Mountain Bike

[G-Mac 181]

Looking to buy a new mountain bike but with so many on the market now i cant choose, i've looked at cube, carrera, Boardman, Diamondback etc etc, it will be used off road rough stuff lol keep the fitness up, anyone got a bike they swear by, prob spend in the region of £700

[Magistus]

As pointed out above have a search on various forums, google is a help as usual. My personal preference is for Scott and Specialized bikes both companies build their bikes nice and strong so they can take plenty of abuse. Between myself and my friends we have two Scott bikes and four Specialised bikes and after three years hard riding there have been no real issues - we have snapped a few spokes but that is all.

have a look at these bikes;

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/16615/Scott-...ct-20-2010.html

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/16600/Scott-Scale-80-2010.html

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/15768/Specia...hopper-SL-.html

You may be able to find them cheaper where you are.

[G-Mac 181]

Thanks for the links guys some cracking bikes cant choose lol, but i'm liking the Scott Scale 80 it a stunner especially in white. I'll have a look through some forums thanks again guys.

Gaz

[G-Mac 181]

What you think of this one? Gary Fisher Mendota 2009 loving the look of it too

http://www.cycleworld.co.uk/images/prod_17971.jpg

Frame: Gold Series butted aluminum hybrid

Forks: Bontrager Satellite Elite Carbon disc

Wheels: Bontrager Select Disc Road with Bontrager Satellite Plus 700x32c, 60 TPI tyres,

Chainset: Shimano M443, 48/36/26, Octalink

Gears: Shimano Deore shifters, & front derailleur & Shimano SLX rear derailleur

Cassette: SRAM PG950 11-26T, 9spd

Brakes: Avid BB5, mechanical disc, Avid FR-5 levers.

Handlebar: Bontrager SSR Riser, 25mm rise, 6d backsweep

Stem: Bontrager SSR, 10d

Saddle: Bontrager Select City

Seatpost: Bontrager Nebula Elite Carbon

Pedals: Wellgo single-side clipless

Sizes: SM (15.5") | MD (17.5") | LG (19") | XL (21") | XXL (22.5")

Colour Pearl White

£695

[Magistus]

That is a nice bike but unsuited to off road use - it is more of a city/commuter bike than an off road bike. I know it is marketed as off road capable but that is more marketing blurb than actual ability. I would try to get a bike with front suspension as that will be much more comfortable for you on long rides. However this bike looks quite good to me from the same site - http://www.cycleworld.co.uk/product/17859/...ike_2009_Silver and a similar price too.

I should have also added that my hard tail is a Scott Scale 20 - http://www.evanscycles.com/products/scott/...n-bike-ec020591 - fantastic bike takes me acting like a bull in a china shop with no issues and it fits into my scooby also

Edited March 15, 2010 by Magistus

[G-Mac 181]

Oh they are both nice Magistus thanks again mate

[davey l wrx]

Check out Trek as well mate. the 6000 is pretty nice.......

I've used a Trek for the last 6 years and it's never let me down, been up and down mountains here and in Cyprus where i bought it. Quality kit.

[G-Mac 181]

How this one compare guys, good price to

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Felt-Q620-Mountain...e-MTB_29470.htm

[mark1234]

just decided on the same thing as living in carterton and working in hailey it seems an expensive luxury to own a car that sits out the back of the workshop all day so have put down a deposit on a trek fuel ex5 from giles in town so now all i got to do is wait for it to arrive in the country which should be april the 5th i can't wait!!

[mark1234]

picked it coz it was subaru blue!!

Edited March 15, 2010 by mark@cotswolds

[G-Mac 181]

Been on some forums matty, various reviews but i think the most popular have been Scott, Specialized, and Kona so been looking at various models of them, i never realised there were so many to choose from lol. If i buy online are the bike easy to service and parts readily available?

[G-Mac 181]

The 3 i'm considering what you think

Aspect 20

Specialized Rockhopper SL

Cinder Cone

Prices are from £700 to £800 dont think i can go wrond with these choices

[Magistus]

My choice would be to go for the Scott but then I am biased as I have two of their bikes already ;p. See if you can find some local shops that sell these bikes so you can go for a quick pootle on them and see what they are like. Different bike companies use different frame geometry's so the riding position may be different between bikes. Once you have found the bike you want go get it online! Servicing bikes is simple enough and all the parts, tools etc are easily available. The only part you might struggle with is the suspension, but any decent bike shop can sort that out for you and it should not cost that much either.

Edited March 16, 2010 by Magistus

[stum450n]

How are you with a spanner?

I ask because my brother used to do a LOT of downhill riding and had a few Specialized bikes, all of which which he (read I ) built from components which where far better and stronger than the standard parts but as he wasn't buying a complete bike, it worked out cheaper too!

[G-Mac 181]

Yea could build one but i could not be bothered bit lazy lol, Just back from Halfords after looking at there Boardman bikes was nice but £1000 big ones, Going to Dales in Glasgow on thursday to look at there Scott range

[andyjudge]

Don't forget to have a look at Orange.

I've got a 2001 Orange sub5 & its awesome - although not been used much recently

Advice bits

Go for hydraulic disks if you can, little or no adjustment needed just pad swaps got shimano XT's (4 Pots) on mine

Buy from a specialist shop & not online as you need to get the right size, also easier to get a problem fixed

Wheels will prob need fettling frequently if used offroad esp. if machine built again most specialist will have a trained wheel builder, My wheels were rebuilt about 6 months afer I got the bike & have never gone out of true since.

Look out for last years models & get youself a killer deal, I saved £1K on mine by having the previous years model.

ALWAYS ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET - 2 people I knew were killed because they didn't, even if your only popping to the shop

Andy

[labpedro]

This is one of those questions that wont ever get an answer, as everyone has their own preference lol. Bit like tyres I suppose...anyway, I've only ever had 1 good bike before, which was a specialized stump jumper many years ago, so when i did the cycle scheme, I plumped for specialized again. I went for the 2010 Specialized Rockhopper SL, and have to say it is an amazing bike.

difficult to take a picture of a black bike, but here goes

its also available in red and white, however coming from Newcastle, that would burn my fingers every time i touched it

One this I was told was if you want full suspension, you need to be looking upwards of 1200 quid for one, as cheaper ones struggle with the rear suspension part and you can lose a lot of pedalling through the rear suspension..not sure how true that is

[labpedro]

Just remembered as well......if you have an iPhone, grab yourself an app called Runkeeper...http://runkeeper.com/ and use that for tracking your progress. I have used it for about a month now, and cant recommend it highly enough. It has an issue every now and then where it loses the gps, but 95% its fantastic. So far i've done 36 activities and have covered 91.31 miles, 20 of which were last saturday. Gives your split times, elevation etc. Oh, and its fully functional in the free version

[mark1234]

i've got an iphone so i'll check that out!

know what you mean about the bobbing on a full sussy bike the first one i owned used to do it something chronic but the trek can lock out the rear suspension if needed and it's geometry is supposed to eliminate the bob as well so hopefully it won't make me sea sick but only a test ride will prove that i spose

[labpedro]

It is funny though, as you get a suspension bike then lock the suspension...i have done that on my front suspension lol

this is what runkeeper looks like when you see it on the pc

Edited March 18, 2010 by labpedro

[mark1234]

i know lol i think you do for going up the hill so not to lose to much energy then release it for the fun bit!!

has anyone tried these drinks and bars you can get that release energy do they work? also any gain from using proper bike shoes?

[labpedro]

theres a guy at work thats a keen runner, and he has used them. He did say they are awful to swallow, very gooey, but they do work very well (so he says)

As for shoes, I have some, but not got the pedals yet, probably order them next week (payday ).

Gonna get them before the london to brighton in june so i can practice as they take some getting used to

[G-Mac 181]

That rockhopper is nice saw the exact same bike today in Dales Glasgow but did not buy it cos it was red, shame but i'll keep looking.

[pmacFTO]

I have a Specialized Hard Rock Pro which I don't do much off roading on but I am using it to get to and from work a few days a week to save petrol etc but my Q. is - for cycling to work on the road should I lock suspension (only front) or just leave it unlocked? Will it help my pace at all if it is locked?

EDIT: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qi...27113657AAi687P

This explains it

Edited March 19, 2010 by pmacFTO

[Phil MC]

G-mac, I've got myself a Specialized Stumpjumper Expert M4 and absolutely love it.

Best of both worlds really, lock out the back Fox Float susp if you want a hardtail and lock out the superb Fox Float forks if you're climbing etc.

I bought the frame and forks on their own and put the best of gear that i could afford around them; XTR gear and XT Deore levers/hyd brakes, Sun rims and the best offroad tyres you can get imho Panaracer Trailraker.

As for pedals with cleats....YES,YES,YES.....they make such a difference to your cycling efficiency. You just need to get used to ejecting yourself from them when taking a fall.... .

Here's a few quick pics of my ride: