Buying advice for n00b - prefer S/H and budget can be around 1k

Ditlan

Hi,

So I recently split up with the GF and moved out of the city (Manchester) a bit so I have access to some decent trails (I live in Denton at the mo).

I am using my housemates bike which is a Specialised Carve Pro 2013 (I think) - its in serious need of a service but thats by the by for now.

I am thinking of picking up a bike for myself, but looking to buy S/H - I prefer S/H to new anyway due to waste reduction and environmental impact, plus if I am misreading my own intentions to stick with this then I don't want to be massively out of pocket.

So in terms of advice I would like to seek off you fine folk;

I work contract jobs, and my next one *might* be up in the lakes, I am using this as a good excuse to think about treating myself to a good bike, money isn't a huge issue for me but I dont want to go bonkers so I was thinking around the £1k mark - less is better!

I dont want to spend money for the sake of it, and if its just more sensible to buy something for sub £500 then so be it! I think I am just allowing the little boy in me to tell me I want a full suspension frame...

I had eyes on spending in the £6-800 region on a 2014 Nukeproof Mega TR from ebay, not even sure how I ended up on that bike, but it seemed to strike a good balance of satisfying my inner child whilst also looking like a pretty cracking bike.

Anyway, I'm here to learn, so please do tell me what I should be doing/looking at before getting carried away with myself.

tight_git

In a similar position to you I recently picked up a Voodoo Zobop full suspension bike for £550. It is less than 2 years old and was in immaculate condition, looks like it had been used twice at most!

The advantage around that price is that you may well find one bought on a CTW scheme where the person then decides cycling is not for them. Other ones that get good reviews are Boardman and Calibre Bossnut so there are some good ones available.

Try and work out what size you need and then don't be rushed trying to find a good one.

Good luck!

Ditlan

From my reading I need a large frame, I'm 5,11.

The Rookie

That could be a large or a medium depending on your actual build and the sizing of the bike you are looking at.

It’s hard to recommend a bike really as no one can second guess what will be available at any one time near you, but yes the two Voodoo’s (Zoobop and Canzo) are both worth considering.

Maybe post up what you can see coming up near you (Gumtree - beware stolen ones, eBay, pinkbike.com etc) and ask opinions on them.

Ditlan

Ok, so this is the one I mentioned in the first post that caught my eye:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NUKEPROOF-ME ... 2731236250

It's not near me but looks in excellent condition and will post.

The Voodoo's are looking a bit cheaper by 2-300 quid, how to they compare to the Nukeproof? I prefer the look of the Nukeproof, but that isn't that important if it's not a good buy.

I am heading to the NW MTB centre next Wednesday to get my mates ride that I'm using at the moment serviced - so I'll have a look at checking my size when I'm there, I saw that I was on the very bottom end of a large frame.

CitizenLee

Ditlan wrote:

Ok, so this is the one I mentioned in the first post that caught my eye:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NUKEPROOF-ME ... 2731236250

It's not near me but looks in excellent condition and will post.

The Voodoo's are looking a bit cheaper by 2-300 quid, how to they compare to the Nukeproof? I prefer the look of the Nukeproof, but that isn't that important if it's not a good buy.

I am heading to the NW MTB centre next Wednesday to get my mates ride that I'm using at the moment serviced - so I'll have a look at checking my size when I'm there, I saw that I was on the very bottom end of a large frame.

I have a 2012 Mega frame which I custom built, and I highly recommended them. They climb like a goat and descend like, er... something that descends really well. Can take a good beating too

FFIW I'm also 5'11" and prefer medium frames as I find them easier to throw around.

Ditlan

Nice to hear they are a good bike! I had seen a frame only for sale and thought about buying all parts second hand and building to help teach me about the bike - but it would have ended up more expensive than buying as a whole with the same spec.

So as a relative newcomer who would probably prefer stability over manoeuvrability to begin with, do you think I should er toward a large?

CitizenLee

Building you own can work out cheaper if you shop around for parts (bike-discount.de for example), but if you just want to get out and ride ASAP and not have to worry about also buying proprietary tools to fit specific parts then I'd be inclined to go for a complete bike. You can learn as you maintain it.

I come from a BMX background so smaller bikes generally feel more natural to me... but if you would prefer to have a stable bike then aye, maybe large would be best. Tough call to make for someone else really!

Keep in mind you can shorten/lengthen the feel of the bike by changing to a longer/shorter reach stem, and/or by sliding the saddle back or forth on the rails.

Ditlan

Cheers, yea i figured it wouldn't be a simple question to answer. I'll hopefully get a bit more of an idea after visiting the shop.

When I looked at doing a build I was looking at 100% second hand ebay parts, and the lowest I could get the price was around £850 - not bad by any stretch but I think complete builds go for similar or a smidge less.