Hardtail MTB - up to £800

[lulubel]

I thought I was a dedicated roadie until being forced to ride my cheap MTB after my road bike got broken 3 months ago. I started out riding it on roads, but this quickly got boring and there are lots of interesting tracks around here, so I've been venturing off-road more and more as time has gone on, and have been surprised to find I'm enjoying it. Since I've already bought all the parts and partially assembled my new road bike, I'm considering spending the insurance money (when I eventually get it) on a new MTB.

The one I currently have cost about £250 at the end of 2009. It's a BH Over-X with (as you'd expect at the price) cheap rim brakes, suspension forks that don't lock out, and the most awful wheels I've ever come across. It weighs about 16kg. I've done about 1000 miles on it now, and the front wheel looks like a frisbee, everything creaks, and there's a nasty clicking noise that sounds ominously like the bottom bracket. Every time I tackle a rocky descent, I expect something to fall off, and I'm amazed when it's still in one piece at the bottom!

I'll have about £7-800 to spend, and I'm not really sure what I should expect for my money. I need low gears - my smallest gear is currently 22x28 and I have found some hills I can't get up. I'd like forks that lock out because I have to ride on the road to get to the trails. I'd like it to be a lot lighter - I've seen bikes in my price range at under 13kg on CRC, but not sure about the rest of the components. I'm not sure whether I need disc brakes, or if decent rim brakes will do the job. I have to tackle lots of rocks, loose scree and dust, but there's very little chance of it ever seeing mud.

MTBs are very new to me, so I'm not really sure what I should be looking for or what questions I need to ask.

Here are a couple of the bikes I've seen on CRC that look like they might fit my needs. Am I anywhere close?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=67942
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=57168
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=75459

 

[Friz]

As a Cube Fanboy I know where my loyalties lie. But I'd reckon you couldn't go far wrong with any of those. I'd rank them in order:

Cube
Be One
Vitus.

 

[Crackle]

This might not be possible in your budget but if you are a light rider, which I know you are, air forks are better as you can adjust them for your weight by means of a shock pump. I bought my son air forks for this very reason. The Cube mentions air assist but I don't know those forks and would need to look them up. Cube do seem well equipped for the price point, generally speaking.

 

[Psyclist]

Vitus looks bang on the for the money, but is a bit more of an XC/AM bike. This isn't bad though, it means it can tackle a bit more than an XC bike can handll due to the extra travel.

I'd put my money down for the Vitus.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

I would have thought £800 should get you a nice hardtail with air shock by shopping around. I think lowering the gearing from 22x28, whatever stock is, is unlikely to be a problem or expensive.

For the same money not many hardtails are as light as the Boardman HT series. Interestingly while Halfrauds is the sole provider in UK, it seems fortunately you could get one from/via e.g. Wiggle in Spain?

Which drives the question, for future support purpose which make is likely to be best for where you are in Spain?

 

[Cubist]

[quote="lulubel, post: 1859478, member: 16002"



I'll have about £7-800 to spend, and I'm not really sure what I should expect for my money. I need low gears - my smallest gear is currently 22x28 and I have found some hills I can't get up. I'd like forks that lock out because I have to ride on the road to get to the trails. I'd like it to be a lot lighter - I've seen bikes in my price range at under 13kg on CRC, but not sure about the rest of the components. I'm not sure whether I need disc brakes, or if decent rim brakes will do the job. I have to tackle lots of rocks, loose scree and dust, but there's very little chance of it ever seeing mud.

MTBs are very new to me, so I'm not really sure what I should be looking for or what questions I need to ask.

Here are a couple of the bikes I've seen on CRC that look like they might fit my needs. Am I anywhere close?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=67942
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=57168
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=75459[/quote]

For 800 you are into a decent quality entry level bike.

The old MTB you describe is way past its sell-by date, and the sort of thing you're likely to pick up now will be a wonder in comparison.

A budget of £800 means you are at a price point where some bikes will have better forks and mechs, where others will have better brakes and drivetrain. It's a sort of compromise bracket if you like. Push upwards by 50-100 quid or so and you will be in and amongst some truly great stuff.

The criteria I would apply in the following order(other opinions are available) would be an air fork, such as a Rockshox Reba, Fox Float etc. Not many MTBs will have anything other than hydraulic disc brakes at that price point (of course the Cube HS at CRC has hydraulic rimbrakes!), and personally I don't think brakes are too much of a priority as they all work pretty well the same with a few notable variations.

What will save a bit of weight will be the chainset, with many at that price having Shimano Deore. Avoid Octalink if you can , it's a bit dated now and the Deore Hollowtech (anything with a 5** model number) is much lighter and stiffer, as well as more maintenance friendly. You may find some bargains with SLX chainset, which is better again.

Mechs will be a bit of a compromise, although manufacturers like Cube like to throw in a bit of XT to draw your eye away from the naff-ish chainset..... You shouldn't be looking at anything less than Deore at your budget though, and if you look hard you'll find some with SLX or XT (but watch for compromises in other stuff like \i said) . Some high end companies like Spesh will still be using Acera or Alivio, which is unforgivable.

Again, this price point means compromises on wheelsets. Cube use nice rims but cup and cone Shimano Hubs, which I found to be a maintenance headache. Avoid the older Shimano cheap hubs like the 4** series.

Contact points and controls are merely a red-herring in price terms, as you'll cheerfully upgrade any crap saddles or grips as you see fit.

 

[Cubist]

Look at this one. If I had your budget this would be the one for me:
http://www.canyon.com/_uk/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=2539

Use the online size function to be certain you get the right size, and as a Roadie you need to understand that you don't go for a big stretched out feel on a MTB, you use loads of seatpost and go for a smaller, more playful feel to sizing. (I am just under 6'0" with a 33" inside leg, and ride an 18" frame with 8 inches of seatpost showing)

Canyon have a great reputation for quality and helpfulness. I got a secondhand AM frame and cannot fault the quality.

 

[Cubist]

One last thing.... you mention gearing at 22-28. Most 9 speed triple chainsets are 42-34-22 and most cassettes are 11-32 or 11-34.

My 10 spd double is 38-26 and my cassette is 11-36, so gearing will be plenty low enough on most modern bikes.

 

[lulubel]

Thanks for the replies, especially Cubist for all the detail.

For the same money not many hardtails are as light as the Boardman HT series. Interestingly while Halfrauds is the sole provider in UK, it seems fortunately you could get one from/via e.g. Wiggle in Spain?

Yes, I looked at the Boardman on Wiggle. My only concern is, when I was looking at Boardman cross bikes, their frame sizes didn't go small enough for me, but I know they're generally good VFM.

Look at this one. If I had your budget this would be the one for me:
http://www.canyon.com/_uk/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=2539

Use the online size function to be certain you get the right size, and as a Roadie you need to understand that you don't go for a big stretched out feel on a MTB, you use loads of seatpost and go for a smaller, more playful feel to sizing. (I am just under 6'0" with a 33" inside leg, and ride an 18" frame with 8 inches of seatpost showing)

That's a really nice looking bike.

Yes, I know about small frame sizes. My current MTB is tiny, in most people's opinion. I bought it from a big department store (Spain's equivalent of John Lewis) because I was really short of money and their prices were good, and I had two sales assistants telling me the size I ordered was a child's size, it would be far too small for me, etc, etc, and the female sales assistant even said she had the same bike but 2 sizes bigger, and she was my height. Fortunately, I stuck to my guns because the frame size is perfect. (Yes, I could manage a bigger bike on the road, but I couldn't manhandle it up rocky climbs or unload the front wheel on the descents.) I did have to get a longer seat post, and I'd probably be happier with straight bars because the curve on them makes it difficult to stick my elbows out as much as I want, but I'm really glad I went in knowing what I was doing rather than relying on advice from their salespeople.

So, I'd be looking at an XS in the Canyon, which is a bit strange because the geometry for it is listed, but it doesn't seem to be available to buy.

Again, this price point means compromises on wheelsets. Cube use nice rims but cup and cone Shimano Hubs, which I found to be a maintenance headache. Avoid the older Shimano cheap hubs like the 4** series.

I could live with a compromise on wheels in the short term. In the long term, I'd probably build a new set anyway. If anything on a bike is going to be crap, I'd rather it was the wheels because they're one of the easiest (although not cheapest)things to upgrade.

One last thing.... you mention gearing at 22-28. Most 9 speed triple chainsets are 42-34-22 and most cassettes are 11-32 or 11-34.

My 10 spd double is 38-26 and my cassette is 11-36, so gearing will be plenty low enough on most modern bikes.

I was assuming there shouldn't be any problem with that. I was quite surprised when I found I have a 28 tooth large sprocket (it's a 7 speed triple), but relieved because that and the weight of the bike does explain why some of the climbs are killing me.

Now I have more idea of what I'm looking at, I shall do some more research. Thanks.