I need to choose an MTB for less than 500 EUR in Finland

[naitreid]

Hey, this is my first post in this forum.
I am really new here and to the bike world too. I have been riding them all my life without really knowing what I am riding or any other technical details.

So now, I moved to live in Finland . So, I need to buy an mtb as soon as I can, but I don't want to spend much money.
I need to get something cheap, below 500 euro.

So, I found a few options, and their prices range from 299EUR to about 500EUR.
I just dont know if I will actually feel any difference between these bikes. Could the price be higher just because it is a more known brand?
As I have said before, I dont know anything about the technical side of the bikes, I just love riding them in the forests and everywhere else (my routes are not bumpy, they are actually good enough to be easily ridden with a hybrid, but I still need a mountain bike as once in a while I go through a forest path that has unpleasant surprises) .

So, I have the following options, and would greately apreciate if anyone would check them out and tell me which is the best and which is the worst and why (sorry, some text is in Finnish, but I think it is possible to see the specs still) :

http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=lanai

http://www.kauppaveljet.fi/tuote/1794/

also, I was checking out some 299EURO bikes in Biltema store, but I can't give a link as the biltema website is like an application, so links dont work.
biltema.fi


so, if you could give some advice, I would be gratefull.

 

[rusky]

I can see that the biltema bikes have shimano components but not sure what the frame is like.

The Spes or Kona are good bikes though.

 

[naitreid]

ok, thanks for checking the bikes out.
Is there anyone with a more specific answer?

 

[Dayvo]

Biltema bikes aren't any good!

You need to be looking at bikes from about €300+! It doesn't have to be the best bike, but it has to be of decent quality and reliable.

Whereabouts in Finland are you?

 

[Stephenite]

I agree with Dayvo - don't buy from biltema.

You may want to consider second-hand. It's often the wisest option. But, of course, you don't have that nice, new and shiny feeling.

 

[Stephenite]

Have you checked the RideFree forum in Finland? Link to the sales pages. It might be worth putting up a post on there. I'm sure it'll be ok if you write in english. By the way, there's a general forum for speakers of english here.

Re the bikes you linked to, you can't go wrong with either a Kona or Spes IMO.

How did you end up in Finland anyway?

 

[naitreid]

I live in Vantaa.
I ended up here because I always liked this country.