Which mountain bike? £350

[Samwise]

Hello all, newbie here!

I was wondering if you could advise me on some good mountain bikes around the £350 mark? I'm not bothered about having something out new this year and I don't really know where to look or what I'm talking about! Just looking for value and the best I can get.

Will be for moderate level offroad cycling

35 yo 5ft 9

Please can you help me out?

Thankyou,

Sam

 

[vickster]

Second hand for that price, especially given the shortages these days (You won’t find a bargain on an older model new any more)
otherwise, see if Decathlon or Halfords have anything.
that is however, entry level budget, so parts will be heavy and basic

 

[Baldy]

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FBPXF...MLCJPb-vIXTxeBDEmhw6F6H2asz2SN9QFHCVpsrEQdFf4

 

[Lovacott]

Hello all, newbie here!

I was wondering if you could advise me on some good mountain bikes around the £350 mark? I'm not bothered about having something out new this year and I don't really know where to look or what I'm talking about! Just looking for value and the best I can get.

Will be for moderate level offroad cycling

35 yo 5ft 9

Please can you help me out?

Thankyou,

Sam

Halfords Carrera bikes are pretty good value.

I've a mate with one of these and he loves it.

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/moun...ncture-protect-xs-s-m-l-xl-frames-475686.html

 

[Fintious]

As mentioned above, you’re going to be better off with a second hand one I think. For the money of a new bike you’ll get a better Spec’d bike. Have a look at something like a Specialized Pitch which are decent entry level bike...

 

[vickster]

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FBPXF...MLCJPb-vIXTxeBDEmhw6F6H2asz2SN9QFHCVpsrEQdFf4

Only in small which says up to 5’7, He‘s 5’9

 

[Lovacott]

As mentioned above, you’re going to be better off with a second hand one I think. For the money of a new bike you’ll get a better Spec’d bike. Have a look at something like a Specialized Pitch which are decent entry level bike...

True about the 2nd hand thing, but how does someone tell the difference between a 2nd hand bike in good condition and something that is nearing the wear limits of all of its moving parts?

 

[MontyVeda]

True about the 2nd hand thing, but how does someone tell the difference between a 2nd hand bike in good condition and something that is nearing the wear limits of all of its moving parts?

one can look at the chain rings and sprockets to see if they're worn, and apply the front brake to check for play in the headset, see if the wheels have any sideplay indicating loose or worn wheel bearings, same with the cranks to check the bottom bracket.

 

[Lovacott]

one can look at the chain rings and sprockets to see if they're worn, and apply the front brake to check for play in the headset, see if the wheels have any sideplay indicating loose or worn wheel bearings, same with the cranks to check the bottom bracket.

What does a worn sprocket look like?

How does a novice looking to buy a bike for £350 tell the wheat from the chaff?

Do they buy a bike from a Facebook vendor for £250 or get one from Halfords for £335 with a guarantee and a free safety check after one month?

I'm all for 2nd hand bikes and I'm looking for something right now for my son. But I wouldn't recommend 2nd hand to a novice.

 

[Dwn]

I’d certainly shy away from 2nd hand unless it was from someone I knew well (and trusted) if I was new to cycling. Even after owning multiple bikes I’m not sure I could tell you what a worn chain ring looks like (I’ve never really been that interested) and I suspect that I’m not that unusual amongst the non-enthusiast segment of the population.

Halfords and Decathlon both do perfectly good bikes in the price range that you’re looking at, and in the case of the latter, after sales service is often very good.

 

[vickster]

Decathlon seem to have almost no stock.
Go Outdoors have a range of MTBs in that price bracket too

 

[Pale Rider]

Pauls has a couple of Eleven branded MTBs in 17" and 19" which are on budget.

https://www.paulscycles.co.uk/mountain-biking/bikes/male/instock/onsale

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

There's secondhand and there's bargain bucket secondhand. If you pay strong money and get a clapped-out lemon, you are going to end up spending more than if you bought a brand new bike. If you trawl the absolute bottom end of the market, as I do, it doesn't matter so much if you buy a lemon because very little money is involved and you have some repairs budget before it becomes uneconomic to do.
In my experience a lot of used bikes are actually barely used bikes and have done very little mileage. I look for unmolested examples with totally standard factory-spec parts fitted. i don't want bikes where the owner has been chopping and changing things around. That is an indication the bike gets a lot of use, or the owner has swapped lower spec bits on to the bike pre-sale.

 

[Brooks]

Nothing wrong with buying second hand even for a novice I did the same a few years back when I didn't have a clue what I was doing. But I do know what worn tyres look like and if a bike looks clean and half decent. I must have got lucky with my gumtree purchase I payed less than a ton and looking back I'm sure I got a bargain.
Once you get a bike and read forums like this one you learn a lot about cycling and that's the time to splash the cash on a half decent bike if that's your wish.
I'd buy something cheap and learn how to fix it and that will stand you well.

 

[mikeIow]

Costco often seem to have cheap MTBs….if you know anyone who is a member….
Going secondhand could get a better bike, but you might want a bike-savvy pal to take a look