Newbie

MuddyTom

Hi guys,

I am a newbie to the forums and also a born again newbie to mountain biking. I started riding at high school on an inherited *enter crappy brand name* bike that my father gave me. I did a lot of woodland tracks and dirt tracks (which was quite painful on a rigid forked bike) before I just lost interest. My dad has just bought himself a Dawes XC 1.4 and started riding again and as I am off to uni and want to lose weight I want to follow suit so I am on a mission to save up about £300 to buy myself a bike.

It's a bit long winded but it means you dont have to ask questions

Cheers,

Tom.

Si78

Hi and welcome!

Riding is great for getting fit and enjoying youself in the process!

You should be able to get a nice starter bike for £300.

Beware tho...You will start coveting other peoples bikes on this forum, and want to spend a lot more money lol

MuddyTom

My original budget was £250 but I soon realised it gets very competetive in the market at about £300. I quite like the look of the Felt Q200 and the Specialized Hardrock Sport. Look out for a 'What Bike' thread coming soon.

mhuk

Buying a used bike will make your money go a lot further- have a look at the MTB classifieds section.

And welcome to the forum

Si78

This decathlon isnt bad for £300.
Good drivetrain and has cable disc brakes.
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/rockrider-5-3-34963817/

But there are lots of bikes for the same price, and 100 people will have 100 different opinions lol

MuddyTom

I did have a look at the Decathlon but didnt particularly like the look of it. Plus there are no stockists near me. I have been reading the forum for a few days and have come to the conclusion I need a hard tail as I don't really spend that much time off road, just occasional jaunts through the local woods. And for a £300 budget I have been told to stay away from disc brakes and get a bike with decent V-brakes. The Giant Boulder looks ok and so does the Specialized Hardrock Sport. Any opinions on those?

Tom.

Si78

MuddyTom wrote:

I did have a look at the Decathlon but didnt particularly like the look of it. Plus there are no stockists near me. I have been reading the forum for a few days and have come to the conclusion I need a hard tail as I don't really spend that much time off road, just occasional jaunts through the local woods. And for a £300 budget I have been told to stay away from disc brakes and get a bike with decent V-brakes. The Giant Boulder looks ok and so does the Specialized Hardrock Sport. Any opinions on those?

Tom.

Well, it sounds like you have done your research well. I guess It goes down to personal taste aswell. I reckon there isnt much spec difference between bikes in that price range, but it is worth keeping an eye out for offers and deals... Could get a bargain!

Or as mhuk said, maybe have a look at some second hand. Might find one in really good condition!

MuddyTom

I have a had a look through the classifieds and all the local papers but nothing seems to be coming up. Everyone on here says that you should buy a bike with the best forks that you can, all the bikes I have been looking at have forks made by 'Suntour'. Are they good or not? I mean its going to be an improvement over a rigid forked piece of crap but I would like to get the best spec for my money.

xstrathyx

too late, i spent £330 on my trek 3900 about 4 weeks ago now, and want to get a new bike already. Sadly a wedding to pay for is halting my efforts to upgrade though.

May get a new bike near the end of the year when the 2010 bikes are more apparent. Think i might get a specialized rockhopper or something

Si78 wrote:

Hi and welcome!

Riding is great for getting fit and enjoying youself in the process!

You should be able to get a nice starter bike for £300.

Beware tho...You will start coveting other peoples bikes on this forum, and want to spend a lot more money lol

MuddyTom

Sounds like its an addiction lol