[Misc] Buying mountain bike advice

[FatSuperman]

Mail Order isn't for everybody though as you have the faff if there's a problem on arrival, however unlikely.

That's a very good point. There are a number of other sub-£500 bikes that measure up quite well this year. The suggestions about second-hand or x-seasons old are worth looking into. Second-hand I'd want it to have been through a service very recently though.

A friend a go cycling with got a bike through 'cycle to work' recently, you can do that for anything under a grand and there are some cracking hardtails at the <£1,000 price point. Although to reinforce your mail order point, his arrived in a box and he didn't put the bars on properly - we neglected to double-check it for him and he crashed on the first steep hill.

 

[wakeytom]

When are you looking to purchase? If possible wait till towards the end of summer as you will get the 2018 bikes for a great price - I bought one from these guys a few years ago, went to the large shop on the A1 and then when I decided they arranged delivery https://www.rutlandcycling.com/

 

[Weststander]

I'm going to throw some spanners in the works here but crucial question is what does he want it for? Trail riding or downhill or general all round? Once that decision has been made he's likely to want to choose between full sus or hardtail.

At that price IMO his best option is clearly hardtail. Spend the money on the frame and not the extras. If your budget can stretch another £50 to £100 then he could get something quite decent. When I last bought in c2014 I got a Scott Reflex 20 with upgraded front forks, some egg beater SPD pedals and new handle bars for £585 from Sidney St bikes (now Ubyk).

Hi.

Needed for:
City casual bike rides to meet mates or to school.
Plus occasional 40 mile rides on Sussex cycle paths.

NOT at his stage for South Downs type rides.

 

[drew]

I know bugger all about buying bikes other than that my wife's niece's husband designs these!

https://sickbicycle.co/


Bit pricey though!

 

[kip]

It's worth keeping an eye on second hand bikes, I've found some great bargains over the years. The key is to look for the bikes that have been living in people's sheds. So many people buy bikes and never ride them more than a few times. My current bike is the specialized pitch pro, the guy I got it off said he was hoping to get into down hill but only went out a few times on it, the bike didn't have a mark on it. I paid £850 for it with a full face helmet and titanium pedels, it would have cost nearly £2000 new. I've also got a voodoo wanga hardtail which I paid £350 for and it was £1000 new, again not a scratch on it.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

My youngest is riding a 2015 Hard Rock and loves it. Spends most of his time riding it along the under-cliff to Brighton (& beyond) with his mates - & occasionally over the back of Peacehaven & Woodingdean along the SDW trails. I couldn't fault Specialized (my 1994 Rockhopper is still going strong) and the Hard Rock is a perfect entry level MTB for doing a bit of everything.

 

[Notters]

Worth looking at Planet X. If they're mountain bikes are anything like they're road bikes you'll get an unbelievable spec for your money.

 

[Stat Brother]

Buying mountain bike advice:-

Don't.

 

[FatSuperman]

[MENTION=21158]Weststander[/MENTION]

If you decide to go for a new bike, take a look at a few 'best £500 mountain bike' features from magazines and then choose one of those.

http://www.mbr.co.uk/buyers_guide/best-cheap-mountain-bike-331305
https://www.t3.com/features/best-mountain-bike-under-500

If going second-hand then you'll have to see what's in the local area, the best site for listings (in my opinion of course) is pinkbike.com
https://m.pinkbike.com/buysell/list/?region=5&countryid=193&cityid=919&category=2

Good luck

 

[kip]

Buying mountain bike advice:-

Don't.

I've never seen a roadie with a smile on their face

 

[wakeytom]

Buying mountain bike advice:-

Don't.

Road snob (just joking)

Actually I have a Mtb and Road at the moment, thinking of selling them both and going just for a hybrid which would suit me more

 

[Stat Brother]

I've never seen a roadie with a smile on their face

I've never seen a mountain bike being ridden 'off road'.

 

[Pantani]

There is a lot of good advice on here. Though sadly the most important number 1 piece of buying a bicycle advice is missing.

TRY AS MANY BIKES AS YOU CAN.

All decent bike shops will let you try the bikes out before you buy. Put aside a day to go round all the shops in Brighton (or wherever you live) and try everything within your price range and in the correct size, that you can. A £500 purchase is a big one, and your son will be using this bicycle for years, so you want to get it right. After trying five or six you will likely know exactly which bike is the one. Do not worry too much about specs of parts etc, that is for the geeks, in reality all the components at that price point will work as well as each other bar some variations in fork quality and frame weight.

Do not buy the mail order bicycles unless they come fully assembled, or you are prepared to take them to a shop to get them built, which is an extra cost you need to factor in. Plus mail order does not offer the after care a local retailer will, and you are not supporting local businesses.

Final point [MENTION=525]Cheeky Monkey[/MENTION] It is a little unreasonable to lump Evans (and the other chains) in with Halfords. Unlike Halfords they all require that their mechanics are trained up to industry standard, and provide a level of care that Halfords do not even aspire to, let alone achieve. A local bike shop is always preferred, but the chains offer levels of choice that cannot always be achieved by a lbs, and offer a different type of service that in my opinion is useful.

 

[lost in london]

Some slightly hysterical snobbery about Halfords on here, the Boardman bikes are usually very good value for money: http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bik...rdman-mountain-bike-comp-650b-16-18-19-frames

The Voodoo hoodoo generally gets good reviews as well.

All the points above about set up, schlepping round town trying bikes out etc are great in theory, but this is a bike for bombing about town, going to school and rides on bike paths, for someone who will likely grown a foot in the next couple of years. Within reason it doesn't really matter what he has. Getting something too nice and shiny will make it a target for thieves.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Some slightly hysterical snobbery about Halfords on here, the Boardman bikes are usually very good value for money: http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bik...rdman-mountain-bike-comp-650b-16-18-19-frames

The Voodoo hoodoo generally gets good reviews as well.

All the points above about set up, schlepping round town trying bikes out etc are great in theory, but this is a bike for bombing about town, going to school and rides on bike paths, for someone who will likely grown a foot in the next couple of years. Within reason it doesn't really matter what he has. Getting something too nice and shiny will make it a target for thieves.

Totally agree re Boardman and not having something too nice and shiny ....coincidentally I have one for sale

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I wouldn't go with a carera but Halfords do the Boardman bikes and I think they are excellent value for money. Loved mine when I had it.

The Boardmans were amazing at Halfords 6 or 7 years ago, but the ones they do now are not as good (Halfords bought the marque and went into mass production). I bitterly regret not buying one of the originals - it was light and had a massive frame which is essential for me with my knees. I ended up getting a different one from Halfords 5 years ago (not Carerra but the name escapes me now). It has been excellent, although it is a tad heavy. The engineers at Halfords in Canterbury are excellent. There was one guy there some years ago who was happy to spend an hour or more explaining all the pros and cons (albeit he lost his job - for being too good/honest/slow?). I also have a Brompton that I bought from Evans in Waterloo (going off on a tangent now - sorry). They also have been excellent with engineering. On a recommendation from a mate I took the fold up for a service in a shop in Tumbrdge Wells (an independent). They did a fantastic job but charged me £500. My local independent in Faversham is OK but I stopped using them after a poor service that required my having to take the bike back in. So my experience is that chains are good and independents can be pricey and unpredictable. But my sample size is only n=4.

edit - my mountain bike is a Voodoo (I saw the name in a post above and my brain woke up). As I said, a Halfords mountain bike, and it has been a pleasure to own.

 

[LamieRobertson]

The Boardmans were amazing at Halfords 6 or 7 years ago, but the ones they do now are not as good (Halfords bought the marque and went into mass production). I bitterly regret not buying one of the originals - it was light and had a massive frame which is essential for me with my knees. I ended up getting a different one from Halfords 5 years ago (not Carerra but the name escapes me now). It has been excellent, although it is a tad heavy. The engineers at Halfords in Canterbury are excellent. There was one guy there some years ago who was happy to spend an hour or more explaining all the pros and cons (albeit he lost his job - for being too good/honest/slow?). I also have a Brompton that I bought from Evans in Waterloo (going off on a tangent now - sorry). They also have been excellent with engineering. On a recommendation from a mate I took the fold up for a service in a shop in Tumbrdge Wells (an independent). They did a fantastic job but charged me £500. My local independent in Faversham is OK but I stopped using them after a poor service that required my having to take the bike back in. So my experience is that chains are good and independents can be pricey and unpredictable. But my sample size is only n=4.

like mine

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

like mine

To quote Michael Palin, you lucky, lucky *******.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Do not buy the mail order bicycles unless they come fully assembled, or you are prepared to take them to a shop to get them built, which is an extra cost you need to factor in. Plus mail order does not offer the after care a local retailer will, and you are not supporting local businesses.

Final point [MENTION=525]Cheeky Monkey[/MENTION] It is a little unreasonable to lump Evans (and the other chains) in with Halfords. Unlike Halfords they all require that their mechanics are trained up to industry standard, and provide a level of care that Halfords do not even aspire to, let alone achieve. A local bike shop is always preferred, but the chains offer levels of choice that cannot always be achieved by a lbs, and offer a different type of service that in my opinion is useful.

I've had sone awful experiences of Evans on Air Street, one bike literally falling apart on a test ride, and poor gear servicing on two occasions. Avoid their own Jamis range.

Part assembled mail order bikes, road and hybrid, I've had fantastic experiences of, and at the time I was mechanically clueless.

The best thing I ever did was go to Cranks off St James St, now I can do most mechanics myself. Can't recommend that place highly enough.

 

[Monkey Man]

Invested in a Giant hybrid e-bike this spring and it's superb. Best purchase I've made for years.

The sneering from cycling purists doesn't bother me at all. I'm doing more miles than I've done for years, across hill and dale on the short commute to work, into town for groceries, over the SDW and adjacent trails for fun. You still have to pedal (some people seem to think e-bikes are mopeds – they aren't), and you still work up a sweat and burn calories, but it takes the pain out of hills and I don't arrive at my destination in need of a shower.

E-bikes outsell traditional bikes in Germany now and I suspect it won't be long before that's the case here as well. As I say, there's a lot of prejudice towards them, but I bloody love mine.