Looking for some Advice on my first Full Sus MTB £600 budget

Huktonfonics

Howdy folks, fresh to the forums here and a lot of my Google'ing has lead me to post's on this forum, so I thought I'd take a stab at gleaming what knowledge I could from you guys here. 8)

Basically I'm looking to get my fist DH MTB for commuting and hitting some off-road / trails. As the topic states I'm looking to get my bang for my buck for about £600 so really I'm aiming for second hand. Currently I have a Voodoo Hoodoo 29'er but the bike is boring and I find it pretty awkward and clumsy when trying to do pretty much anything besides ride fast, as the thing is pretty huge, needless to say that hasn't stopped me from trying ANYTHING :oops: . Im 6'3 at about 160lbs. I like to ride hard whether on roads or cross country or blasting through woods.

Ebay'ing for last 2 weeks has bought my attention to Kona Stinky's and Specialized Enduro's / Big Hit's and also one GT DHi ( this looks like it should have batteries somewhere and no pedals :P )

1:) What would you guys recommend at this price range for my needs?

2:) Anything to lookout for on suggested bikes ? (faults / warning sign's)

3:) Recommend any websites or stores to grab a bargain ? (I hate the beast that is ebay, too much pilfering)

4:) What size would I go for for a comfortable ride ?

Thanks guys, I'll be here all week

cooldad

DH bikes are not for commuting or hitting trails, or even pedalling.

felix.london

What is this DH-Commuting thing that seems to be going on everywhere!?

The worlds gone mad!..that or everyone is just very confused.

Huktonfonics

felix.london wrote:

What is this DH-Commuting thing that seems to be going on everywhere!?

The worlds gone mad!..that or everyone is just very confused.

cooldad wrote:

DH bikes are not for commuting or hitting trails, or even pedalling.

Oh, Ok let me re-iterate for my ignorance. I'll edit the post shortly in-case the MTB police raid the house

I wont be riding down mountains.

supersonic

The bike you have is as good as it gets really! Maybe try some new tyres and parts?

Huktonfonics

supersonic wrote:

The bike you have is as good as it gets really! Maybe try some new tyres and parts?

I'd like a full suspension bike, I'm leaning towards a specialized epic 2008 or a specialized xc comp that im watching on ebay. Are these good bikes for £500-£600 ?

Also have an eye on a specialized stumpjumper fsr pro 2009. The reason i said a DH bike is because i generally treat my mtb like a big bmx, I like doing jumps and tricks on a ride so a hard tail can kind of kick my ass. So looking for something that can take a beating when I throw it at it.

cooldad

Jump bikes etc tend to be hardtails anyway. It's riding skill that stops them kicking ass, not suspension. Suspension is for traction.
Unless you want to do full on DH, which you don't.

The Rookie

A skills course may be a better investment than a bike!

I know someone who commutes on a DH bike (8" Norco) but then he only commutes 1.5 miles on the flat!

felix.london

The Stumpy is a great bike and very playful (definitely not "boring") but if you're looking at used bikes it obviously all depends on the condition it's in...

Huktonfonics

So your saying a hard tail is a more enjoyable ride than a full suspension bike ? Ive rode a marin wolfridge a few times that a mate has, and i can say that i hadway more fun and it felt a lot more playful than my current hard tail and super comfy, I loved it !

My current commute is a 16 mile round trip every day through canals, road and small trails, but I like to hit the countryside every chance I get.

welshkev

so you're basically just looking for a mountain bike?

welshkev

cooldad wrote:

Jump bikes etc tend to be hardtails anyway. It's riding skill that stops them kicking ass, not suspension. Suspension is for traction.
.

are we going into this again? can't wait

but the OP. most modern full suss bikes can cope with what you want. the epic and fsr xc are both more cross country (xc) bikes. but northern monkey rode his epic around cwmcarn last week and I struggled to keep up

welshkev

Huktonfonics wrote:

So your saying a hard tail is a more enjoyable ride than a full suspension bike ? Ive rode a marin wolfridge a few times that a mate has, and i can say that i hadway more fun and it felt a lot more playful than my current hard tail and super comfy, I loved it !

.

please don't open that can of worms :shock:

sorry for all the posts, i'm posting then reading....should have read it all first

The Rookie

A Hardtail can be more or less fun than an FS depending on the bike, terrain and also (critically) what the rider calls fun!

You won't be doing 16 miles a day on a DH bike but there are plenty of bikes that are FS XC->Trail orientated that seem to be suited to what you'll say you'll be doing, but there also many HT's that would do it.

For 16 miles a day I'd get a cheap hybrid/road bike (or an old MTB and put it on slicks - my daughters commuter is an old CB Trailridge on rigid forks and slicks and cost less than £100 to put on the road!) and getting the MTB I wanted to use as an MTB!

cooldad

It’s quite simple
Full sus are for pussies.
29ers are for hippies.
Single speed are for sandal wearing beared hippies.
650B are for people who queue for the latest iPhone.
Hardtails are for manly men.
EOT.

cooldad

ps I ride a full sus mainly.

kevinharley

cooldad wrote:

It’s quite simple
Full sus are for pussies.
29ers are for hippies.
Single speed are for sandal wearing beared hippies.
650B are for people who queue for the latest iPhone.
Hardtails are for manly men.EOT.

I ride a SS Hardtail .. guess I'm a sandal wearing bearded hippy manly man then :shock: :twisted:

(Can you get spd sandals?)

welshkev

kevinharley wrote:

[:

(Can you get spd sandals?)

shimano did used to make them years ago

apparently they still do

Huktonfonics

I mite be able to get a deal on a specialized epic fsr 2008 for £500. Just waiting for more detailed info from the seller who was a bit vague in his description. I hope i asked all the right questions.

I asked if it had been serviced regularly or recently

If there are any leaks or problems with the shocks.

If the bike is stock.

From the reviews Ive read they have all mostly been positive besides the odd occasion where stock parts failed.

The only thing he mentioned is that he had a new bottom bracket fitted recently

The Rookie

Only one shock and the condition of the forks is pretty important including any play in the bushes.