Looking into a new hardtail

h34e0f

Hey all,

I have a very old Trek 4500, which is very loved and used every day. however, she's getting rather old and I think it's about time I started looking into a new one. I'm into trails mainly but also use my bike tog et too and from work/college and occasionally longer rides, which consist of roads, gravel paths and mud tracks. so, i basically want something similar to what I have at the moment - hard tail, light and fast. Funds are fairly tight so I'm looking around the 200-300 mark (ouch)

Had a look at the Carrera Vulcan (07) and the Decathlon Rockrider 5.2 in the reviews section and they look fairly nice. I'm an intermediate trails rider so need something with a bit of oomph.

I was basically hoping for some ideas/advice and if anyone has any recommendations that would be fantastic.

As a side note, I'm 6'5, my current bike is only 19.5' which is fairly harsh on the road/track cycles but I find it good on the trails. Not sure quite what to go for, but I think it would be best up up-size a tad...

Cheers,
Alex

The Spiderman

Shame your current Trek is a bit too small,as I doubt the bikes you have suggested are actually that much better.

On such a tight budget,but only if you are fairly clued up on what to look for,I would strongly suggest looking at second hand bikes,to get a better bike than buying new would get.It might take a while,for something to turn up,but place a few wanted ads,here,or on singletrack world,etc and you might be surprised what turns up.

(I bought an immaculate 2 year old Trek road bike 2 weeks ago for £300 which would be £700 new.)

If not,also check out some 2008 end of line bikes.I think Halfords has started to discount some of the Carreras.www.paulscycles.co.uk is also always worth a look for bargains.On such a tight budget,I`d probably forgo discs,concentrate on getting the basics right,and getting a frame good enough to upgrade as budget allows.
If you could stretch that budget to £400 or so,you`d be able to get a much better bike.Bikes like the Giant XTC 4.5 are often available for around the £400 mark.

h34e0f

The Spiderman wrote:

Shame your current Trek is a bit too small,as I doubt the bikes you have suggested are actually that much better.

On such a tight budget,but only if you are fairly clued up on what to look for,I would strongly suggest looking at second hand bikes,to get a better bike than buying new would get.It might take a while,for something to turn up,but place a few wanted ads,here,or on singletrack world,etc and you might be surprised what turns up.

(I bought an immaculate 2 year old Trek road bike 2 weeks ago for £300 which would be £700 new.)

If not,also check out some 2008 end of line bikes.I think Halfords has started to discount some of the Carreras.www.paulscycles.co.uk is also always worth a look for bargains.On such a tight budget,I`d probably forgo discs,concentrate on getting the basics right,and getting a frame good enough to upgrade as budget allows.
If you could stretch that budget to £400 or so,you`d be able to get a much better bike.Bikes like the Giant XTC 4.5 are often available for around the £400 mark.

The two bikes I mentioned earlier have fantastic ratings, the 07 Carrera Vulcan being classed as on a par with many £500 bikes. However the second hand idea you mentioned is a great idea and I will look into that. I understand what you mean about disks, to be honest I'm not overly keen on them. I'll continue to look around and will go to my local bike shop tomorow and see what he has to say. Will try Halfords too but they're generally more expensive, I find.

Cheers for the advice

The Spiderman

Don`t get me wrong,the Carrera and Rockrider are both good for the money but a secondhand bike or paying just a bit more would get you quite a bit more.
Have a look at this :http://www.tredz.co.uk/.SPECIALIZED-Rockhopper-Mountain-Bike-2008-Hardtail-Race-MTB_13104.htmor this:http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b4s2p1266
Both excellent frames for upgrading,as funds allow ,with reasonable kit,and forks.
If you can`t afford £400,try searching the classifieds,or ebay for a good examle of either of the above.

h34e0f

The Spiderman wrote:

Don`t get me wrong,the Carrera and Rockrider are both good for the money but a secondhand bike or paying just a bit more would get you quite a bit more.
Have a look at this :http://www.tredz.co.uk/.SPECIALIZED-Rockhopper-Mountain-Bike-2008-Hardtail-Race-MTB_13104.htmor this:http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b4s2p1266
Both excellent frames for upgrading,as funds allow ,with reasonable kit,and forks.
If you can`t afford £400,try searching the classifieds,or ebay for a good examle of either of the above.

Gotta admit the Giant one looks prety nice. Will have a chat with the guy at my local bike shop, see what he has to say.