which bike?

bobpowar

Looking for advice on new bikes, budget of £800 to £1000 the short list below or should I look at something I've missed.
26" wheels are a must not a fan of the 29ers looks strange :shock: may look at the 650Bs

1. Btwin rockrider 8.3
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-83-id_8239457.html

2. Btwin rockrider 9.1 or the 9.2
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-91 ... 213074.htm
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-92 ... 08373.html

3. BMC bikes any of these
http://www.evanscycles.com/categories/b ... ce_to=1100

Any advice on price and buying is most welcome, I know people will knock Evanscycles but they are doing 0%

The Rookie

For what riding? (style/duration/surfaces etc) The 8.3 is very XC orientated very much so, they even list most the component weights in advance for the weight weenies! (11.85Kg being pretty good for a £990 bike once pedals are added)The 2 9's are more trail orientated, the BMC's are pretty much in between the 2, more XC for the team, more trail for the Teamlite with the Reba.

Strange you have a definate aversion to 29er, yet are happy for it to be HT or FS (just saying!).

I'd either go with the 8.3 or the 9.1 depending on trail or XC, or the BMC teamlight for between the 2!

bobpowar

Thanks for the reply, 70% of my riding will be on the road, 20% on farmers fields and grass tracks,
10% rough forest riding. The bike must give a smooth ride hence the fs option

This will be my first new mountain bike in 19 years!!! (A lot has changed in 19 years :shock:)

If my understanding is correct i shoud be lookig at the trail bikes?

The Rookie

For that mix I'd go HT if it were for me and either the 8.3 (I'd go with the 8.3 as the small bit it looses on the last 10% it will more than make up for in the other 90%) or the Teamlight for something a little less total XC, although it depends on what rough forest riding means, what is rough to you may not be rough to me, and also why you want a smooth ride (it aint meant to be smooth!), my HT is plenty smooth over bumps, I just stand on the pedals.

bobpowar

The smooth ride part was for the road use.

jairaj

Personally for what you describe I'd be looking at a Hybrid or Cyclocross bike. These would be more suitable for 90% of the road and framers track riding you describe and will cope OK with the 10% of forest riding.

Unless you really want the bike to be biased around the 10% forest riding then a hardtail mountain bike is the way forward. the 8.3 is a good bike.

The Rookie

bobpowar wrote:

The smooth ride part was for the road use.

Well that covers any bike!
The 8.3 will be best of the bunch on road and on paths etc, and barely slower for slightly rougher work....but as noted a wider tyred hybrid or crosser would be better all round....