakes get muddy / wet and are far less
effective. There are good and bad disc brakes though and the cheap ones are generally not that good, so at the price you're looking at
you'd probably be better off making sure you get decent rim brakes than cheap discs.
Try www.pedalon.co.uk to see if there's anything on their site that takes your fancy. They're over in Tadley above Basingstoke which isnt
a million miles from you so you could always go over and try the bike, theyve always been pretty helpful whenever Ive been over there.
Chris
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ned
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| posted on 2/10/07 at 06:41 PM |
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Right, have been out to a few shops this evening (ok, well three and one of them had just shut when i got there!) Looked at an 07 Ridgeback something
or other @ £200, an 08 Specialized hardrock sport @£300 and an 07 Specialized hardrock sport @ £270.
Test rode the latter on a 19" frame and seemed ok, sat on a 17" frame and felt like I was a lot more over the front wheel.
I'll have to go back anyway to retrieve my card which I left behind by mistake (had given it to them whilst test riding the bike) so the
question is do I part with £270 when i do so? It's available in black or red, so black it would be I think. With a hat aswell I would be looking
at spending near enough £300 
The bike did appear better than the £100 cheaper ones, but would I notice the difference when riding properly? Will it really last a lot longer?
yours, still needing convincing 
Ned.
beware, I've got yellow skin
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roadrunner
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| posted on 2/10/07 at 06:48 PM |
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With bikes you do get what you pay for, the frame may be the same as the cheaper bikes, but thegroupset will be better.
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