Newbie in need of advice!

AndyWoodson

Hi guys,
My wife and I hired some bikes on a recent camping holiday and really enjoyed going along the trails on them so we want to do it more. My wife has an old bike which she is happy to use but I don't have one so this is where you lot come in.
My first question is should I have full suspension or just front suspension? The bikes we used had just front suspension and they weren't massively comfortable (the trail we rode on was mostly a former railway track and was very bumpy and the seats were quite hard). Is having full suspension a bit too much for this kind of riding? I think this is going to be the main type of riding we will be doing, just on trails like the Tissington Trail, mostly flat with lovely views and places to stop for a cream tea or a pint!
For my second question, what is the best way to buy a bike? New? Used? Online? In person? I probably want to spend around £200 max. Is this realistic?
Finally, I want to have some panniers or saddle bags to carry some of the weight so I don't have to have a massive backpack on all the time. Can these be fitted to a bike with full suspension? What are some good brands to look for?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

JBA

For £200 you won't get anything decent in full sus flavour.

For the riding you describe it's doubtful that you even need front suspension. On bikes at the £200 price point the suspension forks that are fitted are generally heavy and not particularly effective.

I'd suggest going second had for £200. Good deals come up every now and again if you keep an eye on eBay and for sale sections on forums such as this one.

If you intend to stick to easy trails, canal paths, fire roads, etc then you will probably be better off with a hybrid. A Carrera Crossfire or Boardman Hybrid would fit the bill and can be picked up for a couple of hundred quid second hand. Most hybrids have eyelets to allow the fitting of mudguards and rack(s).

AndyWoodson

I have seen a lot of full suspension bikes on sites like Gumtree for less than £100, are these just not worth the money?

JBA

Are they proper full suspension bikes or just cheap bikes with a spring at the back that does nothing apart from bounce up and down and rob you of a lot of the energy you put in to pedalling?

A cheap full sus BSO is not designed with efficiency in mind. It is just a fashion thing that adds weight and creates lots of peddle bob.

AndyWoodson

I think they probably are just cheap ones

JBA

Something like THIS or THIS would be ideal for your intended use.

AndyWoodson

That's great thank you very much

RichardSmart

Just get some (padded) cycling shorts and you should be good to go...

steve_sordy

No suspension at all, get a hybrid bike, not a road bike, not a mountain bike. Put some wider tyres on, as wide as will fit. Don't pump up to the max and they will give you a trail smoothing action. Experiment a bit. Use Slime tubes and you will never get a flat tyre.

Get some padded liners like these:
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Endura-Padded- ... _44387.htm
Google to get the best price. They will stop your bum hurting.

froze

For 200 DO NOT buy a bike with a rear OR front suspension. Cheap front suspension shocks are heavy and do not perform the way you would think they would, they are not really designed to be taken off road, besides that I use to ride trails in the mountains of southern California with guys who had suspension bikes and I didn't have any suspension equipment, and I kept up with them just fine! And if all you're going to be doing is some mild trail stuff don't waste your money on a suspension fork that will break in the near future and then you have spend more than the bike is worth to get a mid level fork and put it on a low end frame...it doesn't make sense. Plus suspension forks rob you of your forward watts. In addition to that a suspension fork is more useful for fast downhill highly technical racing which you're not doing. Get a rigid bike and be done with it.

rideibiza

Buying the right bike will inspire you ride more and ride with confidence on some tricky stuff. For example if you were to by a Whyte T-130. Very reasonable price for the equipment. The geometry and equipment will make the difference in feeling. Imagine driving a Vauxhall astra off road.. You would go really careful and slow. But take a 4x4 and you feel safe in control and capable. Plus a bike of this value and quality will alst you several years with some change in parts.. A 200 bike will possibly cost more moeny in up keep if used alot on trails. Ride On!