First Post, bit of advice needed........

GT_Dave

Hi all, First Post so go easy on me

I am a relatively new MB rider and I own a very cheap GT Palomer and I use it mainly for commuting but, it has got me round Hamsterley and Dalby a few times and most recently an orienteering event.

I haven’t modified it in any way and it pretty much suits my needs but I am starting to have a bit of bike envy when I turn up to these places on my budget push iron!

My biggest bug bear is the V brakes, they make it stop but are a pain in the butt to adjust.

Coincidentally I have £290 in Halfords vouchers and I have been looking at a set of Clarks SX Hydraulic Rear Disc Brakes to improve my ride.

What do you think?

If you had £290 to spend at Halfords what would you do to improve my GT? Or should I just keep saving and get a better bike eventually?

I am not in a position to go out and buy a new posh bike so I either have to put up with the one I have and have the satisfaction that it can do what a thousand quid plus machine does or try and improve the thing,

Cheers,

Dave

Chunkers1980

Halfords vouchers are pretty useless unless you want a whole machine.

Is there anyway you're able to cash them in i.e. stand out side and see if someone's going to buy a bike and offer your £290 for say £250?

Reason I say this is you can find a lot better deals and brakes than those clarks on the net.

Can your bike even take Discs? You need disc hubs and mounts at a min really.

1mancity2

I would put the vouchers towards a new bike if possible, my wife has a GT palomer and its not a easy mod adding disc brakes, your frame, forks and wheels need to be capable of running discs so if they can't not worth the expense imo.

GT_Dave

I know the frame and forks can have them fitted but not the wheels, this could add up to be a costly job!!!!

I think I will just keep it as it is until something comes along.

Thanks for the advice guys

cooldad

Flog the GT for £100 and get one of these.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 65499#dtab

Then save for a while and upgrade the forks, and you'll have a very handy bike.

Dave_P1

Put the money towards a new bike

andy46

cooldad wrote:

Flog the GT for £100 and get one of these.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 65499#dtab

Then save for a while and upgrade the forks, and you'll have a very handy bike.

This is what I would do

GT_Dave

Ive sold the GT, I got £150 for it as its in very good nick!

I have sold a few bits on a well known internet auction site and Im now looking at a Boardman Team 2011 Hardtail, the reviews look good and im not sure that I need a full sus so I think this could be the one for me!

What do you think?

Dave

cooldad

I think you are quite intelligent for taking my advice.

styxd

Boardman Team, looks good, thats what I'd go for.

oodboo

If you want a half decent full sus you'll need to find a lot more cash. I'd go for the hardtail.

GT_Dave

Well ive done it, I pick up my new Boardman HT Team on Wednesday! It has cost me £900 and the price has just gone up to £950 a month before Christmas which seems a bit pants as this time last year it was £850! Its also nearly cost me my marriage but a new pair of shoes and a handbag have squared that problem away

I have bought a lizard skin chainstay cover and a headset cover and got a set of fancy pedals by subscribing to MBR , im going to stick with the standard white grips until they get too bogging but im not too sure about the tyres, it comes with Continental Mountain King 26 x 2.2 wire bead black tyres which look ok but ive seen that people change them quite quickly, i think they will cope fine with what I do and in fact the bike is probably a bit of overkill looking at my abilities so I will probably stick with them for now.

Im understandably quite excited about the new push iron and other than the blokes in Halfords being a bit ignorant about the Halfords pricing policy all is good!

As a rookie rider any advice will be gratefully received,

Cheers

Dave

cooldad

Only advice I have is go ride it and have fun.

bonezy

+1 cooldad
Start slowly, build your confidence up bit by bit. Trust your bike, relax your arms and look ahead

sexysi

GT_Dave wrote:

As a rookie rider any advice will be gratefully received,

Join a club and start ridding with them, I am from Kent and just started doing MTB night rides!!! well cool, gets the old heart racing as well.

si

VWsurfbum

This is the first thread ever that CoolDad has been usefull! Well done, i think it needs to be made a sticky!

Now get out there and ride!

cooldad

VWsurfbum wrote:

This is the first thread ever that CoolDad has been usefull! Well done, i think it needs to be made a sticky!

Now get out there and ride!

Obviously you have problems reading. Don't worry, it gets easier. Just try and stop your lips moving.

louthepoo

I'd give it a go as it is and see how you get on with the tyres before thinking of changing them. I'm using the tyres that come with the bike (Merida Trail) and I haven't had much problem with them so will keep them until I do.

wordnumb

GT_Dave wrote:

As a rookie rider any advice will be gratefully received

Spend a little time learning how to tune the brakes and gears, ie time when you have the time, not when the bike stops working. Your first post mentioned difficulties tuning v-brakes - these are simple to tune so long as you learn while not stressed and wanting to ride somewhere.