Anyone into mountain biking?

Coatsy79

Coatsy79

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Been away from the game for many years

Dug my Orange Patriot out the other week, changed the pads in my hope C2's, but noticing the lever is weeping and the calipers are quite rusty from me not storing it very well

Now apparently everything about my bike is seemingly from the Stone Age (all cutting edge in 2002)!!

On the lookout for new brakes, stumbled across merlin cycles which seem to have some decent sets

Torn between a set of Hayes Prime Experts at £131 after a 20% discount
http://www.merlincycles.com/hayes-prime-expert-disc-brakes-front-rear-set-57292.html

Or Shimano SLX's at £89 woot rotors or adaptors
http://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-slx-m675-disc-brakes-front-rear-set-58528.html

Man are disc brakes ever cheap now!!

Any opinions, my bike is a downhill/free riding bike but realistically I'll be just bombing about on it with no real downhill action
 
no idea on the brakes, but a huge thumbs up for Merlin cycles, have used them loads and they are very good. why not call them up and ask their advice? pretty sure from my experiences with them, they will not just try and sell you the most expensive,
 
Dragged out my bike a couple of months ago, not bothered about hardcore stuff just trying to get fit really as there's loads of cycle tracks around where I live. Hamsterley Forest is not far away and supposed to be pretty good but haven't been there yet.
One annoyance is my gears jump (pedal slips round) when in certain gears, tried fettling it but I can't seem to get it right. Nearly had "chin in handlebars" a few times!
 
Beezerk said:
Dragged out my bike a couple of months ago, not bothered about hardcore stuff just trying to get fit really as there's loads of cycle tracks around where I live. Hamsterley Forest is not far away and supposed to be pretty good but haven't been there yet.
One annoyance is my gears jump (pedal slips round) when in certain gears, tried fettling it but I can't seem to get it right. Nearly had "chin in handlebars" a few times!
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Sounds similar to me, looked into buying a new bike but to get anywhere near the spec of my current old bike I'd have to spend well over £1000 which is just silly

Have you tried cleaning or changing the chain? Sometimes they can get cruddy and old and just don't go round well enouh anymore

Spoke to the bike mechanic in my local shop and he said there's no reason why I couldn't get my original brakes to work

So I'm gonna try a re bleed and see how that goes but he reckons he could rebuild anything that might be worn out

So I may not need new brakes anyway but if I do he thoroughly recommended the shimano set, said there's nothing better on the market for the money
 
Rooter said:
no idea on the brakes, but a huge thumbs up for Merlin cycles, have used them loads and they are very good. why not call them up and ask their advice? pretty sure from my experiences with them, they will not just try and sell you the most expensive,
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Yeah, they've been great, ordered a larger disc from them that was on offer for £10, delivery was free and it turned up in a day!!
 
I would like to do a bit of casual cycling for fitness purposes. After breaking my ankle earlier in the year I am still a bit wary about running on it and cycling is definitely low impact. Bikes are blooming expensive though
 
Coatsy79 said:
Sounds similar to me, looked into buying a new bike but to get anywhere near the spec of my current old bike I'd have to spend well over £1000 which is just silly

Have you tried cleaning or changing the chain? Sometimes they can get cruddy and old and just don't go round well enouh anymore

Spoke to the bike mechanic in my local shop and he said there's no reason why I couldn't get my original brakes to work

So I'm gonna try a re bleed and see how that goes but he reckons he could rebuild anything that might be worn out

So I may not need new brakes anyway but if I do he thoroughly recommended the shimano set, said there's nothing better on the market for the money
Click to expand...

Yeah changed the chain as the original was knacked but it still does it, next move is to shorten the chain as it's a tad long I think.
Failing that I'll look into getting a decentish 2nd hand bike and binning this one as it wasn't really that expensive anyway.
 
I've not been out on the trails in almost 3 years now after getting into it back 2008, and I have the 7 stanes with an hour or 2 journey. I have a GT avalanche 1 hard tail which probably needs a good service with headset and all bearing needing replace and probably a bleed and brake service and new rear derailleur and cassette.

For what it's worth it would be a set of hope brakes i'd go for like these which wouldn't break the bank

Brakes
 
Rooter said:
no idea on the brakes, but a huge thumbs up for Merlin cycles, have used them loads and they are very good. why not call them up and ask their advice? pretty sure from my experiences with them, they will not just try and sell you the most expensive,
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Top place, really know their stuff and won't rip you off, plus it's all of a drive and a SW from my front door. Normally a closed shop, but they do open it to the public a couple of times a month.
 
For the money the shimano swill take some beating but as you have been told you could rebuild the hopes.
I ride a cotic soul. A British frame builder, steel hard tail and it's without doubt the nicest hardtail I've ridden.
Ill post a pic up when I get hope. I have hope tech evos on it and they are really nice. Plenty of adjustment on the levers and huge floating rotors. Not cheap tho.
Bang for buck I'd go for shimano xt or slx.
Hope you've got a good lid for your brain box to :-)
 
Can't help you with the brakes either mate but I'm quite into my mountain bike, I spent a week in July up in fort william riding all the trails up there, and go to glentress when it's to wet to golf.
Have a look on bikeradar, the forums there will advise you well.
 
Funnily enough I'm thinking of doing the same I have an Orange Elite, use to race on it about 20 years ago before the new newfangled brakes of today

I think the main thing I have to replace is the headset

Put sum pictures up be interested to see the results of your work
 
Here's me ride

imagejpg1_zps7e0dfdc5.jpg


Plan is get it running, then, if I actually keep it up, swap out the monster T forks as they're a bit much for chopping about on, pop something single crown on and chuck a few more gears on as I only run a single chainring (used to do very silly things on this bike)

If the hopes are hopeless I think I have to go for the shimanos, as much as I like the look of the hayes' everyone I've asked about brakes has said shimano SLX so that tells me something
 
Valentino said:
I've not been out on the trails in almost 3 years now after getting into it back 2008, and I have the 7 stanes with an hour or 2 journey. I have a GT avalanche 1 hard tail which probably needs a good service with headset and all bearing needing replace and probably a bleed and brake service and new rear derailleur and cassette.

For what it's worth it would be a set of hope brakes i'd go for like these which wouldn't break the bank

Brakes
Click to expand...


Those appear to be the modern equivalent of what I have, hope really do make an excellent product!

D4RK1 said:
For the money the shimano swill take some beating but as you have been told you could rebuild the hopes.
I ride a cotic soul. A British frame builder, steel hard tail and it's without doubt the nicest hardtail I've ridden.
Ill post a pic up when I get hope. I have hope tech evos on it and they are really nice. Plenty of adjustment on the levers and huge floating rotors. Not cheap tho.
Bang for buck I'd go for shimano xt or slx.
Hope you've got a good lid for your brain box to :-)
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Actually had to chuck my old helmet as it was mouldy as hell, currently looking for something lighter and easier to wear than the old full face mx jobbie I did have
 
Nice looking bike Coatsy but wouldnt recommend keeping the trailer on when out on a black route trail or could end up as a Jackass moment :rofl:
 
hamshanker said:
Nice looking bike Coatsy but wouldnt recommend keeping the trailer on when out on a black route trail or could end up as a Jackass moment :rofl:
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:rofl: the trailers only for our annual holiday to centre parcs

Not sure my wee lad would be happy hurling down a mountain
 
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