Dave5N
Über Member
- Location
- Outside The Little Nibble
I think you just ruled out at least every other post on this and every other forum.
The point is that we share ideas, not write to one high and mighty expert.
What mtb is best
- Thread starter skinny man0903
- Start date
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The point is that we share ideas, not write to one high and mighty expert.
mickle
innit
- Location
- 53.933606, -1.076131
Dave5N said:
Ok, pardon me for being rude. I retract the quoted suggestion that you don't know what you are talking about. That was the Champagne talking. Theres no excuse for rudeness and I apologise unreservedly.
However, and this is of course just my opinion, I don't think it's possible to buy a real, new, adult mountain-bike for 200 pounds. Sterling House will sell you a full sus 26" wheeled mountain-bike style bike for 50 quid, is that a real mountain-bike? If not then exactly where do you draw the line? 100? 150? 199?
I draw the line at around 350 quid. I've met very many people who bought cheap mountain-bikes, got totally into the sport and then regretted not spending more money on their first bike. You cant upgrade a Palomar and make it anything more than a heavy, cheap Palomar with upgrades. Once a boat anchor always a boat anchor. If skinnyman spends 200 quid, really gets into it and realises that 400 quid will get him a lighter, better performing and more reliable bike that 200 quid will have been wasted. It will cost him 600 quid to get a 400 quid bike.
Apologies for the lack of a pound sign on this keyboard!
Depends on your definition of 'mountain bike'. I can completely empathise with your use of the term as something that you can go mountain biking on - but some people use the term to mean any bike that's just able to deal with kerbs, gravel etc better than a road bike, and that's all they want it for.
Not that I'm condoning the bargain basement bin halfords fulls sussers, they're mainly for posing chavs what with their utterly pointless dual crown forks.
I'm more thinking along the lines of the bottom of the line decathlon hardtails/rigids. If you're not a serious MTBer and you're not going to be, but want a basic utility bike and you don't want to worry about gravel, canal path debris, kerbs, etc then the cheaper end of the decathlon range which have no rear suspension and either basic single crown short travel or even rigid forks can be picked up easily for £200 and will probably sort this sort of cyclist fine.
Not that I'm condoning the bargain basement bin halfords fulls sussers, they're mainly for posing chavs what with their utterly pointless dual crown forks.
I'm more thinking along the lines of the bottom of the line decathlon hardtails/rigids. If you're not a serious MTBer and you're not going to be, but want a basic utility bike and you don't want to worry about gravel, canal path debris, kerbs, etc then the cheaper end of the decathlon range which have no rear suspension and either basic single crown short travel or even rigid forks can be picked up easily for £200 and will probably sort this sort of cyclist fine.
skinny man0903
Guest
possible start of with bridleways and towpaths then may consider singletrack and trailsbarq said:I think the crucial question is where will the bike be used? Are we talking trails and singletrack or bridleways and towpaths?
My advice would be to look towards the entry level bikes offered my the major MTB manufacturers. Trek and Specialized offer their cheapest models for around 200 quid (have a look at Evans to get a sense of the price range). If you can stretch to spending more you will get a better bike (sorry, statement of the bleedin' obvious, but worth thinking
about).
RedBike
New Member
- Location
- Beside the road
I'm not reading through all this thread so forgive me if this has been posted before.
At £200 forget all about rear suspension, disc brakes fancy triple clamp forks etc. Look for a damped front fork (if you can find one at that level) and a good frame to upgrade later. For smooth bridleways and towpaths you're almost better off with no suspension at all, although you'll really appreciate a good suspension fork when you start to ride more adventurous terrain.
If your not into the sort of riding trail centers have to offer then you might be better off with a hybrid. Hybrids wont cope with rough ground as well but they're a lot easier/quicker on the road/ smooth stuff.
At £200 forget all about rear suspension, disc brakes fancy triple clamp forks etc. Look for a damped front fork (if you can find one at that level) and a good frame to upgrade later. For smooth bridleways and towpaths you're almost better off with no suspension at all, although you'll really appreciate a good suspension fork when you start to ride more adventurous terrain.
I would try riding a few man made trail centers (and possibly hiring a bike while your there). If you stay clear of the black level runs you shouldn't come across anything too nasty; and there's nothing stopping you walking any bit you're unsure about!
If your not into the sort of riding trail centers have to offer then you might be better off with a hybrid. Hybrids wont cope with rough ground as well but they're a lot easier/quicker on the road/ smooth stuff.
Zoiders
New Member
- Location
- Ice Station Zebra
Second hand rigid steel
Early/mid 90s
A do it all bike, plus you may end up keeping it and buying new running gear instead of a shiney new one, rockhoppers are nice from that period if you find one, ridgebacks, saracens, the raliegh M Trax in reynolds steel is good as well
Its a case of finding one
Early/mid 90s
A do it all bike, plus you may end up keeping it and buying new running gear instead of a shiney new one, rockhoppers are nice from that period if you find one, ridgebacks, saracens, the raliegh M Trax in reynolds steel is good as well
Its a case of finding one
U
User482
Guest
I second the suggestions to look for a used bike. £200 will get you something fairly decent, whereas you'll only get a very basic model new, that wouldn't be worth upgrading the parts on if you got more into the sport. Look for well known brand names such as Specialized, Giant, Marin etc and you shouldn't go too far wrong. Just make sure it ain't stolen!
skinny man0903
Guest
They have a bike to work scheme where I wok and we can spend upto £1000 in the price that includes accessories. What accessories would i need
skinny man0903
Guest
Ludwig
Hopeless romantic
- Location
- Lissingdown
I have a £200 Trek and regularly ride the mountain and forest trails up to 2500ft in Mid Wales. The roads are very potholed, stoney and steep at times and don't have any problems. It has front suspension, an alu frame, 2inch tyres and with a 48, 38, 28 toothed front ring it has considerable road speed and would be ideal for touring as well.
With huge automated mass manufacturing plants and modern lazer metal cutting technology it is almost possible to get a decent mtb for close to a £100. This should be possible if they can now make a car in India for less than £1300.
With huge automated mass manufacturing plants and modern lazer metal cutting technology it is almost possible to get a decent mtb for close to a £100. This should be possible if they can now make a car in India for less than £1300.
Muddyfox
Guru
- Location
- Blackdown Hills Devon
I picked up a 2nd hand Giant Terrago Disc (hydraulic) for £250.00 in my local Bike Shop that had only ever been ridden on the road for 10 months but the guy traded it in on a proper road bike but bargains like these are few and far between but it's always worth looking
If i had £200.00 to spend on a brand new bike i think i'd go for the Mongoose Tyax Elite which is on sale at Evans (ok ok it's £229.00)
Or if you can stretch to another £100.00 have a look at the Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc
Simon
If i had £200.00 to spend on a brand new bike i think i'd go for the Mongoose Tyax Elite which is on sale at Evans (ok ok it's £229.00)
Or if you can stretch to another £100.00 have a look at the Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc
Simon
Skinny man, the mountain bike aspect very roughly breaks down in 3 areas of value and think is similar to the way road bikes break down by category.
sub £350 bikes:
These are the basic end of the market ranging from the supermarket no-name ones upto the very entry level bikes from what i would call mainstream makes such as trek, giant, specialized etc.
The more you pay in this range, the more you get, but it'll always be the basic end kit. By that I mean that the general components will work fine, but wont necessarily last as well compared to higher spec models. I have a supermarket bike in the garage, and one thing i notice is the front cranks and chain rings. Under hard pedalling, i can feel the crank the twist a little. On my more expensive bikes, they dont.
I'd personally say that if you can afford it, then the £200 to £350 range is certainly beter value than then sub £200 range. For example, this Giant bike is £300 and includes mechanical disc brakes. I have a pal who bought one a couple of years ago, and loves it. The frame is decent quality and components have lasted well for him. Thats just an example, but to me .... saving that extra hundred pounds would be worth it.
Any suspension in this area will work as in it'll go up and down a bit, but it wont necessarily last all that long. It'll also be heavy, especially compared to a non-front suspension bike.
£350 to £1000 bikes
This I would say is the sweet spot of mountain bikes and value. Its definitiely the case that the more you spend the more you get.
That extra that you get comes in a variety of aspects. The frames get better, lighter, more advanced. The components get better, lighter and longer lasting. the wheels and hubs are lighter ( makes a noticable difference ) and the bearing qualities much improved.
Also, you'll start to get into very good quality front suspension and brakes.
£1000+ bikes
I consider this where you start to see diminishing returns. The more you spend here, the less you get. Lighter components, but much more expensive cost ... perhaps just to save a few grams here and there.
--------------------------------------------
Brakes
Hugely emotive subject.
V brakes: They do a damn good job, esp in the dry. In the wet, just like a road bike, the performance suffers. In the wet and mud, then it is possible to go through pads and rims at a quicker rate, but with your uses, i dont think that would be tooo much of an issue
Mechanical disc brakes.
The first step up from V-brake ( just ). Bluntly, mech discs and good v-brakes overlap in terms of their performance. A very good v-brake will outperform a very basic mech disc brake. the benefit of disc brakes is though that they are less affected by the wet and mud from offroading bikes, and in general do offer better stopping power and to me a more confident feel.
Hydraulic disc brakes
The business. They are a considerable step from V-brakes and mechanical discs. If you go for agood brand name like shimano, then even the basic Deore hydraulic discs are outstanding in terms of braking power.
The down side to discs is that if you dont already have the hubs, then the hubs need to be disc-hubs in that they have mounting holes to attach a disc onto them. Some basic bikes may come with non-disc hubs. So perhaps an aspect to consider.
---------------------------------------------
So what do i think you should do ?
Well, you've mentioned your budget. As I already said, if you could save just a little bit more, then I think you may get more.
If its something that you'd like to keep for a while, then I would place most priority on the frame. Try and get the bike with the best frame that you can.
Mountain bikes are very modular, and its easy to add better components to them as and when your older components wear out. through all this, the frame largely remains unchanged, so out of all the bits you want to last, the frame is the most important.
So whats a good frame ? all the same things that make a good frame on a bike. Good quality tubing and welding, internal butting etc. Features to allow extras added. I'd be looking to get a frame which will allow you to add disc brakes at a later date ( if not fitted already ), that way it gives you the option at a later date.
Do I think you need front suspension ? No if its bridleways and towpaths. If you fit a large tyre on the mountain bike ( 2" to 2.3" ) , then that tyre offers a good amount of suspension in its own right. Actually, probably better than a very basic front fork ( which will weigh a lot ).
I really suggest you talk to the bike shop a little more, perhaps with these thoughts in mind:
sub £350 bikes:
These are the basic end of the market ranging from the supermarket no-name ones upto the very entry level bikes from what i would call mainstream makes such as trek, giant, specialized etc.
The more you pay in this range, the more you get, but it'll always be the basic end kit. By that I mean that the general components will work fine, but wont necessarily last as well compared to higher spec models. I have a supermarket bike in the garage, and one thing i notice is the front cranks and chain rings. Under hard pedalling, i can feel the crank the twist a little. On my more expensive bikes, they dont.
I'd personally say that if you can afford it, then the £200 to £350 range is certainly beter value than then sub £200 range. For example, this Giant bike is £300 and includes mechanical disc brakes. I have a pal who bought one a couple of years ago, and loves it. The frame is decent quality and components have lasted well for him. Thats just an example, but to me .... saving that extra hundred pounds would be worth it.
Any suspension in this area will work as in it'll go up and down a bit, but it wont necessarily last all that long. It'll also be heavy, especially compared to a non-front suspension bike.
£350 to £1000 bikes
This I would say is the sweet spot of mountain bikes and value. Its definitiely the case that the more you spend the more you get.
That extra that you get comes in a variety of aspects. The frames get better, lighter, more advanced. The components get better, lighter and longer lasting. the wheels and hubs are lighter ( makes a noticable difference ) and the bearing qualities much improved.
Also, you'll start to get into very good quality front suspension and brakes.
£1000+ bikes
I consider this where you start to see diminishing returns. The more you spend here, the less you get. Lighter components, but much more expensive cost ... perhaps just to save a few grams here and there.
--------------------------------------------
Brakes
Hugely emotive subject.
V brakes: They do a damn good job, esp in the dry. In the wet, just like a road bike, the performance suffers. In the wet and mud, then it is possible to go through pads and rims at a quicker rate, but with your uses, i dont think that would be tooo much of an issue
Mechanical disc brakes.
The first step up from V-brake ( just ). Bluntly, mech discs and good v-brakes overlap in terms of their performance. A very good v-brake will outperform a very basic mech disc brake. the benefit of disc brakes is though that they are less affected by the wet and mud from offroading bikes, and in general do offer better stopping power and to me a more confident feel.
Hydraulic disc brakes
The business. They are a considerable step from V-brakes and mechanical discs. If you go for agood brand name like shimano, then even the basic Deore hydraulic discs are outstanding in terms of braking power.
The down side to discs is that if you dont already have the hubs, then the hubs need to be disc-hubs in that they have mounting holes to attach a disc onto them. Some basic bikes may come with non-disc hubs. So perhaps an aspect to consider.
---------------------------------------------
So what do i think you should do ?
Well, you've mentioned your budget. As I already said, if you could save just a little bit more, then I think you may get more.
If its something that you'd like to keep for a while, then I would place most priority on the frame. Try and get the bike with the best frame that you can.
Mountain bikes are very modular, and its easy to add better components to them as and when your older components wear out. through all this, the frame largely remains unchanged, so out of all the bits you want to last, the frame is the most important.
So whats a good frame ? all the same things that make a good frame on a bike. Good quality tubing and welding, internal butting etc. Features to allow extras added. I'd be looking to get a frame which will allow you to add disc brakes at a later date ( if not fitted already ), that way it gives you the option at a later date.
Do I think you need front suspension ? No if its bridleways and towpaths. If you fit a large tyre on the mountain bike ( 2" to 2.3" ) , then that tyre offers a good amount of suspension in its own right. Actually, probably better than a very basic front fork ( which will weigh a lot ).
I really suggest you talk to the bike shop a little more, perhaps with these thoughts in mind:
