Bike for work

[snaw]

For a daily 15-min commute what is the need for spending serious money? Wouldn't a cheap bike be more than adequate for flat roads, e.g. £150 for a commute bike and £500 for a fun offroad bike?

Well mainly down to someone in UK is going to bring it over for me next month when they're flying here, I think asking him to bring 2 may be excessive (They're 50% more expensive to buy in Sing)... and also cause I just want to own 1 bike.

It's not a huge amount of money in the big scheme of things, so I'm quite happy spending 500/600 or so on a bike I'll use mainly for commuting and occasionally go off road with.

[JamJarST]

Thx for advice so far. SO toying with one of these:

Cannondale Trail, SL2 or SL 3, Specialized Rockhopper or Trek 6000.

From evans cycles, any thoughts gents, I'll buy you a beer whenever you're next in Singers!

Which model Rockhopper are you looking at? Personally I wouldn't consider the Cannondales or the Trek because they have saved money on the componets, especially the fork. The Rockhopper Comp at £899.99 is quite well speced. Have you considered a Boardman bike from Halfords? The Boardman Mountain Bike Team is very well speced and comes in at £850.

I agree with a few of the posters on here, a good mountain bike is wasted on a 15 minute commute and you could get away with a cheap bike for that. If you want decent mtb performance though, you get what you pay for and a more exepnsive bike really is better than the budget offerings.

[snaw]

Which model Rockhopper are you looking at? Personally I wouldn't consider the Cannondales or the Trek because they have saved money on the componets, especially the fork. The Rockhopper Comp at £899.99 is quite well speced. Have you considered a Boardman bike from Halfords? The Boardman Mountain Bike Team is very well speced and comes in at £850.

I agree with a few of the posters on here, a good mountain bike is wasted on a 15 minute commute and you could get away with a cheap bike for that. If you want decent mtb performance though, you get what you pay for and a more exepnsive bike really is better than the budget offerings.

Cheers, think the specialized is out of my budget range - my hand end was 600, and I've somehow crept up to 650 for the cannondale (Can get a great price on it).

Hear ya on it being wasted, but to be honest this is the only bike I'll own - so when I do get the chance to go mtb I don't want to have to hire something, but be able to use my own after swapping the tyres. Open to any advice on what's better, but humour me on the wanting a decent bike - one of the advantages of getting older and fatter, I'm better paid so I can afford myself an indulgence or two

[JamJarST]

Cheers, think the specialized is out of my budget range - my hand end was 600, and I've somehow crept up to 650 for the cannondale (Can get a great price on it).

Hear ya on it being wasted, but to be honest this is the only bike I'll own - so when I do get the chance to go mtb I don't want to have to hire something, but be able to use my own after swapping the tyres. Open to any advice on what's better, but humour me on the wanting a decent bike - one of the advantages of getting older and fatter, I'm better paid so I can afford myself an indulgence or two

The problem with that price range is that you don't actually get something that is much if at all better than a £400 or £500 bike. A really good hardtail will be in the price range of £900 to £1500 but you aren't going to use it enough to warrant the cost. Of the 3 brands you are looking at I would go for the best Specialized you can afford. Also consider the Carrera Kraken from Halfords for £500 similar spec as the others but £100 pounds cheaper. I started on a Kraken and it is real value for money. I now have my eye on a new Specialised Stumpjumper FSR but I just can't bring myself to spend over 2 grand

[snaw]

The problem with that price range is that you don't actually get something that is much if at all better than a £400 or £500 bike. A really good hardtail will be in the price range of £900 to £1500 but you aren't going to use it enough to warrant the cost. Of the 3 brands you are looking at I would go for the best Specialized you can afford. Also consider the Carrera Kraken from Halfords for £500 similar spec as the others but £100 pounds cheaper. I started on a Kraken and it is real value for money. I now have my eye on a new Specialised Stumpjumper FSR but I just can't bring myself to spend over 2 grand

Cool, so in that bracket I could get a cannondale trail sl2 2011, or a specialized rockhopper 2011

You'd go with specialized?

Cannondale Trail SL 2 2011 Mountain Bike | Evans Cycles

Specialized Rockhopper 2011 Mountain Bike | Evans Cycles

[JamJarST]

Cool, so in that bracket I could get a cannondale trail sl2 2011, or a specialized rockhopper 2011

You'd go with specialized?

Cannondale Trail SL 2 2011 Mountain Bike | Evans Cycles

Specialized Rockhopper 2011 Mountain Bike | Evans Cycles

Actually that is a tough one to answer. Looking at the components, I think the Canondale just edges it. But that is because the Canondale is or was a £900 bike and is still £810.

[snaw]

Actually that is a tough one to answer. Looking at the components, I think the Canondale just edges it. But that is because the Canondale is or was a £900 bike and is still £810.

Yep, but I can get it for 659, getting evans to do a price match for me

Cannondale Trail SL 2 Hardtail Mountain Bike 2011 - Hardtail Mountain Bikes from Westbrook Cycles UK

So you reckon the cannondale. Hmm.

[JamJarST]

Yep, but I can get it for 659, getting evans to do a price match for me

Cannondale Trail SL 2 Hardtail Mountain Bike 2011 - Hardtail Mountain Bikes from Westbrook Cycles UK

So you reckon the cannondale. Hmm.

Yep I do, you get a longer travel fork, better shifters and mechs and all for less than the Spesh.

Just got this in my inbox:
http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/rangeVie...?categoryID=59

A very good price, spesh are releasing their 2012 range in August so 2011 bikes are getting cheaper.

[snaw]

Yep I do, you get a longer travel fork, better shifters and mechs and all for less than the Spesh.

Just got this in my inbox:
http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/rangeVie...?categoryID=59

A very good price, spesh are releasing their 2012 range in August so 2011 bikes are getting cheaper.

Cheers, great advice - had another mate look at it, who seems to know about these things, and he said pretty much the same thing.

[oracleslave]

Cheers, great advice - had another mate look at it, who seems to know about these things, and he said pretty much the same thing.

What!? You don't trust the expertise of the all-knowing cuk members!

You missing Putney/London at all?

OS