After a MTB after 20 years. Help please!!

After a MTB after 20 years. Help please!!

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jsmjsm

Original Poster:

3,224 posts

145 months

Saturday 19th July 2014
quotequote all
Hi all,

i used to ride a Marin 20 years ago but haven't ridden since I was young and now I have hit the big 40 I have decided to get a new bike and lose that weight I seem to have acquired.

Mountain biking is where its at for me and I feel more motivated in riding that in the winter in the rain and mud than a road bike.

My problem is there are just so many makes on the market now.

I want to spend under £350 and will upgrade if I love it next year and don't want a used bike although I know the advantages it brings. So new bikes only but can anyone help tell me whether these are good or bad?

Jamis
Whistle Miwok looks nice?
diamond back
saracen

They are have similar gearing at this price but I don't want to buy one that is considered the cheapie brand.

Any help would be gladly welcomed.

LasseV

1,754 posts

132 months

Saturday 19th July 2014
quotequote all
I would take that Saracen although Jamis would be a good choice too. But i don't know, you maybe should buy little bit better bike. It could save some money, cos those frames are not that great. If i was you, i would buy good frame with mediocre parts. 650B is the hottest wheel size at the moment.

Edited by LasseV on Saturday 19th July 20:25

richardxjr

7,561 posts

209 months

Saturday 19th July 2014
quotequote all
BE QUICK!

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bik...

eta If you use code B15MTB01 it brings the price down to £179.10



(c) STW where I copied this over from



jsmjsm

Original Poster:

3,224 posts

145 months

Saturday 19th July 2014
quotequote all
Thanks Richard but I need a 16 or 17 inch frame so the Carreras wont work. I am riding a 17 now and I couldn't go to an 18.

Any other thoughts?

Jawaman

271 posts

132 months

Saturday 19th July 2014
quotequote all
If you don't mind a spot of mail order:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/vitus-bi...

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/vitus-bi...

Worth pushing the budget for the 290 better spec including hydraulic disc brakes, fantastic bike for the price

HereBeMonsters

14,180 posts

181 months

Monday 21st July 2014
quotequote all
In my opinion, you will end up hating mountain biking on a bike at that price. It'll be heavy, and likely to break at the first sign of use/abuse.
Up the budget to £500, and you're more in the ballpark.

S10GTA

12,645 posts

166 months

Monday 21st July 2014
quotequote all
HereBeMonsters said:
In my opinion, you will end up hating mountain biking on a bike at that price. It'll be heavy, and likely to break at the first sign of use/abuse.
Up the budget to £500, and you're more in the ballpark.
Agreed. Applies to road too. If you buy a bargain basement bike you will grow to loath it, and eventually it will end up in the shed. Buy something better and it will bring you pleasure ergo you will ride it more.

GraemeP

769 posts

228 months

Monday 21st July 2014
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Get on pinkbike and look at what is for sale second hand, as the other say spend £500 on a second hand hard tail and see where you go from there. 29er will help you on the climbs if you are building your fitness up! You say you couldn't go from a 17" frame to an 18" frame, but I don't agree - it will depend on crank length, top tube length, stem length, seat post height, saddle position on seat tube, bar width, etc, etc, etc!

Bigbox

589 posts

210 months

Monday 21st July 2014
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Just get one second hand! You'll get a much much better bike for your budget and will probably enjoy it far more because£350 on a new bike is not going to get you much at all

jsmjsm

Original Poster:

3,224 posts

145 months

Monday 21st July 2014
quotequote all
Thanks for your help guys, I do appreciate it.

I haven't bought one yet but am looking at them all.

I went to a local indy today and looked at some to get an idea. I am most comfortable on a 16" with high seat as I am a bit of a short ar5e at 5'7 or a 17 at a push. I tried a few 18's and there was noticeable difference and I think I can discount them.

I was keen on a GT avalanche sport which they are doing at £399

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.GT-Avalanche-Sport-Mountai...

or I am liking this Diamond Back with Hydraulic brakes and lock out on the forks so it ticks all boxes.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/diamondback-dbr-ridge-...

Will have a look on the used site you mention as never heard of it.

Are the two above any good??

bingybongy

3,858 posts

145 months

Monday 21st July 2014
quotequote all
Try Decathlon if you have one nearby. You're only a few quid off Rockrider 8.0 money and my mate's has been faultless over the past 14 months.

Theoldfm

398 posts

186 months

Monday 21st July 2014
quotequote all
jsmjsm said:
Thanks for your help guys, I do appreciate it.

I haven't bought one yet but am looking at them all.

I went to a local indy today and looked at some to get an idea. I am most comfortable on a 16" with high seat as I am a bit of a short ar5e at 5'7 or a 17 at a push. I tried a few 18's and there was noticeable difference and I think I can discount them.

I was keen on a GT avalanche sport which they are doing at £399

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.GT-Avalanche-Sport-Mountai...

or I am liking this Diamond Back with Hydraulic brakes and lock out on the forks so it ticks all boxes.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/diamondback-dbr-ridge-...

Will have a look on the used site you mention as never heard of it.

Are the two above any good??
That GT looks OK

yellowjack

17,065 posts

165 months

Monday 21st July 2014
quotequote all
I've got a GT Avalanche 3.0, from about 2008 I think. It's not exactly the best bike out there, but it's pretty good for the money. Mine has happily taken quite a bashing, over the years, with a couple of thousand miles 'on the clock'. Mine came with Tektro cable/mechanical disc brakes, which I've recently swapped for Shimano hydraulic brakes. Apart from the brakes, I've replaced pads, chain and cassette (as you'd expect). Otherwise, it's pretty much standard, as it was bought, and still doing it's job. There are way better bikes out there, but on a budget, the GT is a decent ride which won't need upgrading anytime soon. My youngest has an Avalanche 1.0 from last year. It's leaps and bounds ahead of mine, but then it cost a whole lot more money, too.

jsmjsm

Original Poster:

3,224 posts

145 months

Wednesday 23rd July 2014
quotequote all
UPDATE

So after going to the bike shops and looking at these machines I can safely say I need to up my budget. From reading and talking to some guys in these shops I need and want to throw more at it.

I tried the Calibre two two at Go outdoors as I was recommended that under £500 nothing beats it and the 18 is too big and they dont do anything smaller which is a shame as it would have been a done deal.

Also, having just done a 22 mile ride I need a better bike than the one I am riding!

I definitely want lock out on the suspension as I am riding one without it and its annoying especially when going up hills. I also want hydraulic discs too and you need to spend £400 plus to get that so I don't mind that at all. Having looked at some of the bikes I want to go for a 650B and have seen these four which will be about £500-£600. Any preferences or anything else that beats these?

http://www.pedalscyclecentre.co.uk/m1b0s2p5224/Why...
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bik...
http://www.pedalscyclecentre.co.uk/m1b0s2p4665/Sco...
http://www.shopgiant-bicycles.co.uk/3750/products/...


Edited by jsmjsm on Wednesday 23 July 11:30


Edited by jsmjsm on Wednesday 23 July 12:06

yellowjack

17,065 posts

165 months

Wednesday 23rd July 2014
quotequote all
You don't 'need' hydraulic brakes on the new bike, really. Buy a bike with 160mm cable discs front and rear, then buy these... http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-xt-m785-disc-brake...

...I bought a set of Deore hydraulic brakes recently as an upgrade to some Tektro cable operated discs, and they come ready-bled, you just unbolt the old calipers and fit the new ones, using the rotors (discs) from the cable system. It's a doddle really, an hour or two with a couple of Allen keys, and braking performance is now improved more than I could imagine before the change.

(The 'hour or two' bit? That's me, fussing over hose routing, and doing a few other jobs on the bike while it was in the stand. It should be a pretty quick job, otherwise.)

ETA: Whilst I'm a committed fan of GT bikes, I really like the look of the Whyte 603 you linked to above.

jsmjsm

Original Poster:

3,224 posts

145 months

Wednesday 23rd July 2014
quotequote all
I hear you yellowjack and that is an option. Any thoughts on the bikes in the links. The Boardman and the Whyte I am leaning towards.

schmunk

4,399 posts

124 months

Wednesday 23rd July 2014
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HereBeMonsters

14,180 posts

181 months

Wednesday 23rd July 2014
quotequote all
Also have a look at Cubes - I think it's the Analog or the Attention at that price. Two mates of mine have an Attention, and both love them.

yellowjack

17,065 posts

165 months

Wednesday 23rd July 2014
quotequote all
jsmjsm said:
I hear you yellowjack and that is an option. Any thoughts on the bikes in the links. The Boardman and the Whyte I am leaning towards.
The Whyte? Weak points are the chainset and bottom bracket, and especially the fork. Gears are 'workaday' Shimano stuff, but nothing to give trouble. Strong points? Mainly the look of the thing.

Spec-wise, the Boardman looks the better bike. 7000 series alloy frame, air fork, the 180mm front rotor, all seem like upgrades over the Whyte's spec sheet. I suspect the SRAM groupset is a step up too, although I prefer Shimano (but that's just a personal preference). It's let down (IMHO) by the paint job and the ubiquity of the Boardman brand. I prefer a slightly less common bike (along with the Shimano preference) so from the two, I'd probably look toward the Whyte.

The Scott and the Giant, on a brief glance, look about on par with the Whyte. And again the biggest obvious weakness is that Suntour fork. Out of those two, I'd probably choose the Scott, but my eldest son has a Talon, which was abused for four years of commuting to college/university and is still in good mechanical order, if a little 'cosmetically damaged'.

Out of them all, my heart says "Whyte!" but my head would likely overrule with "Boardman!" They all have 650B/27.5" wheels too, so it's not even possible to eliminate one by wheel size preference. The Whyte is also the only one of the four with an 8-speed drive train, so that might sway me further toward the Boardman.