Which Bike?

[Deleted member 89023]

Hi all, I'm on the hunt for a second hand MTB again and I've narrowed it down to these two. I'm edging towards the Boardman Comp but I would appreciate your opinions. Thanks.

 

[Spiderweb]

Boardman for sure, amongst other things it has a far superior air shock.
Out of interest how tall are you?
You look to be looking at two different sizes there 17” & 19”.

 

[Deleted member 89023]

Boardman for sure, amongst other things it has a far superior air shock.
Out of interest how tall are you?
You look to be looking at two different sizes there 17” & 19”.

I'm 5ft6, my current bike has an 18" frame.

 

[Spiderweb]

The 19” frame Boardman may be a bit big?
Can you sit on it before you buy?

 

[Deleted member 89023]

The 19” frame Boardman may be a bit big?
Can you sit on it before you buy?

Yes, I intend to view it tomorrow or Monday.

 

[Levo-Lon]

The 19” frame Boardman may be a bit big?
Can you sit on it before you buy?

Absolutely,I'm 5'8 , a 19 would be way too big
My Boardman team bike is a small and that's spot on

 

[Spiderweb]

Absolutely,I'm 5'8 , a 19 would be way too big

Same here, 5ft 8” my MTB’s are 17” or smaller.

 

[Cycleops]

As above make sure you get the correct size for you.
They sound rather cheap so that may be for a reason.
Do all the usual checks on head bearings, frame damage, trueness of wheels, cassette/ chainring/ chaim wear, brake operation, fork operation etc.
I'm sure you'll come across several items that might need attention/replacing so budget for that and use it as a bargaining chip over the price.
Good luck.

 

[Deleted member 89023]

Thanks all, considering I have an 18" frame bike, I wasn't sure how much difference an inch would make.

 

[wafter]

Thanks all, considering I have an 18" frame bike, I wasn't sure how much difference an inch would make.

Reach and stack are the best way to assess frame fit IMO; You can measure those of your current bike against a wall and floor using a tape measure, while google might provide you with an old page summarising the values for the two bikes you're looking at