Another New Bike question, On-One V Giant Talon 0

Pacha

Sorry to ask you another what bike question (s) i asked a few weeks ago about what bike , but i now have a bit more to spend on a better bike, up to £1000,

so heres the 2 bikes i am looking at, i want something thats going to last, and be an all round fun bike, doing local rough tracks, bridleways, some road, and trail centers, i like going fast, so want something thats nippy, but also that climbs well, heres the 2 that i like the look of, am i right in thinking the On One is for more aggressive kind of riding and the Giant more gentle cross country stuff ? i want the bike to last as in the frame and still look good in a few years with just upgrades/new parts when needed.... what has the best fork ? and what is the advantage of steel frames ?? i want the 650b wheel size so if anyone has any other ideas, let me know

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOO45650BD ... ntain-bike

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/product ... talon-0-14

rockmonkeysc

On One would be my choice. The Fox fork on the Giant is a turd.

mcnultycop

The On One looks ace.

Pacha

I thought the fork on the Giant might be a bit rubbish and yes i do like the look of the On-One, just not sure how it rides being steel compared to a regular alloy frame, any one help me with that ? and i am female can anyone see it being a problem for me, being as its a mans bike ?
Thanks

The Rookie

Gender has nothing to do with making a bike fit, but as a very rough rule of thumb you'll want a slightly shorter bike (smaller frame) than the same height man as an 'average' women has a greater proportion of her height in her legs, thus the torso is shorter (though the arms slightly longer than the mans). Tweak fit afterwards if you have to with stem/bars, moving saddle on rails or swapping the seatpost to a setback one.

Steel has a slightly more comfortable ride than aluminium, not due to frame stiffness but as the material has more internal damping so doesn't 'twang' back so readily. Some people swear by it, others barely notice it.

The bike will always be heavier though, you can't get away from that aspect of steel.

Pacha

Thank you Rookie, i was going to go for the 16'' frame with a shorter stem, i am 5'5'' do you think that will be ok, the next size down is 14'' and i think that will be just too small,
when i was considering the Boardman 650B team, it was 1lb lighter to the On-One so not to bad,
Ok now do i add the option of a dropper post ? its £150 extra, are they worth it,

mcnultycop

14" sounds right to me, but if you can get to Yorkshire try one.

I'd wan a dropper post, but it is personal preference.

The Rookie

I would say a 16" will be too big, my elder daughter is just under 5'4" and rides a 13", I'm 5'9" and ride a 16". A medium is circa 18" and an average man is 5'11", of course all slightly hypothetical as it's actually effective top tube length that is most important and that isn't consistent with the largely irrelevant seat tube height!

rockmonkeysc

Steel frames used to be more comfortable than aluminium but not any more. My old On One 456 felt just like any good aluminium frame.

Pacha

oh dear now i am confused, I have rode my friends Giant Anthem 26' which is a small, a Giant Tempt 650b and that was a small , and a Specilized Myka 29er medium and all fine but all womens bikes, my current mtb is a cheap Halfords bike, its an extra small and i feel cramped on it, i was given it so cannot complain, but really not sure if i should now go for a 14'' or a 16'' i guess a 15'' would be about right.......... why is buying a bike so difficult , any other ideas for a decent 15'' hardtail

rockmonkeysc

Have a look at the Giant website at the Anthems geometry. The top tube length is probably the most important measurement, compare it to any bikes you are interested in. It's worth comparing other measurements as well but the top tube is most important.

Pacha

Thanks Rockmonkey, that makes a lot of sense, maybe i just buy a Giant Anthem, seen a 2013 model for around the same as the On-One with the dropper post, least i know how it rides and that i get on with it, just wasn't looking for a 26 full suspension..... more confusion lol....

The Rookie

Just to clarify, it's the Effective Top Tube length that is key, the horizontal distance from the top centre of the headtube to the centreline of the seatpost tube extended to meet that horizontal line (you can usually measure to the centre of the seatpost).

You can tweak that by about 20mm by swapping an inline post to a layback (or vice versa) and you have about 10mm of adjustment in the saddle rails to clamp. The Cockpit length is also affected by the stem length but that shouldn't really be used for setting the cockpit length as it has other effects as well (speed and weight of steering and changing the length from cranks to bars).

As a rule of thumb (only) if you think you fall between two sizes, get the smaller of the two.

rockmonkeysc

The Anthem is a very good bike. I have had an On One 456 and an Anthem and I would absolutely definitely go for the Anthem over the On One. Its better in every way and even though it's full suspension it's lighter as well.

Pacha

Thank you Rookie & Rockmonkey, it seems the best way to know if a bike is right is to try it, getting to Yorkshire would be a bit of hassle, so in a round about way the Anthem seems a better choice even as i said before, was not looking for a bike like that, so can i ask you guys to have a look and tell me if its a good bike as in the components , being as the mens Anthems are different to the womens, is the fork a good one ?

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bik ... ifications

rockmonkeysc

Its not bad. Nice fork and good solid transmission

Pacha

Thanks Rockmonkey, so its a good buy for £1019 then ? maybe time to click the button

Pacha

Just to let you guys that replied and help me make a decision , that today my new bike arrived, i went for the Anthem, and so glad i did, she is just lovely, and so light, not what i set out to to buy ! but OMG so glad i have, never thought i would even afford a decent full suss brand new bike for the amount i had to spend, so thanks again , cant wait to get out on her on thursday.