Help choosing budget hardtail please...
Discussion
Hi, hope someone can help. My situation briefly is this. I haven't rode a bike for about 15yrs since high school but fancy getting a cheap mountain bike for a few woodland rides and saunters up the coast.
My budget is £500 max, but the nearer to £300 the better. I know that's a large window but here are a few choices I'm going to look at tomorrow at my local biking store (shields road biker). Sorry I don't know how to post links :-
1) Claud butler Alpina mens £425.
2) Giant Yukon disc £332.
3) Cube Aim non disc £429 - probs my fave for looks + price but no discs.
4) Cube Analog disc £539 - discs but top of price band and plain looks.
Anyway, I hope someone can shead some light on these. I've heard cable discs aren't worth having over v brakes, in which case I'll probs go for the cheaper cube. Anymore interesting points like that would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance, looking forward to getting out again!!
PS I would usually read up on things but, I've got a week off work next week, so I'm rushing a bit.
My budget is £500 max, but the nearer to £300 the better. I know that's a large window but here are a few choices I'm going to look at tomorrow at my local biking store (shields road biker). Sorry I don't know how to post links :-
1) Claud butler Alpina mens £425.
2) Giant Yukon disc £332.
3) Cube Aim non disc £429 - probs my fave for looks + price but no discs.
4) Cube Analog disc £539 - discs but top of price band and plain looks.
Anyway, I hope someone can shead some light on these. I've heard cable discs aren't worth having over v brakes, in which case I'll probs go for the cheaper cube. Anymore interesting points like that would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance, looking forward to getting out again!!
PS I would usually read up on things but, I've got a week off work next week, so I'm rushing a bit.
I've been looking in this sort of price range for something for my girlfriend, and I have to admit the choices aren't great at the moment given the down-speccing of equipment on 2009 and 2010 model bikes to meet a price point.
In all honesty, the best thing at this sort of price is to try and get something second hand, as you'll get a better set of components and frame, or try and find any old 2008 model bikes, but these will be few and far between. Places to look for second hand are eBay, BikeRadar.com, singletrackworld.com etc but it may be a case of waiting your time.
Cube bikes are good value for money, and also look very good (IMO), so perhaps from your list that would be my choice. Check the non-disc one to see if there are disc mountings on the frame and fork, and if the hubs will accept discs in future, as this could be an easy upgrade. Hydraulic discs are often viewed as a lot better than cable discs, but cable discs are simple and require less maintenance over time. Again it would be relatively easy to swap out a cable disc set for a hydaulic disc set in future.
Sorry I've not been able to give you a definitive answer, but perhaps it will give you some other options.
In all honesty, the best thing at this sort of price is to try and get something second hand, as you'll get a better set of components and frame, or try and find any old 2008 model bikes, but these will be few and far between. Places to look for second hand are eBay, BikeRadar.com, singletrackworld.com etc but it may be a case of waiting your time.
Cube bikes are good value for money, and also look very good (IMO), so perhaps from your list that would be my choice. Check the non-disc one to see if there are disc mountings on the frame and fork, and if the hubs will accept discs in future, as this could be an easy upgrade. Hydraulic discs are often viewed as a lot better than cable discs, but cable discs are simple and require less maintenance over time. Again it would be relatively easy to swap out a cable disc set for a hydaulic disc set in future.
Sorry I've not been able to give you a definitive answer, but perhaps it will give you some other options.
The Giant xtc4.5 http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Giant_XTC_45/536... is worth a look, you mihgt have to hunt around for your size but if you can get a deal like this you are laughing, a proper mtb with some very good components for the money. not sure if its an 09 model?
Kona Fire Mountain for £360 (18% off rrp) http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Kona-Fire-Mountain-Mountai... Big name frame but lacking in quality components.
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-Hardrock-Comp-... Spesh Hardrock, V-Brakes but a reasonable fork. dont worry about the V-Brakes, they are fine for almost everything that i dare to imagine you are willing to throw at it!
Tredz have quite a lot at that price so they are worth a look.
Kona Fire Mountain for £360 (18% off rrp) http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Kona-Fire-Mountain-Mountai... Big name frame but lacking in quality components.
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-Hardrock-Comp-... Spesh Hardrock, V-Brakes but a reasonable fork. dont worry about the V-Brakes, they are fine for almost everything that i dare to imagine you are willing to throw at it!
Tredz have quite a lot at that price so they are worth a look.
Try Decathlon. They are a French discount sports retailer. Google them and see if there's a shop near you. They make their own bikes, the brand is Rockrider. A £500 Rockrider will have the same spec as a £1,000 branded bike. I've been through a few - not through breakage but because they keep getting pinched, and they are absolutely fantastic. I go to North Wales and West Yorks with a group of around 10 people and my bike is far lighter and better specced than everyone elses - mine's a bit more pricy than £500 but the one they do at that price is fantastic value.
The bike snobs will tell you that Specialized, Marin, etc have much better frames but I don't agree. The ride I get from my Rockrider is the same if not better than a similar priced branded model. Rockrider don't get much press because they don't spend a fortune on PR and so never get write-ups in the MB magazines.
If you want a fantastic bike for £500 you can't do better than a Rockrider.
The bike snobs will tell you that Specialized, Marin, etc have much better frames but I don't agree. The ride I get from my Rockrider is the same if not better than a similar priced branded model. Rockrider don't get much press because they don't spend a fortune on PR and so never get write-ups in the MB magazines.
If you want a fantastic bike for £500 you can't do better than a Rockrider.
I wouldn't get hung up on the lack of disc brakes. They aren't necessary for the majority of conditions and can be a pain in the arse in terms of maintenance. Changing from a good V-brake to discs is about the last thing I would upgrade.
Don't buy the Cube before you check that the riding position works for you. Can be a bit too compact.
Don't buy the Cube before you check that the riding position works for you. Can be a bit too compact.
Ynox said:
I disagree about not needing discs. For riding in the UK (if you're not a fair weather wuss!) they're well worth having over VBrakes.
we are talking about £300 bikes here, the quality of the components on the mechanical disc brakes will be woeful. disc brakes only appear on cheap bikes to look bling and attract the potential owner into feeling they are getting something better than they really are. you can get XT V Brakes for less than £60 which would be well worth the upgrade in comparison to spending an extra £60 for cheap and nasty mechanical disc brakes.Ok, Thanks everyone, certainly some food for thought!
With regards to secondhand, I've had a look around but some second hand bikes seem to go for almost new prices, so I thought I'd go new as I like things right.
Anyway I'm off to the shop in an hour or so. I'll see what I find and report back (unless I end up with something woeful!!
).
With regards to secondhand, I've had a look around but some second hand bikes seem to go for almost new prices, so I thought I'd go new as I like things right.
Anyway I'm off to the shop in an hour or so. I'll see what I find and report back (unless I end up with something woeful!!
).Well, I visited a couple of bike shops this afternoon (and checked out the suggestions left on here, thanks) and realised I'd have to be spending towards the top end of my budget or over.
Even for £500 the bikes would have either, but not both of the key features most people say to look for, which are the deore gears or the rockshox forks.
Anyway, I've got a test ride on a Cube Analog disc tomorrow £539 with £50 of free accessories. It has the deore but suntour xcm forks. This is my fave looking and best spec bike in my area.
I do though have a couple of phone calls to make about the Gary fisher Marlin disc. £550 which has both deore and custom rockshox dart2's. If I can get quick delivery on one, I may go for that.
Another interesting one is a Focus Fatboy for £479, but the only UK supplier (wiggle) has no phone number and I'm reluctant to switch the payment and have to wait weeks for the bike. (I like a bit of human interaction at some point in the deal).
Anyway, I should know this time tomorrow what I'm getting (or have). It's been eye opening to find that £500 only gets you an OK bike. I can understand professionals needing to pay thousands but me, erm, not really. Although it's just that age old story of priorities, I guess.
Thanks to all the replies and I hope the others that are looking for a budget bike find something too. For £399 you can get an Iron Horse Warrior 1.X which has rockshox and hydraulic disc brakes, it's in the top 5 cheap bikes in this months What mountain bike?.
Cheers, Mark.
Even for £500 the bikes would have either, but not both of the key features most people say to look for, which are the deore gears or the rockshox forks.
Anyway, I've got a test ride on a Cube Analog disc tomorrow £539 with £50 of free accessories. It has the deore but suntour xcm forks. This is my fave looking and best spec bike in my area.
I do though have a couple of phone calls to make about the Gary fisher Marlin disc. £550 which has both deore and custom rockshox dart2's. If I can get quick delivery on one, I may go for that.
Another interesting one is a Focus Fatboy for £479, but the only UK supplier (wiggle) has no phone number and I'm reluctant to switch the payment and have to wait weeks for the bike. (I like a bit of human interaction at some point in the deal).
Anyway, I should know this time tomorrow what I'm getting (or have). It's been eye opening to find that £500 only gets you an OK bike. I can understand professionals needing to pay thousands but me, erm, not really. Although it's just that age old story of priorities, I guess.
Thanks to all the replies and I hope the others that are looking for a budget bike find something too. For £399 you can get an Iron Horse Warrior 1.X which has rockshox and hydraulic disc brakes, it's in the top 5 cheap bikes in this months What mountain bike?.
Cheers, Mark.
dont worry about human interaction with wiggle have spent hundreds online in the past without an issue. all the geometry data is there so you should be able to get the size that you want.
if you really want rockshox forks and deore transmission, go for the forks and think about upgrading the mechs eplacing whatever the bike comes with. mechs are far cheaper than forks and for £100 you could get an SLX rear mech and deore shifters, they are the important bits, front mech isnt a major component.
i would go for the fat boy,
if you really want rockshox forks and deore transmission, go for the forks and think about upgrading the mechs eplacing whatever the bike comes with. mechs are far cheaper than forks and for £100 you could get an SLX rear mech and deore shifters, they are the important bits, front mech isnt a major component.
i would go for the fat boy,
Cheers Pablo,
Think I'm going to. I've been ringing round about the Gary Fisher but there seems to be a wait due to 2009-2010 model switch-over happening. I've cancelled my test-ride on the Cube. I was so tempted to go as the bike is ready immediately, but I know I'll buy it for that reason and then regret it once the novelty has worn off.
I'm going to email Wiggle about approx. delivery date and more importantly size, as I'm exactly on the change over of a Medium and Large, being 5'10 and a bit and 32" inside leg. I haven't a clue whether you err towards slightly smaller, or slightly larger.
Now I just have to work out their Email account set-up gubbins and await a reply. Thanks very much Pablo and everyone else who's posted, It still amazes me how easy Pistonheads makes things for newbies, thanks to people taking the time to help.
Think I'm going to. I've been ringing round about the Gary Fisher but there seems to be a wait due to 2009-2010 model switch-over happening. I've cancelled my test-ride on the Cube. I was so tempted to go as the bike is ready immediately, but I know I'll buy it for that reason and then regret it once the novelty has worn off.
I'm going to email Wiggle about approx. delivery date and more importantly size, as I'm exactly on the change over of a Medium and Large, being 5'10 and a bit and 32" inside leg. I haven't a clue whether you err towards slightly smaller, or slightly larger.
Now I just have to work out their Email account set-up gubbins and await a reply. Thanks very much Pablo and everyone else who's posted, It still amazes me how easy Pistonheads makes things for newbies, thanks to people taking the time to help.
Hi, I was in the same deal earlier this year, although I was aiming for the £300 at a top limit.
Edinburgh Cycles on Shields road is very expensive for what they have. I ended up heading across to Evans Cycles at the Metro Centre and ordering a GT Avalanche Peak 3.0 from them. It's a very nice bike, big and comfortable to ride, sturdy and apart from falling off/crashing into walls, I've found it to be rock solid. I'm even starting to take it properly off-road now (although very tame tracks since I keep falling off).
Might be worth while looking on the Evans website and seeing what you can order in?
Edinburgh Cycles on Shields road is very expensive for what they have. I ended up heading across to Evans Cycles at the Metro Centre and ordering a GT Avalanche Peak 3.0 from them. It's a very nice bike, big and comfortable to ride, sturdy and apart from falling off/crashing into walls, I've found it to be rock solid. I'm even starting to take it properly off-road now (although very tame tracks since I keep falling off).
Might be worth while looking on the Evans website and seeing what you can order in?
I bought a similar priced bike not long ago as I was fed up using my Marin full sus around London. Bought an old model year Specialized Rockhopper in the end as it had a good riding position (for me) and decent manitou forks.
The rest of the components are basic shimano/deore/unbranded, but that doesn't bother me as I'll just swap them out for something better when they're worn.
The v brake vs disc is very specific to the type of riding that you're going to do. Budget discs will never compare well with a £60 set of avid v brakes, and decent discs only really come into their own in the muddy stuff. I also think that a bike with discs has a higher chance of being stolen when parked up.
The rest of the components are basic shimano/deore/unbranded, but that doesn't bother me as I'll just swap them out for something better when they're worn.
The v brake vs disc is very specific to the type of riding that you're going to do. Budget discs will never compare well with a £60 set of avid v brakes, and decent discs only really come into their own in the muddy stuff. I also think that a bike with discs has a higher chance of being stolen when parked up.
Just thought I'd post the final outcome to my situation:
After reading some bike mags and speaking to my mate's about what they ride, I basically blew my budget and went for full-sus. A budget full-sus though.
I almost went for the Focus Super-bud but, then I seen the Boardman Comp FS for £799. Way over budget but in truth still very cheap for full-sus. Getting rave reviews all over,
I've just payed and ordered online (my instore tale is for another time
). Should be here by next Tuesday, so roll-on next weekend!!
Again, thanks for all the advice. I've been using an old bike of my brothers, since my early posts and love it. Pity the winter's nearly here but, so what!
Cheers, Mark.
After reading some bike mags and speaking to my mate's about what they ride, I basically blew my budget and went for full-sus. A budget full-sus though.
I almost went for the Focus Super-bud but, then I seen the Boardman Comp FS for £799. Way over budget but in truth still very cheap for full-sus. Getting rave reviews all over,
I've just payed and ordered online (my instore tale is for another time
). Should be here by next Tuesday, so roll-on next weekend!!Again, thanks for all the advice. I've been using an old bike of my brothers, since my early posts and love it. Pity the winter's nearly here but, so what!
Cheers, Mark.
The ground is softer in the winter Mark!
Can I ask what made you go for a full sus? I have been thinking of a new bike and all the advice for my style of riding (cross country) is for hardtails. But those full-sus look like they would be very comfy on well rutted, lumpy paths, or is that not the point?
Can I ask what made you go for a full sus? I have been thinking of a new bike and all the advice for my style of riding (cross country) is for hardtails. But those full-sus look like they would be very comfy on well rutted, lumpy paths, or is that not the point?
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