New bike? or persevere!

[Midsrider]

Hi all,

Im a newbie on here and getting back on the saddle after many many years away!

My 2 sons are bike mad after having new bikes for Christmas and I have finally got mine out (3 years old Bwtin and used around 4 times) and after riding my sons mountain bike, i actually prefer the feel of his bike!

My bike is the B-Twin rockrider 520 mountain bike, with hydraulic brakes and better spec than the 520 that is out now.
Mine at the time was the Medium model and slightly smaller than my sons bike which is a carrera vengeance 16".

I love on my sons bike that the handle bars are slightly higher and further away a little. i kind of feel a bit hunched up on mine, so this is making me move to another model.

Our cycling will be mainly around parks, footpaths and concrete pathways, but also a little on grass and canal footpaths - I do prefer a mountain bike, but something is bringing me towards a hybrid bike.

Here are some of the models I am looking at (budget is up to £500 or just over, I can get 10% halfords)

BTwin 540 and go for a bigger size LINK
BTwin Hybrid Riverside 500 LINK
Boardman MTX 8.6 (from halfords, but struggling to get a larger size) LINK
Voodoo Bizango LINK

Cheers all !

Ade

 

[vickster]

Why don't you try a longer stem and flip the bars or get a riser stem? Maybe take the bike to Decathlon and see what they have?

Note you've linked a BTWIN 540 (Not the 520?)

 

[Ming the Merciless]

As above change stem and bars and you’ll be able to get the extra reach you like.

 

[Racing roadkill]

If you want something more road focused than your Rock Rider, but still want to do light trails and paths, the Riverside you linked to, is about spot on for what you want. Changing the stem, and / or flipping it, won’t help with the MTB gearing, frame geometry, wheel size etc of the Rock Rider. The Riverside is much more ‘road bike’ like. It’s essentially a 29er ( 29 inch wheels ) MTB, with road focussed gearing.

 

[Smudge]

For the sort of riding you describe, i would take a look at some hybrids with a rigid fork. You dont need front suspension for those sort of places and you definitely dont need a MTB.

 

[Midsrider]

Why don't you try a longer stem and flip the bars or get a riser stem? Maybe take the bike to Decathlon and see what they have?

Note you've linked a BTWIN 540 (Not the 520?)

Ah - just noticed that, I did mean to say 540, ill change that in the description.

Yeah - good call on the taking the bike to decathlon, I think I will do that over the next week and see what they can do or at least I can try the other bikes.

 

[Midsrider]

If you want something more road focused than your Rock Rider, but still want to do light trails and paths, the Riverside you linked to, is about spot on for what you want. Changing the stem, and / or flipping it, won’t help with the MTB gearing, frame geometry, wheel size etc of the Rock Rider. The Riverside is much more ‘road bike’ like. It’s essentially a 29er ( 29 inch wheels ) MTB, with road focussed gearing.

Yeah - I will take my bike to Decathlon and see what options and compare it to others and this Riverside.
Cheers

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I agree with Smudge, although mountain bikes have been almost the default bike choice for many leisure riders for a few decades now, for the riding most people are doing, they don't need a MTB. And suspension on a leisure bike is simply a complex way of wasting energy.

I've got a 10 year old Trek hybrid (7.3FX) that I originally bought to commute to work on (all on road). After a year or so on some fairly bad Bontrager road tyres, I fitted better grippier tyres (Schwalbe) and since then it's been the ideal all rounder, perfectly good for rough paths and even fairly muddy ones. It's my pub bike, shopping bike, off road hack, it does it all. And it's that bit quicker on road than an MTB.

In short, unless you're doing serious off road trails, don't rule out a hybrid.

 

[AuroraSaab]

Other half bought this last week. Cannondale Quick 7 hybrid for £250. He was upgrading from an agricultural BSO, so hadn't much to compare it to, but he loves it and having looked at similar bikes in Halfords, Evans etc. selling at £300 - 350 it is great value for money. It's more neon than red though.

https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bike...-7-2019-aluminium-hybrid-bike-acid-red_460727

 

[Globalti]

I've just bought a new Specialized Roubaix and I'm blown away by it. It's fast on tarmac and fast and smooth off road, an amazing bike.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I've just bought a new Specialized Roubaix and I'm blown away by it. It's fast on tarmac and fast and smooth off road, an amazing bike.

It’s fine until you hit an exposed tree root.

 

[Globalti]

Er... I know to avoid tree roots as I hated them when I mountain biked. What have they done to you?

 

[Racing roadkill]

Er... I know to avoid tree roots as I hated them when I mountain biked. What have they done to you?

I’m currently sat down the pub with a sore elbow, scaphoid and collar bone ( not fractured fortunately) because of a bloody slippy tree root. They are the devils work, especially when it’s dark and rainy.

 

[Globalti]

Definitely the cyclist's nemesis.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I’m currently sat down the pub with a sore elbow, scaphoid and collar bone ( not fractured fortunately) because of a bloody slippy tree root. They are the devils work, especially when it’s dark and rainy.

Better lights and control would sort that.