New bike help !

[Rambit]

Hi everyone,

Ive been road biking for a while now, but i want to get back to mountain biking. Ive somewhat neglected MTB's and ive lost touch on what is the crowd favourite at the moment so i was hoping for some advice and help on what the best mountain bike is from user experience.

I test rode Specialized Stumpjumper Fsr 29er and i found it to be an amazingly smooth bike and landing was so comfortable, and 29ers give it a new experience but was an effort to get off the ground. I was looking at some 2014 MTB's and the one i set my sights on was the 2014 stumpjumper FSR evo 26:

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productID=61935&categoryID=58

I was just wondering what people think, and if anyone has test rode any 2014's and can give me a good suggestion that would be a great help. Im also interested in what not to buy, because i dont want my wheels to come off when im riding.

Thanks a lot

Rich

 

[Cubist]

Nice budget!

It all depends on the riding you intend to do,. That Stumpy would be a great bike for aggressive trail riding as their description suggests. A lot of folk will agree that if you want the bike to be playful you need to steer away from 29ers. Many of the more "serious" MTB manufacturers are going for 650B as a compromise, and the way they're all going the following have some well-reviewed bikes within your budget (some well within your budget too!)

What are your priorities? Do you want a jumpy, flowy tough but light bike, or do you want something solid, dependable, burly but quality equipped? Do you need 150-160mm travel, or would a 120-140 bike do it? Do you ride rocky bouldery stuff or flowing hardpack?

If I had that sort of budget I'd want to be looking at IBIS, Yeti, Santa Cruz, Orange, Norco (Evans are the sole importers I think) Lapierre, Ghost. The mainstream brands like Trek (Remedy) and Cube have massive followers, and of course your Spesh. Look also to the direct importers like Canyon who put fantastic spec onto fantastic frames at bargain prices.

You could also look into the niche markets around brands like Cotic, their Rocket frameset would build up into quite a beast with what you've got to spend. In fact most of the above will sell you a frame only that you can build to your own spec.

 

[M1ke]

On a personal note, I have a 2013 Specialized Rockhopper Pro and I think it is amazing! Great on or off road and a brilliant commuter bike providing you get the correct tyres for it.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

I was looking at the Specialized Stumpjumper Fsr 29er and settled on a Epic World Cup which I am waiting for as it has a specification and design philosopy which I think is better for the type of riding I will do.

 

[JillFurphy]

Hi everyone,

Ive been road biking for a while now, but i want to get back to mountain biking. Ive somewhat neglected MTB's and ive lost touch on what is the crowd favourite at the moment so i was hoping for some advice and help on what the best mountain bike is from user experience.

I test rode Specialized Stumpjumper Fsr 29er and i found it to be an amazingly smooth bike and landing was so comfortable, and 29ers give it a new experience but was an effort to get off the ground. I was looking at some 2014 MTB's and the one i set my sights on was the 2014 stumpjumper FSR evo 26:

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productID=61935&categoryID=58

I was just wondering what people think, and if anyone has test rode any 2014's and can give me a good suggestion that would be a great help. Im also interested in what not to buy, because i dont want my wheels to come off when im riding.

Thanks a lot

Rich

I've got a 2014 Scott Spark 930 going cheap. Used twice, lovely bike but my circumstances have changed since I bought it. I've come on here to find out where to advertise it to get rid of it. Any ideas, if you are buying? It's a small by the way.
Thanks,
Jill

 

[Pale Rider]

I've got a 2014 Scott Spark 930 going cheap. Used twice, lovely bike but my circumstances have changed since I bought it. I've come on here to find out where to advertise it to get rid of it. Any ideas, if you are buying? It's a small by the way.
Thanks,
Jill

Jill,

The OP has not been back since two days after joining/posting, so this one may have run its course.

Have you thought about asking the retailer of the Scott if they will take it back on a sale or return basis?

They would want something for selling it, of course, but it would be out of your way immediately and you would be saved the hassle of vetting potential 'buyers' who may respond to an advert with the sole aim of stealing the bike.