Looking to start biking, looking for some pointers!

joetprosser
joetprosser Posts: 2
edited July 2014 in MTB beginners
Hey everyone.

Thought I'd make a post on here as I'm looking to start cycling to shed some extra pounds and get in shape, also I really want something new to do because currently I'm a powerlifting fanatic but it doesn't really do it for me these days. And I'm going to university in 2 months so I'd like to just do something to preoccupy me beforehand.

I was just looking for a few things because I genuinely don't know what I should be looking for here.

I live in Wales and it's extremely hilly where I am so I didn't want to get a road bike in the valleys.

I was looking for some information including the following:

- A beginner bike, I'm 5"7 so the frame should be between 18-20" I believe? I'm not sure on this but my budget is roughly 100-275, I wouldn't like to go anywhere over that if I'm honest so if someone could point me in the right direction that would be great.

- Other equipment to go along with it, obviously a helmet would be good.

- General tips for a guy that doesn't do much cardiovascular work these days. I used to run a lot, an hour a day before covering some decent ground.

Cheers in advance, guys.

Comments

  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Best way is to simply try some bikes out - sizing varies hugely, you could be an 18 in one brand, a 15 in another!

    Have a read of the guides in this section and the buying forum, then fire away if you have more questions.
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    as sonic says, definitely try them first, but I very much doubt you'd need a 20 inch frame at 5ft7.

    where abouts in wales are you?
  • Hi Mate,

    You'd probably need a 17-18" frame according to most frame size charts but it is always advisable to go to your local bike shop and try out a few bikes. I'd say with your budget you'd need to look at used quality bike brands. I bought an old Kona banger a few years ago for £99 and build it up and later sold for £250.

    As you are starting out you'd need to do some research into the inns and outs on this great website and others across the web. You'd need the right gear, some tools to carry with, a reliable bike and a few small spares incase you break down (trust me I had a few break downs with nothing on me = long walk home) especially in Wales. Hope this helps.

    http://www.mtbdiyshed.com/index.html for some good tips for beginners as well