Newbie looking for advice on sub-£500 moutain bikes!

[Rudeboy350z]

Hi all,

Im making a move into mountain biking and as such I am looking to buy a bike (hard tail). I have a few friends who are knowledgable in these things and have identified a few that are worth a look at. What do you think?:

Focus Fat Boy 2008 - £449. Click here for spec http://wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360032163 

Specialized Rockhopper 2007 Mountain Bike - £449. Click here for spec http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=70269 

Or perhaps you can recommend something else that will give me more for my money?!

Thanks

Graham

[WildCards]

Of the two i'd go for the Focus, they're beocming more well known and getting some good reviews in various rags. I'm not a fan of Specialized though, I believe them to be the Tesco of the bike world so i'm probably biased.

Does the bike need to be new? you'd get a stonking bit of kit for £500 on the used market.

[Scho]

Rudeboy350z said:

Or perhaps you can recommend something else that will give me more for my money?!


Graham

my usual answer = second hand!

get on ebay mate. you will be able to get a great 06/07 bike for your money.

this is lovely if a bit burley : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Orange-subzero-BH-mountain-b...

nice spec on this and it's new http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kona-Blast-Deluxe-08-17-inch...
nice seat :-)

[lingus75]

Or do what I did and get a bike on the Cycle to work scheme and salary sacrifice the full amount in one pay packet, therefore reducing the 'Lease' time to one month (there is a max time of 18months but no minimum time). I got a 1k bike for £570! (actually an 07 1.5k bike but was in sale at 1k).

[Rudeboy350z]

WildCards said:

Does the bike need to be new? you'd get a stonking bit of kit for £500 on the used market.

No, second hand is good but having worked in a bike shop when I was a 'lil boy I know that frames get cracked/bent etc etc

[Rudeboy350z]

Scho said:

Rudeboy350z said:

Or perhaps you can recommend something else that will give me more for my money?!


Graham

this is lovely if a bit burley : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Orange-subzero-BH-mountain-b...

nice spec on this and it's new http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kona-Blast-Deluxe-08-17-inch...
nice seat :-)

Cheers Scho - I liked the Kona but unforunately too small for a 6' 1" guy who will want a bike for road use as well

[Rudeboy350z]

lingus75 said:

Or do what I did and get a bike on the Cycle to work scheme and salary sacrifice the full amount in one pay packet, therefore reducing the 'Lease' time to one month (there is a max time of 18months but no minimum time). I got a 1k bike for £570! (actually an 07 1.5k bike but was in sale at 1k).

....self-employed

[bigandclever]

Rudeboy350z said:

lingus75 said:

Or do what I did and get a bike on the Cycle to work scheme and salary sacrifice the full amount in one pay packet, therefore reducing the 'Lease' time to one month (there is a max time of 18months but no minimum time). I got a 1k bike for £570! (actually an 07 1.5k bike but was in sale at 1k).

....self-employed

You can still do it. Plenty on here have

Edit for link http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

Edited by bigandclever on Wednesday 23 January 11:48

[gbbird]

Rudeboy350z said:

Hi all,

Im making a move into mountain biking and as such I am looking to buy a bike (hard tail). I have a few friends who are knowledgable in these things and have identified a few that are worth a look at. What do you think?:

Focus Fat Boy 2008 - £449. Click here for spec http://wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360032163 

Specialized Rockhopper 2007 Mountain Bike - £449. Click here for spec http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=70269 

Or perhaps you can recommend something else that will give me more for my money?!

Thanks

Graham

Out of those two i would go for the Focus. Forks are not great and can always be changed, but everything else seems very good spec for the money

[Pablo16v]

These Merlin Malts are fairly good value for money http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=product&prod...

Pinnacle are also building decent bikes under 500 quid as are Felt

http://wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&a...

and there's Cube as well. I'm familiar with these from my time in Holland as they're very popular on the continent. This one is pretty well specced.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...

[Rudeboy350z]

Thanks guys/gals - it was good advice to post on this forum! I think I am going to go with the Focus. Thanks for all the advice!

G

[SCOOTERMAN]

Would it not be better to try all the bikes you can that are within budget, and pick the one that fits you best?

[Rudeboy350z]

SCOOTERMAN said:

Would it not be better to try all the bikes you can that are within budget, and pick the one that fits you best?

I frankly dont have the time to track down and try each of the bikes mentioned above, hoping that the cycle shop has my size - who has?! If I was spending a lot of money on a bike then yes I would do that, but for a novice bike i'll stand by my methods. Focus has one wholesaler within the UK - Wiggle - and they only do business online. So, for a sub £500 bike I will go with the manufacturers sizing recommendations :-)

Edited by Rudeboy350z on Wednesday 23 January 22:50

[Rudeboy350z]

bigandclever said:

Rudeboy350z said:

lingus75 said:

Or do what I did and get a bike on the Cycle to work scheme and salary sacrifice the full amount in one pay packet, therefore reducing the 'Lease' time to one month (there is a max time of 18months but no minimum time). I got a 1k bike for £570! (actually an 07 1.5k bike but was in sale at 1k).

....self-employed

You can still do it. Plenty on here have

Edit for link http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

Edited by bigandclever on Wednesday 23 January 11:48

Im not on PAYE....im self-employed!

[WildCards]

This dudes selling an 04 Spesh Epic Comp in Large for £450.

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/read.php?f=5...