Mountaint Bike Advice

Author
Discussion

edition

Original Poster:

955 posts

189 months

Tuesday 21st November 2017
quotequote all
Hi,

I'm want to buy a mountain bike to go on country tracks etc. but have no real idea of what I'm looking at.

My budget started at £500 but I've seen a few I quite like at near 1k, It's like buying a car with budget scope creep!

I've currently got the following bikes on my wish list:

Whyte 605
Whyte 801
Whyte 805
Trek X-Caliber 8

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Also any advise on anything else I need to buy:

Helmet
Mud guards
pedals?


Thanks in advance!


mikey P 500

1,236 posts

186 months

Tuesday 21st November 2017
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No expert on all the different models but if creeping nearer £1k spend you could also consider full suspension (this is what I have recently done to replace an old hard tail, very pleased so far). The bossnut for £899 from go out doors gets great reviews. (Although i had to buy something else as I'm short and they don't make a small, went with Kona precept but boss but was much better spec). Re recent pedal purchases DMR V6 nice and cheap (£12ish) and grippy If running flats. Re helmet just bought a 7idp M4 also cheap (£25ish). Mud guards just made my own from polypropylene sheet.

Craikeybaby

10,369 posts

224 months

Wednesday 22nd November 2017
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Get to somewhere where you can try bikes, even just sitting on them - for instance I've found that I'm between sizes on Whyte bikes. If you are welcome to budget creep have a look at the Bird Zero. Calibre Bossnut is also a good shout.

While you're at somewhere looking at/trying out bikes also try on some helmets, different brands fit different shaped heads, so try on a few and buy the one that fits best.

A front mud guard is a good shout in this weather, one that you zip tie to the forks is usually less than £10 and does the job well enough.

You will usually also need pedals, as even if the bike comes with them they will be rubbish. A bottle/bottle cage or camelbak etc is worthwhile, as are gloves, padded shorts and spare inner tubes, a pump and multitool.

Tall_Paul

1,915 posts

226 months

Wednesday 22nd November 2017
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Agree with all the above - I'd stick with a hardtail at sub/around £1000, you'll be able to get a nice light bike with a decent fork at that sort of price. If you're just starting you'll probably not be riding anything that will warrant a FS bike just yet.

Direct brands often give much better value than the traditional brands sold through bike shops, and make sure to get a british cycling membership for £22 as this gives you 10% off at Halfords and Chain Reaction Cycles.

Be careful buying a hardtail though, they're not all the same. That Trek X-Caliber is an XC race bike, you want something a bit more slack if you're just starting out.

Edited by Tall_Paul on Wednesday 22 November 20:36

nickfrog

20,871 posts

216 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
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Hard to beat if they still have your size. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/vitus-bikes-sen...

You can get 10% off by joining British Cycling for £22.

missing the VR6

2,318 posts

188 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
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Aren't those Voodoo bikes from Halfords meant to be good?

Get2Jaime

210 posts

127 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
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Some good options you've listed there OP...

If you're going to spend £1k on a bike, please, please, please go to a proper bike shop and seek some advice/demo/trial ride. Recommendations for Halfords and Go Outdoors at this price point make me shudder a little inside!

Kermit power

28,634 posts

212 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
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Get2Jaime said:
Some good options you've listed there OP...

If you're going to spend £1k on a bike, please, please, please go to a proper bike shop and seek some advice/demo/trial ride. Recommendations for Halfords and Go Outdoors at this price point make me shudder a little inside!
I'm afraid in that case, you're merely exposing your ignorance!

I would definitely suggest that the OP starts with a hardtail, simply as you learn much faster (I wish I'd done so), but I'd challenge you to find anything less than an excellent review for the Calibre Bossnut from Go Outdoors.

Get2Jaime

210 posts

127 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
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Kermit power said:
I'm afraid in that case, you're merely exposing your ignorance!

I would definitely suggest that the OP starts with a hardtail, simply as you learn much faster (I wish I'd done so), but I'd challenge you to find anything less than an excellent review for the Calibre Bossnut from Go Outdoors.
10 years working in a well respected LBS isnt really ignorance, just imparting my experience as both an expert on the retail side and intermediate on the riding front.

If the Calibre Bossnut from Go Outdoors is your benchmark at the £1k price point then fill your boots with the positive reviews, but in reality you're the one 'merely exposing you're ignorance' in this case as I suspect you know very little about alternatives available!

Kermit power

28,634 posts

212 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
quotequote all
Get2Jaime said:
10 years working in a well respected LBS isnt really ignorance, just imparting my experience as both an expert on the retail side and intermediate on the riding front.

If the Calibre Bossnut from Go Outdoors is your benchmark at the £1k price point then fill your boots with the positive reviews, but in reality you're the one 'merely exposing you're ignorance' in this case as I suspect you know very little about alternatives available!
Feel free to educate me then. What would your reference full suss bike be at the sub £1k mark?

I'd also be interested to know how you think Go Outdoors managed to con every reviewer out there, various YouTube channels and pretty much everyone who has ever ridden one, as I'd love to have their marketing skills!

You may not like them because they're not sold by an LBS, but that doesn't mean they're not excellent bikes at the price point.

I've not got one, btw, I'm just amazed at the universal praise for them from anyone I've ever seen speak or write about them except for you.

nickfrog

20,871 posts

216 months

Thursday 23rd November 2017
quotequote all
LBS ? They'll probably sell you what they have in stock irrespective of suitability or even size ! I have seen too many people on the trail with clearly the wrong bike or the wrong size or both.

I'd still wouldn't recommend a cheap full sus though, despite the review on the Go Outdoor stuff.


Vantagemech

5,728 posts

214 months

Friday 24th November 2017
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I picked up a Voodoo Canzo for my son a few weeks ago, discounted to £750. Probably all the bike he will need for a while as I wasnt going to spend £2k+ on a "decent" FS while he is still growing. Its one of only a few FS bikes that come in a 16" frame, small enough for 5ft.

Ive sat on it and it actually feels pretty good, sure there are some cheap bits which will end up being upgraded, but on the whole a good value bit of kit, if you check out the second hand values they still get 2/3 their price from new so arent a full BSO by any means.

I ignored the fact it was sold in Halfords as unless there is a warranty issue its not going back.

2 years ago I paid £500 for his Cube HT and to be brutally honest, the bikes have very similar kit - basic shimano drivetrain, tektro hydro brakes, Suntour fork - only Cube has a better name than Voodoo.



LasseV

1,754 posts

132 months

Friday 24th November 2017
quotequote all
edition said:
Hi,

I'm want to buy a mountain bike to go on country tracks etc. but have no real idea of what I'm looking at.

My budget started at £500 but I've seen a few I quite like at near 1k, It's like buying a car with budget scope creep!

I've currently got the following bikes on my wish list:

Whyte 605
Whyte 801
Whyte 805
Trek X-Caliber 8

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Also any advise on anything else I need to buy:

Helmet
Mud guards
pedals?


Thanks in advance!
Start with hardtail, with proper fork and brakes these are a very good starting point. Don't buy too expensive bike because you need to buy quite a lot of other stuff.

You also need:
- biking shorts
- clip pedals/shoes
- driving glasses to protect your eyes
- driving gloves

And then have fun. Going MTB is so much fun that it is hard to explain...

Get2Jaime

210 posts

127 months

Friday 24th November 2017
quotequote all
Kermit power said:
Feel free to educate me then. What would your reference full suss bike be at the sub £1k mark?

I'd also be interested to know how you think Go Outdoors managed to con every reviewer out there, various YouTube channels and pretty much everyone who has ever ridden one, as I'd love to have their marketing skills!

You may not like them because they're not sold by an LBS, but that doesn't mean they're not excellent bikes at the price point.

I've not got one, btw, I'm just amazed at the universal praise for them from anyone I've ever seen speak or write about them except for you.
Seems like you've gone completely the wrong way down a very small hole here....at no point has it been suggested that the bike suggested is not suitable.

What you are overlooking is that in many reputable LBS/IBS retailers you're dealing with someone who has extensive knowledge of whats on offer in the market and can advise accordingly in real time and highlight different brand and model options, in many cases even offer a demonstration/loan/ride. This is what the OP requires.

He does not need some mediocre knowledge on a motoring forum, which from what I can see has suggested that you look at some reviews online and then head to the big brand retailers to purchase a specific model. This is what you actually see on the trails, time and time again....which in many, many cases results in the purchase of a 2nd bike some 6 months later cause they bought the wrong one in the first place.

nickfrog

20,871 posts

216 months

Friday 24th November 2017
quotequote all
A LBS will only sell you the brands they stock, what model they stock and what size they stock.

The likelihood of the bike being a good purchase is slim.

They usually don't know their head angle from their effective top tube length, not that it matters to them for the above reason.

Far more knowledge here than in a typical LBS, which rarely even qualify for "mediocre".

Kermit power

28,634 posts

212 months

Friday 24th November 2017
quotequote all
Get2Jaime said:
Seems like you've gone completely the wrong way down a very small hole here....at no point has it been suggested that the bike suggested is not suitable.

What you are overlooking is that in many reputable LBS/IBS retailers you're dealing with someone who has extensive knowledge of whats on offer in the market and can advise accordingly in real time and highlight different brand and model options, in many cases even offer a demonstration/loan/ride. This is what the OP requires.

He does not need some mediocre knowledge on a motoring forum, which from what I can see has suggested that you look at some reviews online and then head to the big brand retailers to purchase a specific model. This is what you actually see on the trails, time and time again....which in many, many cases results in the purchase of a 2nd bike some 6 months later cause they bought the wrong one in the first place.
You may have noticed that I actually recommended a hardtail anyway. I was merely picking you up on your "shuddering" at the suggestion of a bike which is exceptionally - and pretty universally - well reviewed.

By all means, the OP should try some bikes before buying, but I certainly wouldn't start with advice from an LBS. Why limit yourself to a very restricted range which is "right" for you because it happens to be what the LBS sells?

Tall_Paul

1,915 posts

226 months

Friday 24th November 2017
quotequote all
Was about to post the exact same thing. A LBS will only have access to the brands they stock, and at the £1000 price range direct brands off far better value than most of the big names.

Knowledge is everything, a classic example is that the OP has both an XC hardtail and some trail/all mountain hardtails in his list, very different bikes.

Once you understand the basics of geometry, stem length, bar width, and spec you can start narrowing down the list to bikes that fit the requirements. THEN you can walk into a LBS and not be given some bad advice (let's face it there are some great LBS but there are also some terrible ones...). Or read reviews and user impressions of bikes not available at a LBS and try and get a demo of them at a demo day or at a LBS.

What's better, walking into a LBS and saying "I need a new hardtail, I have no idea what I want (or the difference between a 70 degree HA and a coil fork), what can you recommend?"

Or: "I've been looking at the Trek supertrail hardtail, I want a semi relaxed geometry HT, not an XC focussed bike, I want air forks and a 1x drivetrain, I'll be doing some trail centre riding, what similar bikes can you suggest?"

The chances of walking out with a 2 year old pig of a bike which was "an amazing deal" just because the dodgy dealer has been trying sell it for the last 6 months is higher with the first option.

I'm not saying ignore the LBS completely, but at least do some research and have an idea of what sort of bike you want beforehand.

Get2Jaime

210 posts

127 months

Friday 24th November 2017
quotequote all
Kermit power said:
You may have noticed that I actually recommended a hardtail anyway. I was merely picking you up on your "shuddering" at the suggestion of a bike which is exceptionally - and pretty universally - well reviewed.

By all means, the OP should try some bikes before buying, but I certainly wouldn't start with advice from an LBS. Why limit yourself to a very restricted range which is "right" for you because it happens to be what the LBS sells?
You'll note I said 'reputable LBS/IBS'....your highlighting a moot point as it wasnt 'shuddered' at! As mentioned, you continue to demonstrate poor knowledge on this subject matter but I'm sure you'll post a million more times to suggest you do...!

Get2Jaime

210 posts

127 months

Friday 24th November 2017
quotequote all
Tall_Paul said:
Was about to post the exact same thing. A LBS will only have access to the brands they stock, and at the £1000 price range direct brands off far better value than most of the big names.

Knowledge is everything, a classic example is that the OP has both an XC hardtail and some trail/all mountain hardtails in his list, very different bikes.

Once you understand the basics of geometry, stem length, bar width, and spec you can start narrowing down the list to bikes that fit the requirements. THEN you can walk into a LBS and not be given some bad advice (let's face it there are some great LBS but there are also some terrible ones...). Or read reviews and user impressions of bikes not available at a LBS and try and get a demo of them at a demo day or at a LBS.

What's better, walking into a LBS and saying "I need a new hardtail, I have no idea what I want (or the difference between a 70 degree HA and a coil fork), what can you recommend?"

Or: "I've been looking at the Trek supertrail hardtail, I want a semi relaxed geometry HT, not an XC focussed bike, I want air forks and a 1x drivetrain, I'll be doing some trail centre riding, what similar bikes can you suggest?"

The chances of walking out with a 2 year old pig of a bike which was "an amazing deal" just because the dodgy dealer has been trying sell it for the last 6 months is higher with the first option.

I'm not saying ignore the LBS completely, but at least do some research and have an idea of what sort of bike you want beforehand.
Agreed, but others are suggesting have the same discussion with the Saturday kid in Halfords/Go-Outdoors armed with his/her online reviews. Think its fairly straight forward where the OP should spend their time....

DanielSan

18,745 posts

166 months

Friday 24th November 2017
quotequote all
If you’re going to go upto £1k then there’s only one bike I’d suggest. The Calibre Bossnut, seems overkill as it’s a full sus but when the inevitable happens and you want to start riding trails that are a bit trickier you won’t need to upgrade it.

It’s an astoundingly good bike for the money