why 'THAT' bike?

projectsome

apart from the price what made you choose your current bike or indeed your next one?

a.lot of bikes in the same price bracket have the same components bar a few different ones like possibly lighter wheels or better tyres or something else.

A notable difference would be the frame.

for me as the components are upgradeable it didn't really matter that they were low end. on the last bike I upgraded a few parts over time.

The next bike being a full susser I prefer the look of hard tails and it most certainly looks like one.

Another reason is the frame shape etc. for some reason I don't like the frames where the top bar slopes down. I feel at times they're a little low.

I think all in all the frame is the first thing i look at.

BurtonM

Firstyl, is it going to be better than my previous one. Then excellent reviews. Is it aestetichally pleasing. Colour schemes. Potential uprgrades. Theres lots of processes you have to make before you decide on a bike.

P-Jay

I choose my Shocker for a couple of reasons.

The Guy in the shop, who I know well and trust recommended it.
The reviews were amazing
It was frame only so I got to choose all the parts I wanted.
It's a leftfield choice, didn't see another for months.
I like the looks/

I choose my Enduro back in the day because:

For months, I had a cheap GT 4" FS and my mates had HT's, so all other things being roughly equal. I was usually the fastest on the downhill bits at Afan and Brecfa - This I liked a lot. Then, my mate rolled into Don Skeenes with a wallet fulla twenties and said "what's gonna get me down the black run the quickest, that will pedal to the top again" "This 2006 Enduro Expert sir" and being as it was September at the time he had a demonstrator in wonderful matt brown going cheap he had it. In response my other mate bought a Stumpy FSR Pro.
So a week or so later we headed back to Brecfa and they ANNIHILATED on the tough freeridy course. I was in Don's signing a 0% deal before I had even got home to shower for my own Endruo Expert. Best bike I've ever bought.
Competitive, us? Never

I bought my Norco A-Line a few days before my 30th birthday, mini mid-lift crisis. Ooooo I'm 30, I'll die soon, I know I'll buy a DH bike. I actually went to buy a Big Hit III, but they'd sold out.

lawman

i chose my maxlight because it was light could take longer travel forks and its a good lookin frame. ive chosen my next bike, a lapierre zesty, becase again it suits my style of riding, looks nice and has had rave reviews. cant wait till i can finallly pick it up

supersonic

The Carbon Zaskar - tough, light, can take some hammer, and was about the cheapest carbon frame on the market. The build in my sig is probably about 1k.

Dazzza

The anthem, well reviews made me look at it, at first i didn't bother thinking it's a giant so it would be bland and nothing special.

After a test ride oh how wrong i was, it was everything i wanted my tomac to be, really suited my riding style.

Plus the lifetime warranty and how giant frames rarely break really swung it for me as my tomac cracked on me.

andy46

the spark- i was looking for a full sus but like the look of hardtails myself, so i narrowed it down to the spark or the cannondale rize as i didn't really want something with a lot of travel.

both bikes look stunning IMO but once i had a go on the spark it just felt a better fit for me and it was the cheaper of the two.

yes the rize was better spec'd but i'll be able to upgrade when parts wear out, i think frame and fit is most important.

Joe_Pineapples

I bought the Patriot I've just built soley on price and what it can do, I still don't particularly like the look of it and there's no real bond with the frame if that makes sense.
My Morewood, on the other hand, is my baby.
If the girlfriend would let me I'd keep it in our bedroom as an objet d'art.

They are both self-builds and that's the way I prefer to do things. It'll probably cost you more but you get exactly the bike you want and you have the satisfaction of putting it together.

Anonymous

Saw it and loved it. Then I sat on it, and felt immediately at home.
Then I rode one, and it had the best ride I've ever ridden, crazy suspension genius.
Then, considering it has a lifetime guarantee on frame and bearings, I had no option left but to buy it.

Oh, and it has green brake callipers!

Danger Dan

Because since I was 14 (now 27), I have always dreamed of owning a Kona with Rock Shox forks, I used to flick through all the magazines building my dream bike, it was a toss up between a Cannondale, Orange (just the frame but the missus would have killed me) or Kona.

Yes I could have had endless different bikes with better spec's but once I made my mind up I got excited and ordered ASAP.

To be honest though I love it, I have the bike bug again where I have to be out all the time exploring.

KnightofCydonia

Marin Nail Trail

the frame is awesome and has lots of forward potential, could rebuild it every couple of years easily and still have it looking ace. Frame is also used on higher end bikes in the range so I knew it'd take the better components (slx/xt/xtr/x.o.x9 etc)

It felt right to sit on and ride around on, cockpit was good, not too cramped or stretched.

And honestly, I like how it looks too.

lm_trek

My Treks, the reason i got them was as a kid i always wanted a Trek bike, they sat in the expensive bike shop and i could never afford one, but now ive had two!

The other thing was the lifetime warranty on the frame.

My new frame i wanted a british company and steel so Orange P7 (I know its not built in the uk anymore but its a UK company)

Hercule Q

i bought my bike cos it was one of the toughest affordable hardtails in the shop and very upgradable now its a very different ride to when i got it (new paint and almost every component) it rides a beaut and is so flickable i love her but i'm looking at getting a bottlerocket by the end of the year (i like smaller frames) but i'll never get rid of my hardtail.

saltyman

after many years of hardtails i always fancied a full suspension bike.......but rather than work my way up i decided i had worked hard all my life and therefore went for my dream bike 8)

well one of them lol, my S-Works is a do it all bike, and is light enough to ride all day long, and still has enough travel for XC and the odd sensible downhill session.

llamafarmer

Similar to Dazzza, I read a few reviews on the Anthem and it got me interested, because it sounded like exactly what I wanted. Took one for a test ride and I loved it and the rest is history. I love the simplicity of the frame, nothing flashy until you look closely and spot all the lovely little details.

k2rider

i bought my saracen cos i wanted to p*ss all the brand snobs off. at the time i had a carbon k2 and thought `what the hell` now its the only mtb ive got. brand snobs are the lowest of the low.

supertwisted

In order:

The Scott: MBUK rated it as the best sub-£300 pound buy at the time. I knew very little about bikes and I was sold on the fact that it had a replaceable gear hanger alone!

The Spesh: My 'born again MTB'er' purchase. Hands down the best spec £350 could buy, minimal depreciation and most importantly the frame fit me nicely.

The STP: I wanted a play bike to practice being rad-to-the-power-of-sick on and also a project bike I could upgrade with shiny things.

Andy B

I bought my bike because of:

1) it's simplicity

2) it's ride & build quality

3) it's country of manufacture

4) Any guesses as to the bike I bought...

5

marinman1

bike was in the shop, money was in my pocket. i had knackered my previous bike, face and fingers in a crash and was already looking a proper mountain bike, seen the combi in my LBS, well the frame really and in my mind built up a bike around that, instantly liked the look of the frame and the feel of it when standing over it. at the time it was 600, and looking at the spec now after all the recent price rises i'm amazed at how good it is. however only the frame remains from the original bike and its starting to resemble what i had in mind for it when i originally seen it.

Dancake

I saw a bunch of orange fives and liked the look (and the reviews) At this point I decided I had to have a simple swingarm type job . (currently was riding a giant NRS with 80mm forks)

Couldnt afford a new five...then wanted a prophet 2 but couldnt find a medium...so Bought a Commencal Meta 5.5.2 .

Its fantastic! Trouble is I will never be good enough to get the most out of it.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Saracen Pylon 8: Find me another new bike with an Alfine hub gear for anything near 300 squids

Anonymous

Dancake, are you not proud of your meta? You only have the giant in your sig

paul.skibum

I bought my first proper mtb - a Melrin Malt 2 on the strength of reviews at the time. It collided with a tree so I replaced it with a Rock Lobster steel bike again based on some reviews and a desire to get a steel frame. I sheered the mech hanger of that bike so hunted round for a replacement frame. (this was all in space of about 9 months)

Saw the Cove Handjob reviewed in WMTB and it sounded ideal, checked out sizes and bought one and had it built up - the original one survived maybe 12 months until I bent the mech and splayed the rear triangle riding in the alps - got a direct replacement frame and that is the one I still ride.

Bought my Heckler off ebay - been looking for a single pivot AM full susser and favoured a Santa Cruz.

Stoo61

I bought my Boardman Team because of its value and its braw looking frame. I was all set to pick up a Comp HT when I went in the first time but after a few issues trying to get one I got some extra monetary imput to upgrade to the Team.

RealMan

Well I built up my current bike from scratch, so it is customized exactly how I want it. Every part was chosen by me, and I wouldn't change anything on it (except maybe go XTR instead of XT, but I'm not made of money...)

I pick things because they work well and don't need much servicing. Then I look for light weight stuff, and stuff that looks good. I don't care too much about how it looks, I spend more time riding it then looking at it, after all.

As long as its not horribly ugly, its all good.

xtreem

I can hardly upgrade something on the bike, so I choosed mine because:
Spec
Look

And I could choose from almost 10 different frame colours.
Did you? Guess not.

Flask

I've got an Azonic frame. Not sure of the model though. The reason I have it is because my dads mate gave it to him for free with a pair of RST forks, and me and him built it up. I enjoy riding it, and it's got some nice components. We ended up building it up for about 200 quid, and I've been happy with it ever since. The only modification I've made is a FireXCPro 2.1 tyre for my back wheel. I've only decided to upgrade recently because I want to do some more hardcore riding and the bike just isn't up for it.

lovewales

I went to buy a set of pedals and walking around looking at bikes as you do fell in love with the look of the carbon.
I went off for a week to very bike shop within travelling distance and ended up going back for the Giant. (it also helped it £500 off and fitted) although I now have a bike that will never be used as intended :roll:

dunker

1. i liked the look of it.
2. good reviews.
3. forum recommendations.
4. light frame.
5. good even spec.
6. hand built wheels by frank.

Where are my stabilisers?

Looks :roll:

Spec

Reviews

I'm shallow - If I don't like the look of a bike, I probably wouldn't even bother looking at the spec (because I know there'll be another bike with similar spec which I do like). I wouldn't buy a bike based purely on looks though, it still needs to be a decent bike!

jeffers696

I saw the Spesh enduro video on the web, went to the LBS saw it, it scared me.

Money Down the rest as they say is history