Best Hardtail MTB for £1.5k - £2k?
Discussion
Following on from my other thread, I'm looking for a good hardtial mountain bike which I can attached a baby seat to.
Budget is £1.5k to £2k, not particularly bothered whether it's this years model, but must be new.
Any recommendations much appreciated
Budget is £1.5k to £2k, not particularly bothered whether it's this years model, but must be new.
Any recommendations much appreciated

Topeak do rear rack for child seats that fits on to disc's, the problem you will have is finding a bike you can fit it on with the appropriate lugs at the top of the seat tube &/or seat stays and near the rear dropouts, alternatively there is a mechanism that clamps mid way down the seat tube and suspends the seat over the rear wheel through two bars, I've seen them in use and they flex a lot, I'm not sure in any accident (god forbid) that they would be strong enough to keep the seat square and central, also there can be placement issues with the front derailer cable and bottle mounts on compact geometries.
At your price bracket your at the very serious end of HT frames and I fear they maybe too focused to allow a rack to be mounted.
I think you'll have two options
1 Custom frame (kerching!)
2 £1000-£1,500 HT + £500 Hybrid
At your price bracket your at the very serious end of HT frames and I fear they maybe too focused to allow a rack to be mounted.
I think you'll have two options
1 Custom frame (kerching!)
2 £1000-£1,500 HT + £500 Hybrid
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 13th September 09:39
Get a Cove Handjob from Merlin.
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop/Bikes/Moun...
Upgrade it to SLX or XT, maybe some better wheels (they can custom build them) and maybe upgrade to a Reba Race or Team and you've filled out your budget nicely.
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop/Bikes/Moun...
Upgrade it to SLX or XT, maybe some better wheels (they can custom build them) and maybe upgrade to a Reba Race or Team and you've filled out your budget nicely.
OneDs said:
2 £1000-£1,500 HT + £500 Hybrid
This, or keep your existing FS bike & get a £300-500 hybrid or hardtail to ride with the child seat. Pointless spending £2k on a high performance super light bike if you're going to bolt a rack & seat on and then have to ride carefully with a child on board.
Carbon Whyte or Cover Stiffee spec'd as you like it.
regardless of whether the time spent with the rack on/off is 90/10 or the other way round, for the few rides in the trails without it, you will have the time of your life! ignore the doom mongers, think of it as a caterham with a baby seat, people like that get my respect, not the people who think a sporty focus is a good compromise.... because it isnt!
regardless of whether the time spent with the rack on/off is 90/10 or the other way round, for the few rides in the trails without it, you will have the time of your life! ignore the doom mongers, think of it as a caterham with a baby seat, people like that get my respect, not the people who think a sporty focus is a good compromise.... because it isnt!
I tried the rear mounted child seat thing and found them hideously unstable. Now use a http://www.weerideuk.co.uk/Weeride_Kangaroo.asp and find it a much better solution. It is actually now on my wife's MTB as she takes our son to nursery on it sometimes, but it should fit most FS bikes unless you have double crown forks.
Our son feels far safer in this and gets to see where he's going too!
Our son feels far safer in this and gets to see where he's going too!
Cheers for the replies everybody, and apologies for my own delayed reply 


hughjayteens said:
I tried the rear mounted child seat thing and found them hideously unstable. Now use a http://www.weerideuk.co.uk/Weeride_Kangaroo.asp and find it a much better solution. It is actually now on my wife's MTB as she takes our son to nursery on it sometimes, but it should fit most FS bikes unless you have double crown forks.
Our son feels far safer in this and gets to see where he's going too!
This looks interesting, but could you see it fitting on my bike?Our son feels far safer in this and gets to see where he's going too!

Andy M said:
Cheers for the replies everybody, and apologies for my own delayed reply 

Pretty much my bike! I've got a 2006 Stumpy FSR and it would look ridiculous with a child seat.
hughjayteens said:
I tried the rear mounted child seat thing and found them hideously unstable. Now use a http://www.weerideuk.co.uk/Weeride_Kangaroo.asp and find it a much better solution. It is actually now on my wife's MTB as she takes our son to nursery on it sometimes, but it should fit most FS bikes unless you have double crown forks.
Our son feels far safer in this and gets to see where he's going too!
This looks interesting, but could you see it fitting on my bike?Our son feels far safer in this and gets to see where he's going too!

I'd go with the other suggestions and get a cart. They are MUCH safer and more comfortable for the kid. You can also throw in a bunch of toys so they can play about without getting bored. When I get my own one day, this will be what I do!
I think you might be best off building a high spec hardtail around a really nice steel frame. That way you can take it to a frame builders and ask them to weld on some child seat mounts for you. You could do this with alloy it's more difficult to weld and is obviously softer than steel.
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