Which MTB

martos

Hi,

I was hoping you guys would be able to offer me some advice.

I am looking for decent bikes for the kids (Boy 12 and Girl 11) that will grow with them. My son is getting into MTB and could do with something pretty hard wearing. Daughter is more sedate. Both are very tall, so am looking at small adults bikes for them rather than kids bikes. Been looking at:

For my son

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_810645_langId_-1_categoryId_165499
or
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-500-mountain-bike-id_8293150.html

For my daughter

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_810663_langId_-1_categoryId_165499

Any other options you guys would advise in the up to £300 bracket please?

James68

Ideas:
Ghost - http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ghos ... -prod81696
Ghost is a good brand and a there's good discount so worth a look.

Coyote - http://www.rutlandcycling.com/256087/pr ... wgodmK8AcA
Great value for money including hydraulic disc brakes and 27 gears.

(Both unisex)

rockmonkeysc

Ignore the codpiece above.
The bikes you picked out are ok. But this one is better and discounted to come within your budget
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-53 ... 06682.html

martos

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Ignore the codpiece above.
The bikes you picked out are ok. But this one is better and discounted to come within your budget
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-53 ... 06682.html

No stock on the £6k :shock: or Decathlon one unfortunately (well apart from Glasgow, but thats £200 miles from me). Is the 5.3 an equivalent to the Rockrider 520?

The Rookie

Yes, the 520 is the new name for the 5.3

James68

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Ignore the codpiece above.

Harsh.

rockmonkeysc

James68 wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Ignore the codpiece above.

Harsh.

Fair I thought.

bartimaeus

If you know what you are doing, then 2nd hand can be a better option than new as entry level mountain bikes tend to be a little heavy - which is not a big deal for an adult, but it can be more of an issue for kids, especially if you want them to tackle anything hilly. If you are not confident buying second hand - and it can be a bit of a minefield - then the Rockrider is a great value bike.

If your aiming at more gentle trails then it is less of a worry. So for example the size S Rockrider is 14.4 kg (nearly 32 lbs) without pedals... so I'd be more than happy to ride it, but I think my 12 year old would struggle to take it up a big climb.

My lad is on an XS (13.5") Rockhopper which cost £230 from eBay... with a 50mm stem and narrow flat bars it is a good fit. As he was too light to get much out of the (pretty decent) Dart 3 forks, I just fitted some 100m Rebas (another £150) so now it's a great bike. As he grows we can change stem and bars - and then at some point we'll be looking at a new frame.

martos

@Bartimaues _ I am keeping an eye on ebay, but not having much luck at the moment. Not looking to do anything too strenuous, but will keep weight in mind thanks.

@James68 - The Coyote looks great value, its a shame they dont ship it assembled. I can do basic maintenance, but never done a full setup before and the last time i mucked about with gears it went a bit wrong!

I know that you can spend lots of money on these things, but is spending a bit more and going for the Calibre 2.2 or ROckrider 520 a better option in the long run?

The Rookie

My daughter is quite short, her first proper MTB was a Scott Voltage jump style bike, frame was the right size and not heavy and it made a decent XC bike until she wanted something a bit more versatile.

bartimaeus

Your other option is to buy a rigid bike - something like the Islabikes Beinn 26. A bike like this will be MUCH lighter than any HT MTB you can buy for under £1,000, and it's only limitation will be going down rougher trails where the lack of a suspension fork, and the lack of disc brakes will start to tell. For general riding these bikes are fantastic, and they hold their value when the time comes to sell on.

My son was on an Islabikes Beinn 26 S until I built up the Rockhopper. The Rockhopper is a heavier bike, even with the new forks (it's about 26lbs I think)... but it is much more capable downhill, and that's why we made the move.

Islabikes do a kids HT which looks lovely - but they are £700.

martos

How about this? Seems reasonable spec for the money:

http://www.buyabike.co.uk/bikes/base-bikes-rock-fighter-26-hardtail-mountain-bike-disc-brakes-front-suspension.html

cooldad

Nasty. Will be heavy. Undamped forks. 7 speed freewheel. Even steel handlebars.

Ouija

cooldad wrote:

Nasty. Will be heavy. Undamped forks. 7 speed freewheel. Even steel handlebars.

Not to mention heavy rims (V-Brake surfaces despite coming with disk brakes), steel cranks and old internal bottom bracket.

The Rookie

£200 is about right, never ever worth £300.

martos

Ok, will steer clear of this one! Cheers guys