Sub £400 MTB - First Hardtail - Advice on choices & Any recommendations please

stevekoz

Hi all,

I've been shopping for a new bike for my wife. She is 5ft 10 and the bike is needed for the lightest of xc riding, nothing more than roots and ruts. I doubt very much she'll be doing red/black runs any time soon.

So this bike is for family rides on blue runs / fire trails and around the local parks.

There is so much conflicting advice and reviews of bikes at the moment. I had a shopping list but for the money that is wanted to be spent circa £400 there are many compromises i know to make. I would have bought 2nd hand but she has her heart set on a new bike. And nothing wrong with that.

So. I've done my homework. Spent hours scouring the internet and come up with a choice of 4 or 5bikes. I have listed the bikes below + my comments -

1. Trek Marlin 5 2019 - https://www.evanscycles.com/trek-marlin ... e-EV340595
This is a 29er with a modern frame geo and 29" wheels - compromise i think is the fork i think as it comes with an SR Suntour XCE 28 but don't know where that sits in the Suntour hierarchy - i imagine fairly low.

2. Calibre Two 3 - This is the update to the Calibure Two Two now with a 650b wheelset - https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/calibre-tw ... ke-p433553
I cannot find any real reviews or experiences of this bike so wondered if it could be a real bargain find at £320 currently.

3. Cube Aim SL - https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/cub ... prod164850
The spec of this looks ok but the reviews i can find are a couple of years old and nothing on the recent bikes. Those older reviews make it out to be a poor bike. I wondered if anyone had experience of one?

4. Cube Aim Pro - https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/cub ... prod164855
Basically the 29er version of the SL but without the remote lockout fork.

5. Rockrider 540 - https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-s ... 50454.html
I've had a rockrider as my first full sus a few years ago - the 9.1. A rare bike to get hold of now. It was brilliant. I've seen many reviews of the slightly older models being good but they seemed to have now cut costs a bit on the components moving away from rockshox till the higher priced bikes. So wondered are they still a good bargain. Anyone ride one?

Ultimately i know that the choice is limited in my price bracket and that for where she will be riding. Most of the above would do an adequate job. But i want this to last her and for her to feel comfortable and enjoy the riding and in my experience. A budget bike often can lead to the opposite effect.

I'd really appreciate any thoughts on my shopping list as it stands and if perhaps there is a diamond in the rough i haven't considered perhaps.

TIA

cooldad

The Trek is dire, rubbish components. Not sure about the forks on the Cubes, one I'm sure has mechanical lock out/damping, which is nasty.

I would probably pick the Calibre. Overall decent bits, and they normally get good reviews at the price.

stevekoz

Well. Went to see a couple on the list.

The trek is by far the nicest looking bike of the lot but its suspension is like a pogo stick and asides the frame having a modern look. Its bargain drawer stuff.

The calibre two 3 looks dated despite being brand new. The brakes and shifters are combined and I've found those are juat a pig to replace should one part go wrong. It just isnt a nice looking bike and cramped in even a large.

I've yet to look at the rockrider.

The cube is cramped and just feels wierd. Though its peobably equal top in looks stake.

So. I'd really appreciate any other options if anyone has one. It seems budget a couple of years ago might get you an ok spec. Shows times are hard as at the moment bottom drawer is just that. There has to be an ok bike out there for 400 notes that isn't 2nd hand. Help lol.

manoirdelourde

At your price point you can rarely beat Decathlon . . .

stevekoz

So rockrider choices are 520s and 540.

Any opinions or experiences?

Will go and see them tomorrow but nice to have a useful opinion.

TIA

cooldad

Fair enough about the Calibre. I've never seen combined hydraulic brake levers/shifters, and I tend to agree.

stevekoz

I was disappointed as lower spec 26 bike had triggers. Seems the specs on bikes sent out in reviews differ perhaps but i was expecting more. It really didnt stand up to the promise it had on paper.

The bossnut looks like a million miles away like its built by a different company. Shame i can't convince my wife to spend the extra.

Its frustrsting that bikes under a 1000 Just dummy seem to shout longevity. Build quality to throw away. Maybe I'm just getting old. Who knows.

I can't see past buying 2nd hand right now. Even if a new bike has a warranty the reviews on the decsthlon bikes are ok but everyone says needed to be taken back. Parts replaced within months. Its frustrsting as heck.

I thought setting aside 400 for a famiky weekend hack bike would be ok. I wouldnt pedal half of these down the local corner shop!

slc123

A friend of mine has a Calibre Two Two and it's not a bad budget bike. Admittedly the gears didn't fair to well after a year of riding and pretty much fell apart when he took it round Cannock. I suspect a lack of maintenance, but I replaced that with an SLX 11 speed setup for him and it's not a bad bike at all for hacking round the local trails. Another guy I rode with had a Rockrider for a while, but that wasn't up to much and he struggled on most of the local trails when it got a little more gnarly. He had to take his back a few times which concurs with your comments above.

I would probably recommend second hand for that budget. Should be able to pick up something decent enough for that.

manoirdelourde

“So this bike is for family rides on blue runs / fire trails and around the local parks.”

We have a Decathlon 540, couple of years old now, lightly ridden as per your original post requirements and have had no problems at all . . .

stevekoz

manoirdelourde wrote:

“So this bike is for family rides on blue runs / fire trails and around the local parks.”

We have a Decathlon 540, couple of years old now, lightly ridden as per your original post requirements and have had no problems at all . . .

Thank you that is helpful to know. I'm going to Decathlon today after work to view their range and give a couple a try.

steve_sordy

Stevekoz wrote:

I was disappointed as lower spec 26 bike had triggers. Seems the specs on bikes sent out in reviews differ perhaps but i was expecting more. It really didnt stand up to the promise it had on paper.

.............

I assume you mean it had trigger shifters?

What is wrong with trigger shifters? Twist grips are what they put on budget bikes or for kids because, well... I can't think of a reason why they do even on expensive kids bikes like those from Islabike. My grandson struggled with the wrist strength required for a twist grip to access the largest gear at the back. But he had zero problems with trigger shift. There probably is a high spec twist grip supplied by someone, but I have never seen or heard of one. Trigger shifts are easy to set up and to maintain and do not require any wrist strength to use.

stevekoz

steve_sordy wrote:

Stevekoz wrote:

I was disappointed as lower spec 26 bike had triggers. Seems the specs on bikes sent out in reviews differ perhaps but i was expecting more. It really didnt stand up to the promise it had on paper.

.............

I assume you mean it had trigger shifters?

What is wrong with trigger shifters? Twist grips are what they put on budget bikes or for kids because, well... I can't think of a reason why they do even on expensive kids bikes like those from Islabike. My grandson struggled with the wrist strength required for a twist grip to access the largest gear at the back. But he had zero problems with trigger shift. There probably is a high spec twist grip supplied by someone, but I have never seen or heard of one. Trigger shifts are easy to set up and to maintain and do not require any wrist strength to use.

I prefer trigger shifters. I wasnt talking about twist grips. By triggers, i mean single piece shifters seperate from the brake set up. I was not referring to grip shifts...those are troublesome for children to change, of which i have plenty of experience also. So agree.

The shifters i was referring to, on the the calibre two 3 are where brakes and gear shifters are a combined singular piece of kit. Not a separate item.

I would not classify those personally as triggers. I don't know what they are specifically called. But. The difficulty ive had with those are that if the gear shifter or brake is damaged eg. Crash. Its more of a pain to replace the whole single unit. Than if say you could swap out just a shifter or a buy new brake set. Its just a PITA. Not saying you can't do it.

t0ffeeman

If you can convince her to spend a little more the Voodoo Bizango has had good reviews for the past few years.
Not sure if its changed, but if you are a British Cycling member, costs £20 a year, you get 10% off.
A Bizango is currently £520, so 10% is a £52 saving, obviously you have the £20 to pay to BC to take into account, but at least you'd be getting a decent bike for not a lot above your budget.
Have a look at the other bikes in the Voodoo range, might be worth considering....

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/ ... -22-frames

The Rookie

If the Rockrider 540 has the latest XCR fork that’s a decent bit of kit, pretty much last years Raidon.

stevekoz

it does say xcr 100 on the fork
how do i tell if that is the correct one though?

stevekoz

so as an update. she is set on a new bike and won't entertain used - i had a new bike, so did the kids, in fact the kids had a better budget than she has set herself but she is determined to start riding and get fitter - be nice to do as a family. That all said. I'd prefer to spend a bit more but in nearly £4k laid out on bikes this year i don't think i can get it past the budget. So given the RR 540 seems the best spec at that budget and i've done some research on the xcr 100 fork - it gets the best reviews of any "budget" suntour fork - i think the RR 540 is what we will go for. I'll go see it tomorrow - didn't have time today. I'll let you all know tomorrow.

Im sure that for what she will be using it will be ok , just not overly light, but then as she gets fitter and more into it (which is my hope) she can ride it till it dies and i can swap it out for a fox or rockshox when budget allows.

This is the best compromise i can come too really. Unless anyone can recommend any other bikes that may fit the criteria of £400 and a decent "light xc" use bike else i'll be buying one tomorrow.

thanks for all the help guys.

Matty2B

Stretch it to £450 and you can get a Vitus Nucleus VR on offer from Wiggle...

stevekoz

Matty2B wrote:

Stretch it to £450 and you can get a Vitus Nucleus VR on offer from Wiggle...

Funny you should say that. Id have loved too but she wouldnt stretch. So after much talking she agreex if could find a newish 2md hand bike she would be ok.

So i found a 2018 vitus nucleus 275 vr on ebay and picked it up tonight. 350. Ridden oncem