What should i go for ?

GaryM1

Hi , i am very confused , as a newbie and having very limited knowledge on bikes it is a bit of a daunting task to select which machine to go for so i am hoping some of you more experienced folks can give me some pointers . I want to do a bit of red trails and after a bit of practice maybe even tackle the odd black :shock: but mainly the moderate off road type of stuff with some gentler stuff mixed in. After asking various questions on here i think i am learning a bit but still can not make my mind up.
I have looked at the rockrider 8.1 as a first step into MTB as it seems good value and probably more than i need ?
i think it looks great and no one has had a bad word to say about it but is it a big advantage to spend a bit more ?
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-81 ... 68918.html


the cube ltd in a local shop looked very nice and seemingly the air forks are an advantage ?

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s2p4685/CUBE-LTD-2013

but seen this on sale
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s2p441 ... XTC-1-2012

it looks a good buy for the same price as the cube ?

i am assuming a hardtail would be easier for me to handle but there are some full suspension bikes on the above site going for good prices (or so i think)
like this

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s1p443 ... EM-X4-2012

so not counting them out , it may be better to get a full sus now if it is going to be better rather than spend more money on a hartail now and then maybe regret it in a year or so if full sus is better for me ?

hoping some of you folks can help out with this confusing decision

thanks
gary

supersonic

What is your budget? I see you have quite a few threads asking about bikes, I am unsure what you have to spend!

If we can base suggestions on a max budget then it will make it easier.

GaryM1

i thought the £550 for the rockrider was what i wanted to spend but the more i look the more i see , there are millions of good bikes out there , i never realised that there was sooo much to them. i do not really have a budget but it will be purely for recreational use maybe 6 or 7 times monthly in the decent weather so i do not really want to throw lots at it but at the same time if i can get a good deal for not much more and it is going to make a difference to me then the £850 for the other two bikes i have mentioned could be met if it is really worth it. i would like something nice and if i do get into it more hopefully i would not have to upgrade but i an never going to be into racing or anything like that.

thanks
gary

supersonic

The Anthem is a bit different being a full suspension bike, but is excellent value with great forks.

A hardtail will be lighter though ie Decathlons more expensive Rockrider:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-83-id_8239457.html

A better buy than the XTC and Cube.

GaryM1

The Anthem does look good , do I need to do anything with the forks to adjust / maintain with them being air ?
Sorry for asking but I have never owned a machine anything like these before, any info on the forks would be appreciated

Thanks
Gary

supersonic

Full manuals can be downloaded from the respected companies ie Rockshox and Fox.

GaryM1

after a lot of browsing i think i want to go full suspension rather than get a hardtail and want to change in a year or so , my mate is going full suspension so do not want to risk spending more money next year if i want to change as this purchase will hopefully last me a lot of years, i think the current deals at pauls cycles look good value and i love the look of the giants and they come with a good reputation ( or so it seems). my original budget of £600 has now been raised as i look for full suspension but i do not want to go over the £1k and the interest free at pauls along with the special deals makes great appeal. My question(s) is for a beginner who will be using for some quieter rides with the family but also some red route stuff with my mate which would be suited to me better and why ? or are they all good and it may not make too much difference , here are the three i like the look of ......

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b4s1p443 ... EM-X3-2012

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b4s1p443 ... EM-X4-2012

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b4s1p350 ... CE-X4-2011

Hopefully the X4 is good enough as i really like the look of it and the £899 price tag but if one of the others is much better then i will take your advice

thanks for your help/advice

Gary