Some Advice About This Bike Please

[Wester]

I saw this Mountain bike advertised being sold for half price £99 today by Argos

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produ...t_14419153|Dual+suspension+bikes|14419175.htm

Do you know anything about the quality of this bike ? would you recomend it as a bargin at the prce it is being sold for

Any feedback about this bike please

 

[Wester]

I have just spotted that it is for the 9 - 13 age group so that rules me out

 

[Landslide]

Even if it were your size, I'd advise staying away from such bikes. Cheap full-suspension MTBs will be very heavy, steer badly, the suspension ain't that great.

What do you want a bike for, what use etc?

 

[Wester]

I only use a bike just for casual cycling over the weekend nothing serious

 

[007fair]

apart from anything else it will be a very heavy bike For a kid who wants the full suspension look and will not do any serious cycling it would be Ok
Our kid had a similar bike and it was Ok until they tried to cycle any distance if you wanted something of quality .. this is not it I would go second hand

 

[Wester]

apart from anything else it will be a very heavy bike For a kid who wants the full suspension look and will not do any serious cycling it would be Ok
Our kid had a similar bike and it was Ok until they tried to cycle any distance if you wanted something of quality .. this is not it I would go second hand

What brand of Mountain bike would you recommend

 

[MajorMantra]

Our kid had a similar bike and it was Ok until they tried to cycle any distance if you wanted something of quality .. this is not it I would go second hand

+1. You are much better off with something old and second hand but decent if your budget is small. A good rule of thumb for lower end bikes is to avoid any brand that you wouldn't see for sale in a bike shop. Even then be cautious since Halfords for example (who sort of qualify) sell some real crap as well as some decent bikes.

Matthew

 

[cyberknight]

Will you ride mainly in parks/cycle paths or do you want to go off road?

If you do not plan on going off road i cannot see the need for a susser .

And how much do you want to spend? You might pick a better deal off ebay if you know what to look for?

The carrera range from halfords are good value for money ,although the apollo range ( their entry level ) can be a bit dodgy.
I started on a subway 1 and for the price (£219 currently) you cant go wrong ,the only down side is the guy putting it together might know more about spark plugs or maybe great just luck of the draw.
Push come to shove you could always take it to a local bike shop to set it up or even just try your LocalBike Sop to see if they have any good deals.

 

[Arch]

I don't know where you are Wester, but you may have a local bike recycling project who can sell you a second hand bike appropriate for your needs, which will have been checked and overhauled. Your local council should know of anything like that. Or bike shops sometimes have bikes taken as part exchange.

Cheap Full Sus, or even just front Sus, unless you really want to go seriously off road, or suffer from very sensitive wrists, is a waste of money and weight. All bikes have dual annular pneumatic suspension, only we call them tyres...

 

[007fair]

What brand of Mountain bike would you recommend

Look on Gumtree and or EBay You will need to know what size of frame you need and then go for something with an alloy frame and no suspension (or front only if you insist) and as new as possible
Before buying check the make and model on the internet to see current price etc and any reviews then make a bid £100 should get you a good bike worth more than double

Also consider that if you don't want to go mountain biking then a lighter hybrid type would be better as it will be lighter and easier due to the narrower tyres

Makes Check out EVANS website If your bike is sold on there it should be Ok (as a rough guide to keep away from cheap kak)

good luck !

 

[Wester]

What are your opinions on this bike good / bad / or a waste of time , i was once offered one for £50 and turned it down

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/APOLLO-OUTRAG...ZViewItemQQptZUK_Bikes_GL?hash=item439b13082c

 

[007fair]

Apollo are a basic Halfords bike I think they are OK but you could do better Again its got full suspension which you should avoid IMO

Depends on how hard you want to look and understand about the differences between each bike type (Hybrid / MTB etc)

 

[Wester]

Apollo are a basic Halfords bike I think they are OK but you could do better Again its got full suspension which you should avoid IMO

Depends on how hard you want to look and understand about the differences between each bike type (Hybrid / MTB etc)

Why should i avoid a bike with full suspension ?

 

[Wester]

Sorry if some of my questions sound naive to some of you but i am new to cycling

 

[wafflycat]

For £99 you cannot get a bike with *decent* suspension. Decent suspension *costs money* more than that for a £99 bike. Sorry, but that's the way it is. Also, if you're not planning on going off-road, or light cycle paths you don't need suspension. Really. Truly. Honestly. Don't waste your money spending it on that type of bike at that price level.

Have a read...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/11/flat_pack_bikes.html
http://southcoastbikes.co.uk/articles.asp?article=NO_BSO

You're much better off if you can afford to spend even a bit more to get a basic, no-frills bike made with half-decent parts, or to go second-hand.