Is it possible?

Mithra

Ok well heres the situation, I don't really have any more than £200 to spend. So I was wondering whether its actually possible to get a useable new bike with this much :P . I don't want it incredibly good or necessarily really great at all, I'm not planning on entering any competitions .

So, any suggestions on getting a decent bike for under this much which doesn't fall apart if I go too fast would be great I won't be doing anything extreme, mostly XC and maybe some downhill occasionally, and I'm easy on the type of brakes/suspension.

Oh, also I've seen on ebay there are a fair few bikes called "coyote MTS" being sold by a company. However I've never heard of Coyote and they dont even seem to have a webpage, are these a decent/ok company?

Any help or advice would be great, I know its a bit of an awkward request

edit: Just realised this should probably have been posted in the buying advice section, if any mods would be kind enough to move it that would be great

Where are my stabilisers?

Have you checked out the evans cycles bike sale online? there are a few for under £200 - mongoose rcckadile is one example £159.99.

BlackSpur

Coyote bikes are pretty awful in my experience.

Mithra

thanks, I'll have a look . What are the disc brakes like at this range? is there actually any noticeable improvement over v-brakes?

Where are my stabilisers?

Not sure to be honest, you may be better off with v brakes for the price. it depends what discs they are i suppose, if they are budget, then v brakes will probably be best.

Mithra

(Sorry to ask so many questions :P) I notice on Evan's Cycles the 2008 Mongoose Rockadile is £30 more than the '07 one? Is that just because they want the newer ones in or is there actually a difference between the two?

Where are my stabilisers?

The older ones are usually discounted as a newer model comes out, but they may also differ in spec - upgrades etc. Read through the spec on the both and compare them to see if there are any differences. They probably isn't a lot of difference - maybe the odd component. If there was a big difference, the price probably would have gone up a lot more. I bought a 2006 bike when the 2007 model came out, saved myself some money - you can always upgrade bits and pieces when you've got more cash - thats what i've done

kenone

go second hand, just got my mate an 06 rockhopper pro for 250 quid!
you might spend a while hunting a bargain out though

Mithra

wow, sweet Where'd you get that from, a local shop or off an ebay-esque site? (or maybe even ebay? )

kenone

got it from a guy i do work for, was just sittin on the wall in his garage gathering dust.
I spent nearly twice that on a hardrock last year, lucky bastid owes me a favour for that one.....
What frame size you lookin for as this is a good bike but only in tiny frames
http://www.dalescycles.com/ProductDetai ... HRPROHYD07
I sold one the same a couple of months back, they get a bad rep for havin a heavy frame but with some new forks i think theyre a good buy

Mithra

Aww man, that looks like a really nice bike, especially if you can pay for it monthly :S. Unfotunately I've been looking for about 19" frames, I have am inner leg of 32" so I've been told this is about the height to go for. .

KonaMike

Look around for second hand,as Ive mention before my mate Rob got this 2003 Giant NRS2 for £100 and all it needed was a bit of a service and tyres. People often buy mountain bikes as a fad and never get around to using them,so they sit in the shed for a year and then get sold for silly money.

god1406

I'd agree with the 2nd hand comments.

All my bikes have been the current year's models bought second hand, but to look at them you would think they were new. Well, until I get hold of them

You have to be patient to get what you're after. And don't pounce on the first ebay 'bargain', because something better always comes along.

Mithra

I do have a Saracen Vice, from about 5/6 years ago. Its almost in working order but the back wheel and brakes need replacing, which is gonna cost about £85 to replace. Would you say this is worth it or should I just get a new one? I've always assumed it would be better to get a new one, as I doubt the bike would actually be worth any more than £85 fixed, but would it be worth it? :P

Torres

Second hand Hardrock £200 (17" though)
Trek 4300 £200 (20")
GT agressor 3 £60 (unsure of size)
Dunno if these are any use to you?

Mithra

Thanks I'm thinking of bidding on a Hardrock which is up, but it seems fairly popular and has a while to go so we'll have to see :P

kenone

On the other hand, seems to me most 08 bikes are better vfm than the 07 ones were when they came out. Maybe it would pay off to save another 100 quid for a brand new bike??
But i guess thats easy for me to say, worth the investment if your gonna do a lot of hard riding though.
Also, tidying up a second hand bike can cost a few quid, two sides to every coin.....

Mithra

Yeah, to be honest I am rather tempted to do that, what with the hassle of going and picking up the bike, as most second hand places want, and then quite possibly fixing it up too a few quid is gonna be added .

Ahh choices choices, the only thing really holding me back from buying a more expensive bike is my mum really, lol :?

supersonic

Decathlon Rockrider 5
Giant Boulder
Carrera Vulcan

Some very competant bikes for this money.

supersonic

Oh yeah, a piece I worote and keep pasting in! My take on the budget bike:

I think for general mountain biking, the following features should be considered: (aimed at buyers spending less than 250 quid)

- Alloy hardtail frame. Full suspension at the lower end of the market (sub 300 and even upto 500 quid) is heavily compromised. Its very heavy, undamped, poor bearings and pulls down the spec elsewhere. Steel frames at this level are often mild steel and are 2 or 3 pounds heavier than an alloy frame.

- Suspension fork with alloy crown and one piece lowers. Cheap pressed steel lowers and crowns flex badly. Preload adjusters are a good feature to help set sag and ride height for differing weights.

- Compact crankset (42/32/22). Many entry level bikes have larger chainrings (48/38/2 from cheaper groupsets. This doesn't allow a very low gear and is often over geared for the terrain a MTB will be used on. Replacable chainrings are a bonus.

- 8 speed freehub. 8 gears from a cassette and freehub gives a better spread than some 7spd screw on freewheels, often 11-32 teeth rather than 14-28. Also this allows the bearings to be spaced further in the hub, allowing a stronger rear wheel/axle. Shimano make the best budget 8 speed set ups.

- Cartridge bottom bracket. Old adjustable cup and cone bottom brackets are poorly sealed and are prone to coming loose.

- 32 or 36 spoked wheels. Lots of beginners MTBs are coming with fancy 'paired' spokes, or 24 bladed ones, purely for looks. They use heavy rims, are poorly constructed and are not worth it compared to standard wheels. Look for stainless spokes if possible, and sealed alloy hubs with quick release axles.

- Alloy components. If possible, ask about the seatpost and bars. Alloy units save some weight, and are more comfortable.

- Brakes and levers. Make sure the levers aren't plastic as they flex badly. Cable disc brakes stop better in the wet but usually add cost. Don't go for discs over other essential features.

- Aheadset or threadless headset. Much better bearings and more reliable than the older quill stem and threaded headset.

Many bikes for 200 pounds now have all these features! Don't be afraid to ask for a saddle swap if they are uncomfortable, and enquire about the quality of the tyres..

Mithra

wow, nice list there That'll really help, even if I have to look up what half of the parts are .
Is that stickied anywhere? Theres the one for basically £250 and up bikes but haven't seen that one. If not then it should be

supersonic

Not stickied lol, I keep having to paste it! Many seem to find it useful, and a lot is from experience working with budget bikes.

Mithra

well it should be :P
Sorry to be awkward, but does anyone have any idea where you would get a Decathlon Rockrider bike from? Nowhere seems to even sell the manufacturer, let alone that bike :S

supersonic

Decathlon stores up and down the country. Sometimes called a Btwin.

Mithra

dah, they dont do deliveries, and are end of line and run out everywhere but london, great :P Oh well, have to look at others then

edit: ooh, found somewhere to get the 08 giant boulder for £200, sweet

supersonic

The Giant Boulder is a great bike for the money.

Mithra

hrrm, they seem to have Giant boulder bikes, and then "Giant Boulder Trail"'s with disc brakes but rigid forks. Is that meant to be a trial bike, or some other odd form of mountain biking? . I assume the normal bike is the one to go for though?
(sorry for all the questions :? , I'll be quiet soon )

supersonic

The trail I have seen had a sus fork - but a different frame design and geometry. Seems built for more demanding terrain.

Mithra

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/id38400.html

Thats what confuses me, it says rigid fork but looks like a sus fork :S

supersonic

Ah, JE James got it wrong! Its a Suntour fork.

Mithra

aha . Sooo, is one gonna be much better than another for certain things or something?