Hardtail or not?

Davdandy

I am pondering whether to buy a mountain bike.As a roadie i will only use it sparsely,maybe once a week.

My current bike is an old Apollo Outrage,a real heavy beast of a bike but to be fair it has never let me down in almost ten years.I have never had a puncture or any issues of any kind.But now it is beginning to feels its age,i sense things needing repairs soon but i don't want to go down that route and much prefer to start afresh with a new and much lighter steed.

I have seen hardtail and full suspensions,my budget will be £500 tops.I like the Rockrider 8.1 but what else would you recommend.Does the hardtail actually make the ride hard or would i not notice too much.I only ride on trails do not intend to go up muddy hills or anything hardcore,just leisurely rides with my kids on a weekend.

cooldad

At that budget a hardtail. You won't get a decent full sus for that.

stubs

A £500 full suspension bike will weigh about the same as a medium sized moon and handle much the same. £500 will get you quite a decent 28 to 30 pound hardtail with at least 24 gears, a fork that will take the sting out of bumps and disc brakes.

I would avoid the big names like Specialized, Giant and Trek there bikes at this price range tend not to be so good as smaller names. The Carrera Kraken from Halfords is a good one to look at cost about £450.

Davdandy

Thanks guys.I know the budget is small but as i said it will only be used sparingly,my main fix is on the road.

I have just had a quick look around and spotted the Rockrider 6.3,much cheaper but is it worth the money?

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-63 ... 08677.html

cooldad

No, undamped suspension.
This is really nice
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-80 ... ctFeatures
This is probably what you need
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-53 ... ctFeatures

Read this
viewtopic.php?f=20005&t=12875967

stubs

Davdandy wrote:

I have just had a quick look around and spotted the Rockrider 6.3,much cheaper but is it worth the money?

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-63 ... 08677.html

Only if your looking for a boat anchor. Its almost certainly the best full sus at that price but its a flint axe compared to a penknife.

rockmonkeysc

Why buy a mountain bike if your not going to ride off road? A road bike or hybrid will be much better. Suspension and knobbly tyres dont work on road

Davdandy

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Why buy a mountain bike if your not going to ride off road? A road bike or hybrid will be much better. Suspension and knobbly tyres dont work on road

It is for off road,mainly on tracks near my home which is a nature reserve and where many mountain bikers ride with their families.

For the road i have my bike sorted,it is the mountain bike which i can use and enjoy with the family.I am not after anything big and clever but also want something that will serve me well for a good few years.My main bike will always be the roadie but every so often it is nice to ride a few off road tracks and check out the wildlife.

supersonic

A hardtail would be best for that terrain, lighter and more efficient.

Davdandy

How about this one,next step up.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-65 ... ctFeatures


Sorry to be an arse about this,i will visit them this weekend and try some out.But i really don't know what to look for on a mountain bike,i am so used to my old heavy beast and don't know any different.

stubs

Still an overweight piece of crap at least it is about 10% less crap than the one you linked in a previous post. Everyone keeps saying it get a hardtail it will be better quality, last longer and probably be more comfortable.

The Rookie

Voodoo Marasa, rigid forks but reasonable large volume 29inch tyres which should be more than enough for the usage you describe, decent hydraulic disc brakes as well.

tenfoot

Hardtail (or rigid) is the way to go.

But if you're hung up on going for a full suspension, a second hand bike would be the way to go.

A roadie friend of mine recently bought a decent FSR Stumpy on e-bay for around £500. Light bike, with decent spec, will knock the spots off those Decathlon bikes you have linked to.

Davdandy

I am not bothered really about full suspension to be honest,i just wanted to know peoples opinions on the subject.I will visit a few places tomorrow and see what feels right for me.

Davdandy

A friend has pointed out this Orbea,what do you guys think about this one?

http://www.orbea.com/gb-en/bicycles/sate/

I had a look at the Rockrider and was very impressed,though they didnt have my size in stock,so would need to oder on in,so it is between the RR or the Orbea,so any advice would be welcomed.I appreciate all the views and value your judgement.

DannyJames

I went the rockrider 8.1 route a great bike for the money just google the reviews, I would not go full suspension as said previously my setup has changed greatly and now run rigid and singlespeed and that's on pretty challenging routes so something like the 8.1 should serve you well even if you get the mtb bug and venture further than the local tracks

supersonic

Is pretty basic, the rockrider is several rungs higher.

Davdandy

Thanks again guys,looks like the RR is the one for me.

I appreciate your posts,so thanks again everyone.

Davdandy

Sorry to be a bother but i spotted this today in the Evans sales,and i would appreciate your help just one more time.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/can ... e-ec042882

iancannon

At that price id go for a carrera kraken from halfords, worth every penny even if you looked for a second hand one i picked one up last week for £250 second hand with a few upgrades on it and i am in love with the thing and this is my first mountain bike as im new to all this but a new one from halfords is £450 and it will be worth every penny of it, read the reviews on here about it they say most probably the best sub £500 hardtail out there, if you dont fancy that iv seen a few people saying about the voodoo hoodoo but i dont know much about them sorry

punkatron1

Its a good frame that's worthy of upgrades. But the components are utter garbage. If its just for tootling around with the kids though then it'll be fine.

Davdandy

I only asked because it is in the sales.I have looked at the Rockrider 8.1 and love it.But if i could find a good specced bike for less then all the better.It would seem the RR 8.1 is the way to go.

I just dont understand the forks and what is good and what is bad you see.

dmont

This'll be more than good enough for what you'll use it for plus you'll have £££££ left over:

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s2p385 ... R-1-0-2012

Have a look on paulscycles

Cheers

Dmont

punkatron1

I'd go for the rockrider but if you want something different then have a look at this:

http://m.evanscycles.com/products/charg ... e-ec029973

Its a great looking thing and gets decent reviews. It's a good frame from a pretty cool brand. Realistically its a £500 bike all day though.

punkatron1

Or the previous years cannondale sl5 from Paul's Cycles.

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s2p369 ... -SL-5-2011