Hardtail Advice

richardt192

Hello

I have a similar question to a few already on the forum but I don't want to hijack their threads so I would be really grateful for some advice please.

I haven't been on a bike for about 8 years but as my work have now started to do the cycle to work scheme it is has got me wanting to do it again, generally for a mixture of trails/byways etc.

I am sort of looking at the Cube Ltd Pro 2012 29er and the Cannondale Trail SL 2 29er 2012 but would like other peoples opinions and advice if possible.

Thanks.

supersonic

Are these avaialable locally for you to see in the flesh?

richardt192

Im hoping to be able to go and see some in the next few days but to be honest I'm not really clued up on what to look for. I used to use a very cheap bike a few years back to to go out riding and it mostly did me just fine. As my work are doing the cycle to work scheme I decided its a good reason to take advantage of the offer and get myself back on a bike. After speaking to a few people and looking at various reviews the cube and cannondale sort of stood out so I was hoping for some general opinions or advice of anyone about them. Cheers.

rockmonkeysc

Why 29ers?
Definitely the Cube over the Cannondale but I would much rather have the 26" wheel version. 29er's do smooth out the bumps well but they just don't steer as nicely & feel like they want to drop in to turns.

cooldad

And 29er bits are more expensive, plus you have much less choice.

richardt192

Ok thanks maybe i will reconsider the 29er. So is the Cube Ltd pro 2012 26" a decent enough bike compared to others in the same price range? Also my height is 185cm and my inseam is 85cm so I think by looking at size guides I might fall into the 20" frame range if this sounds right? Thanks again.

supersonic

The Cube is a decent bike for the money - as for size, is hard to tell without trying them individually I am afraid, as sizing varies.

mar_k

I cant comment on the pro, however I recently bought a Cube LTD Team and love it.
Great bike and feels really positive off road. I just really enjoy using it.

I was going to buy the Pro however after recieving advice on here I settled on the 2011 Team as it was reduced to £600 and was told there wasn't much difference in specs.

richardt192

mar_k wrote:

I cant comment on the pro, however I recently bought a Cube LTD Team

Did you try a few different frame sizes out before you got it or did already know what was right for you?

mar_k

I bought from an online retailer, I took a chance based on the common size charts found online.
One thing I have found with the LTD range. Infact I along with many, many others.

They all seem to come with a very long stem which seemed to make the bike too big for me. Do a google search there are loads of people who have said the same. Every one buys a shorter stem to correct it.
If you have a long torso and long arms you may find it just right.

cycle monster

Try as many as you can first. There are an awful lot of bikes out there. As to 26er v 29er, try for yourself. I was as sceptical as most at first. However, having tried them both at the same place in the same conditions my decision was made. The Giant Anthem 29er was remarkably quicker, took less effort, cornered better and generally felt better than the Giant Anthem 26er.

mak3m

going to have a look at some cubes on tuesday>

Looking at the Cube 29ers, is it me or does the back wheel look very close to the frame??

Any cube owners out there set my mind at rest

NickintheLakes

Cube for me.

Cannondale are poorly specified on the kit front at the prices they charge.

I know some people say buy the frame and upgrade parts in time but come on - you don't buy a basic BMW brand new with a view to buying all the nice M Sport bits in the years to come.