Mountain Bikes

[Which tree did that hit]

HID has been pestering me to get a bike so we can go on weekend jaunts (will happen maybe twice and they will both end up on the pub!)

Despite the obvious frustration at reallocation of funds that I would have otherwise used to buy clubs aimed at covering my obvious deficiencies, I know very little of such things and wondered if anyone could point me in the direction of some fairly cheap suitable mounts.

I have between £300-£350 and am looking at mountain bikes, hard tail with disc breaks preferable, any suggestions or has anyone got one lying around that was purchased on similarly misplaced fantasies that is no longer required? Would happily buy older or used to get a better spec

 

[Aztecs27]

Be wary buying second hand, as there are a lot of stolen bikes on eBay/Gumtree etc.

Not many bikes with disc brakes for that price...however....

Best spec'd bikes for the money I've found are B'Twin which are made by French company decathlon. I have their very sought after "Triban 3 Red" road bike and it's absolutely awesome for the money (£300)...I know people with these who couldn't be happier with them:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-53-mountain-bike-white-id_8206682.html

They do more expensive models of the same bike depending on how much you want to spend and the spec you want.

Most "new" mountain bikes will have some form of suspension but these come with lockout forks, so everyone's a winner.

 

[Which tree did that hit]

Be wary buying second hand, as there are a lot of stolen bikes on eBay/Gumtree etc.

Yeah I have seen a few 'offers' that are a bit too good to be true, including a fella who said that it was a lovely bike that he used everyday but when asked why he was selling it he said it was not used and took up too much room!

Didn't think about decathlon I must admit, got a few camping bits from there so I know there stuff is pretty good quality, will definitely have a look at that one, thanks.

Also found this, seems pretty good for the money?

http://www.freeborn.co.uk/saracen-2...ro-disc-bike?gclid=CPmHxYXr_LgCFYPHtAodrU8Akg

 

[Aztecs27]

The Saracen bikes tend to be pretty good VFM, though I've not ridden one in years.

Another plus for the B'Twin stuff is that they offer lifetime guarantees on frames/forks etc...so if there's any structural issues, you can get them sorted fairly easily.

Either will do the job well enough though, I'm just biased towards B'Twin stuff as I've had great 1st hand experiences.

 

[bluewolf]

Do you have access to the "bike to work" scheme? If so, then take a look at that and it will drag a lot more bikes into your price range. I just picked up a Specialized Rockhopper with disc brakes for not much more than your price range. Strangely enough, I'm spending as much time customising it as I am riding it at the moment. Got a new Crank Set going on this week...:thup:

 

[Val]

Depends on what you want to do, is it just road and or cycle track type riding or are you going to do off road mountain biking.

The btwin listed already is a decent starter mountain bike. If you fancy pushing the boat out a bit price wise, you can get a decent Boardman (Chris Boardman) Hybrid from around £450

 

[Aztecs27]

Do you have access to the "bike to work" scheme? If so, then take a look at that and it will drag a lot more bikes into your price range. I just picked up a Specialized Rockhopper with disc brakes for not much more than your price range. Strangely enough, I'm spending as much time customising it as I am riding it at the moment. Got a new Crank Set going on this week...:thup:

I’ve quickly come to realise that the lure of bike upgrades is far stronger than any golf upgrades!

Those Specialized rockhoppers are awesome though! My mate has one.

Desperate to get clips and shoes for my road bike. Roll on pay day!


Would love to upgrade to a Shimano Sora Crankset too, but definitely can't justify it at the mo!

 

[bluewolf]

I’ve quickly come to realise that the lure of bike upgrades is far stronger than any golf upgrades!

Those Specialized rockhoppers are awesome though! My mate has one.

Desperate to get clips and shoes for my road bike. Roll on pay day!


Would love to upgrade to a Shimano Sora Crankset too, but definitely can't justify it at the mo!

If you do go for clips and shoes, then please spend an hour learning to use them properly before setting off on a 30 miler. I still have the mental scars from coasting to a stop at a set of traffic lights, only to realize that my feet were still in the clips. Nothing is funnier than a grown man slowly falling sideways into a verge full of nettles!!!!

 

[Aztecs27]

If you do go for clips and shoes, then please spend an hour learning to use them properly before setting off on a 30 miler. I still have the mental scars from coasting to a stop at a set of traffic lights, only to realize that my feet were still in the clips. Nothing is funnier than a grown man slowly falling sideways into a verge full of nettles!!!!

Don't worry, I've used them before, so I'm well aware of the risks of making myself look like (more of a) knob.

 

[groundskeeperwilly]

I'd go contrary to the thoughts above-a nice second hand bike will be great value, you'll get more for your money and you'll not loose much if you do only use it 2 times a year as you mentioned above! Check out the Singletrack or Bike Radar Classifieds. Pinkbike probably best avoided though....

Chain reaction Cycles often have good deals on new bikes if you want to go that route-their Vitus bikes are decent. On One are a british company who cut out the middle men to reduce costs and have some quality bikes. Cube are similar but german based so maybe not as good for customer support.

Pauls cycles also offer great deals on last years/older models.

Don't want to run a massive post here but if you have any specific questions on any models etc ask away.

 

[Biggleswade Blue]

This is always a good thread and forum to look at

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20005&t=12875967

These guys are really helpful and provided excellent customer service when my wife bought a bike http://www.tredz.co.uk/

And these guys have been brilliant for me http://www.philcorleycycles.co.uk/

I don't work for any of them. I've a GT Avalanche, which is perfect for what my simple stuff.

 

[Which tree did that hit]

Thanks everyone, will have a good scout about with all of the above. Not a subject known to man that someone on here can't help with!

Might come back on here to sell it once the missus loses interest!

 

[Val]

I don't work for any of them. I've a GT Avalanche, which is perfect for what my simple stuff.

As do I, great bike. Mines has seen plenty of the 7 stanes and took some punishment and is still going strong. Could do with a good strip down and service though.

 

[CMAC]

Very fortuitous post as we decided today to get Bikes for me, SWMBO and my 7 yr old.

Most will be on cycle tracks and similar, I'd like safe fun bikes and have no idea about the terminology so will do some research but it would be useful to know some basic do's and dont's, like the bike in Azteks post has lockout forks whatever that is, and disc brakes it was 2 rectangles of rubber last time I had a bike.

Any basic info appreciated chaps so I don't buy 3 bikes and regret it.

 

[Biggleswade Blue]

Very fortuitous post as we decided today to get Bikes for me, SWMBO and my 7 yr old.

Most will be on cycle tracks and similar, I'd like safe fun bikes and have no idea about the terminology so will do some research but it would be useful to know some basic do's and dont's, like the bike in Azteks post has lockout forks whatever that is, and disc brakes it was 2 rectangles of rubber last time I had a bike.

Any basic info appreciated chaps so I don't buy 3 bikes and regret it.

for children you cannot beat Islabikes. http://www.islabikes.co.uk/index-eu.html They are brilliant. They are also a bit expensive, but if you look at eBay you will see you can sell them for a good percentage of the new cost when they are grown out of. The bikes are really well made, very light, and easy to ride. If you can stretch the budget, it makes life much easier for the children rather than seeing them struggle with heavy clunky cheaper bikes from Halfords.

and for your bike lockout forks means you can switch the suspension at the front off. Useful if you want to shave seconds off a commute, but not essential on a budget bike. Disc breaks better but not essential. Important thing - weight - lightest you can afford. Talk to Tredz on the link above. They will sort you out.

 

[Biggleswade Blue]

As do I, great bike. Mines has seen plenty of the 7 stanes and took some punishment and is still going strong. Could do with a good strip down and service though.

I'm very happy with it. Solid frame, disc brakes, lockout forks. Not the lightest but very good for my budget. I will break before the frame does.

I periodically get it serviced. The gears tend to be the thing that slips. Though last time I couldn't adjust it any further so took it to Phil Corley for a gear service, and its been perfect ever since (about a year) and I've not needed to adjust it at all.

 

[CMAC]

Thanks BB, Isla bikes look excellent if not a tad pricey, but I'm a believer in you get what you pay for.

Now to pick one for me and HID that's cool and easy to change gears and a saddle that's comfortable!

 

[CMAC]

P.s any if you bike experts recommend a car figment that I can put 3 bikes onto safely? ( man, the cost is increasing)

 

[Biggleswade Blue]

P.s any if you bike experts recommend a car figment that I can put 3 bikes onto safely? ( man, the cost is increasing)

It certainly is - you thought golf was expensive? The number of bikes you need = the number of bikes you own + 1

Car carriers - Thule. http://www.thule.com/en/gb Use their fit guide to check what you need for your car. I use their ProRide 591 carriers. I can fit four bikes on the roof comfortably. Again, you get what you pay for with ease of fitting etc, though it can take a few goes to get the hang of it. When I looked at Halfords equivalent, the fitting wasn't quite so easy, and it wasn't all that much cheaper. Buy from http://www.roofracks.co.uk/, but do shop around. You can often find deals if you are buying fitting kits, bars, boxes and bike racks all in one go. eBay is a good source too, but make sure you are getting all the bits (no missing brackets or bolts etc).

 

[Which tree did that hit]

Right so after much further searching I have come up with a few options, any thoughts on which one of these would be best for some light cross country (canal paths, forrest paths etc)?

http://www.freeborn.co.uk/saracen-2012-tufftrax-comp-hydro-disc-bike

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-53-mountain-bike-white-id_8206682.html

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-big-rr-53-mountain-bike-white-id_8202905.html

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141024587420?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 (minus the basket thingy on the back!)

All thoughts gratefully received