Bike advice for MTB expedition and training

[John -S]

Hi everyone, im john and new to the forum.... and new to cycling as a hobby.

I have bought a Muddyfox Ascent mountain bike at a good price online, however im a wee bit concerned it's
not up to the job of doing the West Highland Way and the training that will go into building my fitness.

The Bike.... Muddyfox Ascent hardtail, 21 spd ez fire, with Shimano Tourney set up and V brakes. Stock tyres and the like.


My concerns... Although a decent bike for pottering around with, i have a feeling the components, although
decentish wont last the pace in training for the WHW, far less the trip itself. I am fairly new to cycling these days and find
the choices of bikes and their components quite confusing lol!!

The wheels seem a bit off centre, by that i mean they seem to need balanced better as they 'wobble' a fraction when turning and therefore catch the brake blocks a wee bit at one point.
Plus the 3 big cogs at the crank area also seem a touch out of balance.
Also, the crank can make a wee clunk noise when under load in a low gear.
Finally, it can be hard at times to get a gear smoothly.

Advice needed.... would the concerns above be eliminated with a higher price bike? Would a better bike have tougher components?
would this bike be ok for the punishment my training and trip will place on it?

Is the tourney set up rubbish? any recommendations on a bike or component upgrades?

I was thinking about Continental Race King 2.2 protection tyres to replace the stock ones, should i do this?

Many thanks folks, all advice gratefully recieved.

 

[Globalti]

It's not as bad as what cyclists call a BSO or "Bike Shaped Object", i.e. something that doesn't merit the description of bike!

It's an entry level mountain bike and looks okay for the price. My first mountain bike in 1988 was a £199 Raleigh Maverick and yours looks better set up than that.

It will last the course but once you've tried a better bike you will be amazed at the difference and will be placing your foot on the second rung of the ladder; a £400 - £500 bike will be lighter, will handle better, will change gear better, will ride more smoothly and better still, will be easier to maintain and repair. The WHW will take a lot out of the bike and you will need to be competent at adjusting the gears, tightening nuts and bolts and possibly even tweaking a few spokes to straighten out those wheels. If you do these things you are more likely to break something because they will not be made to a high level of precision, you may end up forcing them and they may break because they are made from cheap materials. When you buy your next bike you will buy from a proper bike shop with the knowledge that they will give you a warranty and maybe even show you how to fix the simpler things.

In the days before mountain bikes people used to undertake massive journeys on less suitable machines. Take a good tool kit and go and have fun, you'll have something to tell your friends about in future years!

By the way, a pair of padded cycle shorts worn next to the skin, some mitts and a helmet with perhaps a buff underneath will make the trip safer and more comfortable.