£300-ish MTB - Carrera?
Discussion
Morning all. We’ve used quarantine time to turn our once pedestrian 5yo into a cyclist and I want to get a new bike so we can go for rides. For £300 am I best going to Halfords and asking for one of theirs? I’m not looking for anything too capable but over the next ten years it would be nice to have something that can be used without falling apart or weighing a ton. Of course the other alternative is browsing eBay and trying to pick something reminiscent up from my late ‘90’s, MBUK, Kona riding teens which leads to my second question of how has the game moved on since then?
I believe gooutdoors are about to launch some new mountain bikes and a gravel bike but information on delivery and availability is sketchy due to you know what so my advice would be to buy a bike when you see something you like as they won’t be around for long. I dithered when I bought my bike last year and although I ended up with the bike I wanted, I had to wait a while. It must be even worse now and I know that my brother is struggling to get a bike through his cycle to work scheme as Evans cannot cope with current demand.
Heard good things about the Two Cubed and the Rockriders though I have no experience with them. What I do have experience with is Carrera, I haven’t owned one but I borrowed my girlfriend’s brother’s one, a Carrera Sulcata 29er which I believe was a £3-400 one when new, absolute s
t. It’ll be the same cheap components on the same price Carreras now I’m sure.
I’d personally try and spend more and try and get something with better brakes and maybe forks. The mechanical disc brakes were terrible, I’d want hydraulic at least. And I certainly wouldn’t be trying to expect 10 years of use out of one.
As others have said, availability is a problem at the minute, if you see a deal you want to purchase get it bought because it might be sold out half an hour later.
Also expect possible delays, I’ve just ordered a new MTB and it’s a 2-3 week delay before it’ll be with me unfortunately.
t. It’ll be the same cheap components on the same price Carreras now I’m sure. I’d personally try and spend more and try and get something with better brakes and maybe forks. The mechanical disc brakes were terrible, I’d want hydraulic at least. And I certainly wouldn’t be trying to expect 10 years of use out of one.
As others have said, availability is a problem at the minute, if you see a deal you want to purchase get it bought because it might be sold out half an hour later.
Also expect possible delays, I’ve just ordered a new MTB and it’s a 2-3 week delay before it’ll be with me unfortunately.
Edited by CrackTaxi on Wednesday 13th May 16:44
I was going to buy a Carrera Fury, bit more but an unbelievable spec for the money, but none around, only one online but in Glasgow.
In the end bought a Calibre saw, coming tomorrow, already bought carbon seatpost,handlebars and a seat, pedals and grips so spent a bit more but like to add bits on. Will report back, looks like a good bike, just st fork.
In the end bought a Calibre saw, coming tomorrow, already bought carbon seatpost,handlebars and a seat, pedals and grips so spent a bit more but like to add bits on. Will report back, looks like a good bike, just s
t fork.This forum is great but people get into bikes like cars and £300 becomes a component instead of a bike. I may have fell foul of this myself but do still use an old Kona to pull a tag along.
If Halfords is local and since they are open, personally I'd buy the lightest thing you can get for the money. If intention is to keep it a while then basic cable brakes will be painless. Albeit better, hydraulic stuff will be at the bottom of the market and just need maintenance and if you can't do that yourself the service cost will be like a (v cheap) car. Same can apply with the forks and bikes never manage 20k intervals
If Halfords is local and since they are open, personally I'd buy the lightest thing you can get for the money. If intention is to keep it a while then basic cable brakes will be painless. Albeit better, hydraulic stuff will be at the bottom of the market and just need maintenance and if you can't do that yourself the service cost will be like a (v cheap) car. Same can apply with the forks and bikes never manage 20k intervals
Well here up North you can't buy any Bike's online they are sold out everywhere in the £300/starter bike price range. So I took to Gumtree and that's comical too. They sell typically within 5 minutes of being listed unless they are junk or stupidly over priced.
Still I did manage to pick up a GT Aggressor XT3 for £220. Needs a little TLC but nothing major and its a nice ride.
Got an old Apollo something for my daughter for £90, fixing that one up now, needs brakes, gears setting up, cleaning, reflectors, new bell (she insists!)
Still I did manage to pick up a GT Aggressor XT3 for £220. Needs a little TLC but nothing major and its a nice ride.
Got an old Apollo something for my daughter for £90, fixing that one up now, needs brakes, gears setting up, cleaning, reflectors, new bell (she insists!)
It’s crazy how much used bikes are selling for, £10-20 st scrap bikes selling for £100 on eBay and gumtree because everyone is panicking and trying to get one. Bikes that were £150 brand new 10-15 years ago.
The girlfriend is getting a new bike soon, and her old one is seriously st, something I’d happily throw away thinking surely no one would want it, but I’m starting to think it might be worth more now that’s it ever has.
t scrap bikes selling for £100 on eBay and gumtree because everyone is panicking and trying to get one. Bikes that were £150 brand new 10-15 years ago. The girlfriend is getting a new bike soon, and her old one is seriously s
t, something I’d happily throw away thinking surely no one would want it, but I’m starting to think it might be worth more now that’s it ever has. Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff