Newbie after advice on what to buy.....

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Brainache

New Member
Location
Doncaster
Hi everyone, I've just signed up for some advice on what to buy.

I'm only just trying to get into mountain biking (starting off steady, trails etc) so I'm looking to spend about £300 on my first half decent bike. I've found some that I like for around this price and was wondering if those more knowledgable than me (you guys) can tell me which is best. I would like a hardtail, with disc brakes if possible.

I remember these names, from years ago, when I was last interested - GT, Trek, Marin, Claud Butler, Saracen, Specialized, etc and have been looking at those types of makes. I've also found some I'm not very familiar with, but liked the look of - Pinnacle, Felt & Orbea.

If someone can have a look at the links to the ones I like below and tell me which they recommend, I'd greatly appreciate it. The GT and Orbea are my faves but are nearer £360, however, I can get a discount on these to bring them down to £300ish. The GT also comes with hydraulic disc brakes!

GT Aggressor XC3:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_512541_langId_-1_categoryId_165499

Specialized Hardrock Sport (really nice looking but V brakes, not disc's):

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/hardrock-sport-2009-mountain-bike-ec016011

Pinnacle Peak 1:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pinnacle/peak-10-2009-mountain-bike-ec018101

Felt Q220:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/felt/q220-2009-mountain-bike-ec017059

Orbea Tennere:

http://www.thebikemarket.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=580

Cheers everyone.
 

Mr Pig

New Member
Hello and welcome :0)

If I had to buy one of those bikes I'd buy the GT.

However...

It will soon be time for the bikes shops and manufacturers to start getting rid of old stock as summer ends, people stop buying them and unsold bikes pile up in warehouses. In about a month you will start to see good reductions and special offers. Halfords in particular often sell off bikes cheap.

Use the time to do your homework, we'll help you, and figure out exactly what you want. Then keep looking, asking and waiting until you get a bargain. You will get one. That's my advice.

Regarding what to look for:

Suspension: Adds weight, do you need it? If you do, how much travel?

Transmission: Shimano and SRAM rule. Find out what the names and numbers mean then you can compare easily. How many gear, pros and cons?

Disk brakes: Do you need them or just want them? Cost more, are they worth it?

Size: One of the most important things to figure out. Get a bike that's too big or small and you ain't going to like it much.

So, ask away :0)
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
Of all those, disc brakes are definitely worth having on a MTB.

You need to ride as many of those as you can and yes, there will be discounts soon as 2010 stock is coming into the shops now. Don't rush, take your time and try as many bikes as you can.
 
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Brainache

Brainache

New Member
Location
Doncaster
Thanks everyone,

Unfortunately I'm unable to try them out as none of the stockists are nearby (other than Halfords).

I must admit I'm vearing towards the GT because I've been told it's a good spec but I don't think it's the best looking. I'm prone to style over substance at times but I'm trying to correct that ;) Also, I've have heard the horror stories about how Halfords set the bikes up.

The rest would have to be ordered via the internet and all, bar Evans Cycles, would need me to build them! So, thinking about it, Halfords is still a more attractive option - I would definately make a mess of assembling a flat pack bike!!!

I'm drawn towards disc brakes because all the bikes I've had with V brakes are terrible at stopping in wet, muddy conditions. However, they have all been cheap crappy bikes in the past. If I thought that v brakes on a decent make bike would be better, I would definately plum for the Specialized bike above - I think it looks beaut!!!
 

barq

Senior Member
Location
Birmingham, UK
Hardtail is probably a good decision. As a compromise on the disc brakes some bikes come with disc compatible hubs. That way you wouldn't have to replace your wheels to make a later upgrade. Disc brakes are nice to have but be careful that other aspects of the bike aren't too compromised. I'd rather have slightly better forks and a Shimano Deore level drivechain.

Might be worth taking a look at wiggle.co.uk who do some good value Focus bikes.
 
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Brainache

Brainache

New Member
Location
Doncaster
Thanks for that.

I must admit I look at a bikes spec list and I start to go bleary eyed! I wouldn't know what I'm looking for to be honest. I'm talking really (really) basic knowledge and, therefore, the wish list is really basic:

I want a half decent make (as above), not Apollo or Boss or some similar rubbish.

I want decent gears, not grip shift. . . HATE grip shift!!

I want front suspension, not all over suspension (feels like I'm riding a bouncy castle).

Crank types, chain types etc may as well be written in Chinese I'm afraid. I plan to start correcting my ignorance though but it's gunna take time.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
Okay: my ha' pence worth:

Hardtail for lightness and simplicity. Air forks for light smooth action. Disc brakes. Compact chainset with cartridge bearings.

These are recent technical improvements, which make mountain bikes so much lighter and better to ride in muddy UK conditions. These would be my minimum requirement, the rest is down to the feel of the bike on test riding.
 

Cubist

Still wavin'
Location
Ovver 'thill
Rigid Raider said:
Okay: my ha' pence worth:

Hardtail for lightness and simplicity. Air forks for light smooth action. Disc brakes. Compact chainset with cartridge bearings.

These are recent technical improvements, which make mountain bikes so much lighter and better to ride in muddy UK conditions. These would be my minimum requirement, the rest is down to the feel of the bike on test riding.
Sorry RR, but he ain't gonna get air forks for £360!

Brainache

You're buying into a price point where only a very few bikes will have all that you want. The GT is probably the best one there, as it has the hydraulic discs. It also has Shimano gears. What's more, it's upgradeable. GT are good bikes, and how can you possibly say their "Triple Triangle" looks anything other than ....errrr...different!

Some Halfords are perfectly capable of building a bike properly, but check or have it checked before you ride it.
 

Mr Pig

New Member
On balance the GT wins then. It's the only one you can try out and it has the best balance of spec anyway. I wouldn't trust Halfords to build my bike though, there are some good bike mechanics working for them but many don't give a shoot!

'V' brakes on a £300 bike are not going to be much more effective than entry level ones to be honest, Just about any disk brakes will work better in the wet. Not as good as better disks obviously but the real down side of low-end disk brakes is that they can be more of a footer to work with and the extra cost takes money away from other parts of the bike. But the spec of the GT still looks ok and those brakes are dual piston so I'd bet they'll work pretty well. Use mineral oil too, rather than the highly corrosive and nasty brake fluid found in a lot of disk brakes, so more good news. Over all it looks like a perfectly reasonable bike to me.
 
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Brainache

Brainache

New Member
Location
Doncaster
Cheers folks,

I think it's gunna be the GT then, just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on any other nice bikes in my price range.

Went to have a look at it for real in Halfords tonight and it does look better than on the internet. Trouble is, spotted their new Carrera Kraken 09 while in there and took a liking to that too!! Reduced from £450 to £379. Maybe I could find another £80 quid???

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_518223_langId_-1_categoryId_165499#dtab

I've gotta remember I'm still an amateur, anyone would think I'm a long-in-the-tooth pro if you saw some of the bikes I've been ogling. . . . I could buy a small car for the same price as some, ha ha.
 
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Brainache

Brainache

New Member
Location
Doncaster
lukesdad said:
You aint gonna get alot for £300 quid new full stop, have you considered second hand?

I think £300 is fine for what I'll be doing with it to begin with. If it turns out to be a fad at least I haven't blown too much. If not, I'll find more for my next one.
 

lukesdad

Guest
Understand what your saying, but beware its addictive . didn t want you to waste £300 on something you could put towards something else.

The sort of thing your looking to buy wont have much resale value, whereas abit more quality second hand will hold its value so you would actually lose less, but its up to you.
 
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Brainache

Brainache

New Member
Location
Doncaster
Cheers Lukesdad.

Just got an e-mail from Evans Cycles letting me know there end of season stock is now on sale too. Had a quick look but most the savings are on bikes that are way out my price range still. However, I will check around and see if others are starting to follow suit now. . . . Might pick up a bargain yet! :smile:
 

lukesdad

Guest
best of luck,Hopr you find what your looking for.just be patient and the right bike at the right price will be there somewhere, its the frameset your after you can upgrade the rest as and when you can afford it. thats the time to look at second hand there are some real bargains from other people doing the same thing.
 
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