Need some advice..

WipeOut_Dude
WipeOut_Dude Posts: 52
edited October 2008 in MTB buying advice
Hi,

I pulled out my 9 year old Giant MTB a few weeks back and have been riding about three times since.. I haven't ridden for years before that and the problem is that I found it VERY uncomfortable.. Mostly because my poor old bike, even though it was good in its time, has no suspension at all.. There is no way I am going to get back into it ifs its uncomfortable so I need to fix it..

So I am now trying to decide what to do.. I would like to get into riding again, I want it to be comfortable (maybe I am getting old) and I don't want to spend a small fortune on a bike..

My initial thought was to perhaps upgrade my old bike with a suspension fork etc.. But that seems like a waste of money looking at the way bikes have developed over the years..

So the other option is a new bike..

I have had a look and the choice out there is phenomenal.. There seems to be a different bike for every every different kind of terrain or riding now..

So I am looking for some advice on what is best suited to me.. A full suspension bike or a hard tail and approximate price range I should be looking at..

I must stress, I am by no means a competitive rider, its purely recreational and for the fun of it..

I enjoy riding along the single track routes, especially disused railways if I am going for distance (don't enjoy riding on the road really).. For shorter rides I enjoy bridle ways through the woods near where I live which has lots of twisty turns both up hill and down hill through the trees, quite rutted and uneven, often muddy..

If comfort and control are the objectives is a full suspension bike the way to go for me? or do the drawbacks of full suspension outweigh the benefits and so would a hard tail be better?

I know this is a constant debate but taking what I enjoy about mountain biking hopefully it makes the choice a little more clear..

TIA :)

Comments

  • xtreem
    xtreem Posts: 2,965
    edited October 2008
    If you are riding the bike just recreational then I think a short travel fullsuspension bike willl be the best. The ride will be very smooth, comfortable and you don't gonna have to slow down on rough sections like you'll do on a hardtail.

    But as you said you don't want to spend a fortune for a new bike, so a decent XC fullsus bike will start form around £700.
    But for that money you can buy a hartail with a good spec and probably 1-2kg lighter than the fs.

    How much can you afford, because even for £500 you can get a decen hartail too, or even that's too much.
    Dont mind asking how old are you?

    555
    NS Bikes Eccentric Alu custom - 2016
  • WipeOut_Dude
    WipeOut_Dude Posts: 52
    I haven't really set a budget yet because I am still really trying to get my head around whats good now and what to look out for when choosing a bike.. There are a lot of makes of bikes now, well more than I remember anyway, and with the many classifications like XC, freeride, all mountain, DH, etc.. I am trying to work out what category of bike I should be looking at as well..

    As you suggested I think a XC bike is probably going to cover everything I will ever want to do..

    Also I think since I am just getting back into it I will probably look for a second hand bike to start, something with a fair spec and thats been looked after should do me just fine for a year or so.. By then I will also know more about what I am after and what components to look out for..

    I am only 34 but I haven't been on a bike in about 8 years so I am really not used to how hard it is on arms and wrists when hitting the rougher stuff.. Also got quite a sore backside after a 15 mile ride on a country trail.. So if I am going to get into it I want to enjoy it and so a more comfortable ride is what I am after.. :)
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Any idea of budget? 500 quid gets you a lot of XC hardtail (XC - woods, trails, moors etc)
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  • xtreem
    xtreem Posts: 2,965
    About your arms and wrists, don't worry, you ride a rigid one. A sus fork and a few rides you'll feel no pain.
    I think as you saying, £500 is a good budget for a ht that will be good for XC and will take some small drops or jumps. Plus you'll get a good spec, and also a good frame so you can upgrade the components better later.

    But the only thing that's worring me is your back pain. Maybe that's because you were 8 years away from your saddle, so with a few runs you'll be better. If not then a fullsus bike is a must.
    NS Bikes Eccentric Alu custom - 2016
  • beski
    beski Posts: 542
    For the type of riding you will be doing a hardtail would seem better suited than a full susser. You'll be amazed at the difference a good fork makes to the comfort of the ride, and would alleviate lots of the discomfort in your arms & wrists
    Giant Defy 4 2014
    GT Avalanche Expert 2006
    Specialized Hardrock 1989
  • WipeOut_Dude
    WipeOut_Dude Posts: 52
    Haven't really set a budget as such.. Just trying to work out whats the "right" bike for me.. Then I will decide what I need to pay..

    Do any of the bike shops allow you to take a bike out for a day to test it? I have an Evans near me so it might be worth asking them if they do demos because it probably comes down to preference quite a lot..
  • .blitz
    .blitz Posts: 6,197
    Try your Giant with some big tyres and run them at 20-25 psi.

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