noob cheap 1st bike

tom3

help!!! reading different bike reviews on this site and different opinions and my head is spinning.

will spend £200 - £250 max on first bike and then look to upgrade after a couple of years.

i like the look of.

1. giant boulder disc
2. claud butler pagan d2 or stone river (are they that bad nowadays?)
3. Mongoose tyrax elite
4.carrera vulcan disc
5. specialized hard rock
6. saracen mantra 1

although looking for an entry level bike i want something that i can chuck around woods and trails.

any thoughts would be really appreciated

supersonic

On paper the Tyax and Vulcan are the better specced and would be two I would shortlist to try out. The Mantra is tough, but very heavy. The others are OK.

tom3

thanks for the information.

is there a bike i have overlooked at all?

missmarple

I also recommend the Vulcan Disk, check the link in my signature and you'll see I have upgraded nearly every part over the last couple of years.

saltyman

look in the classifieds or even on e-bay......then get a little used bike that would of cost 4times the price for the same money.

Chevie

£194 deliverd i dont think you can complain

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... tVersion=1

tom3

can the hardrock sport be upgraded to disc?

supersonic

Yes - but you would need new wheels as well. So would cost the same again as the bike ;-)

You don't need discs for basic riding. But what makes the Vulcan disc so good is the damped fork.

tom3

cheers supersonic

i think i will take your advice and test the mongoose and vulcan.

one last question, went in to a local bike store and he tried to flog me a coyote alaska for £150.

who are coyote? do they have a decent rep, cant find any details on the bike

supersonic

Coyote are purveyors of the budget bike. The top end ones are ok, the bottom ones complete trash. Avoid!