Have a budget of £300 and need some advise!

jasondainter2

Hello All,

After buying the reccomended (on here actually!) mongoose tyax elite (2008 model) last year I unfortunately had this bike stolen recently. Luckily my trusty cycleguard insurance paid off (second time now they have paid out!) so I now need to decide on a new bike to buy.

My budget is 300 pounds again I dont really want to go higher. I would consider second hand if I was getting a great deal more fr my money but would prefer new.

I was 90% happy with the mongoose tyax elite... however the only down side I found that it was a little on the heavy side.

Can anyone give me any good reccomendations (or even better links to where I can buy) a good bike based on this critera?

Many thanks,

Jason Dainter

blister pus

Three to add to any short list.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/rockrider-5-3-69568390/

and if you wait for the Halfords 20% off deal on Carrera or GT lines you could get...

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165499

or

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165499

Seek and sit on em.

jasondainter2

Thanks so much for the speedy feedback - I love this site!

Im very tempted by http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/rockrider-5-3-69568390/

How does that compare to the Mongoose Tyax Elite, especially re weight? (Youll have to forgive me Im a bit of a beginner, I havnt even managed to get the think out on any tracks yet they keep getting nicked before I can!!)

GSDog

jasondainter2 wrote:

Thanks so much for the speedy feedback - I love this site!

Im very tempted by http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/rockrider-5-3-69568390/

How does that compare to the Mongoose Tyax Elite, especially re weight? (Youll have to forgive me Im a bit of a beginner, I havnt even managed to get the think out on any tracks yet they keep getting nicked before I can!!)

Is this the same as your Mongoose Tyax Elite?
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... lite-11009
If so according to BikeRadar it is 14.8KG in weight.

I can't seem to find the weight of the Decathlon Rockrider 5.3 on their website so it might be worth asking them. I expect the Decathlon will be lighter.
I'd probably go for the Decathlon myself, I've heard good things about them and it looks like a decent spec for a £300 bike.

EDIT: This Indian Decathlon site is showing the Decathlon 5.3 as 13.3KG;
http://www.decathlon.in/Cycling-Mountai ... -p-54.html

RealMan

spesh hardrock worth a look.

jasondainter2

Cheers for all the help...

Yes -
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... lite-11009 was my exact old bike.

Yeah the Decathlon is 13.3 according to a quick google search... i guess that would be noiceably lighter.

Another question... what size do you reckon I should go for? I think my old mongoose was a medium. Im 24, male, and im fairly short (with short ish legs lol) Sorry thats a bit vague but dont have a tape measure handy!...

jasondainter2

also is there anywhere I can buy this and have it delivered?

GSDog

jasondainter2 wrote:

Another question... what size do you reckon I should go for? I think my old mongoose was a medium. Im 24, male, and im fairly short (with short ish legs lol) Sorry thats a bit vague but dont have a tape measure handy!...

No idea what size you'll need. They have a sizing website but you'll need all your measurements.
http://www.adequatsize.com/EN/index.htm
I just had a play with it but couldn't get it to work properly, you might have better luck.

jasondainter2 wrote:

also is there anywhere I can buy this and have it delivered?

I don't think so.

Is there a Decathlon store near you?

blister pus

yeh you have to find a Decathlon store to buy. Which is a good thing because it forces you to sit on it and try before you buy.

Halfords have 20% off now if you look at the website front page. That brings the Carrera Vulcan disc down to £300...

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165499

And you can go and sit on one at your local Halfords too.

leewiley

Hi All,

Just following the discussion above and as a newb I would appreciate some advice before parting with my hard earned! I am looking at spending c.£300 on a new MTB, I am considering the following after carefully reading everyones posts:

Rockrider 5.3 @ £300
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/rockrider-5-3-69568390/

Mongoose Tyax Comp @ £293
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/mon ... e-ec017393

GT Agressor XC 3 @ £350 (less 20% discount £280)
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 65499#dtab

Any other suggestions would be greatfully accepted!

Thanks for all your help!

warrerj

What size are you looking for and for what type of riding ?

leewiley

Hi Warrerj,

I am 5ft 10inch so I was thinking of a 19 to 20inch frame size (following some reading on the net). Typically I would see myself doing mainly offroad (tracks, trails, some heavier stuff) riding but nothing too major, therefore I was thinking of avoiding full suspension bikes in this price range.

Thanks for your help!

edmiddleton1988

go to a real bike shop, not halfords. any £300 bike from specialized, trek, giant or scott will be better and buying from an independent retailer gives you much better service.

the specialized hardrock is a great choice, won't skimp on components like the decathlon or halfords (have a look at the quality of the bottom bracket in those two and compared it the the shimano one in the specialized!) and is quite light too. the frame is around 4 lbs so could be upgraded into a really nice bike if and when you wanted to.

hope that helps
ed

blister pus

edmiddleton1988 wrote:

go to a real bike shop, not halfords. any £300 bike from specialized, trek, giant or scott will be better and buying from an independent retailer gives you much better service.

the specialized hardrock is a great choice, won't skimp on components like the decathlon or halfords (have a look at the quality of the bottom bracket in those two and compared it the the shimano one in the specialized!) and is quite light too. the frame is around 4 lbs so could be upgraded into a really nice bike if and when you wanted to.

hope that helps
ed

To say that's misguided and misleading on every level is being kind.

edmiddleton1988

in what way?

edmiddleton1988

yes they are made in taiwan, it is the best place to make frames really in terms of cost/quality. merida are the biggest cycle manufacturer in the world and manufacture frames for many other manufacturers. i'm not a brand snob, but just get irritated by people's continued insistence on supporting a shop that exists purely to squeeze as much money out of their customers as possible, while taking trade away from the many good quality smaller shops that have a much more ethical way of doing business. what the specialized/giant/whatever loses to the halfords bike in spec here and there, it more than makes up for in the level of aftercare and service that it would come with.

Si78

edmiddleton1988 wrote:

yes they are made in taiwan, it is the best place to make frames really in terms of cost/quality. merida are the biggest cycle manufacturer in the world and manufacture frames for many other manufacturers. i'm not a brand snob, but just get irritated by people's continued insistence on supporting a shop that exists purely to squeeze as much money out of their customers as possible, while taking trade away from the many good quality smaller shops that have a much more ethical way of doing business. what the specialized/giant/whatever loses to the halfords bike in spec here and there, it more than makes up for in the level of aftercare and service that it would come with.

Mine is made in Taiwan too. Most are. And mine is from Halfords.

Yes Halfords can be gash, as can any shop.
The advantage of a large chain is buying power.
They can buy lots of bikes and sell them cheaper.
Halfords sell Boardmans and Carreras exclusively.
If people want them they have to go to Halfords.

Also lots of cycle2work schemes deal soley with Halfords.

Yes Halfords can be hit and miss as regards customer service.
But they can be good.
They rarely question warranty claims, and people on here have taken bikes in and claimed warranty parts after the warranty has run out, and even when they have bought the bike second hand.

So swings and round-abouts.

GSDog

edmiddleton1988 wrote:

the specialized hardrock is a great choice, won't skimp on components like the decathlon or halfords (have a look at the quality of the bottom bracket in those two and compared it the the shimano one in the specialized!)

Errrm, skimp on components?

I'd take the better brakes (Spec Hardrock doesn't have disk brakes unless he stretches his budget to nearer £400), forks and drivetrain on the Decathlon over the Specialized Hardrock any day. I've never heard of a problem with the bottom bracket on the Decathlon or GT before either, where did you hear that from?

edmiddleton1988 wrote:

go to a real bike shop, not halfords. any £300 bike from specialized, trek, giant or scott will be better and buying from an independent retailer gives you much better service.

hope that helps
ed

I sense a bit of brand snobbery, which isn't good when recommending a £300 bike to someone.
You can't afford to limit choices to brands like Specialized, Trek and Giant with a budget that low.

leewiley

Thanks for comments everyone!

I am simply looking for the best value bike for my 300quid, and one that I can potentially improve before upgrading if I do end up getting hooked (which is a distinct possibility!).

With the above in mind and considering everyones comments I am seriously leaning towards to Rockrider 5.3...

blister pus

Beauty is though you get the chance to sit on a Rockrider / Vulcan / GT and at least test for fit and feel, you might well end up preferring one of the others.

GSDog

leewiley wrote:

Thanks for comments everyone!

I am simply looking for the best value bike for my 300quid, and one that I can potentially improve before upgrading if I do end up getting hooked (which is a distinct possibility!).

With the above in mind and considering everyones comments I am seriously leaning towards to Rockrider 5.3...

No problem!

Do you live near a Decathlon store? First step would be to try it out and see what you think.

leewiley

Hi GSDog,

I was actually there this afternoon, had a sit on the bike and small trial in store. I was very impressed with how little the bike weighed (I think I was bound to be since this is the first time I have been on a bike in over 5yrs!), felt very good but you can only learn so much from such a limited trial.

My intention now is to visit one or two more bike orientated stores and test the GT Agressor 3.0 and Mongoose Tyax Comp/Elite and see how they feel and whether a suitable deal can be done.

Would still appreciate any feedback/comments/advise ppl could offer for the 300 quid MTB though!

Thanks!