New bike for a Newbie of MTB

soy_sauce

HI All, I just applied for the Cycle2Work scheme with Halfords and I would like some advice, please?

I haven't been cycle for almost 8 years and I would like to start a new hobby of Mountain Biking and I have £800 to spend on the bike and accessories.
Original plan was getting the Boardman Comp for £650 and use the rest of the money for accessories, but I am not sure what bike to get since too many good bikes have been mentioned in this site.

Could you guys recommend a good bike for me, please? also accessories too.
the bike would be use for commuting most of the time and would like to go off road in the future.

Thanks

TheBoyBilly

Most of the GT bikes are recommended by folk here and for your budget the Aggressor XC2 (£429 ) would be a real bargain. Do you really want more than this? It's not a full-sus but as a do everything mtb it would be hard to beat especially at that price. If that's not quite enough then there are higher specced GT's that offer good value. The Carreras don't seem to have the kudos of some brands but also have been well received in these forums (Kraken, Vulcan and Fury) and you should be able to find one you like amongst these. You can also appproach some LBSs about using a Halfords voucher in their shops (e.g. QuestAdventure in Worthing will get you a Marin using a Halfords voucher) so you don't necessarily have to buy whats on offer in Halfords themselves.
But for easiness I would go down the GT route (Aggressors are similar to Avalanches but are Halfords Only)
And, by saving so much on the price of the bike, you can really lash out on good lights (good enough for night-time trail riding) and the very best lock. I am very jealous of your budget and would have loads of fun buying a bike and kit for £800.
Good luck

supersonic

If just commuting I would have said look at the roadbikes, but as you plan to go off road, then an MTB would be better (spens some of the money on slick tyres for the commute).

The Boardmans are just about the lightest bikes in their class, so I would certainly try one out.

soy_sauce

TheBoyBilly wrote:

Most of the GT bikes are recommended by folk here and for your budget the Aggressor XC2 (£429 ) would be a real bargain. ........

thanks for the advice, I have been thinking about the GT Aggressor XCR which is £700 but when i compared the components against the Boardman Comp, it seem very similar but £50 more expensive.. I would prefer to get a bike for over £600 at least because I need to use as close as possible to the £800 budge as I can't get the difference (£) back. and only have a list of accessories worth around £150

soy_sauce

supersonic wrote:

If just commuting I would have said look at the roadbikes, but as you plan to go off road, then an MTB would be better (spens some of the money on slick tyres for the commute).

The Boardmans are just about the lightest bikes in their class, so I would certainly try one out.

thanks for the advice, after reading your comment i have been researching for some slick tyres. do they normally come in a pair or would the price just for one tyre?

Megatron-UK

Most tyres are priced singly.

passout

Hartail MTB with road tyres - changing them when you go off road.
Consider GT, Giant or Kona. Use a fairly local bike shop in case something goes wrong - especially if you are a mewbie.

Perhaps buy accessories on line in order to save money - try www.wiggle.co.uk. You'll need helmet, gloves, padded shorts, pump, a track pump helps, repair kit, spare tubes, lube, multi-tool, backpack or sadddle bag, water bottles or backpack with a hydration system (eg camelback) and possibly shoes (trainers might be OK on flat pedals to start with but you'll want them later anyway.) You might want shades too if you don't have any, cycling jerseys are a good idea in summer & you'll want a lightweight waterproof. Don't forget lights & LEDs. This is just to get you going. Good luck.