Is this a good Bike?

[Jon Brown]

Having gone out for the first time this year yesterday found that my old bike of circa 10 years it on its last legs and weighs four tons so time for an upgrade.

I dont want to spend more than £200 which I know isnt a lot but have to live within my means. Needs to be a hardtail with front suspension as an all rounder but mainly xc.

I saw this but is it any good?

http://www.cyclesuk.com/110-203213

Any thoughts would be helpful

[Jon Brown]

Also forgot to mention im 6'1" so no idea what the best frame/wheel size is.

Some advice on that would also be helpful.

Thanks

[Vespula]

Doesn't seem too bad for a budget bike. There are plenty of others to consider.

Winstanley are doing the Giant Boulder 2010 for £199

Go Outdoors are doing the Raleigh AT10 for £199 and the Diamondback Outlook 09 for £179

But the difference from buying mail order compared to a shop has to be considered.

1. You can try them out for size and fit.

2. You can easily return it if something goes wrong.

3. You get a free 6 week check up, where all the torque settings are checked and cables for brakes and gears are tensioned and adjusted.

As for size you probably want a 'Large' or 20" frame but they all differ somewhat, I believe. traditional wheel size on a mountain bike is 26" but there is also a 29", probably best to stick to 26".

Edited by Vespula on Tuesday 6th April 14:44

Edited by Vespula on Tuesday 6th April 14:46

[anonymous-user]

if you only have £200 to spend, try your local bike shops, they will cater for everyone and should have a range that includes the high end stuff as well as the bikes for people walking in off the street wanting something (in relative terms) quite simple.

do look at the likes of raleigh and diamond back not only will you get a bike from a more reputable manufacturer (which is no guarantee that its not made in the same factory as any other bike) but you might also be surprised at how much better they are in comparison to a "dirty hard ass"!!!

at a guess, a 21" would suit you fine for your height and you maybe able to adjust seat, height of bars etc to get a reasonable fit

29ers are very niche bikes and start at about a grand...

[308mate]

I reckon your 200 will be better spent on ebay or gumtree etc

That thing looks hideous.

Swerni's offer could be a good one, then save for a suspension shock or spend the remaining 100 on upgrading anything that needs it.

Do you really NEED suspension straight away? I remember racing without any


ETA: this took me exactly 30seconds to find

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/gary-fisher-hkek-zr-9000-gen...

And another:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SCOTT-VAIL-MENS-ALUMINIUM-MO...

Edited by 308mate on Tuesday 6th April 16:17

Edited by 308mate on Tuesday 6th April 16:20

Edited by 308mate on Tuesday 6th April 16:22

[Jon Brown]

Ill bear that in mind. Will have to have a hunt round the local shops.

I was looking at that raliegh MT10 as my cousin has one and seems pretty pleased with it so far.

I did look at ebay but didnt really know what to look for.

Thanks

[Vespula]

Just a quick note:

The MT10 is steel and the AT10 is aluminium.

Steel is more comfortable but heavier.

[The_Jackal]

I've just been looking for bikes with the same budget.
I ended up looking in preloved and gumtree rather than ebay and just going to look at a couple of secondhand bikes and deciding then if I wanted to buy it rather than commiting to buy based just on an advert.
I ended up getting a Saracen Mantra 2 2008 for £180, usually a £400 bike I think.