Hello Noobie here

[ChunkyloverSV]

Well Gents, after seeing the thread with all the pictures of your bikes in WOW, some of them look brilliant

So there i was went on google, looked up some of your bikes, thinking they look cool, how much would that set me back

I can gather the cheap bikes such as the Halfords Apollo <£200 jobbies are dire but what kinda money gets a decent hardtail in your opinions? £500? £600 (delete as appropriate ) And what makes a bike worth £1000+ materials used? weight? etc?

I just fancy a bike for riding to work, and some fun in the mud

Thanks

[Maty]

I've just picked up a CUBE Attention 09. The main reason I went for it, and yes this is a bit silly, but it was the way it looked! I also read quite a lot of reviews saying that they used good quality parts, the only downside of my one was the front forks, but for the amount of use it will get I doubt this will be a problem.

I looked at all the Specialized, GT, etc etc but the CUBE won hands down. This is where I bought mine from,

http://www.surosa.co.uk/4935/products/Cube_Attenti...

It's great to ride, I can't find any fault with it whatsoever!

[Digga]

ChunkyloverSV said:

what makes a bike worth £1000+ materials used? weight? etc?

I just fancy a bike for riding to work, and some fun in the mud

Thanks

In fairly basic terms, more expensive bikes will generally (downhill, big travel stuff excluded) have lighter frames, made from more costly materials. Clearly you will notice the benefit of weight in many areas, but especially if you're climbing hills.

Better bikes should also have better kit - normally also lighter, but also stuff that works better. Hydraulic disc brakes are better than mechanical discs and for off-road use are streets ahead of older style rim brakes. Better gears will be lighter and far crisper shifting. etc. etc.

My personal rule is to stick to 'known' brands because a.) they're a known entity and generally don't produce stuff that will come back to haun you or them and b.) their size gives them more muscle in negotiating bulk deals with component suppliers. at this time of year, you might find some good online deals for end of 2009 season bikes, because the 2010 models hit the shops last month.

However, you can't beat getting the service and back up of a good Local Bike Shop (LBS) so find out who's near you and perhaps ask their advice.

Most serious mountain bikers have at least a couple of bikes, so don't beat yourself up about getting the best or spending too much before you're sure it's for you. You can get a number of very decent starter hardtails for well under £500.