Mountain bike recommendations (£350)

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Glyn

Glyn

Regular
Location
Fleet, Hampshire.
Hi, hoping some of you kind folks can point us in the right direction,we are a couple in our 50’s looking at taking up cycling for the first time and searching the net we’ve discovered the minefield of bike buying :-(

We’ve a budget of £700 for two bikes any suggestions

Regards Glyn
 
GrumpyGregry

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
can I suggest one of these and one of these as a his and hers pair?

not mountain bikes but probably a better bet for general riding about on than a cheap mtb and it leaves you a few quid in the budget for gloves, water bottles and cages and other items, protective or otherwise you might want to buy.
 
albion

albion

Guru
Depends where you live and what you want Glyn. At a new 50 I'd certainly only consider hybrid for comfort.Anything at Halfords branded 'Carrera' is great spec and price.The Carrera suspension hybrids are certainly not overweight either.
 
OP
OP
Glyn

Glyn

Regular
Location
Fleet, Hampshire.
Thanks Greg for the Revolution Trailfinder 11 link and Albion I had a look at the Carrera Crossfire both have had pretty good reviews and the pricing well within budget

Before I decided to seek help I was looking at the Kona Lanai Deluxe 2011 Mountain Bike from Evans Cycles at £340 there site is playingup so you may or may not be able to check out the spec

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kona/lanai-deluxe-2011-mountain-bike-ec026529#BVRRWidgetID

We live in Hampshire and surrounded by army training grounds and this is where we intend to spend most of our time cycling (90% of road)

Kind regards Glyn

 
albion

albion

Guru
Use those weights as a rough guide but allow for the tyres supplied.I'm always wary of any bike that avoids showing the typical weight.
 
GrumpyGregry

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
Glyn said:
Thanks Greg for the Revolution Trailfinder 11 link and Albion I had a look at the Carrera Crossfire both have had pretty good reviews and the pricing well within budget

Before I decided to seek help I was looking at the Kona Lanai Deluxe 2011 Mountain Bike from Evans Cycles at £340 there site is playingup so you may or may not be able to check out the spec

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kona/lanai-deluxe-2011-mountain-bike-ec026529#BVRRWidgetID

We live in Hampshire and surrounded by army training grounds and this is where we intend to spend most of our time cycling (90% of road)

Kind regards Glyn
Click to expand...

Hampshires finest eh? Well it will be real mtb's you'll be after then.

Nothing wrong with that Kona for the money and so long as you keep it away from real mountains it should last a while. A heads up - riding off road wears things out pretty fast and cheap(er) components may not last a long time... sometimes the life expectancy is measured in hours of use, especially in the hands of clumsy overweight 50 year olds like me!!!

A second heads up - riding off road can get VERY addictive. (I'm off out to get muddy when I've finished in here) If the bug bites it may be cheaper to buy a new bike than to try to upgrade an entry level machine with better bits.

If you go for one of the main brands, Spesh, Trek, GT, Giant, Kona, etc., or a reputable 'own brand' and buy from a real bike store (online or not), you won't go far wrong.

Enjoy.
 
OP
OP
Glyn

Glyn

Regular
Location
Fleet, Hampshire.
Just got let down with Evans and the Kona, how do you good folks rate the Carrera Vengence



regards Glyn
 
A

Angelfishsolo

A Velocipedian
Location
Cwmbach, South Wales
GregCollins said:
Hampshires finest eh? Well it will be real mtb's you'll be after then.

Nothing wrong with that Kona for the money and so long as you keep it away from real mountains it should last a while. A heads up - riding off road wears things out pretty fast and cheap(er) components may not last a long time... sometimes the life expectancy is measured in hours of use, especially in the hands of clumsy overweight 50 year olds like me!!!

A second heads up - riding off road can get VERY addictive. (I'm off out to get muddy when I've finished in here) If the bug bites it may be cheaper to buy a new bike than to try to upgrade an entry level machine with better bits.

If you go for one of the main brands, Spesh, Trek, GT, Giant, Kona, etc., or a reputable 'own brand' and buy from a real bike store (online or not), you won't go far wrong.

Enjoy.
Click to expand...

Just to clarify top end contemporary often wears out quickly was well. Shimano XTR is racing spec and not designed for daily use. Mid range items tend to last the longest hence the Goldilocks pricing.
 
OP
OP
Glyn

Glyn

Regular
Location
Fleet, Hampshire.
Glyn said:
Just got let down with Evans and the Kona, how do you good folks rate the Carrera Vengence



regards Glyn
Click to expand...
Sorry to be a pest how about this one?

  • Female specific geometry Merida 6061 series heat treated aluminium frame
  • Suntour XCT V2 fork
  • Shimano EF51 / TY10 / Altus drivetrain
  • 21 Speed
  • Tektro Novela Brakes
  • Travel 80mm
 
A

Angelfishsolo

A Velocipedian
Location
Cwmbach, South Wales
Glyn said:
Sorry to be a pest how about this one?

  • Female specific geometry Merida 6061 series heat treated aluminium frame
  • Suntour XCT V2 fork
  • Shimano EF51 / TY10 / Altus drivetrain
  • 21 Speed
  • Tektro Novela Brakes
  • Travel 80mm
Click to expand...
Suntour forks are OK if you are a light but offer little in the way of suspension for someone of my weight (15/16 stone). What bike is it - do you have a link?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

U
Thoughts on this Nukeproof Mountain Bike
Replies
11
C
What bike
Replies
1
Katana
Got New Bike
Replies
8
L
Excel ambition suspension bike
Replies
5
Top Bottom