Secondhand - Sub £1K?

Smithii

Morning folks.

I’m after some advice and guidance on a second hand bike purchase if possible!

After probably a 10 year gap I’ve finally got right back into riding this year. I currently ride (don’t laugh) a retro 1999 Kona KuKu full suss and while I love it I’m looking to sort myself out with something a little bit more up to date and suitable. I ride XC on local trails most evenings after work for fitness, normally averaging between 10-20 miles and 2000 feet of off road climbing everyday depending what I can fit in. On weekends I quite often frequent trail centres such as Whinlatter and Hamsterley Forest etc, riding mainly red trails.

I’m looking to buy myself something more suited to what I’m doing as the Kona weighs a tonne and feels as though it’s ploughing a field when I’m climbing. I have looked at lots of secondhand bikes on Ebay but it’s an absolute mine field and I have no idea what I’m looking at anymore to be honest so was wondering if anyone could point me at a bike(s) that would be suitable?

Essentially I want a full suspension bike with a decent spec, lockout abilities for climbing and the little bit of road I have to do to get to my local trails, and something that is fairly light in comparison to the Kona (which is around 35lbs I think). As I’ve said I ride trails on a weekend when I can and I’m a fairly capable rider so on occasion I do push my luck a bit on some trickier downhill stuff so I’m looking for something with the same capabilities as the Kona in that department. I am not ageist or a manufacturer snob so if something is ten years old and out of fashion but perfectly suitable and can be picked up for a bargain then I’m open to anything. Cheaper the better but a grand would be the absolute top of my budget.

Any help would be massively appreciated so thanks in advance!
Paul.

cooldad

£999, brand new and gets excellent reviews.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/calibre-bos ... ke-p403001

And plenty of excellent reviews. MBR (I think) even did a shoot off with a £7k Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz won, but the calibre wasn't shamed.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Calib ... e&ie=UTF-8

apreading

I would check out something like a 2015 Giant Anthem 1 (thats the top spec version) on ebay. Actually, I did do just that and got one in mint condition with XT 1x11 drivetrain and dropper post for £900...!

You seem to need something good for climbing in particular, which this would be perfect for and its really light. Bikes that are better downhill will generally be harder work when climbing.

I Whyte T130 might just squeak into budget on ebay but you might have to stretch a bit - thats an excellent bike and one of the real favourites right now but you will probably end up with the slightly older model with 2x up front (still great) That has more travel than the Anthem and would be better descending or on really gnarly stuff and is still pretty good at climbing but your description sounds like you dont need such a bike (you might want one though!).

Boardman Full Sus on ebay is a very capable bike and would save you some money from your budget too.

Definately make sure you get a dropper post - one of the biggest (maybe even THE biggest) advancements in mountain biking since you bought your Kona.

The Rookie

apreading wrote:

definitely make sure you get a dropper post - one of the biggest (maybe even THE biggest) advancements in mountain biking since you bought your Kona.

Maybe after disc brakes, not before!

Smithii

Thanks very much for the replies, very helpful stuff as like I’ve said I’ve no idea what I’m looking at these days in reality, things have changed drastically since the last time I bought a bike.

Interesting about the Bossnut ... as I said I’m not a manufacturer snob at all but once over wouldn’t have looked twice at what might be considered a ‘Halfords spesh’ but had a quick read just now and was pleasantly surprised. Would people say they are definitely worth considering against something of a higher spec but a little older and second hand?

Also interesting that you’ve pointed out the Anthem as I’ve currently got one on my watch list on Ebay that’s just down the road from me in North Yorkshire, listed at £895. Looks a nice bit of kit for the cash and easy for me to travel and have a look at if they are worthy of consideration. Link - https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/142533758018

Really appreciate the feedback and will look into everything mentioned properly after work and a quick 20 miler this afternoon! So if anyone has anything else to chip in with it will be gratefully received!

Smithii

Here’s a quick snap of my penny farthing for anyone wanting a laugh. Normally gives the kids with all the gear a giggle on a weekend until I top all their times on Strava haha!

The Rookie

The Bossnut is a damn good bike for the money, but you should be able to pick up a 1-2 year old better bike for similar money that would have been circa £2k new.

Make sure you get something 27.5 or 29 and 26" wheels are going out of fashion, lots of parts still available but its gettting harder.

apreading

Smithii wrote:

Interesting about the Bossnut ... as I said I’m not a manufacturer snob at all but once over wouldn’t have looked twice at what might considered a ‘Halfords spesh’ but had a quick read just now and was pleasantly surprised. Would people say they are definitely worth considering against something of a higher spec but a little older and second hand?

Definately worth considering - much love for both the Bossnut and the Boardman Full Suss from Halfords - if you want new with (some) dealer backup and warranty then there is much to be said for them. You will obviously get more for your money second hand though, as long as you are careful, patient and willing to take an educated risk.

Smithii wrote:

Also interesting that you’ve pointed out the Anthem as I’ve currently got one on my watch list on Ebay that’s just down the road from me in North Yorkshire, listed at £895. Looks a nice bit of kit for the cash and easy for me to travel and have a look at if they are worthy of consideration. Link - https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/142533758018

Thats the Anthem SX - the SX means it has 120mm suspension fork rather than the standards 100mm. This 2015 model should have come with a dropper post - note that it looks like they have removed that. so the 'new' value is less than they lead you to believe. The Giant dropper is around £150 but you can buy other makes for a bit less (or a bit more!).

The SX will be better for bigger stuff downhill but sacrifices a very small amount in climbing ability because the front end is higher. Its still a very capable climber though. Read some info here amongst other places: https://ajmacdonaldjr.wordpress.com/201 ... m-sx-2015/

That one looks in nice condition. Whether it is worth the price, I cant judge. It says you can make an offer so I would try and get £100 or so off on account of the dropper post missing if you go for it.

And Rookie - I was assuming a 1999 full suss Kona would already have discs? Were they not well established already by then?

Smithii

The Rookie wrote:

Make sure you get something 27.5 or 29 and 26" wheels are going out of fashion, lots of parts still available but its gettting harder.

Yeh this has proved to be a problem recently actually, tracking down replacement parts has become a pain and is one of the main reasons I’m wanting to upgrade other than what I’ve already mentioned.

The Rookie

apreading wrote:

And Rookie - I was assuming a 1999 full suss Kona would already have discs? Were they not well established already by then?

Came with discs or V's....Most bikes in 99 were still on rim brakes.

apreading

You are right - although I read (and typed) 1999, in my head I was thinking 10 years ago as that bit of the original post obviously lodged in my consciousness...

Still, discs would be a given on any MTB that OP is looking at now, dropper posts might not - but I think it should be on your list as a must have - either on the bike when purchased or budget to fit one later.

Smithii

apreading wrote:

You are right - although I read (and typed) 1999, in my head I was thinking 10 years ago as that bit of the original post obviously lodged in my consciousness...

Still, discs would be a given on any MTB that OP is looking at now, dropper posts might not - but I think it should be on your list as a must have - either on the bike when purchased or budget to fit one later.

I should point out I have had a few bikes since the Kona. I just haven’t parted ways with it so it’s what I’m currently using. It will be about 10 years since I bought a new bike though so I’m just totally out of the loop and as I said in my first post Ebay is a mine field with hundreds of seemingly decent bikes. Rather than read up on every single one of them I thought I’d get people’s opinions on what’s suitable and then keep my eye out over the winter for any of the recommendations people have given.