any help appreciated

bitspcs

Ok so I am a tall gguy and not overly experienced MTB user!

I have developed a bit of back pain and want to get out and do some excercise and want to buy a bike, with my back and height 6'4" I really need the best advice I can get, not only on what size to get but the best bike or the money!

Now I know some of the bikes have had very bad reviews over at halfords but i was wondering are they all bad? The reason I ask is my daughter works there and we will also get 25% off whatever the Easter sale price is!

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... ikeseaster

are ANY of the bikes in the sale any good for me or B out of all the bikes they have out of sale is there anything nd 400 quid that would suit me?

Thanks so much in advance for the help

buddy_club

Voodoo Bantu is right on your budget, and if i were i'd try and get the older one, slightly nicer spec. But biggest size is 20". However my dad is also 6'4 and rides a 19" Saracen. You'd need to try the bike anyway. Or Voodoo Hoodoo if you can plump for the extra £75 (when you take off the 25% discount your already getting) but probably less with the Easter sales which might be about 10%. Which (beware of my poor maths skills) should be £325 with 35% off overall. Again largest Voodoo Hoodoo is 20"

bitspcs

Thanks man, I take it the saddle and handlebars can be made quite high on these bikes to counter the frame size, how does your dad get on with a 20"?

will take a look at these over the weekend and also see if anyone else has any ideas

cheers again

kajjal

Do you have any other bike shops near you ?

I am over 6ft6 and it reduces the choice of bikes but there are plenty available from the normal brands Trek, Specialized etc if you find you are struggling. They are just a little more expensive for the spec of the bike.

bitspcs

cheers kajjal

The main reason for using halfords is the sale for one but more importantly even out of sale the 25% off for staff is a pull, just dont want to buy a bike and end up wishing id got something else, I really know nothing about bikes and just hope some of the more experienced guys can mhelp me make the best choice available!

kajjal

You'll have no problem getting a bike in the right size, just don't settle for one that doesn't fit you properly

buddy_club

bitspcs wrote:

Thanks man, I take it the saddle and handlebars can be made quite high on these bikes to counter the frame size, how does your dad get on with a 20"?

will take a look at these over the weekend and also see if anyone else has any ideas

cheers again

Yes, you can get a higher stem and also put the saddle up. He gets on fine with the 19", although he does have the saddle quite high, and he also had back pain before he started cycling again which has now gone.

rockmonkeysc

Im only 6'1" and find some 20"/large bikes only just big enough.
Either a boardman or voodoo in the right size should do you. Make sure you can get the saddle high enough for proper leg extension.

bitspcs

thanks rock monkey and good point on the leg length as my legs are pretty long, what am I looking for as for the right leg length?? Is there an online guide or can you give me an idea how its supposed to fit?

buddy_club

The ideal saddle height is when your leg is fully extended at the bottom of your pedal stroke, but I prefer it a little lower. A lot of people also tend to drop the saddle on descents/technical sections to allow you to move about on the bike. There's not really a guide for exact measurements as all bike frames are different, and also it should be what feels comfortable for you when you are riding it.