New MTB Owner (well on Monday!)

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Good evening! Darren from Stotfold in Beds here. Joined up to read advice and recommendations from pro bikers and improve my experience!

Ordered a Boardman Pro 650B FS MTB from Halfords and collecting it Monday (or Sunday if it's ready).

I'm well prepared. Got my riding shorts as I was warned by my dad (who is a seasoned biker) that if you don't wear the proper gear your plums will look like they've spent an hour on a sanding wheel.

Also going to go on a few courses to learn how to do my own maintinence. Already looked on YouTube and watched loads of videos on how to ride and do simple maintinence tasks.

I'll mainly be cycling to and from work (about 6 miles each way) and to town/parents/grandmas/everywhere!

So psyched!
 

Lilliburlero

Pro sandbagger
Location
South Derbyshire
Welcome to the forum, Darren :hello:

Nice bike :becool:

Ride it and enjoy it :okay:
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
Shorts if you like, but here I am at the halfway stop of a long ride... and no, my balls were fine, before you ask.
 

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Pale Rider

Legendary Member
Nice bike, no doubt about that.

Although not ideal for your use unless you work half way up a mountain or granny lives in a remote bothy in the Highlands.

Most of your riding sounds like it will be on road or possibly cycle path.

You don't need a full susser for that, particularly one with long travel forks, through axles and a clutch rear mech.

What if granny gives you a cake to take home?

Carrying stuff on a full suspension bike is not easy.

Pushing 2.25 knobbly tyres to work every day will soon become tiresome in both senses of the word.

The customer is always right, so if you want this bike, have it.

But I would be inclined to change the order to a hard tail.

This one is half the price of the FS Pro, yet will be a better bike for your use:

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

ChrisV

Formerly CC2014
Location
Falkirk
You'd be better going through the hassle of changing bikes now than the cost of getting a more suitable bike in a few months.

If it is all road/cycle paths a hybrid would be more suitable. A full suspension bike is not for what you describe.
 

Rickshaw Phil

Overconfidentii Vulgaris
Moderator
Hi and :welcome: Darren.

I've got to say that the above posters are right - a full suss MTB isn't ideal for the use you describe. If you've got your heart set on it (and I presume you have), at least get some slicks or touring tyres for the road use as they roll a heck of a lot easier (says the chap who made the mistake of doing a century ride on knobbly, studded tyres earlier this year. :heat: :crazy:)
 
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bikeman66

Senior Member
Location
Isle of Wight
Would definitely agree with Pale Rider and CC2014. A hardtail is 100% better suited to the kind of riding you describe. At this price point the additional weight will be an issue and to pack in the extra hardware of linkages, pivots and shocks, the quality of other components will have taken a knock. For the money the full susser will cost you'll get a significantly better quality hardtail that is much better suited to the job you're asking it to do. Nice enough bike though!
 
OP
OP
stotfold-biker

stotfold-biker

New Member
Thanks all! I did get the full sus bike in the end. Though it does have lockable suspension front and back. I forgot to mention that I will be doing some off roading with the bike. I also have managed to aquire some new wheels and as a previous member said to change the tyres. I'll be putting some lessons knobbly ones on.
Thanks for all your input :-)
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
Thanks all! I did get the full sus bike in the end. Though it does have lockable suspension front and back. I forgot to mention that I will be doing some off roading with the bike. I also have managed to aquire some new wheels and as a previous member said to change the tyres. I'll be putting some lessons knobbly ones on.
Thanks for all your input :-)

A separate set of wheels with slicker tyres is a good, if not cheap, solution.

The weight penalty for a decent quality full sus bike - which you have - is not that much over a hard tail.

Locking the suspension may help your road progress a little, although you might as well take advantage of the extra comfort afforded by the rear shock.

Locking the front on climbs is worth doing, although you will only get the most benefit when climbing out of the saddle.

The front fork absorbs very little energy when climbing sitting down.

Speaking of suspension, have you a shock pump?

Correct pressures in the shock absorbers, especially as you have one either end, will make a big difference to the quality of the ride.
 
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