Lightweight hard tail mountain/trail bike
Discussion
Pedallers of PH, I'm after a little help. I'm not a serious rider by any stretch of the imagination. Most of my riding is with the kids but every now and then I go out for a quick ride myself. Nothing too tricky but I tend to favour off-road more than on-road but more like trails/tracks rather than anything very technical.
I currently have an older Giant bike with front suspension, fat tyres, fatter tubes, 1000's of gears etc. I bought this used a couple of years ago. It was local and seemed well priced and had hydraulic discs which really appealed at the time but I've never really got on with it. It feels very heavy to ride and even heavier to lift into/onto the car. Feels like total overkill for me. My daughter's squish bike is a little smaller but feels like it weights half as much.
I prefer the idea of something much simpler. Probably no suspension at all. Brakes, I'm not too fussed about anything fancy if they work well enough. But the main driver is that I want something very light. I'm hoping that is realistic if I'm open to the idea of something old tech with no fancy bits. For reference I think my current bike is around 16kg.
Budget, I guess I could go higher but this is very occasional use so £300 seems about the right ball park. Probably used or indeed very well used as I assume new bikes at this budget are few and far between but happy to stand corrected if there is something worth looking at.
The problem I have is that if I look on ebay or facebook etc, I have no idea what makes or models I should be looing for. Very hard to weed through the options. So I'd greatly appreciate some specific bikes I could seek out.
I currently have an older Giant bike with front suspension, fat tyres, fatter tubes, 1000's of gears etc. I bought this used a couple of years ago. It was local and seemed well priced and had hydraulic discs which really appealed at the time but I've never really got on with it. It feels very heavy to ride and even heavier to lift into/onto the car. Feels like total overkill for me. My daughter's squish bike is a little smaller but feels like it weights half as much.
I prefer the idea of something much simpler. Probably no suspension at all. Brakes, I'm not too fussed about anything fancy if they work well enough. But the main driver is that I want something very light. I'm hoping that is realistic if I'm open to the idea of something old tech with no fancy bits. For reference I think my current bike is around 16kg.
Budget, I guess I could go higher but this is very occasional use so £300 seems about the right ball park. Probably used or indeed very well used as I assume new bikes at this budget are few and far between but happy to stand corrected if there is something worth looking at.
The problem I have is that if I look on ebay or facebook etc, I have no idea what makes or models I should be looing for. Very hard to weed through the options. So I'd greatly appreciate some specific bikes I could seek out.
Hmmm, looking online, I'm not sure a gravel bike is what I have in mind. Never been a fan of dropped handlebars and most of those that I've looked at seem to have tyres much more biased to road riding than I probably had in mind. All that could be changed of course but at as cost.
I think really what I have in mind is just a bike like that sort of stuff I was riding in the mid to late 90's but hopefully with some modern material choices to bring weight down. No need for suspension and I'd rather have 'normal' bars. I seem to remember 26" wheels used to be the norm which seemed fine at the time. Perhaps this stuff is less common now.
I think really what I have in mind is just a bike like that sort of stuff I was riding in the mid to late 90's but hopefully with some modern material choices to bring weight down. No need for suspension and I'd rather have 'normal' bars. I seem to remember 26" wheels used to be the norm which seemed fine at the time. Perhaps this stuff is less common now.
You'd probably struggle to find a fully rigid MTB style bike these days that's worth having, hence my suggesting a gravel.
So you are probably looking at a Hardtail MTB.
I often use my son's old Giant Talon 650B in the winter as a hack and it's a very nice thing to ride and is light and nimble with decent hyrdaulic discs brakes and flies along on tarmac as well as being decent offroad. I often use it for road loops in preference to my road bike as it's just so much more comfortable.
For the simple reason that it's the only bike I have that seems to fit your criteria I would see if you can find a nice used one. Even when new around 8 years ago it was not expensive, around £750 ISTR.
So you are probably looking at a Hardtail MTB.
I often use my son's old Giant Talon 650B in the winter as a hack and it's a very nice thing to ride and is light and nimble with decent hyrdaulic discs brakes and flies along on tarmac as well as being decent offroad. I often use it for road loops in preference to my road bike as it's just so much more comfortable.
For the simple reason that it's the only bike I have that seems to fit your criteria I would see if you can find a nice used one. Even when new around 8 years ago it was not expensive, around £750 ISTR.
Lotobear said:
You'd probably struggle to find a fully rigid MTB style bike these days that's worth having, hence my suggesting a gravel.
So you are probably looking at a Hardtail MTB.
I often use my son's old Giant Talon 650B in the winter as a hack and it's a very nice thing to ride and is light and nimble with decent hyrdaulic discs brakes and flies along on tarmac as well as being decent offroad. I often use it for road loops in preference to my road bike as it's just so much more comfortable.
For the simple reason that it's the only bike I have that seems to fit your criteria I would see if you can find a nice used one. Even when new around 8 years ago it was not expensive, around £750 ISTR.
Cheers. I'll take a look. So you are probably looking at a Hardtail MTB.
I often use my son's old Giant Talon 650B in the winter as a hack and it's a very nice thing to ride and is light and nimble with decent hyrdaulic discs brakes and flies along on tarmac as well as being decent offroad. I often use it for road loops in preference to my road bike as it's just so much more comfortable.
For the simple reason that it's the only bike I have that seems to fit your criteria I would see if you can find a nice used one. Even when new around 8 years ago it was not expensive, around £750 ISTR.
I have one of these; https://www.tweekscycles.com/cannondale-trail-7-ha...
Not too far from your budget for a new one at the sale price and does everything I need quite happily. But then I'm not into big money bikes, I've never seen the point, if it's a bit heavier it just means I burn more calories
Not too far from your budget for a new one at the sale price and does everything I need quite happily. But then I'm not into big money bikes, I've never seen the point, if it's a bit heavier it just means I burn more calories
In your shoes, I'd be looking at gravel bikes on Facebook / eBay. If you leave it a few months, things will hang around longer as less people are interested in buying a bike during autumn / winter so you may get a bit more for your money.
I'd look for something with disc brakes, because rim brakes will be s
t in the wet (and probably an old cyclo-cross bike) but beyond that see what comes up locally, try them out and make some offers.
In terms of specific bikes, ones which seem to come up as good budget bikes are:
- Boardman ADV
- Cannondale Topstone
- Marin Nicasio
- Triban
Ask the seller what year the bike they've listed is from, it's easy then to find reviews and see what others thought of the bike.
I'd look for something with disc brakes, because rim brakes will be s
t in the wet (and probably an old cyclo-cross bike) but beyond that see what comes up locally, try them out and make some offers. In terms of specific bikes, ones which seem to come up as good budget bikes are:
- Boardman ADV
- Cannondale Topstone
- Marin Nicasio
- Triban
Ask the seller what year the bike they've listed is from, it's easy then to find reviews and see what others thought of the bike.
I think generally cheap bikes aren't light, and light bikes aren't cheap. Everything's relative though - you might well get something lighter than your existing bike and it will feel 'light' to you.
As above, your best bet might be to look at second hand options in the autumn after people have realised they're not going to use their bike.
You can also get flat bar gravel bikes / adventure bikes. Gravel bikes are hugely variable, from 'almost road bikes' with wider tyres to 'drop bar mountain bikes' with suspension. They'll tend to be lighter than mountain bikes as they'll (mostly) not have suspension and lighter wheels / tyres. Anything with slightly knobbly tyres will probably be fine for what you're doing.
As above, your best bet might be to look at second hand options in the autumn after people have realised they're not going to use their bike.
You can also get flat bar gravel bikes / adventure bikes. Gravel bikes are hugely variable, from 'almost road bikes' with wider tyres to 'drop bar mountain bikes' with suspension. They'll tend to be lighter than mountain bikes as they'll (mostly) not have suspension and lighter wheels / tyres. Anything with slightly knobbly tyres will probably be fine for what you're doing.
MrBig said:
I have one of these; https://www.tweekscycles.com/cannondale-trail-7-ha...
Not too far from your budget for a new one at the sale price and does everything I need quite happily. But then I'm not into big money bikes, I've never seen the point, if it's a bit heavier it just means I burn more calories
I wish weights were easier to find. Looks nice but very similar to my existing bike on the face of it. Not too far from your budget for a new one at the sale price and does everything I need quite happily. But then I'm not into big money bikes, I've never seen the point, if it's a bit heavier it just means I burn more calories
Correvor said:
In your shoes, I'd be looking at gravel bikes on Facebook / eBay. If you leave it a few months, things will hang around longer as less people are interested in buying a bike during autumn / winter so you may get a bit more for your money.
I'd look for something with disc brakes, because rim brakes will be st in the wet (and probably an old cyclo-cross bike) but beyond that see what comes up locally, try them out and make some offers.
In terms of specific bikes, ones which seem to come up as good budget bikes are:
- Boardman ADV
- Cannondale Topstone
- Marin Nicasio
- Triban
Ask the seller what year the bike they've listed is from, it's easy then to find reviews and see what others thought of the bike.
Thanks you very much. That's great. I'd look for something with disc brakes, because rim brakes will be s
t in the wet (and probably an old cyclo-cross bike) but beyond that see what comes up locally, try them out and make some offers. In terms of specific bikes, ones which seem to come up as good budget bikes are:
- Boardman ADV
- Cannondale Topstone
- Marin Nicasio
- Triban
Ask the seller what year the bike they've listed is from, it's easy then to find reviews and see what others thought of the bike.
Gin and Ultrasonic said:
I think generally cheap bikes aren't light, and light bikes aren't cheap. Everything's relative though - you might well get something lighter than your existing bike and it will feel 'light' to you.
As above, your best bet might be to look at second hand options in the autumn after people have realised they're not going to use their bike.
You can also get flat bar gravel bikes / adventure bikes. Gravel bikes are hugely variable, from 'almost road bikes' with wider tyres to 'drop bar mountain bikes' with suspension. They'll tend to be lighter than mountain bikes as they'll (mostly) not have suspension and lighter wheels / tyres. Anything with slightly knobbly tyres will probably be fine for what you're doing.
Many thanks. It is proving hard to pick through the weight stuff. Many simply don't seem to be listed. I did find a couple of hard tail mountain bikes with front suspension and hydraulic discs and lots of gear for around the £1400 mark that came in under 12 kg. I just want all the fancy stuff removed, slightly smaller wheels, 10kg and £300 please. Not much to ask As above, your best bet might be to look at second hand options in the autumn after people have realised they're not going to use their bike.
You can also get flat bar gravel bikes / adventure bikes. Gravel bikes are hugely variable, from 'almost road bikes' with wider tyres to 'drop bar mountain bikes' with suspension. They'll tend to be lighter than mountain bikes as they'll (mostly) not have suspension and lighter wheels / tyres. Anything with slightly knobbly tyres will probably be fine for what you're doing.
In all seriousness though what weight can I realistically achieve with a cheap all terrain bike? Lots of road bikes and very expensive full suspension bikes around the 10kg mark. Is 11-12 achievable on a budget for something simpler? There's a million possible answers.
Hardtail MTB with a reasonably light fork
Gravel bike
Hybrid.
There are unfashionable 26inch wheel MTBs on the used market for not much money.
I think the big choices are:
Straight or drop bars?
Front sus or not?
Tyre width?
What riding will you do?
I do a few 'cycle way' rides on a modified old cyclocross bike, and around the woods on a hard tail.
There's a few rides where either would do, but mostly I pick the ride to suit the bike and/or choose the bike to suit the ride.
Hardtail MTB with a reasonably light fork
Gravel bike
Hybrid.
There are unfashionable 26inch wheel MTBs on the used market for not much money.
I think the big choices are:
Straight or drop bars?
Front sus or not?
Tyre width?
What riding will you do?
I do a few 'cycle way' rides on a modified old cyclocross bike, and around the woods on a hard tail.
There's a few rides where either would do, but mostly I pick the ride to suit the bike and/or choose the bike to suit the ride.
£300 is 26" wheel second hand territory I reckon. 26" bikes no one wants so you'll get far better for your money. No suspension makes sense, but front forks won't hurt and will end up costing less because you won't find a bike with rigid forks, so you'd have to buy those too.
I ride an On One Whippet, 26" fully rigid on your local trails and cycle paths and it's about perfect I reckon. Gravel bikes work too, they're faster if you're trying to get somewhere, but there's a shortage of trails and you likely won't want to ride Gravel on some stuff, so I think the extra capability is worth that compromise.
I ride an On One Whippet, 26" fully rigid on your local trails and cycle paths and it's about perfect I reckon. Gravel bikes work too, they're faster if you're trying to get somewhere, but there's a shortage of trails and you likely won't want to ride Gravel on some stuff, so I think the extra capability is worth that compromise.
I wouldn't get too hung up on bike weight for MTBing, unless you are XC racing and taking it seriously.
Unless its a pretty extreme example it doesn't make all that much difference to how a bike rides, other factors like frame geometry are much more important.
Wheel size is a classic example too, a 26" bike may be lighter weight and (potentially) more agile but won't roll along as efficiently as a 29". I've had times coasting on a 29" behind someone pedaling on a 26" and still having to brake to avoid running into the back of them.
Fair point from others that 26" wheel bikes are unfashionable these days making them much cheaper though!
I have an alloy hardtail and a carbon full suspension, both are 29" wheels and around 14kg for reference.
Unless its a pretty extreme example it doesn't make all that much difference to how a bike rides, other factors like frame geometry are much more important.
Wheel size is a classic example too, a 26" bike may be lighter weight and (potentially) more agile but won't roll along as efficiently as a 29". I've had times coasting on a 29" behind someone pedaling on a 26" and still having to brake to avoid running into the back of them.
Fair point from others that 26" wheel bikes are unfashionable these days making them much cheaper though!
I have an alloy hardtail and a carbon full suspension, both are 29" wheels and around 14kg for reference.
Edited by GravelBen on Wednesday 10th July 02:10
That budget I'd be taking a punt on something like this....
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276537347529?itmmeta=01...
Looks to have all the modern standards, fully rigid and carbon so light. The compromise you'd be making with something like this is that it's missing brakes but they're cheap to pick up and would you trust an unbranded Chinese carbon frame and fork?
Me, I'd risk it if it were for light duties only although being a medium it'd be too small for me. Looks like the kind of thing that might suit your needs though so even as just an example it shows there's stuff out there...
Spendier end of the scale and if you're a long one like me there's stuff like this... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126240827895?itmmeta=01...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276537347529?itmmeta=01...
Looks to have all the modern standards, fully rigid and carbon so light. The compromise you'd be making with something like this is that it's missing brakes but they're cheap to pick up and would you trust an unbranded Chinese carbon frame and fork?
Me, I'd risk it if it were for light duties only although being a medium it'd be too small for me. Looks like the kind of thing that might suit your needs though so even as just an example it shows there's stuff out there...
Spendier end of the scale and if you're a long one like me there's stuff like this... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126240827895?itmmeta=01...
Edited by bobbo89 on Wednesday 10th July 08:05
GravelBen said:
I wouldn't get too hung up on bike weight for MTBing, unless you are XC racing and taking it seriously.
Unless its a pretty extreme example it doesn't make all that much difference to how a bike rides, other factors like frame geometry are much more important.
Wheel size is a classic example too, a 26" bike may be lighter weight and (potentially) more agile but won't roll along as efficiently as a 29". I've had times coasting on a 29" behind someone pedaling on a 26" and still having to brake to avoid running into the back of them.
Fair point from others that 26" wheel bikes are unfashionable these days making them much cheaper though!
I have an alloy hardtail and a carbon full suspension, both are 29" wheels and around 14kg for reference.
I'm slightly sceptical that 10% wheel size makes that much difference.Unless its a pretty extreme example it doesn't make all that much difference to how a bike rides, other factors like frame geometry are much more important.
Wheel size is a classic example too, a 26" bike may be lighter weight and (potentially) more agile but won't roll along as efficiently as a 29". I've had times coasting on a 29" behind someone pedaling on a 26" and still having to brake to avoid running into the back of them.
Fair point from others that 26" wheel bikes are unfashionable these days making them much cheaper though!
I have an alloy hardtail and a carbon full suspension, both are 29" wheels and around 14kg for reference.
Edited by GravelBen on Wednesday 10th July 02:10
For sure my 26 has alot more rolling resistance than my drop bar bike, but that is nearly all about the tyres surely?
For a while I had commuter road tyres on the 26 and it rolled very nicely
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