£300 hardtail bikes

masondasyk
masondasyk Posts: 80
edited September 2007 in MTB beginners
hey ppl, lukin at bikes around £300-£370 tops and have no idea which to go for.want forks that will get me around until i upgrade for better ones .. im an xc`er but do 3 foot at max drops and same with jumps. any ideas.??
thanx..
if we need trees for the air we breathe..

then how come when we hit the tree it takes the air out of us??... ( trees...the selfish b***erds want it back!! )

Comments

  • Torres
    Torres Posts: 1,266
    The Kona Fire Mountain fits your budget. Recently got one myself for XC'ing and so far it's held up really well. The frame is amazing, unfortunately that's where it stops. The forks aren't bad, 100mm of travel, adjustable preload, but that's it. Will get you around, but they are nothing amazing. The rest of the kit isn't the best, so some other upgrades may be needed, depending what you need.
    I'm quite new to the sport, so i've only done cross country runs so far, not tried any drops/jumps so i couldn't tell you if its any good for that type of riding.
    Although i own one i have to say, you probably can get better kit for your money.
    Happy hunting mate. :D
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  • masondasyk
    masondasyk Posts: 80
    thanx for the advice mate bt the bad things u pointed out are abit worrying but thanx anyways
    if we need trees for the air we breathe..

    then how come when we hit the tree it takes the air out of us??... ( trees...the selfish b***erds want it back!! )
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Read the waht bike thread in the buying section, at the top.

    IMHO the Kona has a nice frame but really let down by spec at this price. Lowly drivetrain, and undamped fork are well below par, but it has potentiial.
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  • nonnac85
    nonnac85 Posts: 1,608
    just got a spesh hardrock sport (hydraulic brakes) plus a few accesories (lizard skin for under chain and bottle cage) for £299 at evans.

    "im an xc`er but do 3 foot at max drops and same with jumps. any ideas.?? - masondasyk " - me too and so far my bike has been fine
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  • masondasyk
    masondasyk Posts: 80
    yeh bt i read reviews on it and the forks tend to break
    if we need trees for the air we breathe..

    then how come when we hit the tree it takes the air out of us??... ( trees...the selfish b***erds want it back!! )
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    The hardrock isnt a jump bike - simply an XC bike with a tough image.
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  • masondasyk
    masondasyk Posts: 80
    thanks for the advice but im interested in the carrera kraken in halfords
    if we need trees for the air we breathe..

    then how come when we hit the tree it takes the air out of us??... ( trees...the selfish b***erds want it back!! )
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Wait 4 weeks and the Kraken will be reduced in the sales to 265 quid ;-)
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  • masondasyk
    masondasyk Posts: 80
    GREAT! that advice has lit up my face!! how do you know that?
    thanx
    if we need trees for the air we breathe..

    then how come when we hit the tree it takes the air out of us??... ( trees...the selfish b***erds want it back!! )
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    I am the all seeing eye! ;-). Well it will be 300 or 265, probably the latter.
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  • Rick Atkinson
    Rick Atkinson Posts: 3
    I'm selling a Giant XTC Se3, great XC bike which also makes a great platform to build up on. May not be the best for drop ofs and such like, but it's a decent bike. I'm after £300, it's advertised in the Readers add area under Mountain bikes.
  • WillGTJumper
    WillGTJumper Posts: 505
    The Fire Mountain looks pretty decent TBH, good make
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  • Amos
    Amos Posts: 438
    Keep an eye out in skips near you, you could find a classic like this one we found last week: http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/1484542/

    On a serious note, definetly wait a month or so and see the '07 stock come down in price.
  • skitz
    skitz Posts: 44
    The Fire Mountain does look good for the money.

    I opted for a GT Avalanche 2 Disc which is about the same price though the spec is a bit different. I've only had it out on the trails a few times so far and it has handled a few mild drop-offs, of about 2 or 3 feet (it coped well considering my inexperience!). Might be something else to think about.

    Only problem I had was with the disc brakes needing sorting out at my local bike shop (that's what I get for buying on t'internet!). I'm new to this MTB stuff, but I think the fork and brakes on the Fire Mountain look a fair bit better than on the GT Aval 2.

    Skitz
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Fork and brakes on the Avalanche MUCH better - both hydraulic.
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  • MarvintheAndroid
    MarvintheAndroid Posts: 409
    Woo hoo - just seen the new range of '08 GT Avalanche bikes advertised in MBUK - very nice. Well worth a look IMHO.

    Marv
    What tree ? ...........

    Trek 8000 ZR XC hardtail.
  • mb-rider1991
    mb-rider1991 Posts: 89
    Specialized Hard rock will do you grate i have had one for 2 years and you can change every thing and they can take every thing you throw at them mines has even bin in the alps Grate bikes
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Thats just it - you need to change everything lol
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  • GOONERUK
    GOONERUK Posts: 18
    I bought a Specialized Hardrock Sport with Hydraulic brakes for £329, so far a very good bike, dont listen to the rubbish about forks braking unless your jumping alot, there plenty good enough. try this:
    http://www.dalescycles.com/SearchResult ... d+hardrock
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Its mot that the forks brake - its that they are undamped and have no control in the rough. Thats not rubbish, though the forks are.
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  • Steve_b77
    Steve_b77 Posts: 1,680
    I bought a GT Aggresson XC2.0 from Halfords about 5 weeks ago, I've been out 3-4 time a week round delamere forest since and I find it great.

    Had a bit of a ball ache setting up the gears in the Kitchen (where I put it together) but other than that it's great - well I think so anyway :wink:

    From what my neighbour has said (he's got a Commencal 5.5) the components are pretty good for the price too all Shimano Deore with 2-way shifers and Truvanti Cranks, with a Rock Shox Dart2 up front.

    That's probably be the first thign to upgrade me think.

    Other than that great bike for the money for fire road, single track and XC for a newbie to the world of MTB'ing

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