Noob with noob questions.

Warpáth

OK so i haven't had a bike for probably over 15 years now, but due to the need to shift a load of weight. I am planning on buying a bike to help in this endevour. I wasn't really planning on spending much more than around £600 ish, but can i get a decent bike that won't fall to pieces in five minutes for this sum? The reason i ask is the only local shops round here are Halfords/Argos who seemingly sell cheap and nasty dross from what i have seen and been told by others who have bought some of their bikes. And two proper bike shops who's range seems to start from around £1.5k upwards.

Next question is, what types of gearset, suspension, brakes ect should i be looking for? and more importantly what should i be looking to stay clear of?

cooldad

Carerra from Halfords or Rockrider from Decathlon.
Your specific questions are like how long is a piece of string - suggest you find some in your price range and take it from there.
But suspension should be damped, and brakes hydraulic.

cycle monster

The general rule of thumb is £1,000+ for full suspension. £600 should buy you a reasonable entry level hardtail. Spend more on a hardtail rather than less on a full suspension bke, as the former will see you shift more weight than the latter.

The Rookie

What sort of riding do you think you'll do?

Warpáth

Generally will be sticking to roads, however i would prefer something with at least front suspension given the state of the roads around here. Found this place selling some seemingly decent bikes not too far from me. http://www.saddlesafari.co.uk/bikes/mountainbikes/mensmtb/hardtail-mtb/under-1000/ Any thoughts on the cheapest two there?

YeehaaMcgee

Warpáth wrote:

Generally will be sticking to roads, however i would prefer something with at least front suspension given the state of the roads around here.

There are no actual "roads" that need mountain bike forks.

bennett_346

Yeah for road youre better off with the weight saving of rigid forks. Just avoid the potholes/cobbled streets/dead people lying in the road.

cooldad

Or buy a road bike.

Blind Danny Johnson

If you do want an MTB for about £600 that's how much I paid for my first bike which was a Specialized Hardrock Pro. 80mm forks, hydraulic disc brakes all round a nice beginners bike I reckon. If you're looking to ride the roads for a while to get fit and lose weight and then start riding off road then this may be a good option?

In fact here it is for £499 (pic shows it in red but it's much nicer in black IMO):

http://www.leisurewheels.co.uk/products ... &vid=28935

Hope that helps.

hunta

Blind Danny Johnson wrote:

If you do want an MTB for about £600 that's how much I paid for my first bike which was a Specialized Hardrock Pro. 80mm forks, hydraulic disc brakes all round a nice beginners bike I reckon. If you're looking to ride the roads for a while to get fit and lose weight and then start riding off road then this may be a good option?

In fact here it is for £499 (pic shows it in red but it's much nicer in black IMO):

http://www.leisurewheels.co.uk/products ... &vid=28935

Hope that helps.

Or if you're after a deal I've got a barely used 2009 Hardrock Sport (cable disk brakes, not hydraulic) which I'm open to offers on. I expect you'd get a boat-load of change out of £600 though! PM me if you're interested.