Getting Back Into Trail Riding - Which Bike On A Budget

[Dai Capp]

As the title says really - want to get back into biking and will be hitting trails in the Peak District and around Sheffield (flattish ones at first I reckon!). I'm looking for a bike that will serve the purpose but will also have some growth room as well for when I get fitter and more adventurous. I'm on a budget(as most of us are nowadays) of £400.

I've a good mate who knows his way around a mountain bike and he has had his say and it's on the list but now it's over to you guys - see if you agree or not...

[anonymous-user]

Dai Capp said:

As the title says really - want to get back into biking and will be hitting trails in the Peak District and around Sheffield (flattish ones at first I reckon!). I'm looking for a bike that will serve the purpose but will also have some growth room as well for when I get fitter and more adventurous. I'm on a budget(as most of us are nowadays) of £400.

I've a good mate who knows his way around a mountain bike and he has had his say and it's on the list but now it's over to you guys - see if you agree or not...

i dont like to say it but nothing at that price will be particulary good.

they really are the bottom of the ladder and the critical parts like the frame, forks and wheels will be heavy and unresponsive .

there is no point buying a bike like that with view to upgrading parts in the future because it will be a fruitless exercise. slapping on £300 forks to those frames will still leave you with a heavy frame and heavy wheels, alternatively putting on new wheels still leaves you with a heavy frame and unresponsive forks. by the time you have upgraded those three things alone, you still have a very tired and basic groupset...

if you dont want a second hand bike i would hold out for a while, save up some more and consider the Carrera Fury reviewed on the front page of www.bikeradar.com at the moment.

of the three you listed, i would be surprised if there is any major difference between them spec-wise, the frames are likely to be the same geometry give or take half a degree and there will be little difference in how they ride. Go for the one you like the look of.

sorry, i know thats a lot of doom and gloom but its the truth.

[Mr E]

I've ridden both the Aim and the Hardrock, and they were both fine IMHO. You might miss hydro discs, but at the price point V's are probably fine (and indeed overkill for the likely use)

[MadDad]

I had a 2009 Felt Q220 and was very happy with it (at the time). The frame is the same the whole way through the Q range, so you get the same frame as the £1,400 Q920 but everything else bolted onto it is a lower spec.

To be honest the best thing you can do is head down to a decent LBS and ride a few different bikes, the spec of all bikes around that price point is going to be similar, and it is much more important to have a bike that fits, than one that is marginally better on paper than its peers! GIANT, Kona, Ghost, Commencal, Scott and Trek (to name a few) - all do reasonable entry level bikes at the price point you are considering.

I would not worry too much about weight either, until you start spending £1.5k plus on a H/T you are not going to notice the difference in the ride that much, especially if you are only going to use the bike to bimble around your local trails - different rules apply if you are planning on racing!

Personally I would disagree with the previous post relating to upgrades. I have always upgraded my bikes as/when I had the money (I build my own now!), and if you shop around it does not have to cost a fortune, and will transform your ride. On-One are selling Reba 100mm solo air shocks for under £200 at the moment, if you shop around you will be able to bag a decent pair of trail wheels for circa £200. The most important thing is to get out there and get riding, then adjust your ride to suit you as you get better.

Speaking from experience if you cannot get hydraulic brakes you are better off with v-brakes. All of the bikes I have ridden with cable disc brakes have been awful, suffered from fade, eaten through pads and require a very strong hand to make them work in a hard stop! If you find a bike that fits well and only has cable discs then I would recommend and upgrade to Formula K18's, recently picked up a set directly from Formula in Italy for £120 including shipping.

Good luck with your quest but don't buy a bike based on your straw poll, get down to a shop and ride a few - you will be amazed at how different the frame geometry is between bikes of a similar cost!

Also, remember it's sale time, so you should be able to bag a much better spec of bike for your £400 as long as you don't mind riding last years colours!!

[gradeA]

If you can up the budget a bit it brings the Decathlon Rockrider 8.1 into play, and it gets very favourable reviews... http://www.decathlon.co.uk/81-2011-id_8168695.html

[Roman]

gradeA said:

If you can up the budget a bit it brings the Decathlon Rockrider 8.1 into play, and it gets very favourable reviews... http://www.decathlon.co.uk/81-2011-id_8168695.html

+1. Nothing else gets close under £500 - unless you find a 'big brand' bike with 20-30% off RRP in the sales.

[Gren]

Very true

[nammynake]

As mentioned above £400 is a pretty low budget relative to the majority of bikes out there, but that's not to say you can't find something suitable. Personally with that budget I would be looking at second hand bikes. Plenty of decent bikes out there for that (try Singletrack forums).

If you're dead set on a brand new bike and can up your budget to £500, then this has a very decent spec and is reasonably lightweight too:

http://www.canyon.com/_uk/mountainbikes/bike.html?...

Frame Canyon New F6 Technology
Fork RockShox XC 30 TK LockOut
Headset FSA Headset
Rear Derailleur Shimano Deore XT Shadow
Front Derailleur Shimano Alivio
Shifters Shimano Alivio
Brake levers Avid Elixir 1
Brakes Avid Elixir 1
Hubs Shimano Alivio
Cassette Shimano Alivio 11-34 9-speed
Rims Alex DP 20
Tyres Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.25“, Racing Ralph 2.25“
Cranks Shimano Alivio
Chainrings 44/32/22
Bottom Bracket Shimano BB-ES 25

Stem Ritchey (31,8)
Handlebar Ritchey Comp Riser 670/20 mm
Grips Canyon Bracelets
Saddle Selle Italia Q-Bik
Seat post Iridium SL
Pedals Wellgo Bärentatzen
Frame sizes XS, S, M, L, XL
Colour pearl black - blue
Weight 12,90

[Animal101]

I am riding last years Hardrock Sport Disc. I have been using it for forest trail centers like Thetford and the odd local ride and I can't really fault it. It is a couple of KG's heavier then a £1000 bike but it makes for a better work out. The gear change seems smooth enough to me and it climbs hills well. I do wish the mechanical disc brakes were a bit stronger though. Can't comment on the other bikes you have listed though.

As others have said there are a lot of good second hand bikes out there for that sort of money. It might be worth looking at a second hand rockhopper or something?

[Dai Capp]

Many thanks for the thought, tips etc etc...

Second hand isn't out of the question but one name keeps coming up and that's specialized. It looks like that will be top of the list but I'll take the time to make sure I get the right fit.

A used rock hopper did come to mind - I'll see whats around when I'm ready to take the leap...

Cheers

DC