New rider needs a new/second hand bike 1500 to spend what are your thoughts

jack.murton

Hello all

As above I’m back into MTB and would like to buy a full sus.
I’m happy to buy brand new or second hand would also be an option as I’ll be able to get more for my money.
Really I want to know what bike brands/models are good for trail riding as I’m looking to go to bike park wales hit some jumps, fast trails etc.
Let me know your thoughts if you can
Thanks
J

Also know someone sell a giant reign 1 2017 mint. Looks like it would do the job. What are people’s thoughts price is 1400£. Might be able to drop a tad.

billycool

You mention `trail riding` and BPW in the same sentence. To me, trail riding involves pedalling and BPW is more of a DH environment that you do once or twice a year.

What will the bike be used for 95% of the time?

I've seen Calibre Bossnut/Beastnuts do very well at BPW as well as Boardmans and Vitus. All do very capable `entry level` FS bikes from £1000 to £1500.

Obviously, a good DH bike doesn't necessarily make a good uphill bike. I have a fairly light 140mm Enduro bike that is great for BPW was can also do the more day to day stuff that I do on a more regular basis (Cannock, Peaks etc). I also have a HT for winter hacking and local paths/trails/roads on some local rides when the FS is a bit too much (the HT is also quicker and climbs better).

The Reign 1 appears to be a £3k bike from what I've Googled - so if you can get it for £1200 to £1400 and it's in mint condition (and fits you), then it may be an option. I think it's 160mm so perfect for BPW but depends what else you want to do with it as that would be too much for me for my regular riding.

You should get some sensible choices.

JBA

The Reign is a great bike for somewhere like BPW but is a bit of a beast for trail riding. It's long and quite heavy. Much more of an enduro bike than a trail bike.

A trail bike in the 130mm to 150mm range may be better for your needs. Something like a Giant Trance, Specialized Stumpjumper or Whyte T-130 are good options and can all be found second hand for decent prices.

jack.murton

Thanks for the replies guys. Okay so maybe I need to be more specific here.
BPW is something that I’ll probably do 2/3 times a year I guess as I’m in Kent.
Near me we have some good trails but I also want to do some jumps (nothing major but trails/dh jumps etc) and also use the bike as an all rounder just going around town to get out the house kind of thing.
I’m now confused as to what type of bike I need :?:
It will need to be good enough for BPW, good enough for local trails anything i can find and good for small rides around town.

billycool

What you need is 2 bikes.

The extra info is really helpful. Based on the riding you want to do, you need a simple HT, an XC bike, Enduro bike and full DH rig. You won't get that in one bike.

What JBA said is good advice- something more middle of the road. A Whyte T-130 feels far more capable than the 130mm suggests. I've been down BPW and Cwmcarn on a friends and it really rocks. Slightly too heavy for me for XC riding. Wierdly, my FS bike is a 140mm, but it's pretty light at around 30lbs compared to many similar Enduro bikes, so it can do XC type work as well. Doesn't climb as well as my HT but it's lighter than the other FS that I ride with.

A 130mm travel bike can easily cope with BPW - it's not a full on DH bike but that shouldn't matter (you can also rent bikes if you want to go a bit more mental). I have also done BPW on a HT with 90mm front fork. I had a blast on the blue trials but it was very hard work and I got serious arm pump. FS was much more fun. you can jump and get air just fine (I'm not a big jumper but my mate on his T-130 is ex-MotoX and he can do all sorts. I've also seen some youngster get ridiculous air on a Baordman FS. It's not just the bike but the jockey as well. My bike is far more talented than I am.

A `getting around town` bike does not need to be FS at all. Maybe get a cheap litte HT run around? (I'm getting back to the theme of 2 bikes).

Ultimately, I wouldn't want to ride to town on a full on 160mm DH rig, or ride BPW on a HT (again).

Like I said before - the bike needs to be pitched at what you ride MOST of the time. Everything else should be manageable but don't base your decision on 2 or 3 trips to BPW.

jack.murton

Okay so I’ve been researching some more and like the the idea of a stump jumper. I’ve found someone selling a brand new one 2018 model fsr locally and I’m going to view it at the weekend. He’s asking 1200. He said he paid 1800 brand new for it and I’ve looked online it seems about right. The reviews look good too so I’m optimistic about this one. Will let you know

billycool

I've had quite a few Spesh HT bikes. My current one is a Stumpjumper.

When I was looking for a FS I nearly got one but it was 150mm and the Camber at 130mm was more appealing. Never got it in the end as I was seduced by Steve Sordy's Norco.

Just make sure the bike fits you and feels right.

jack.murton

Hi again
So I’ve purchased the new bike.
I went for a Trek Remedy 9 27.5 2016.
Bike was In really good condition. Felt really smooth when I tested it. Looking forward to hitting some trails etc.