Buying a mountain bike

[djbrowney]

as above really wanting to buy a mountain bike but wtf do you go for there are 100's lol

got about £350 to spend, would like front suspension only mainly road use but will be going off now and again !!!

if anyone can help me please :thumb:

[Ernie]

Not this thread again lol
Good luck and thought i would start of with you get what you pay for.

[Edd]

eBay have good second hand ones if you know what your looking for.

At £350 if you get a brand new one it's likely going to weight a bomb.

IMO Cannondale ftw.

[Spudly]

Go to your local hellfrauds mate, they do some good bikes in the carrera range now, both myself and Andy have a carrera vulcan disc spec and its a capable bike even out of the box, ive upgraded mine a bit as it comes with cable discs which arent too bad but if youre a big lad (see fat) they dont stop you when trying to do 80 degree turns on a set of skinnies in a forest somewhere lol

But theyre very good bikes and definately worth a looksee!

[djbrowney]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250632903544&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

i was looking at this, seem good for the money ???

[Spudly]

It doesnt seem bad but imo a 22" is faaar to big, im just over six foot and i ride an 18" frame!

[djbrowney]

ah thats good to know im 5ft 9 so want one a little smaller lol

[djbrowney]

my missus reckons i should get one of these http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_73 0107_langId_-1_categoryId_165602

[Spudly]

Id say you want to be looking at somewhere around an 18" aswell then as you needs to be able to step/slide/fall off the seat and not impale your love sacks on the crossbar, trust me from experience when i was younger, it fecking hurts lol

[Nick J]

Ive always been a GT fan as Ive always thought they are a good bike for the money.... Had my current one for years! whilst browsing the bay earlier I came across this that may interest you ........ http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GT-LTS-2000-Mountain-Bike-1998-Collectors-Dream-/270577674035?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item3effafa733

Nick.

[Spudly]

Thats a bargain but imo not practical as a commuter though Nick lol

[djbrowney]

i only want it so try and loose some weight, im sick of my seat belt disapering in my gut. So if i buy a bike i will get fit and dont have to worry about a seat belt !!!

[RETRONOVA]

this is what you need :thumb:

http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=146883

[djbrowney]

not what im looking for buddy

[Jay]

I just bought an 03 Stinky for under £500 :)

[Cle]

I Paid £400 for my Kona hoss deluxe 06 model i think

[djbrowney]

^ these mean fook all to me lol

[Cle]

Google is your friend lol

[grooge]

that gt lts posted, guy round the corner from me has one and you only ever see him ride it when hes drunk cos he cant drive lol nutcase aswell always attempting wheelies n stoppies.

as edd said cannondale are good but i feel they're quite expensive. same with kona i'd say. but i'd still be looking at them and the likes of specialized, giant, scott etc 2nd hand. i'd steer clear of carrera, diamondback etc aswell frames are nowhere near the same league as someone like cannondale. most 2nd hand bikes are ok if they seem ok after a check. and most stuff is easy to fix/replace should it go wrong.

[Spudly]

I can see your thinking but youre obviously looking from a mountian bikers perspective but he only wants it for a commuter, not for blasting trails on :p

[grooge]

yeah, good point. but then a if its for commuting then a lighter bike is better and carreras are defo not light. my dad got my wee sister one cos it came up and was one of these women specific geometry things and it weighs a ton. if i remember i'll try and find out but it weighed more than my commencal jump bike and roughly the same as my kona stinky(minus gears) from what i remember. sack pedaling that up hills!

and retro nova i dont like you cos you make me want to buy your bike lol i have no room for anymore, i don't actually need it and i cant afford it(although my overdraft would cover it) but i still want it. i have a soft spot for buying bikes lol

[Jay]

Oh i see spud. Then i'd say Saracen Mantra ? Cheap £300 i think Front sus.

[gazz]

i just bought this..happy with it too (edited)

[grooge]

^looks not bad. thing is if you spend that much you can get an alrite bike that'll do the job just fine and if you end up not using it much/want to upgrade you can sell it for the same price usually

[gazz]

only bought it for family bike rides. i would use a shopper not not aloud :d

[djbrowney]

as spud says i only want it for personbal use not ragging down hills and stuff (that req far to much energy) lol

[Rexy]

In honesty Mr brown, you want to try and get the best frame/wheelset you can, On any bike around this price the components are pretty basic and will do but not for any serious stuff.

IF your not too arsed about older stuff, get a 2009/2008 model but brand new and be cheeky cas halfords will knock £££ off. They will also do a price match but. Everything can be upgraded as you see fit, so if the frame is good from the start your laughing. At £350 you will still be looking at the bottom end of the fork range so dont expect any fancy air dampers, i doubt you would see oil either tbh.

The second hand market is a buyers market, if you know your stuff so £300 would see you a bloody goodsetup in second hand form. A lot of people buy them use them a few weeks and then they get stuck in a bedroom/loft garage etc. I sold my GT chucker with bits and bobs for £200, the brake disks on it *juicy 7s* cost more than i sold it for lol. I just didnt use it anymore and my knees wer playing up as it was pretty small 13" frame :D

[djbrowney]

just been and looked this, over budget but i like, is it a waste of money ???

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_75 9113_langId_-1_categoryId_165499

[Spudly]

Id say thats definately a capable bike and you never know you might even find yourself looking for local trails to get a taste of proper mountain biking:thumb:

[Stuart]

tbh a cyclocross bike would probably be better. Its just a regular fixed commuter frame with wider forks + rear bits to get MTB tyres on.

In some respects I wish I hadnt gone mad and spent a fortune on my bike as its got a fairly crap front sus that could have easily been replaced had I got a cheaper bike and spent the rest on the good fork lol

[djbrowney]

well i went to buy it today but the said i couldnt have it until tuesday morning so i told em to stick up there dinner dumper, what ever happended to just buying somthing :( :(

[craig green]

well i went to buy it today but the said i couldnt have it until tuesday morning so i told em to stick up there dinner dumper, what ever happended to just buying somthing :( :(

I used to work in a cycle shop mate, if you took it away as they get them in a box, nothing works, nothing is safe & it'll probably cause you an accident.

Whatever happened to patience? lol

[djbrowney]

what a ****ed up world we live in buddy, it was the one on show, they let me ride it round the shop ffs lol

[Andy]

eh?! mine came in a box and i built it myself lol