Discussion
Hi.
I’m after some mountain bike advice. I’m a keen roadie and commute daily on either a road bike or cross.
Yesterday I was asked if I fancy a run out to Hamsterly forest, so I borrowed a Hard tail (pretty average and not in great nick, cheapo forks, rim brakes etc). I loved it, the bike struggled as the people we were riding with were good riders and had us on the black runs etc.
So, I’ve got the bug, can’t see me doing much with the roadie apart from commuting now and I NEED a mtb. But I know nothing.
So what do I need to look for, no problem with second hand as long as it’s not been abused. As a minimum what do I need?
What size should I be looking at, I’m 6’2” with long legs.
Is a 29er worth looking at? Is there any benefit. I assume the bigger wheels make it more stable and possibly easier to climb?
Budget, let’s say £1000 at a push.
Cheers,
Cramman
I’m after some mountain bike advice. I’m a keen roadie and commute daily on either a road bike or cross.
Yesterday I was asked if I fancy a run out to Hamsterly forest, so I borrowed a Hard tail (pretty average and not in great nick, cheapo forks, rim brakes etc). I loved it, the bike struggled as the people we were riding with were good riders and had us on the black runs etc.
So, I’ve got the bug, can’t see me doing much with the roadie apart from commuting now and I NEED a mtb. But I know nothing.
So what do I need to look for, no problem with second hand as long as it’s not been abused. As a minimum what do I need?
What size should I be looking at, I’m 6’2” with long legs.
Is a 29er worth looking at? Is there any benefit. I assume the bigger wheels make it more stable and possibly easier to climb?
Budget, let’s say £1000 at a push.
Cheers,
Cramman
You are about to be deluged with suggestions!!
For a 1k budget a good entry level 'all-mountain-ish' bike would be a Giant Trance X4 with a large frame. It won't have the best spec but it is a great base bike, the frame is the same as the top of the range model so as you get better you can replace components with better ones, which is exactly what I have done! Started with a base model, the only thing left on mine are the forks, and to be honest they do the job well so I am sticking with them for the time being!
I would steer clear of buying second hand unless you know the owner. I know a couple of local bike shops who make a small fortune putting right 'good spec' bikes bought cheap from eBay, case in point was a chap who recently bought a second hand Orange Five for 1.2k and ended up spending another 1k on replacement bits - total spend would have almost bought him a new one!!
The best thing you can do is find a local independent bike shop, pop along and try a few out - also, if the shop is half decent you will get lots of good advice. . . .
Last point, don't get too hung up on getting 'the best', 'cos for 1k you won't - get something that will allow you to get your confidence up and 'just ride'!!
For a 1k budget a good entry level 'all-mountain-ish' bike would be a Giant Trance X4 with a large frame. It won't have the best spec but it is a great base bike, the frame is the same as the top of the range model so as you get better you can replace components with better ones, which is exactly what I have done! Started with a base model, the only thing left on mine are the forks, and to be honest they do the job well so I am sticking with them for the time being!
I would steer clear of buying second hand unless you know the owner. I know a couple of local bike shops who make a small fortune putting right 'good spec' bikes bought cheap from eBay, case in point was a chap who recently bought a second hand Orange Five for 1.2k and ended up spending another 1k on replacement bits - total spend would have almost bought him a new one!!
The best thing you can do is find a local independent bike shop, pop along and try a few out - also, if the shop is half decent you will get lots of good advice. . . .
Last point, don't get too hung up on getting 'the best', 'cos for 1k you won't - get something that will allow you to get your confidence up and 'just ride'!!
Edited by MadDad on Sunday 23 October 19:29
Edited by MadDad on Sunday 23 October 19:29
a 29er rolls better but wont be any better on climbs and most uk singletrack is quite technical so they are a bit harder to throw around. there are also fewer upgrades around for a 29er and you are still very limited as far as wheels and tyres go in comparidson. someone with more experience of a 29er will be along in a minute to help....
personally i would get a top end hardtail, the full sus bikes around the £1K mark will be ok, but heavy and not really representative of the full sus genre. the fork and shocks wont be great in terms of bounce and rebound which wont offer the most inspiring ride. a hardtail will teach you good off road skills and are a lot of fun.
lots of people will talk about fit and trying it out but really until you have hammered around a trail for a day, you wont know if it fits from sitting on it in a shop and then riding it around thier var park. you should be able to work out what size you need form one of the many cycle size measurement tools on the web then just work out a good position from adjusting the seat height and position. really, its not that hard and you should consider buying something that you like from hte web without trying it. my last two bikes were both bought without even sitting on them and i have done plenty of miles on both without any pains. your friends should be able to help.
as for recommendations, there are a billion bikes around that price mark because it fits the cycle to work scheme limit and many people see £1K as a good limit for their own cash too.
personally i would go for the boardman ht team, buy it online, take it home boxed and get some mates round with a beer bribe to help bolt the bars and stem on. as a bike its stunning, wins loads of awards and has exceptional spec for the money.
http://www.boardmanbikes.com/mtb/ht_team.html
if you cant bear the halfords stigma, consider the genesis core http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/mountain/core/...
personally i would get a top end hardtail, the full sus bikes around the £1K mark will be ok, but heavy and not really representative of the full sus genre. the fork and shocks wont be great in terms of bounce and rebound which wont offer the most inspiring ride. a hardtail will teach you good off road skills and are a lot of fun.
lots of people will talk about fit and trying it out but really until you have hammered around a trail for a day, you wont know if it fits from sitting on it in a shop and then riding it around thier var park. you should be able to work out what size you need form one of the many cycle size measurement tools on the web then just work out a good position from adjusting the seat height and position. really, its not that hard and you should consider buying something that you like from hte web without trying it. my last two bikes were both bought without even sitting on them and i have done plenty of miles on both without any pains. your friends should be able to help.
as for recommendations, there are a billion bikes around that price mark because it fits the cycle to work scheme limit and many people see £1K as a good limit for their own cash too.
personally i would go for the boardman ht team, buy it online, take it home boxed and get some mates round with a beer bribe to help bolt the bars and stem on. as a bike its stunning, wins loads of awards and has exceptional spec for the money.
http://www.boardmanbikes.com/mtb/ht_team.html
if you cant bear the halfords stigma, consider the genesis core http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/mountain/core/...
Ah, forgot to mention you could build your own (great way to learn about bike specs!).
I built a seriuously top spec steel hardtail for roughly £1,400 this year, could have made it much cheaper by using some less hardcore kit. Same spec of kit from a shop would have been 2k+ so it is worth building your own if you have the time.
I built a seriuously top spec steel hardtail for roughly £1,400 this year, could have made it much cheaper by using some less hardcore kit. Same spec of kit from a shop would have been 2k+ so it is worth building your own if you have the time.
Edited by MadDad on Monday 24th October 07:26
pablo said:
a 29er rolls better but wont be any better on climbs and most uk singletrack is quite technical so they are a bit harder to throw around. there are also fewer upgrades around for a 29er and you are still very limited as far as wheels and tyres go in comparidson. someone with more experience of a 29er will be along in a minute to help....
personally i would get a top end hardtail, the full sus bikes around the £1K mark will be ok, but heavy and not really representative of the full sus genre. the fork and shocks wont be great in terms of bounce and rebound which wont offer the most inspiring ride. a hardtail will teach you good off road skills and are a lot of fun.
lots of people will talk about fit and trying it out but really until you have hammered around a trail for a day, you wont know if it fits from sitting on it in a shop and then riding it around thier var park. you should be able to work out what size you need form one of the many cycle size measurement tools on the web then just work out a good position from adjusting the seat height and position. really, its not that hard and you should consider buying something that you like from hte web without trying it. my last two bikes were both bought without even sitting on them and i have done plenty of miles on both without any pains. your friends should be able to help.
as for recommendations, there are a billion bikes around that price mark because it fits the cycle to work scheme limit and many people see £1K as a good limit for their own cash too.
personally i would go for the boardman ht team, buy it online, take it home boxed and get some mates round with a beer bribe to help bolt the bars and stem on. as a bike its stunning, wins loads of awards and has exceptional spec for the money.
http://www.boardmanbikes.com/mtb/ht_team.html
if you cant bear the halfords stigma, consider the genesis core http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/mountain/core/...
How much is that boatman? I can't access that link at work for some stupid reason.personally i would get a top end hardtail, the full sus bikes around the £1K mark will be ok, but heavy and not really representative of the full sus genre. the fork and shocks wont be great in terms of bounce and rebound which wont offer the most inspiring ride. a hardtail will teach you good off road skills and are a lot of fun.
lots of people will talk about fit and trying it out but really until you have hammered around a trail for a day, you wont know if it fits from sitting on it in a shop and then riding it around thier var park. you should be able to work out what size you need form one of the many cycle size measurement tools on the web then just work out a good position from adjusting the seat height and position. really, its not that hard and you should consider buying something that you like from hte web without trying it. my last two bikes were both bought without even sitting on them and i have done plenty of miles on both without any pains. your friends should be able to help.
as for recommendations, there are a billion bikes around that price mark because it fits the cycle to work scheme limit and many people see £1K as a good limit for their own cash too.
personally i would go for the boardman ht team, buy it online, take it home boxed and get some mates round with a beer bribe to help bolt the bars and stem on. as a bike its stunning, wins loads of awards and has exceptional spec for the money.
http://www.boardmanbikes.com/mtb/ht_team.html
if you cant bear the halfords stigma, consider the genesis core http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/mountain/core/...
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff