Help Required

HarryMonk

Hello all, I am new to this game so please be nice, I need some help with the type of bike to go for?

I have a budget of £250, I know its not much but it is just to get started.

A bit of back ground, I'm 6ft 3" 16.5 stone (I know I need to lose a bit), and live in the New Forest so will be going off the beaten track when possible.

I look to reading all of your advise

joec1

for that budget....

either a second hand specialized rockhopper/hardrock...

or a new mongoose tyax / gt.

you should be able to get a fair deal on a tyax elite... or if you could strech then a super... (hydro brakes and better fork)

steelo

Apparently the Carrera Vulcan is a good cheap bike. Not sure of the actual cost but the overly price common-as-muck generic motorvehicle shop does sell them.

(Couldn't bring myself to type the 'H' word!)

HarryMonk

Thanks Steelo just had a look at the Carrera £289 but does have 20% off dropping the price to £232, maybe worth a look.

What about the Giant Boulder, I have heard good things?

jayson

Im currently riding an 08 Vulcan with a few upgrades on it and its a great bike, it really doesnt feel like a 'cheap' bike but like what u would expect a proper mtb to feel like. Its very stiff and direct if not the lightest bike ibn the world.

All that said, i was absolutely amazed when i picked up a friends On One recently and it was actually heavier than my vulcan, it was only marginal but heavier is still heavier.

To sum up, the vulcan is a worthy bike aslong as u get the disc version sou can upgrade to hydros easy when u wish to at sopme point.

diy

given your location

For that budget I would look for a second hand mid-high end hard tail from trek Specialized Marin etc. You will be getting a used ali bike with decent componts Deore LX/XT, branded shock.

vs entry level Trek, Dawes Claud Butler
The components on these are "OK".

Decent Hard tails start at around £350-450 new, decent Full Sus bikes start at around £900

spud-face

word to your mothers,
in the vein of this article, bikes2udirect is flogging claude butler cape wrath xc's for £299 (plus tenner del.) http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B2080.html ... d=YFzLPW5v . reviews i can find rave about it, although the awards in the pic were for the 2004 model. has anyone any experience of these? from peering around the interweb and comparing spec/pictures i reckon it's an '07 model - plus the fact that recent ones cost the gdp of morrocco is a hint.
on the budget bike thing, i presume with such as this you get a better componented bike through sacrificing disc brakes (and buying them separate to ensure a decent set seems sensible). that and the focus whistler that wiggle just discontiued seem about the best specced ones about for the price to my entirely untrained eye.
what reckon folks?

adiggers

gt aggessor xc3 09 £279 at halfords,but only this weekend normal is £349

is carreara from halfords too ,for same price but doesnt have hydro brakes

or check out decathalon for a rockrider 5.3 but is £299

hope that helps

HarryMonk

Thanks for your help Guys.

The GT Aggressor looks like a nice bike but is the frame to small for me?

The Claud butler cape wrath looks good but is maybe out of the price range,

What about the Claud Butler Rock that comes in at £229 is there massive differences?

spud-face

i'm a fellow novice myself so i don't know differences in real terms, just been obsessively touring forums, googling product reviews for components, mooching roung LBS's (after learning what an LBS is) and trying to learn everything at the hurry-up these last couple of months. as my absoloute buying limit's £300 i've been skimming the same areas as you. the CB rock looks pretty good for that price (feel free to put me in my place people-who-know-what-they're-talking-about), an obvious distinction from the cape wrath is the gear bits - as i understand it deore is higher up the food chain than alvio, not sure what practical difference tho.

while admittedly more than your stated limit, the dawes xc 1.6 looks a beast for the price http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B2819.html and has the giant people sizes in stock (just not the diddy people size, else i'd be interested) - those are the brakes i've earmarked for the cape wrath if i can scrape the money together to even buy the bike.
happy hunting matey, write in with what you go for and how it turns out - may well influence my choice..

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