Help choosing a new mountain bike.

[ChrisW2]

Hello. I have the chance to buy a new mountain bike for around £500, and I just wanted some advice on the following ones please. I will be using it as an allrounder - roads for fitness and commuting, also some offroad, but not too much gnarly singletrack.

The ones I have seen are:
https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized-rockhopper-sport-29-2017-mountain-bike-EV279810
https://www.evanscycles.com/trek-marlin-7-2017-mountain-bike-EV280957
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Orbea-MX-30-29er-Mountain-Bike-2017-Hardtail-MTB_95546.htm

Any input much appreciated!

 

[Cycleops]

If you're not going to be using it on your commute and for 'not too much gnarly singletrack' why are you considering a MTB? It'll be slow on the road and heavy with those suspension forks which you don't need anyway. It's your decision but if it were me I'd be thinking about something like this: https://www.evanscycles.com/en-gh/genesis-cda-10-2016-adventure-road-bike-EV258260
More of an all-rounder.

 

[Drago]

I thought the whole point of singletrack is that it wasn't too gnarly, the cycling equivalent of a stroll with the labrador. The gnarly stuff is gravity or technical, depending on your preference.

 

[ChrisW2]

I am going to be using it for my commute (which is fairly short) and I want to be able to go offroad as well. I do 30-50 mile rides for exercise/pleasure and a lot of these often include a fair bit of offroad, so this is why I wanted a mountainbike...I'm not sure anything else would give me those options, and since it will be my only bike.......

Drago, I used the wrong word when I said 'singletrack' in my original post then......I'm not doing the technical stuff!
I suppose what I'm wondering is that since the Trek I linked has a Rockshox fork it's probably the best one of those three?
Thanks,

Chris

 

[Jody]

I thought the whole point of singletrack is that it wasn't too gnarly, the cycling equivalent of a stroll with the labrador. The gnarly stuff is gravity or technical, depending on your preference.

Single track means just that. It has nothing to do with technical difficulty.

 

[Drago]

Says who?

 

[Jody]

Forks and components aren't too good on the ones you have listed. Its last years model but the Boardman is a good shout for price/component level. Air fork rather than coil

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/boardman-mountain-bike-team-ht-650b-2014

 

[Jody]

Says who?

Say's anyone who is into mountain biking. Single track can cover varying types of terrain as long as its the width of a bike or a "singletrack"

 

[Jody]

I suppose what I'm wondering is that since the Trek I linked has a Rockshox fork it's probably the best one of those three?

Rockshox make a broad range of components. Don't base your decision on the name but on the level of each component

 

[ChrisW2]

The Boardman is out of stock, any thoughts on these:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ghost-tacana-3-hardtail-bike-2016/rp-prod140387
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/vitus-bikes-nucleus-29-vr-hardtail-bike-2017/rp-prod147648

 

[vickster]

Have you considered a Cyclocross bike instead, of a hardtail, especially for road use?

e.g. http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/boardman-cx-comp-bike (won't be far overbudget if you join British Cycling for the 10% discount and use Quidco to track a click and collect order)

Are you able to try out bikes from CRC? I.e. you are in N Ireland (while they still are)

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Vitus are quite good generally, I'm not sure what their mountain bikes are like specifically as I'm not an MTB rider but I've ridden a couple of the road bikes (thanks to the group I ride with) and they're quite nice, so I'd not be averse to one.
From your original post it sounds like the majority of your miles are done on the road and commuting, with a bit of trail. If that's the case, personally I'd choose a hybrid and depending on what the tyres are like, I might swap to something like Scwhalbe Land Cruiser for some extra off road grip. My hybrid runs on narrow road wheels and Marathon Plus tyres and it handles forest dirt tracks and the like just fine. I'd probably stop short of flinging it at a downhill event, of course. But the thought of riding most of the weekly miles on virtual tractor wheels makes me shudder.

 

[Ciar]

Say's anyone who is into mountain biking. Single track can cover varying types of terrain as long as its the width of a bike or a "singletrack"

Agreed if it's a single track it could be running up the side of Afan or through Epping forest, can be as tame or gnarly as you like. as per the better put wiki below

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_track_(mountain_biking)

 

[ChrisW2]

Thanks for all the replies. Maybe I will consider a cyclocross.
Does anybody have recommendations for online retailers? Been looking at CRC, Wheelies, Tredz and Evans.
Can you try out the bikes at Evans?

 

[vickster]

Yes to evans test rides, easy peasy. Just need photo ID and bank cared. They'll get the bike in for you too for a refundable deposit. And they price match pretty much all online sellers now. And quidco if you order online abs collect

The Evans only pinnacle Arkose gets good press

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacl...esvaid=50080&gclid=CO3uqOTgitACFUS4GwodzXoFkg

Where do you live? Then people can suggest other local retailers. If you don't know what you want, a shop is better than online.