Pro help required! Are these bikes any good?

shax007 · March 2011

Hi,

I dont know about forks, frames and disc brakes, I hope you do!

I will be using the bike on the road and offroad, general bike routes wth the mrs. Nothing hardore!

I have seen these bikes on ebay, please can someone tell me which one to buy.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT

P.S If you have a better suggestion I am all ears! Within £150.

thel33ter · March 2011

I'd go for the 3rd one, he yellow Rockhopper.

shax007 · March 2011

Thanks for the advice, I thought that too!

Only trouble is that I dont really know what i'm doing!

thel33ter · March 2011

When you pick it up, check the wheels, cranks, pedals and headset for play, and also make sure the seatpost moves.

shax007 · March 2011

Hi,

ok will do, thanks again for the advice, much apreciated.

pastey_boy · March 2011

looks a good deal it it fits.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Marin-Bear-Valley ... 45f9b78fc4

supersonic · March 2011

If you don't know what you are doing, it pays to buy from a shop who can set it up, advise you etc.

Sure, ask here. But we can't sit on it for you ;-)

diy · March 2011

Tbh those vintage Specialized bikes are priced for the antique market. The marin didn't look bad. Personally I would look out for something much newer. You may be able to get a Specialized hardrock or halfords carrara for similar money, but much newer.

shax007 · March 2011

I see what you mean about the vintage bikes.

I was not sure about the whole new vs old thing. I dont want to buy a brand new bike because I am sure that a second hand one will not only save me money but it will be pound for pound a better deal.

Also, I am not incompetant, I dont need a salesman in a bike shop to tell me what I should buy, buying second hand has certain limitations such as not being able to try every bike out.

My thoughts are that as long as the bike is a mans size and its got reasonable stats (Which is where you guys come in!) I would go for it.

I am a 'normal' height weight so I do not have certain requirements to do with managing heavy loads etc.

I like the Marin Bear, can anyone else vouch for this bike at £155? Or do i need to go newer still, if so any ideas?

pastey_boy · March 2011

the marin is a cracking deal for the price but how tall are you ?

shax007 · March 2011

thanks Pastey!

I am 5.8"

pastey_boy · March 2011

id say a man of your height should be riding a 17inch frame give or take a bit. you could ride the marin but its not ideal. best bet is to nip into a local bike shop and sit on a few.

shax007 · March 2011

My wife will use it too who is 5.10"! I have 32" leg legth too. I see what you mean as the marin has a 19.5" frame.

anjs · March 2011

It depends on how old the bikes are but you may have problems finding replacement parts if anything breaks.

shax007 · March 2011

Okay on second thoughts I will go to Halfords later and test some.

I was looking at a Saracen Vortex LE on ebay but I thought I was going to be able to get a bike that was between £300 to £500 second hand for around £150 to £200.

The Saracen is not that expensive to start with with. Sorry I am pretty much using price as a guide as I dont really know how good the forks etc are.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Saracen-Vortex-LE ... 5d2e24cc17

Would it make that much difference if I went for a bike like a CARRERA VULCAN DISC (I heard some bad press about Carrera's build quality)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CARRERA-VULCAN-DI ... 3a6400b3c6

shax007 · March 2011

Hey guys,

I went into Halfords and tried out a few bikes. The guy was really helpfull I was really surprised, no hard sell! Good call people!

Anway it looks like an 18" frame is perfect for me. The guy actually suggested that I would be better off with a hybrid but I like the look and feel of a MTB so I think I will stick to that.

I can always put different wheels/tyres on cant i?

Anyway it looks like the Marin Bear that was suggested is too big for me.

Back to my 3 original choices or has anyone spotted another little gem someone where?

shax007 · March 2011

Sorry I forgot to mention, I needed to apologise to 'supersonic' because it turns out I was completely wrong.

It looks like I did need the help of a bike shop after all! :oops:

pastey_boy · March 2011

shax007 wrote:

Sorry I forgot to mention, I needed to apologise to 'supersonic' because it turns out I was completely wrong.

It looks like I did need the help of a bike shop after all! :oops:

dont apologise ..... halfords is not a specialist bike shop (their own words) they are an auto accessory shop that knock out a few bikes.

cooldad · March 2011

pastey_boy wrote:

shax007 wrote:

Sorry I forgot to mention, I needed to apologise to 'supersonic' because it turns out I was completely wrong.

It looks like I did need the help of a bike shop after all! :oops:

dont apologise ..... halfords is not a specialist bike shop (their own words) they are an auto accessory shop that knock out a few bikes.

Balls. There are plenty of good people working for Halfords, and some rubbish ones, like everywhere else. During the week when they are not too busy, and the staff are full time, they can be very good.
They also sell some great bikes at excellent prices.
So they may not be a 'specialist' bike shop (and some of those are pretty rubbish anyway) but they are certainly a useful bike shop. Not everyone wants or needs a boutique bike.

supersonic · March 2011

There is a bit of confusion about sizing here which I will attempt to clear up: one 18 inch bike can be completely different to another. Not only do some manufacturers measure the seat tube to a different place, but there are many more measurements on a bike like top tube length, standover height, head and seat angles and so on.

The 18 inch carrera will no doubtedly fit different from the 18 inch Marin: the only way to check here is to look up the geometry of said bikes and compare.

Carrera Vulcans are good for the cash. Also check out the Decathlon Rockrider 5.2:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/rockrider ... -69566845/

Brand new, for 200 quid, a great bike.

halfords is not a specialist bike shop

Where did they say that?

shax007 · March 2011

To be honest i thought that the guy was really helpful. He did not try to get to 'techie' with me either.

Does that mean I cant get a better bike than the decathlon rockrider 5.2 second hand?

I am still thinking that a second hand bike is better than a brand new one!

Surely the CARRERA VULCAN or the Saracen Vortex LE is better or what about the Kona Fire and GT Avalanche 3.0?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CARRERA-VULCAN-DI ... 3a6400b3c6

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Saracen-Vortex-LE ... 5d2e24cc17

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/QUALITY-KONA-FIRE ... 230f82deb7

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT

My budget is starting to go out the window! I am supossed to be buying a new car too!

supersonic · March 2011

You are taking a punt with the size unless you can try one, but better second hand bikes are available.

Problem is: how good condition? If you have to replace all the drivetrain and bearings in 4 weeks then you will lose a lot of money. Or if the forks don't work correctly etc. if you know whatyou are buying, and your way around a bike, then 2nd hand has it's benefits. Though you have no warranty at all.

That Vulcan is not worth £250 as you can get them for £300 from Halfords (and often less).

The Vortex is just about worth the money 2nd hand.

The Fire Mountain is not worth that money 2nd hand. Neither was the GT, but that has gone now.

For 200 quid delivered, new, with warranty, this is the best I have seen for around 200 quid:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2010-MONGOOSE-TYA ... c4ff9f9f1c

benpinnick · March 2011

Supersonics right. For £200 that's a good bike. Certainly enough for the casual user.

estampida · March 2011

that look like a good starter

on sizing go as small as you can bare, no iron gates

cooldad · March 2011

estampida wrote:

that look like a good starter

on sizing go as small as you can bare, no iron gates

I believe riding naked can get you arrested.

shax007 · March 2011

It looks good but the price is actually £260 inc postage.

Its only £200 if the 'small' one is purchased.

Is it stll the best I am going to get for that price guys?

supersonic · March 2011

Ah, different sizes, different prices.

Still a nice piece of kit - at full RRP is better than many at the same price.

cooldad · March 2011

If you look around you can get a bargain, but you have to know what you want. I got an old Rockhopper off Ebay for £34 delivered that I use as a pub bike. Sold some bits off it for around £20, and put the brand new DMR V8's it had on another bike, replaced the sold bits with some from my stash, so effectively it cost me pretty much nothing. And it has Mint Sauce stickers.
Also got a nice road bike in Reynolds 531 steel for a fiver. Needed new tubes, so £10 total.

So by finding something on auction instead of Buy Now you can get a bargain.

But if you are not sure the Rockrider linked on the previous page is a decent bike, new and guaranteed.

At some point you just have to buy a bike.

shax007 · March 2011

See, i am with you on the bargain hunt, I love a good bargain!

paying full whack is just not my thing, I dont feel satisfied unles I think I have done well on a purchase. Sad I know but we live in a world of cut prices so I think I am trained this way now!

Ok so just to recap on what you guys are saying...

You think I should buy a MONGOOSE TYAX SPORT XC or a Decathalon Rockrider 5.2 brand new and not bother with trying to get a bargain from ebay etc for the same money.

On the other hand you are saying that there are bargains to be had!!! :idea:

But you are right, I have to buy one sometime! OK which one out of these then... new or nearly new!

New (I guess that I need a large size at £250, what size is large FFS!)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2010-MONGOOSE-TYA ... c4ff9f9f1c

Nearly new (Someone said earlier that is was the only 'OK' one out of my list)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Saracen-Vortex-LE ... 5d2e24cc17

Wild card (Hybrid!!!)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Cannondale-Bad-Bo ... 3a64a51f64

cooldad · March 2011

I am saying if you know what you are doing, or are lucky, there are bargains to be had.
But
If you are unsure, or unlucky you would be better off buying a decent new bike.

supersonic · March 2011

I'd only go 2nd hand if you are knowledgable with bikes and how to service and replace parts (unless you want to learn quick!)

This is a great deal:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VIKING-URBAN-MYTH ... 588d4602aa

24 speed means good quality gear parts, plus rest is decent. You could add a MUCH better suspension fork at a later date than found aon any 250 quid bike for just an extra 100 quid.

Then you'll have a great piece of kit.

Pro help required! Are these bikes any good?

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