Mountain Bikes

[retired_member16]

Im in the market for a MB - im not spending the earth on one as the plan is to haul my weary frame back into the world of physical extertion slowly. I can always upgrade later if I like breaking a sweat.

So, im looking to spend a maximum of £300. My only stipulation is that it is as light as possible. Are there any enthusiasts that can give any recommendations?

 

[ratboy]

You have come to the right place!

What type of riding are you going to do? Road? proper off road, moors downhilling etc? Forest tracks?

 

[retired_member32]

i know this sounds daft but a very good friend of mine was looking for a bike and he went down to the local tip(recycle centre)and he was absolutely shocked at what he saw there ,their was thousands upon thousands of bikes in a giant skip,he know sells used bikes by exporting them and he gets some kind of a tax break(environmental project)and he earns between 3-4 grand a week,you would be amazed at what people throw away so if your not proud then i would go and have a look down there,he has contracts with councils to stop the workers selliing them.

mark

 

[accelerator]

I'm not really up on it now but I used to be well into it. The bike you want to buy depends a lot on what you are going to be using it for, e.g. light trail riding, downhilling, touring etc etc, so what is the main use going to be?

Rgds

 

[retired_member16]

"light trail riding" sums it up pretty well. Footpaths down the side of a farmers field, that type of stuff, coupled with roads too.

Mark - friend of mine used to buy the PCs and suchlike that were taken to the local dump, used to build a new PC out of the parts they managed to salvage. - Tip Monkeys we used to call them.

 

[retired_member16]

Something like this

Giant Yukon 08 Blue/Silver 10% Free Goods!!!!!!!!!! - £299

 

[retired_member32]

i don't want you to do what i did,i went to the local raleigh centre and the cocky little sales muppet was trying to talk down to me so i bought the most expensive bike in the store,i think i drove the bike 100 yds and my lungs felt like they were ready to burst so i never went near another bike....,with spending hours on the pc is your weight climbing as well?

 

[foz]

I have a Giant. Great brand.

Suggest as your starting out to get a better seat (more padding - as it's a hard tale) and better rubber on the wheels than supplied with the standard model.

 

[jwm]

Firestars

Have a look at the following link, which I found really helpful when looking for a MB

Mountain Bike Advice

Cheers

 

[stender]

I just bought a brand new one from toys r us for £49.99
Then spent more than that on accessories!. Doesnt anyone use mud gaurds these days?

 

[accelerator]

What is your riding style going to be? I am assuming just light cruising as opposed to thundering along? If light cruising, make sure you match the bike to your riding style, e.g. you can buy a bike with a relatively upright riding position, which will be more comfortable, as opposed to a stretched out racing style. Also, you might not need things like suspension if you aren't going to be flying down hills. Suspension will sap speed on a gravel trail and add weight to the bike, plus make the bike cost more, so you might be better off without it.

These are all good makes too:
- Trek
- Kona
- Marin
- Specialized
(All American I think.)

Orange mountain bikes are British and good, but I don't think they make bikes within your suggested budget.

Rgds

 

[accelerator]

In your budget I would be taking a closer look at the Trek range, hardtail mountain range and urban range if you want something that can go a bit faster on the roads and light trails:

Trek Bikes | Bikes | Mountain Hardtail | 3900

Trek Bikes | Bikes | Urban | SU 1.0

Rgds

 

[Andysp68]

You cant go wrong with Trek.

I paid about £300 for mine and I use it all the time and love it.

Andy

 

[retired_member16]

Thanks for all the suggestions, comments and links, certainly given me a lot to think about over the weekend.

Thanks!

 

[scooter]

What is your riding style going to be?

:mrgreen:

 

[bernard]

You can't go wrong with a Specialized Hardrock at this budget - I have a mate who has one and he's at least as quick cross country as everyone else on £2k+ full suspension bikes. The Rockhopper's a superb bike if you can stretch your budget a little...

Bikeradar.com will tell you all you need to know about the various bikes you see for sale.

 

[retired_member32]

:mrgreen:

i didn't know that was an olympic event?