m3psm
Regular
- Location
- Chelmsford
A which bike thread with a bit of difference.
Four and a half years ago I had a huge heart attack and as a consequence of the medication, I carry more "success ballast" than I'd like. With this in mind you'll gather that I'm not your average athlete. That said, nor am I a couch potato. I've managed to complete the London to Brighton on my Whyte Montpellier and make it up all the big hills, including Ditchling Beacon (albeit slowly). I ride most days for between 10 and 20 miles depending on the time I have. In the winter though, it's too dangerous to ride in the dark on the narrow, windy roads. I therefore need a mountain bike to ride through my local woods at 5:00am in the pitch black, through all that winter can throw at me. Hence this post.
That picture painted, I need a little advice. Which bike do I get?
I had decided that I need a Whyte 729 or 905 or, even better, a Rohloff geared equivalent with amazing hub dynamo lights. With a budget of around £1k (ish) though, the latter is unlikely.
So, I need good brakes with great feel, precise gear changes, light weight, amazing suspension, hard tail, sure-footedness (is that a word) and bomb-proof build quality. I thought a 29'er, but it's been pointed out on here that these may clog up with too much mud in deepest winter, so maybe small wheels would be good.
So, what would the learned masses recommend?
Thanks in advance for your advice
Paul
Four and a half years ago I had a huge heart attack and as a consequence of the medication, I carry more "success ballast" than I'd like. With this in mind you'll gather that I'm not your average athlete. That said, nor am I a couch potato. I've managed to complete the London to Brighton on my Whyte Montpellier and make it up all the big hills, including Ditchling Beacon (albeit slowly). I ride most days for between 10 and 20 miles depending on the time I have. In the winter though, it's too dangerous to ride in the dark on the narrow, windy roads. I therefore need a mountain bike to ride through my local woods at 5:00am in the pitch black, through all that winter can throw at me. Hence this post.
That picture painted, I need a little advice. Which bike do I get?
I had decided that I need a Whyte 729 or 905 or, even better, a Rohloff geared equivalent with amazing hub dynamo lights. With a budget of around £1k (ish) though, the latter is unlikely.
So, I need good brakes with great feel, precise gear changes, light weight, amazing suspension, hard tail, sure-footedness (is that a word) and bomb-proof build quality. I thought a 29'er, but it's been pointed out on here that these may clog up with too much mud in deepest winter, so maybe small wheels would be good.
So, what would the learned masses recommend?
Thanks in advance for your advice
Paul
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