Hello,
So, I had been quite happy clattering around on my decade old Raleigh thing that I'd had since I was a teenage boy, but with the tires worn to nothing, both innertube's gone, the brakes fairly busted, the gears dry and rusted, the wheels a bit knackered too, and all the rest of it, I kind of have to admit it's dead.
So I've been looking for a replacement, and I'm basically flailing.
I want to spend as little as possible (although I think I will be buying new rather than second hand, just because.) And I don't really give a monkey's about riding on roads. It'll be used riding down riverside pathways, mainly, and around Richmond park.
I just want a sturdy bike that won't fall apart and kill me. I'm wary that every mountain bike nowadays seems to have suspension, because the suspension bike I've ridden was awful flightly, and I'd rather feel the bumps than have an extra cheap mechanical part that's likely to break up. That said, if that's an unfounded worry, fine.
So, I was thinking of this:
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/mongoose/rockadile-al-2009-mountain-bike-ec017388
based upon this fairly positive review (although finding any reviews of cheap bikes seems tricky, so I'm glad I found this forum)
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/rockadile-07-27706
but then I also saw this
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/ridgeback/mx2-2009-mountain-bike-ec017045
however, as those two are apparently considered to be at the cheap-and-a-bit-shoot end of the scale anyway, I wonder if I might as well pocket twenty five quid and just go for this
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/raleigh/ato5-2009-mountain-bike-ec018927
(To be honest, someone saying "just go for that Raleigh, it'll be fine" will be the ideal outcome. Comfort in the familiar, and I really don't see a need for anything more than similar to the Raleigh bikes I had as a kid.)
All thoughts, experience and suggestions welcome, as are comments pointing out why I'm being a big idiot. As I say, I know pretty much nothing about these things.
So, I had been quite happy clattering around on my decade old Raleigh thing that I'd had since I was a teenage boy, but with the tires worn to nothing, both innertube's gone, the brakes fairly busted, the gears dry and rusted, the wheels a bit knackered too, and all the rest of it, I kind of have to admit it's dead.
So I've been looking for a replacement, and I'm basically flailing.
I want to spend as little as possible (although I think I will be buying new rather than second hand, just because.) And I don't really give a monkey's about riding on roads. It'll be used riding down riverside pathways, mainly, and around Richmond park.
I just want a sturdy bike that won't fall apart and kill me. I'm wary that every mountain bike nowadays seems to have suspension, because the suspension bike I've ridden was awful flightly, and I'd rather feel the bumps than have an extra cheap mechanical part that's likely to break up. That said, if that's an unfounded worry, fine.
So, I was thinking of this:
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/mongoose/rockadile-al-2009-mountain-bike-ec017388
based upon this fairly positive review (although finding any reviews of cheap bikes seems tricky, so I'm glad I found this forum)
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/rockadile-07-27706
but then I also saw this
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/ridgeback/mx2-2009-mountain-bike-ec017045
however, as those two are apparently considered to be at the cheap-and-a-bit-shoot end of the scale anyway, I wonder if I might as well pocket twenty five quid and just go for this
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/raleigh/ato5-2009-mountain-bike-ec018927
(To be honest, someone saying "just go for that Raleigh, it'll be fine" will be the ideal outcome. Comfort in the familiar, and I really don't see a need for anything more than similar to the Raleigh bikes I had as a kid.)
All thoughts, experience and suggestions welcome, as are comments pointing out why I'm being a big idiot. As I say, I know pretty much nothing about these things.