Mountain Bikes

[ChrisL 15]

A guy at work organised a day at dolby forrest mountain biking last Saturday so 8 of us chucked our bikes in the back of his van and off we went.

 

What a fantastic day although I'm paying for it now as my legs are burning!

 

They are on about doing it more often now and I wouldnt mind a better bike as mine is a 13 year old raleigh with no suspension.

 

Anyone do mountain biking and can recommend a good make or bike please?

 

Also, my work is moving factory and will now be only 3 miles from my house so will probably use the bike for commuting. (less use for the rado now so will be able to tackle a restoration of all suspension)

 

Cheers

[VR6 0]

I guess it's like buying a car really ... what's the budget Chris? :)

[lewvw 10]

I bought a Specialized Hardrock for £350, I did a few trails on it and it didn't put a foot wrong. I wouldn't go too cheap if you're gonna rally it though ;)

[Wild-Animal 0]

Hey I know a lot about mountain biking and cant recommend it enough its a sport which takes you to the very edge! If your considering doing a lot of trail riding then I would recommend going for hydraulic brakes on the bike you get. The difference is huge.

That would be around the £450-600 mark. Front suspension ( hardtail )

 

Also consider

- lights for commuting

- a decent lock if you dont have anywhere to keep it secure, the number of bikes that I have heard of being stolen or the locks that have been cut is astonishing.

 

For your mountain biking.

- you would probably also want a ruck sack for keeping water, spare inner tubes, patches, munchies and tools.

-depending how you feel but i would recommend knee pads as well as off course a helmet. As you will find slipping of a pedal and the pedal meeting your shins is not pleasant.

- As for tools either borrow them off friends or buy them as you require them

 

heres one of the top websites for bicycles and parts

 

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/

 

Any questions feel free to ask, I have been biking for a number of years between myself and friends we have replaced every part on a bike either from destroying forks or tearing rear mechs off.

 

Hopefully you will be shredding some trails soon : )

[C5 OEM 0]

Budget for around 500 for a good entry level bike,go for a hardtail and it can do all that you need.... look for second hand as well as lots of people buy the gear and dont follow it through..

 

Just picked this titanium second hand and its like new..

 

[Jim 1]

Yeah - second hand is the way forward. Get onto the forums at BikeRadar and look out for a bargain...

[sexybourbon 0]

Iv got a nice cube chris your more than welcome to come round and have a look and a test ride if you want im 6ft 4 so should be plenty big enough for ya

[KADVR6 0]

does your work place do the cycle to work scheme?? if so you cant go wrong with a Boardman bike from Halfords.

[DriverVR6 11]

Ah, Mountain Biking, one of my past times. Got this Scott Racing Expert a few years back for £600. How tall are you?

Stick to makes like Giant, Trek, Marin, Scott, Cube, Focus, etc etc. If you haven't heard of it, and it's expensive, then most likely it's a good pro bike. Steel and Titanium frames a better for "feel", but Aluminium ones are more robust. If you are serious about off roading, then go for the smallest frame that fits you and you are comfortable with. Happy hunting.

Edited March 26, 2012 by DriverVR6

[coullstar 0]

Just bought a new (to me) bike recently and went 2nd hand. Managed to get a 2011 Specialized Rockhopper Comp for about £370. It has a couple of wear marks but otherwise looks brand new. A new set of pads and it will rock.

[OSV 0]

I went old school like my car but its probably better if I get something more modern for more demanding trails

 

[James. 7]

Wow, that's a blast from the blast Gareth. My first MTB was a 1992 lava dome. Canti's and project twos as well. Tres bon.

 

Personally if I was to replace my MTB, i'd get an Orange "sub five" all-day-long.

 

But that's my choice. Your budget may differ.

 

Second hand may be an option. Bear in mind things like chain, cassette, chainset, bottom bracket. These are the wear items and as such get the most abuse. Replacement on once big ticket bikes can get costly.

 

And lastly, if you're looking at stuff on ebay. Go and view it/ride it first. Cracked frames, worn shocks and linkages, stuck seatposts. I've seen the lot. You can't study a second hand bike enough.

 

Let us know how you get on.

 

All the best, James

[Pete 0]

Sorry for the lo res but I ride this crazy hardtail...

 

Has a scandium frame used in the 04 Athens games and lots of trick bits for lightness. The whole bike hits the scales under 8.5kg.

 

Shame I'm so fat really and let the side down somewhat haha!!!

 

[ChrisL 15]

Wow, cheers for all the replies. Thats some serious food for thought.

 

I am 6ft tall and probably look to spend between £350 and £500 i suppose.

 

Might pop round at some point Matt and try your bike for size, are you selling? What size should I be looking at and how many gears?

 

If I see one I like, I'll pop it on here first for opinions.

 

Sounds like Mountain biking is pretty popular on here

[C5 OEM 0]

being 6ft between 17-19 inch frame should suit mate, i`d swap your rs`s for my titanium....lol

[James. 7]

What size should I be looking at and how many gears?

 

If I see one I like, I'll pop it on here first for opinions.

 

Sounds like Mountain biking is pretty popular on here

 

Size: Depends on which bike you go for. Brands measure their bikes differently, so somewhere between 19 or 21 dependent on how the bike measures up and personal taste (small chuckable frame, or longer, roadie type of rider).

 

Pretty much every thing above £250 has 9 speed (27 gears) so you'll be catered for on that front.

 

And yes there does seem to be a lot of riders on here. It's all good.

 

I'm out of the loop on the brand front, but at that price point there's no one bike hugely better than another. Best to select three and then go from there. It's real easy to walk into a bike shop and come out more confused than when you walked in.

 

Hope this helps, James

[KADVR6 0]

well my bro is mad on mountain biking, he has had some very very pricey rides in he's life as in 4k+, and has gone to sweden/germany etc just to go mountain biking, when i bought my fashiondale he had a look and a ride, and said for the money £550 its a bloody good bike, since the pic was taken i have changed the wheels (surpise surprise lol)

 

[ChrisL 15]

being 6ft between 17-19 inch frame should suit mate, i`d swap your rs`s for my titanium....lol

 

Ha Ha, I bet you would!!!

 

Size: Depends on which bike you go for. Brands measure their bikes differently, so somewhere between 19 or 21 dependent on how the bike measures up and personal taste (small chuckable frame, or longer, roadie type of rider).

 

Pretty much every thing above £250 has 9 speed (27 gears) so you'll be catered for on that front.

 

And yes there does seem to be a lot of riders on here. It's all good.

 

I'm out of the loop on the brand front, but at that price point there's no one bike hugely better than another. Best to select three and then go from there. It's real easy to walk into a bike shop and come out more confused than when you walked in.

 

Hope this helps, James

 

Cheers, I'm going to go look round some of the local shops and check some out.

 

well my bro is mad on mountain biking, he has had some very very pricey rides in he's life as in 4k+, and has gone to sweden/germany etc just to go mountain biking, when i bought my fashiondale he had a look and a ride, and said for the money £550 its a bloody good bike, since the pic was taken i have changed the wheels (surpise surprise lol)

 

 

AAARGH, you've got your bike resting on the car! nice bike though.

[KADVR6 0]

well actually i had a small piece of silicone hose off cut resting between the bumper and the bike frame, but dont tell anyone please lol

[Tigerfish 10]

I bought a Giant XTC2 with MPH hydraulic brakes a couple of years ago second hand on ebay. A couple of hundred it cost me and I've been really impressed with the weight and performance.

[Riley 0]

Love my Trek, but I polish it more than I use it :bonk: Jumped on it yesterday for a good ride along the canal actually. Think it was around £400 quids worth, and I think it's a decent bike for little money really.

[Wild-Animal 0]

I wouldnt worry to much about how many gears the bike bike has, as nowadays they have plenty.

 

if your looking second hand then use

 

http://www.pinkbike.com/

or sourtherndowhill

 

or gum tree

 

The main thing with buying second hand is to make sure the running gear, i.e the chain and the rear cassette are not worn out, as to replace them will cost you £50. plus you would need the right tools.

[jeth1979 0]

Just thought I'd add my 2 pennies worth being a bit of a bike nut.. Carrera vulcan from halfords has extremely good reviews and only retails at £360. It's perfect for your xc trails. Not sure if it's been mentioned before but check out bikeradar for reviews on "budget" bikes, but as all things, but the best you can afford!! 2nd hand bikes are another option but as stated test every gear etc as well as the frame itself, for damage,cracks etc..I recently bought a carbon road bike which was 8 months old, got it for less than half price and it is mint, do the bargains are out there, no go find them!!!! Ps.. Going into smaller stores and asking if they have any of last years model if Bikes can also be worth a shot.. Good luck

[_Meth 0]

Ive just built this baby up to join my brother royund dalby forest!

[VAG-hag 0]

does your work place do the cycle to work scheme?? if so you cant go wrong with a Boardman bike from Halfords.

 

true story