What Bike - Opinions Please

rhys_w

Hi there,

Yet another "What bike" post, so thanks in advance for your patience/advice/comments.

I am just getting back into biking after a (ahem) 8 year break. I currently have a Girvin Proflex 857 Expert but it is a bit big for me really and I am looking to replace it. Unfortunately the Girvin has a pretty good spec and is lightweight (~13kgs) and therefore my aim is to replace with a good quality lightweight hardtail.

My bike history has mainly been Marins (2 x Nail Trails and 1 x Indian Fire Trail) although they were sometime ago - the latest Marin was a 15" Ovation series Nail Trail. I have also owned a Saracen, Diamond Back and the current Girvin. With that said my best bike experiences were on the Marin and this is bringing me back to the brand - rightly or wrongly.

And so onto the question. What are your opinions on the following bikes:

- Marin Nail Trail 2010
-- Spec Link
- Boardman MTB Pro 2011
-- Spec Link
- Marin Nail Trali 2011
-- Spec Link

The 2010 Marin and the Boardman are similar in price. The current Marin is a little more money which ideally I wouldn't spend unless someone can tell me why it is justified.

Looks wise I like all three, although I would like to replace the grips and saddle on the Boardman to get rid of the white . The specs of the Boardman seem higher but as I have been out of the game for a while I am not sure how much difference this would make? I have sat on the newer Marin and the Boardman and both feel good, albeit at a standstill in the LBS.

Thanks very much in advance
Rhys.

android125

Up the budget and get a full suss like a Merida 96 or something. Nice and light and you can spend way more time on the trail because of the rear suspension. Ive riden hardtails and XC full sussers and theres no comparison. FS wins at everything.

If you do go for an HT then the Fox shock on the Marin should swing it.

Enjoy

Long_Time_Lurker

android125 wrote:

Ive riden hardtails and XC full sussers and theres no comparison. FS wins at everything.

Depends where you are riding...
Try a full suss over a long, winding hilly trail (like I did this weekend), and you would be 30 minutes behind the lead group.

Horses for courses.

What sort of riding are you doing Rhys?

rhys_w

Hi both,

Thanks for your replies. My main type of riding is general XC I suppose. I'm not into major drops or the like (too scared for that ), but I do enjoy finding the right line up a technical ascent/descent.

The Girvin is the first full sus I have owned and I haven't done loads on it tbh. My worry with buying a full sus is that I will need to up my budget significantly in order to buy a bike of the specification/weight I want. I did spend some time looking at the Boardman FS Pro and the Giant Anthem series but the budget has already grown (as normally happens ) and that's why I am thinking of buying a higher spec'd/lighter HT.

I hope this helps
Rhys

felix.london

out of those three personally I'd go with the 2010 Marin as it's the cheaper of the two with shimano shifters and it comes with SPDs and I prefer the look of it.

All personal stuff though

rhys_w

Thanks everyone. I have decided to go for the Marin. I just really get the feeling that if I bought the Boardman I would be thinking "what if".

I can't push the budget to the 2011, as it's been pushed too far already :P, so it's last year's model for me.

Thanks again
Rhys

felix.london

...you know it makes sense!

Enjoy

bellys

Iv got the 2008 boardman and it's a good bike.
But if yor looking for a good full sus http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-er ... 61007.html unless your a name snob then get the boardman or Marin.
Both are good bikes

Sorry forgot to add the boardman has got a low bottom bracket and a cpl of times my chain rings and crank arms have clipped things. But still a good bike.

felix.london

Does Boardman now get put in the 'brand snob' category?

Walkertalker

I would go for the 2010 Marin to. Boardmans are great but its just that reliability factor.

rhys_w

Woohoo, the bike has arrived!

I have started to put the bike together, and have found three of these in the box:


I am probably being daft, what are they please?

Thanks
Rhys

cooldad

Probably just some sort of frame protectors while it was boxed?

rhys_w

@CoolDad,- They came in a seperate plastic bag, in with the box of bits so I don't think they are packaging. I should have explained this sorry.

For scale they are about 2-3 cm long.

I thought first they may have been to protect the frame from the gear cables as the slit along the length fits over the cable. We tried that but they fell off prerry easily.... I bet it's something really daft.

cooldad

Er um OK I'm stumped.

thelonegroover

Never seen anything like those on any bike I've ever had. I'd put them in a draw or sweep them under the carpet and try to forget about them.

hounslow

Reckon they go over the outer housing at the headtube, to prevent cable rub.

The Rookie

If they are soft rubber, then yes, cable rub rotectors, apply to cables by the head tube.

Simon

rhys_w

Hounslow/Beginner, you were right. They looked too small to fit over the outer cables but they clip into place nicely. I can only use two as they won't fit over the hydraulic cable.... a nice touch though.

Thanks everyone.