Which MTB for 192cm Men under 250£?

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M4estropl

New Member
Hello to all

I'm a new member hoping to get best advice.
Need a new MTB under 250£
Requirements:
- im 192 cm and 120kg so I guess frame has to be at least 20', wheels at least 28'
- need a bike to get to job, usually driving off road sometimes driving 4 fun
I was thinking about Apollo Gradient from Halfords. What is your opinion about it?
Thank you for any comments, reviews, opinions
 

biggs682

Touch it up and ride it
Location
Northamptonshire
I would avoid the Apollo range if poss
Try to avoid any suspension at all if poss
Do you have a Decathlon near by ?
if so have a look at https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-st-100-mountain-bike-red-275-id_8501699.html
If so worth a visit
Or try second hand
 
Last edited:

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Stay away from anything with the Apollo name on it, they are crap. It's aptly named as you'll always feel you're riding up one as it'll be as heavy as a suspension bridge.
Biggsy's advice above is sound. Otherwise look at your local Gumtree listings.
You really don't need suspension front or rear especially at that price point as it'll just fell like you're on a pogo stick.
 

SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
The answer to this is dead easy; buy a secondhand decent quality 1980's or 1990's rigid 26" MTB with a 23" frame. Something like this old 1991 Raleigh which was a nice machine in it's day with a Reynolds 501 frame and 21 speeds.

RALEIGH UNKNOWN MTB (3).jpg


Avoid any modern cheap junk with suspension forks or full suspension. They're crap and won't last long.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Same height and weight as me. Nice to have another manly man aboard.

Keep an eye on Hellfrauds. The 20 Carrera MTB range will fit you. Nothing flash, but solid, workmanlike, and eminently useable. As normal a little put of your budget, but at holiday times such as Easter etc, they can have some stupid price reductions in their sales.

Aside from that, I'd start looking for something used cos theres little else worth spending ant money on for £250 new.
 

Grahamb7171

New Member
I am a new member and a 70 years old retiree and this is my opinion of the Apollo Gradient.

I took a risk buying this bike as there wasn’t any on show in any of my local Halford stores so I could actually try it out and especially after reading all the negative reviews on this site. I can only assume that the people giving it the thumbs down are people that are quite wealthy and used to riding a lot more expensive bike. The alternative bikes they recommend cost a lot more.

I have had this bike for about a week or so now and have done about 60 miles or so. I have found this bike to be perfectly suitable for my needs, which is, leisure, riding around my local country parks and sometimes on the road. I use it to go to the shops etc and just general getting about. My old bike was a Giant hand me down costing about £450 when new, but it was getting old and the gears were worn out.

In my opinion the Apollo Gradient is a good bike for £260 and excellent value. I can’t see how I would get a better ride for my purpose on a more expensive bike. The saddle wasn’t that bad but I changed it anyway for a more comfortable one. The disc brakes are good and very responsive. The twist grip gears are 100 times better than my old bike and very easy to change. I only really notice the rear suspension when I’m on very bumpy ground. I suppose the bike is quite heavy at 17.5 kg but that’s the same weight as my old bike. This bike seems to go a lot faster with a lot less effort.

I wasn’t expecting a Rolls Royce of a bike for this money but up to now I am very pleased with it.
 
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