What bike thread...

[anonymous-user]

[redacted]

[Jimbo.]

The way bike prices have gone up and specs down, £500ish won't get you much - if any - better than you have already.
The Hardrock isn't a bad frame. I'd be tempted to raid eBay/STW classifieds for a set of Rebas/Recons, some Deore hydro brakes, some XT/Hope XC +717 wheels, decent tyres and some time spent setting it up properly.

[RRS_Staffs]

I suspect that an 'average consumer' would be able to change a tyre - no offence

TBH Im not sure what youre asking let alone wanting

Fancy forks are just not necessary for riding towpaths or basic bridleways
And much as I accept that the GT was special to you it would fall a long way short of trophy bike for most pedal heads

I spend most of my time on a 10y old MTB with a broken fork which I run as a rigid
With a set of 2.35 tyres it laughs at the local bridleways let alone canal tow paths

Your bike looks fine
Are you sure you need to change it?

Good luck

[RRS_Staffs]

Especially with the lights

[MrTom]

The best component spec for the price I can find, £9 over budget. I'm sure ebay has some gems.

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b...

[MadDad]

TBH I think you are best to go along to your LBS and have a chat with them about the sort of riding you do and ask them to point you in the right direction.

If you are riding single track (somewhere like Swinley Forest), and want to ride fast you would probably want to spend a bit more and buy a full sus bike with about 5” of travel. If you are doing tarmac and towpaths then you are best off sticking to a hardtail with short travel forks, if you want to do both then go for a hardtail with longer travel forks and lockouts!

£500 sounds like a decent budget but does not get you much unless you go for last years models. There are quite a few decent hardtail frames on the market for £500 but you will have to accept that you won’t get great components for this sort of money, you should still get a half decent ride though. £500 on a full susser will not get you a bike you will enjoy riding!

The difference in bikes between a £350 and £750 bike will be very limited (marginally better groupset, forks and maybe hydraulic discs over mechanical), based on what you described I would have a look at the following;

Kina Fire Mountain Delux, Felt Q520, Spec Hardrock, Cube Attention (slightly over the £500 mark but a great bike), Scott Aspect, Giant Talon or XTC - the list goes on and everyone will have a different opinion!

Depending on where you are a couple of bike shops I would recommend are DNA cycles in Maidenhead, Mountain Trax near Wokingham and Berkshire Cycles in Crowthorne - I have dealt with all of them in the past and they all offer great advice (and best of all - its free!)...

[anonymous-user]

keep the hardrock, its not worth spending £500 on a new bike as you will only end up with something of comparable spec. spend the £500 on something else, you culd upgrade a few of the parts that are wearing out and still have half the cash left. I rode a hardrock for years and it was fine, trail centres, singletrack, it never let me down.

[hadenough!]

MadDad said:

If you are riding single track (somewhere like Swinley Forest), and want to ride fast you would probably want to spend a bit more and buy a full sus bike with about 5” of travel...

Wouldn't agree with this, I don't think there's anywhere round here within riding distance that merits that amount of travel. In fact, I probably have more fun on my rigid singlespeed Voodoo than I have on my FS Klein.

[chrisga]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Not really true. I reckon if you had £500 you's be very hard pushed to build a whole bike to the same spec as one you could buy. I'm sure most often quote the prices of bikes they've built forgetting they probably had some of the major components like a frame or forks or wheels sitting in the shed beforehand. Man maths I think. In your head its cheaper than buying a bike but only because you already had spares lying around to help.

[MadDad]

hadenough! said:

MadDad said:

If you are riding single track (somewhere like Swinley Forest), and want to ride fast you would probably want to spend a bit more and buy a full sus bike with about 5” of travel...

Wouldn't agree with this, I don't think there's anywhere round here within riding distance that merits that amount of travel. In fact, I probably have more fun on my rigid singlespeed Voodoo than I have on my FS Klein.

Each to their own - I think you will find a good couple of hundred riders passing through Swinley Forest and Surrey Hills each week who would probably disagree (with both of us!). I have a full sus and hardtail and ride both locally, personally I find plenty of places to use the 5" of travel, but as I originally said, everyone had their own personal preferences!

Back on topic, I still think the best way forward is to go and have a chat with your local bike shop and ask what 2010 stock they have out back.

Regardless of what you get make sure you ride before you buy and enjoy! If you fancy a blast around Swinley Forest once you have your new toy drop me a line, happy to head over there and show you around!

[Flippin' Kipper]

pablo said:

keep the hardrock, its not worth spending £500 on a new bike as you will only end up with something of comparable spec. spend the £500 on something else, you culd upgrade a few of the parts that are wearing out and still have half the cash left. I rode a hardrock for years and it was fine, trail centres, singletrack, it never let me down.

I agree with this, and have done some shopping for you.

Disc Brakes: Shimano Deore £48 per end = £96
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/mtb-bmx-bike/Disc...

Disc Compatiable wheels (6 bolt rotors - to match discs) £124.95
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop/Wheels/Mou...

Rockshox Reba RLT Forks £309
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop/Frame++For...

Total £529

To install all this is not a difficult job, the most tricky being cutting the steerer tube to length, but as long as you take your time this is not beyond anyone's capability.

In my honest opinion spending the money on these components will give you a much better bike than you could hope to get buying new for the same price.

You could also pay a bike shop to fit all this for around £30?, or I'm sure someone local to you from on here would be only to willing to help out.

Edit: Where about are you based? I would be only to glad to help out if you are local.

Edited by Flippin' Kipper on Sunday 13th March 11:15

[Roman]

MrTom said:

The best component spec for the price I can find, £9 over budget. I'm sure ebay has some gems.

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b...

If you weren't looking to pass on your Hardrock to your other half and it already came equipped with disc brakes & wheels I'd say simply upgrade it with Reba or 2nd hand Fox forks.

As that isn't the case that Diamondback or a 2010 Boardman Comp reduced to £560 look the best value to me at the moment.

[okgo]

Basically you don't need a new bike, 1000 miles is nothing, what you're saying doesnt make any sense at all? You should probably upgrade a bit, or better yet understand that the bike is probably not where the issue lies...

And you seem to think you're a a lot more of an expert than you are your best bet is second hand or upgrade, but buying a new bike that will be the same because you want more
Bling is nonsense

Edited by okgo on Sunday 13th March 13:12

[Beyond Rational]

New forks, padded cycle shorts and look at the tyre pressures.

[okgo]

You've said numerous times you see the bikes as to mainstream, and that you know enough about bikes to know it's cheaper to build them (its not) yet can't change a wheel lol!

What we are saying that you'll get something the same for your money, so why change?

[okgo]

The reason you often cannot better the prices they get us because the groupset. They (specialised, trek, etc) buy groupsets from shimano in huge numbers and get much better prices.

Well what do you want to change? Because it could well be that you're changing for a bike that is worse to ride?

What is wrong with the hardrocks riding?

[Beyond Rational]

I think it's more "want new bike" rather than "want the best bike for my money".

[donfisher]

Are your feelings towards bike shops anything to do with having to pay them to service your bike?

Being able to and actually fixing one's own bike is not for everybody, I can appreciate that but if it was me I'd be reading up on how to do it myself and then having a go at it rather than buying a slighly newer version of a bike I already have.

And then I’d be getting all magpie on upgrades for the current bike and fitting them myself.

Changing some components can make a bike feel completely different.

[okgo]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Ridiculous.

The bike isn't tired, its only one 1000 miles? The wheels buckle because your either riding it too hard, or they're not being repaired properly. Guess what, the wheels on a new £500 bike are going to do exactly the same.

And new bikes need serviding too, so you'll be spending money on sevicing even on a new one.

Your logic is utterly backward.

Edited by okgo on Monday 14th March 10:48

[Gooby]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I had a G2 (it was stolen) I uprated it with some forks that I had around and it was a brilliant bike. It is an Orange which makes it ride superbly. Its frame is produced in Taiwan which leaves more money for decent components.