How many pennies?

new2this12

Hey hey

So im totally new to this an im sure you mtb boffins have heard all this before .. however im pretty much lost with trying to decide how much to part with for my first bike?

So ive always wanted to get into mtb but never really got round to it.. no i found a buddy at work who is very keen and hey presto, I want in .. so this leads me to bike shopping ..

now i can get a commuter loan through my employer for upto £1500, my friend at work suggests that i spend the lot .. however i cant help but thinking will i be spending more than i need to? how much should i spend on a first bike? i think something around the £700 mark will get me a decent pre-owned hardtail .. but then again what the hell do i know!?!

please point me in the right direction folks!! much appreciated

oodboo

My advice to complete beginner would be to get a second-hand bike for around £300. Ride that while you work out:
1 - do you enjoy riding enough to warrant an expensive bike
2 - what type of riding you will do the most and enjoy the most
3 - what type of bike will suit that purpose the best.

Then spend the big bucks

cooldad

95%* of all first bikes bought end up rusting in a shed or being dumped on Ebay, so I would echo oodboo's advice.

*obviously I made this up. But I reckon it's not far off.

new2this12

Tbh that was my thinking ... with the loan from work its all too easy to go nuts but I dont think its necessary ... i will just keep my eyes peeled on the classifieds .. next question .. full suss or hardtail? such a mindfield ...

cheers for ya advice chaps

new2this12

sorry gents another question ... where would you recommend searching for pre-owned bikes? I see a lot of ppl on here mention ebay but i sorta think ya need to know what ya looking for .. which truth be told .. i dont

thanks again (:

oodboo

Probably best to start with a hardtail, you'll get a better bike for the money.

There's ebay, there's the classifieds on here, there's the buy sell section on pinkbike.com and singletrackworld and there's a lot of patient people on here who can offer opinions on anything that takes your fancy.

new2this12

Okay well cheers for all ya help .. ill keep my eyes open an try an bag myself a decent bike with out emptying my wallet ... hopefully that will aviod an ass wooping from the mrs thanks

cooldad

If it's your first bike, unless you know what you are looking at, I'd go for a new one. Have a look though the buying advice column - loads of threads for starter bikes, Most common advice is a Rockrider from Decathlon, or a Carrera (or Boardman if you want to spend a little more) from Halfords. Or have a look at the Pauls Cycles site - some good bargains on models a few years old, which often have better spec than current models.

The Silver Surfer

Thi is what i do..

start looking for entry level bikes that are close to you.

For example i just done a quick search and came up with this close to me:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CARRERA-VULCA ... 500wt_1287

Then look up the online reviews, there are plenty:

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... n-12-45673

Worth looking up the sizing guide as well:

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/t ... -fit-29498

You'll be suprised how quickly you get to know the best models and there's always plenty advice on here if you need it.

ants-pants

I'd echo all of the above advice having just done exactly this...
I started cycling again about 3 months ago after being invited to do a charity bike ride,started to enjoy myself while training so bought myself a £300 Giant hardtail. My intention was to do a mixture of road and cross country bridle path type riding, so this was ideal.
However I started to enjoy the off road stuff more once the charity ride was done, realised I worked 15 mins from Cannoch Chase and have been up there around twice a week for the last few weeks. I love trail riding!
So I've just bought a full suspension bike having now realised I will definitely be keeping it up and what I like riding.
Oh and keep an eye on Gumtree also, that's where I got my hardtail from.

new2this12

Okay well thanks for all your advice .. looking forward to finding a bike and getting it dirty!!! A lot of the advice on the faq's etc suggest going to a store and trying before buying .. from what ive heard buying in store is more expensive than online and pre-owned, however a safer way to play it ... agree? disagree?

cheers again

Greer_

If you don't know what you're looking for, and what size you need, buying in the store is a good idea. You'll be able to sit on it, but you'll be lucky if you can take it round the car park.

new2this12

okay dokey .. thanks for advice folks (:

The Silver Surfer

it's like buying anything I suppose. Whether its a car, scooter or bike - you should get more for your money second hand but the parts have been used. Try before you buy.

Saying that my first bike was a new Carrera vulcan out of halfords and it was money well spent. used it for five years on roads, tracks, hills and trail centers. No problems at all and I still have it tucked away. 2007 model and I just got another bike this year.

mcnultycop

Don't forget that you'll need a helmet, gloves and probably padded liner shorts, so budget for these too.

The Rookie

If you buy used and don't enjoy it you will at least lose very little when you sell it, the best buys are the bikes that have been through that cycle once from new, you'll pay about 67% of the new price and it will be to all intents as new.