from rigid oldy to full sus newy ????

marksimon69 · February 2012

Hi all,

New to the forum........

A quick question ....

Am oldish (51) and have been cycling on the road on and off for many years ......am putting on a bit of the old middle age podge, but have been out mountain biking with a few mates and have suddenly become inspired !!!
At the moment I am using and old hardtail Trek 4500 (1999 model) which gets around just, but rattles the old bones to hell.
So, need a bit of advice ............. will be doing mainly trails and cross country with a few mad downhills and night rides every month, so am looking for a new good spec full sus for about £2000 tops.
Have trawled around the web for ages and get varying reviews on various bikes ............ any ideas?

Cheers

Mark

stanny_uk · February 2012

check out http://www.canyon.com/_uk/shop/ you get more bike for your buck as no middle man direct from factory and there nerve 9.0 won awards last year.. i'm saving as we speak!!!

marksimon69 · February 2012

Thanks Stanny,
Looks interesting.

Any reviews you can guide me to?

Shaggy_Dog · February 2012

Go into a reputable local bike shop and ask! Most bike shop monkeys are keen riders and know their stuff, few people in the bike trade are out to rip you off. You might not get THE best bike on the market but you'll get a good one and it will likely be set up properly. A well set up good bike is much better than a poorly set up excellent one. Avoid Halfords and Evans if you're new to the full suss game. I've worked in both and most of the people working there are kids with too strong opinions about what's cool, have no idea at all or simply don't care. A lot of people on this forum will suggest Boardman and Canyon, and while they are excellent value for money, you'll need the service of a good bike shop, and that's something you just can't get with those brands

marksimon69 · February 2012

Sound advice Shaggy .......... what do you ride?

marksimon69 · February 2012

If I go the normal route .......... have been looking at Trek, Giant, Specialized, Scott and Cube.
But now am thinking of a 29er so I can use on a few road jaunts with the mates on hybrids if I lock out the shocks and pump the tryes up !!!!!.................. confused from Buckinghamshire ??

chez_m356 · February 2012

Shaggy_Dog wrote:

Go into a reputable local bike shop and ask! Most bike shop monkeys are keen riders and know their stuff, few people in the bike trade are out to rip you off. You might not get THE best bike on the market but you'll get a good one and it will likely be set up properly. A well set up good bike is much better than a poorly set up excellent one. Avoid Halfords and Evans if you're new to the full suss game. I've worked in both and most of the people working there are kids with too strong opinions about what's cool, have no idea at all or simply don't care. A lot of people on this forum will suggest Boardman and Canyon, and while they are excellent value for money, you'll need the service of a good bike shop, and that's something you just can't get with those brands

yes thats right, anyone who buys a new bike has absolutely no idea how to set them up

larryb · February 2012

stanny_uk wrote:

check out http://www.canyon.com/_uk/shop/ you get more bike for your buck as no middle man direct from factory and there nerve 9.0 won awards last year.. i'm saving as we speak!!!

I second that. I have received mine 6 weeks ago and I am more happy/satisfied with it than I expected. The pictures don do the looks justice and the fit is the best I have had on a bike using their fitting system. Spec is unbelievable for what I paid.

larryb · February 2012

Shaggy_Dog wrote:

Go into a reputable local bike shop and ask! Most bike shop monkeys are keen riders and know their stuff, few people in the bike trade are out to rip you off. You might not get THE best bike on the market but you'll get a good one and it will likely be set up properly. A well set up good bike is much better than a poorly set up excellent one. Avoid Halfords and Evans if you're new to the full suss game. I've worked in both and most of the people working there are kids with too strong opinions about what's cool, have no idea at all or simply don't care. A lot of people on this forum will suggest Boardman and Canyon, and while they are excellent value for money, you'll need the service of a good bike shop, and that's something you just can't get with those brands

Could he not take he's bike he has purchased to a local bike store? I do agree though, avoid Halfords & Evans. I went in Evans for a chat and they was trying to sell me a Specialized stump jumper that I did not want and told me the Scott Genius I wanted was crap and had many faults? I also Wouldnt suggest a boardman, they are good spec for the money but its the fact of purchasing from Halfords and letting them build it/mess it up and then argue toss when something goes wrong. When I was getting my 1st Full Suspension I bought 'What Mountain Bike' magazine for a few months and read it front to back and learnt loads. The type of bike I thought I wanted ( All mountain Rig ) is not what I ended up with because I had read loads. Ended up with a Canyon Nerve XC 7.0 with a dropper post. I love it. I would of loved a Yeti 575 (BEST BIKE I HAVE RIDDEN BY A LONG SHOT) but I am not rich. But because I had ridden one one the trails my expectations was high and was not expecting near enough the same level of ride from my Canyon. I was plesently surprised to how good my bike is. And trust me I am not being biased... read the reviews.

diy · February 2012

Specialized Stumpjumper FSR or epic, or perhaps a longer travel hard tail. For your budget you'll get a very good hard tail. 29ers don't do it for me and I wont be supporting the manufacturers desire for me to clear out my closet just to buy their latest attempt to get people to change for the sake of change.

If you want to ride on the road just get some slicks.

Rushmore · February 2012

Ghost AMR 5700
Or ghost RT 5700 for a more Xc race geometry with less travel..

Botha are specced amazingly..

tenfoot · February 2012

Sounds like you need a short travel full-sus to me.

If you want to try before you buy, have a look at a Giant Anthem. Light, way more comfortable than your rigid, great for cross country and will take anything most trail centres can throw at it.

The Anthem has 100 mm travel. If you want a bit more, maybe think about a Giant Trance, Spesh Camber or Trek Fuel EX. All of these are easy to find in bike shops and easy to get a try-out on.

Rushmore · February 2012

Although... I wouldn't rule out a hard tail... It will be a huge improvement to your fully rigid, MUCH lighter then a full suss, and you could get a cracking spec for half your budget..

Climbing hills will be easier aswell..

Just to make things more confusing for you!

marksimon69 · February 2012

Thanks everyone ............. food for thought here ....... I will go and try out a few of the above suggestions.
I would guess that lockout front and rear would be advisable if I want to ride on tarmac as well?

Rushmore · February 2012

Well some would think.. I Never bother using lockout.. Although pretty much anything you buy at that price point will have lockout anyway..

diy · February 2012

ideally you want variable lock out e.g motion control on the front and pro pedal/brain on the rear. Riding without lock out wont make much difference if you are bimbling along a cycle path with your mates, but will make a difference when you are pushing hard.

mac_man · February 2012

At £2K the worlds yer lobster... wish I was in your position :-)
Going from a fully rigid to any kind of suspension will be a revelation, not to mention the advantages of disk brakes etc. At this price level I would definitely try a number of bikes and from a range of prices and 'types' of bike. When I say 'type' there's a lot heated debate about how much suspension you should (or shouldn't have) for the places you like to ride.

Given that you've been riding an old boneshaker you may plump for a bike now and then, say 6 months down the line, think that really it's not quite the bike you should have bought. And £2K is a fair chunk to spend on the wrong bike.

The 'safe' option would be a 120mm full suspension rig as these are generally perceived to be the 'Golf GTi of the bike world ie the ideal bike for 90% of people 90% of the time... not too heavy, enough suspension for most situations, not too expensive.

Another route would be to buy a good entry level hardtail (like the Carrera Fury from Halfords) and ride it like you stole it for 6 months and really get a feel for what sort of riding you most enjoy. Then sell it and buy the bike of your dreams.

And by that time your skills will have improved to the point that you can take full advantage of your new steed ;-)

I was in exactly your situation 3 years ago (but without the 2K in the bank and only slightly younger). I bought a £400 hardtail and have ridden it hard over the local area, trail centres, even taking it to Spain once. I've tried other bikes in that time, from hardcore hardtails to 29ers and 150mm 'All mountain' bikes. I'm now looking for something with 140-150mm travel that will see me right on my move to Spain next month... some pretty epic hardcore trails out there. I want something light enough to pedal up the hills and burly enough for the downhills.

I noticed there are some big bike demo days coming up in March: http://www.wheelbase.co.uk/events.html

Looks excellent...

idiotdogbrain · February 2012

Should be able to get a discounted 2011 Specialized Camber Pro for that budget - missus has an Elite as her first FS and loves it.

cooldad · February 2012

So to sum up you need an entry level 100 mm hardtail, or a medium travel full sus or a longer travel AM bike or a 29er.
That should narrow things down a bit.
I love the internet.

Shaggy_Dog · February 2012

larryb wrote:

Shaggy_Dog wrote:

Go into a reputable local bike shop and ask! Most bike shop monkeys are keen riders and know their stuff, few people in the bike trade are out to rip you off.

Could he not take he's bike he has purchased to a local bike store?

I'm sure the local bike shop will be thrilled to set up a bike from a rival supplier. Money grows on trees after all and their wages are paid out of good will, and hopes and dreams rather than profit made from bike sales. There may be a bit of sarcasm in this post

bartimaeus · February 2012

Try some bikes. If you can get to a 'demo day' then do so, as you can try lots of bikes. If not, go to a shop that will let you demo a couple.

Pedal On just north of Basingstoke is just about in reach if you are in Buckinghamshire - they have a short track out the back and will let you ride some bikes... but hopefully someone can recommend something local to you.

Less than two years ago I rode an old rigid bike... and I too upgraded straight to a full-suss, just as you are contemplating - and I'm not much younger than you are. I went for a 100mm XC bike as my plan was to get some miles in along the South Downs, and the full suss is just that bit more comfortable for all day riding. The Anthem felt right when I tried it, so that's what I got - since then I have tried a few different bikes, but nothing has felt 'better'. Now I'm also getting into some slightly more serious riding - but the bike's still more capable than I am. Maybe one day I'll *need* a 150+ bike, or a DH rig... but I doubt I'd have the bottle to do it justice.

But try some bikes. Only you can tell what feels right for you... and the most important thing about any bike is that you want to ride it. £2k will get you something pretty impressive - and if you go direct sales or for last-year's model it will get you something pretty fine e.g. an Anthem X2 for £1,600 at Pedal On.

Northwind · February 2012

For whatever it's worth, I just got a new bike from Halfords and it came pretty immaculately set up- not as good as I can do at my best, but better than I can usually be bothered to do

There's only really 2 approaches here.

1) Ride every bike you can. Demos, loans, blags of friends bikes. Read reviews. Sit on bikes you can't ride. Spend a little time really trying to objectively decide what you want. Buy a bike. Over time most likely decide that your initial decision was flawed in some way, or have your riding change, and replace parts or even the whole bike to suit- or alternatively just shrug and make it do the job even though it's not perfect. It's often an ongoing thing, there's an awful lot going on in these decisions and the chances of getting it perfectly right first time are probably about zero, so you're aiming for good enough.

or, 2) Buy a bike you like the look of, for some arbitrary reason (perhaps because it is made in Halifax). Decide it's the best bike ever. Spend the rest of time telling the internet so, and that bike X that you've never actually ridden or even seen in the flesh is clearly inferior.

There's nothing wrong with either option as long as you don't buy something completely stupid. TBH at the £2000 mark, 100% of all bikes are pretty damn good. Some are better value, some are better for the job at hand, but that's all.

from rigid oldy to full sus newy ????

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