Buying a mountainbike for Bicycle touring - advice needed
Luno
Posts: 3
Hello!
After spending a couple weeks looking at mountainbikes I have become extremely confused as I don't have much knowledge on things like quality of parts and different brands.
The things I've found so far:
- 29" hardtail: I think this is a no brainer as I'll be doing many road miles as well as some forests/rocky terrain. I'll be camping in a hammock in mild climate most of the time so I'll be away from roads quite a bit aswell.
- Lockable suspension: Also because of the many road miles. Apparently there's a thing called "pedal bob" and it sounds like a massive waste of energy. Do cheap forks like the suntour XCT have this or is this a feature reserved for expensive bikes?
- Pricepoint: as close to 300 euros as possible would be nice. If this isn't realistic for a durable bike I'd be prepared to pay a little more. Obviously the bike needs to be as durable as possible as I plan to make days of 100km+
- Availability: I currently live in the south of Portugal so the bike would have to be shipped here. The decathlons here unfortunately don't seem to sell 29" mountainbikes.
Bikes I've looked at so far:
- Berg Trailrock 50, this one seems a good deal though I don't know about the Tourney parts or the reliability of the Berg brand. https://www.sportzone.pt/desporto/ciclismo/bicicletas/categorias/montanha/5556102-berg-cycles-trailrock-50-29-xl
- Trek Marlin 5:
http://www.liquid-life.de/trek/trek-marlin-5-radioactive-yellow-trek-black-trek-cyan.html
I'm assuming trek's a really good brand but that the components are not much better than the Trailrock. Am I right in thinking this?
Other suggestions are very welcome, there seem to be a lot of bikes at 400-450-500 with very similar components so pointing out the good ones would be very nice.
I hope I didn't cross any rules or annoy anyone as it's my first post an I'm not entirely aware of the etiquette here.
thanks in advance
After spending a couple weeks looking at mountainbikes I have become extremely confused as I don't have much knowledge on things like quality of parts and different brands.
The things I've found so far:
- 29" hardtail: I think this is a no brainer as I'll be doing many road miles as well as some forests/rocky terrain. I'll be camping in a hammock in mild climate most of the time so I'll be away from roads quite a bit aswell.
- Lockable suspension: Also because of the many road miles. Apparently there's a thing called "pedal bob" and it sounds like a massive waste of energy. Do cheap forks like the suntour XCT have this or is this a feature reserved for expensive bikes?
- Pricepoint: as close to 300 euros as possible would be nice. If this isn't realistic for a durable bike I'd be prepared to pay a little more. Obviously the bike needs to be as durable as possible as I plan to make days of 100km+
- Availability: I currently live in the south of Portugal so the bike would have to be shipped here. The decathlons here unfortunately don't seem to sell 29" mountainbikes.
Bikes I've looked at so far:
- Berg Trailrock 50, this one seems a good deal though I don't know about the Tourney parts or the reliability of the Berg brand. https://www.sportzone.pt/desporto/ciclismo/bicicletas/categorias/montanha/5556102-berg-cycles-trailrock-50-29-xl
- Trek Marlin 5:
http://www.liquid-life.de/trek/trek-marlin-5-radioactive-yellow-trek-black-trek-cyan.html
I'm assuming trek's a really good brand but that the components are not much better than the Trailrock. Am I right in thinking this?
Other suggestions are very welcome, there seem to be a lot of bikes at 400-450-500 with very similar components so pointing out the good ones would be very nice.
I hope I didn't cross any rules or annoy anyone as it's my first post an I'm not entirely aware of the etiquette here.
thanks in advance
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Comments
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forget the 29'' go to decathlon and buy the best bike you can afford0
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Why? wouldn't that seriously compromise my speed/efficiency? (especially on the road)0
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Why? wouldn't that seriously compromise my speed/efficiency? (especially on the road)
it will make next to no difference, But the quality of the bike you are on will be much better, which will
29ERs are expensive so you get less kit for your money. Plus the £ is Strong against the Euro, so importing from the UK is silly0 -
Good quality forks (with good dampers) don't need a fork lockout as the damper prevents the bob for you, its also not an issue if you are spinning at the right cadence for a long ride anyway!Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0
