How much bike is enough bike?

alomac

Hi guys,

I'm a beginner shopping for his first mountain bike, and doing it on a student budget. I'm having trouble deciding what to get, though, because I keep getting different information on how much bike is 'enough.'

I'm leaning towards the Giant's £260 Boulder, or maybe the Boulder Disc if the mechanical discs are worth the extra money. It's listed in the forum stickies as a pretty good buy. On the other hand, the current (July 2009) What Mountain Bike says that sub-£300 bikes are really only suitable for 'road and gentle trails' being 'weighty and compromised by parts that are not well suited to the demands of off-road rides'.

I don't know - what do you guys think?

For what it's worth, I'm mainly looking for:
* Durability and reliability. The ability to withstand what I'm sure will be my clumsy and ham-fisted attempts to learn bunnyhops and so on.
* Poise and handling: basically confidence. The ability to ride, learn and experiment without having to worry about the bike (skittishness etc.). I suppose this also goes towards reliability to some extent, particularly in the case of brakes, for example.
* The ability to grow with me. Because I'm on a student budget, I imagine that I'll be using this bike for at least three years, but probably closer to five. I'm sure I'll do some upgrades in that time, but my budget will limit how many, and I understand it's usually cheaper to buy the components with the bike.

In terms of riding conditions, I'm spending this year in Sweden so I'm looking at wet and muddy. Another issue What Mountain Bike raises with sub-£300 bikes is that the forks 'typically' ingest crud in these conditions and size. Home is the southern coast of Australia which has similar conditions, assuming the drought ever breaks.

I should also mention that because I am in Sweden, a lot of the cheap and cheerful UK options such as Carerra, Decathlon and Boardman are unavailable.

So, how much bike is enough?

Sorry for the lengthy post and thanks for your time.

Adam

Jonesy.

Hi Adam,

Welcome to the school of hard knocks! (mountain biking, I mean).

I believe that you'd be hard pushed to find a decent real mountain bike for under £300, unless you buy second hand perhaps - I'm talking about a bike that will get regular trail and mountain use. The problem is not with the components but with the frame. Bikes under £300 are not really designed to be used as trail flying machines, so you'll have the wrong geometry to begin with (hence no point in upgrading components on a bike like that).

However, all is not lost. If you can raise your budget by around £100, you're in with a much better chance of a decent ride. The Gary Fisher Wahoo, for example, has been quite highly rated as a competent all-round off-roader, priced at only £370. Quite a tasty bike:

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... ahoo-10162

And some owner reviews:

http://www.mtbr.com/cat/bikes/xc-hardta ... 27crx.aspx

So if I were you, I'd select a few bikes around the £350 price bracket, if you can afford that, test ride them, then choose the one that suits you best. I'm sure people here can suggest a few other brands to try.

Hope that helps.

supersonic

The RRP of bikes in the UK has risen sharply lately, pushing up the minimum amount you should spend. However there are still a handful of sub £300 bikes that will do a good job, and one even at £200 in the shape of the Decathlon Rockrider 5.3 which has a frame better than I have seen on some £1000 bikes.

Have a read of this for ideas:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12620617

bomberesque

+1 for 2nd hand you'll be surprised at what you can get for how little. Make sure you know what you're looking for or you have a mate along who does.

and welcome to mountainbiking!

btw, I guarantee that student budget or not, if you enjoy mtbing you will be on a new bike before 2 years are up. I bought my first MTB as a student ... and my second .. and my third :roll:

If looking at new Gary fisher are nice. Also, check t'internet, there are several companies that will ship to europe for free. not so sure on full bikes but CRC ship bits to me for nowt in Belgium.

boneyjoe

Generally, bikes in that price range are pretty heavy, disappointing affairs have to say. Would also recommend the 2nd hand option. If you check e-bay and bike sites, there are often people replacing bikes or having a clear-out, with some pretty decent kit at real knock-down prices. Don't buy anything with frame damage though! Think WMB has a guide to bying 2nd hand bikes somewhere.

If you must get something new, compare bike weights as there are some real tanks out there. Generally, huge companies like Trek, are able to spec the bikes better due to their buying power. Not always the case though, so do check. Cable disk brakes are also a bit suspect I think, so try and find a good review on the ones your bike has - otherwise go for v-brakes. Also keep a lookout for sales - there are some great deals on 07/08 bikes at the moment, as well as some 09, and prices on the 09s should come down further at the end of the summer.

Hope that helps, and have fun!

boneyjoe

Gary Fisher are owned by Trek btw, and they do tend to have some well-speced deals.

supersonic

2nd hand can be a minefield for a newbie - and no warranty. I'd be looking for discounted 07 and 08 models if having to buy mail order.

Bizarrely 500 quid bikes can weigh more than 200 quid bikes! The parts aren't really any lighter, but usually do perform a bit better.

supersonic

Something like this:

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... Suspension

Obviously sizing is a problem, but rebound adjustable forks, hydro brakes and Shimano alivio kit for 300 is very good.

alomac

Thanks for all the replies so far, you've given me a lot to think about.

I've done some looking at secondhand bikes, but only over the internet because none of the stores in this town had any, and like supersonic said I am wary of getting something without a waranty, that I don't know enough about to inspect/fix etc.

Sizing's also a problem as I'm 6'4", and most 2nd hand bikes I've seen are for smaller riders. Even when shopping new, some of the LBSes try and shoehorn me into buying whatever it is that they happen to have in a L-XL frame.

That Diamondback sure looks temping, I'll have to see who handles their bikes in Sweden.

Cheers,
Adam.

Dancake

My first was a 50 quid GT aggressor xc3. It was bodged to high heaven, but you dont mind for 50 quid...After overhauling the forks, bying a mech plus hanger, wheels and countless other bits, I ended up with a nice enough bike that looked rough but was tight.

Trouble is if you are paying 2 to 300 quid second hand, you are relying on the previous owner knowing what he is doing and you could end up another 200 quid out of pocket putting the bike right - a minefield indeed.

If you are not into stripping right down and building up to as new condition, I would find a bargain new bike.?

TEPES

Go for a wahoo I own a 08 very good bike

Wacky Racer

Crikey, that Diamondback Response is cracking value at less than £300, you must be psychic Supersonic, it's only available in 20" and the guy is 6" 4', sounds like a perfect match up!!