What should I buy for my first bike?

husky101271
husky101271 Posts: 9
edited February 2011 in MTB beginners
Hi I am wanting to take up mountain biking for the first time and would like to do some cross country riding. The big question is which bike should I buy. I have a budget of £500 and I am wanting a hardtail with disc brakes but apart from that I not sure whats good or bad. I have seen a Dawes XC1.8 2010 for £360 but don't know if they are good or not. Any help would be much appreciated.

Comments

  • Miggins
    Miggins Posts: 433
    edited February 2011
    It's massively confusing when you're picking your first bike. The only advice I can offer is to grab yourself a copy of "What Mountain Bike". The section in the back is the best place to start comparing bikes and how your potential choice fares against others.

    Hopefully, though, you'll get a few responses on this forum from a few who are far more knowledgeable than I! :wink:
    After uphill there's downhill
  • wordnumb
    wordnumb Posts: 847
    Hi I am wanting to take up mountain biking for the first time and would like to do some cross country riding. The big question is which bike should I buy. I have a budget of £500 and I am wanting a hardtail with disc breaks but apart from that I not sure whats good or bad. I have seen a Dawes XC1.8 2010 for £360 but don't know if they are good or not. Any help would be much appreciated.

    Tip 1: Learn to spell brakes - I'm not having a go, people will take you more seriously is all.
    Tip 2: There are plenty of good deals on at the moment. If you're buying new, try a few different bikes out first.
    Tip 3: Are you thinking about buying a bike, or getting into the sport? If I was just starting out I'd pick up a decent 2nd hand bike, learn how to ride that, and from that gauge what sort of bike I want to save up for.
  • Thanks Miggins I have just bought "What Mountain Bike".
    Point taken wordnumb.
  • Miggins
    Miggins Posts: 433
    wordnumb wrote:
    If I was just starting out I'd pick up a decent 2nd hand bike, learn how to ride that, and from that gauge what sort of bike I want to save up for.

    Good advice; I'd second that! Get last year's model for £££s less. You might find that XC is your thing and want to stick to that with a hardtail XC bike. Or you may feel that you'd like a beefy full susser to handle some big drop-offs and more agressive riding.
    After uphill there's downhill
  • Miggins
    Miggins Posts: 433
    wordnumb wrote:
    Tip 1: Learn to spell brakes
    LOL! Wordnumb, are you as anal as I am for punctuation, spelling and grammar?! Thought I was the only one! :lol:
    After uphill there's downhill
  • wordnumb
    wordnumb Posts: 847
    Miggins wrote:
    LOL! Wordnumb, are you as anal as I am for punctuation, spelling and grammar?!

    Perhaps moreso. For instance, I believe that the overuse of exclamation marks devalues them.

    :wink:
  • Miggins
    Miggins Posts: 433
    hijack.gifYou are correct. I do hope you're not referring to my post to you, however - I think that they're justified. :lol: Anyway, that's another thread for another forum. Good to know I have company. :wink:
    After uphill there's downhill