First MTB? how much to spend?

Lungs94

My brother & a mate are looking for their first XC mountain bike, how much should they spend? I told them £300-£500, but they seem to think the Argos BSO's are good enough, how can I get them to understand that in order to get a usable machine they would have to spend atleast £300, I let them use my SS Hoodoo & Whyte 801 & my XTR Bizango. But they still don't want to pay £400 "when I can get a £120 bike from argos" should I let them get a cheap BSO & watch them suffer or try to get them to understand?

cooldad

Let them read or suffer

http://www.southcoastbikes.co.uk/Dont-Buy-a-Cheap-Bike

http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/what-happens-cheap-bike/

http://ozsoapbox.com/cycling/5-reasons- ... uffy-bike/

rockmonkeysc

Let them waste their money and then laugh and say "I told you c**** not to be so cheap"

Rookie1986

Letting them buy cheap might make them not get the most out of it and then they might not stick with the hobby, I'd steer them towards something better. Would also mean they are less likely to want to upgrade again in the next 12 months so spending a little more on the initial bike is logic imo

rockmonkeysc

They aren't all bad though. I spent £150 on an Apollo CX10s several years ago. I worked out that it took 12,000 miles with absolutely no maintenance before the rear hub collapsed. I then sold it for £20 and decided it had more than paid it's way.

kajjal

Started on a cheap bike. After going off road it was quickly wrecked. It rode really badly and virtually had no brakes.

Then bought a low end proper mountain bike which was much better and lasted for years until i got a decent bike.

Lungs94

Rookie1986 wrote:

Letting them buy cheap might make them not get the most out of it and then they might not stick with the hobby, I'd steer them towards something better. Would also mean they are less likely to want to upgrade again in the next 12 months so spending a little more on the initial bike is logic imo

This is the problem, if they buy a cheap bike they wont have the joy that a £500 bike delivers they'll be lugging around a 20kg bike, my concern is that they'll get fed up & give up & when I mention that they should upgrade they'll be like "nah this is shit" because they didn't enjoy it so they seem to think that it's always to be "shit", perhaps I should let them use my bikes, thing is they have no respect over my bikes "you can just buy another you have the money"

cooldad

It's just riding a bicycle, they either enjoy it or not. You gave them your opinion, no need to go all Jehovas Witness with them.

Antm81

What about suggesting a decent used bike? My second bike is a Voodoo Hoodoo, got it hardly used for under £200

Lungs94

Well my brother had a go on my Bizango & he loved it then he went on my commuter (BSO) & a few BSO articles later he's now ordered the Canyon AL 5.9, however I still cannot convince my mate to even order the Bantu or RR, I guess he's not into the sport as much. He's the type that he wants to be good just like that he doesn't like the training & practicing concept, sort of like "if I buy a £1000 bike I should be really good"