New to MTB.... 1k choices.....

ads77
ads77 Posts: 57
edited August 2019 in MTB buying advice
Hi all....

I’m a long time roadie looking to start mountain biking to keep up with my 12 yr old lad......

Want to be able to do trails and trail centres so Hardtail or full sus is the first question....

Secondly.... I have seen two options for and entry full sus and wondered if anyone had any experience or opinions.... the norco fluid fs 3 at Evans on offer, or the calibra bossnut which is getting some rave reviews....

Cheers.

Comments

  • billycool
    billycool Posts: 833
    Welcome to the world of MTB.

    The HT/FS debate has loads of variables.

    As an ex-roadie, you may find the HT more familiar. It should be lighter than a FS and for £1k you can get a well spec'd bike. They can also double up a bit for road riding etc where a FS can drag a bit more.

    For FS your options are limited at that price point. The Bossnut is very well reviewed and certainly worth consideration. It is a tad heavy at 14.5kg but it's not the end of the world (most FS bikes will feel heavy compared to a road bike).

    The Bossnut Evo is currently on offer at £899:

    https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15903687/c ... e-15903687

    I don't know much about the Norco Fluid 3, although it looks like a sensible entry level bike (I've not done a direct comparison with the Bossnut spec). My FS is actually a Norco Sight 1 140mm Enduro bike but quite light at c.13kg. I love it, although it has a higher spec than the Fluid 3.

    I also have a HT and I'm a big fan of learning your trade on one. You learn to `feel` the trail and arguably get a better speed sensation out of it. Great for smooth trails, a bit bumpier on the lumpy stuff and less forgiving (us old gits argue that it teaches you to ride properly). It really depends how you define a trail and what you may end up doing in the future.

    I've ridden my HT in most places and had a blast. They do reach a limit on the knarlier stuff but come into their own on the paths/trails/tow paths etc.

    When you get into the 1x or 2x discussion, you open a whole new can of worms. Not to mention dropper posts, 27.5 v 29 and flats or SPD's.

    Happy shopping.
    "Ride, crash, replace"
  • ads77
    ads77 Posts: 57
    Thanks mate... appreciate the info.... after doing a tad more reading, I think hardtail may be the way to go for now. And with a 1k budget can get some good deals at the mo.

    The Whyte 529 looks decent, along with a load of Cubes on Rutland Cycling's site.

    Any other ideas for good value hardtails would be appreciated. Canyon also have some good value as per usual.

    Cheers.

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  • bonzo_banana
    bonzo_banana Posts: 256
    The new Bossnut is available now. I think you can get it for £935 with a discount code. See hotukdeals. Looks to be much improved over the old Bossnut but admit I've not seen a direct comparision of the old Bossnut Evo vs the new model but according to the youtube videos it seems to be a huge upgrade in spec terms. In riding terms don't know yet but suspect it will actually ride better.

    Bossnut.jpg
  • ads77
    ads77 Posts: 57
    Thanks again all....

    We have a great Giant store near us and I’m tempted by the Fathom 1 29er (2020 model).
  • mm94210
    mm94210 Posts: 40
    These guys are having a decent sale at the moment and might be worth a look.

    https://www.edinburghbicycle.com/mountain-bikes-sale

    You’ve mentioned Giant bikes and they have a few of them in their sale (for example this seasons Fathom 1 is down from £1249 to £899.99 on their site which is the best price I can find).
  • ads77
    ads77 Posts: 57
    Cheers mate..... They do have some good offers!!

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