Reply to: Question for the Experts: Mountain Bikes

[milanbenes]

bollox,

damn,

why can't buying a bike be easy like it was in the old days

bollox

so many decisions, cross or mtb, hard back or soft back

we're not talking small money here and if you or I get it wrong I'll be fecked for years

bollox

Milan.

[badger7579]

Got a Giant Anthem X3 myself andlove it. You cant go wront with Giant. Full suss with decent componants for about 1k. It'll be pleasing you for years

[milanbenes]

thanks folks

oh well I'll get the Merida mountain bike then I can't be arsed spending three weeks of my free time researching and becoming
an expert in the field of bikes



Milan.

[PRC1964]

If it's just a bike to tootle along with the kids on I wouldn't cough up more than £100 on a bone shaker.

If you are getting into cycling properly then think where you're going to ride and make a choice based on that.

[realityhack]

Almost recommended a decathlon

Here it is. It's actually quite good value for money - but I'd go for the Fisher myself.

[kaiser78]

Bought a Reebok Solo from Halfords last year - nothing glamorous, wheels go round, gears change and the brakes work. Good vfm.

[realityhack]

WDS

Almost recommended a decathlon - top of the list on bikeradar under search>brand. (on a mobile so you'll have to find it yourself). Frames are shit: but you'll never push it enough to know that. Most people won't.

[doodab]

I will happily recommend Cube, another German brand. I loved mine till it got nicked. ****ers.

If you are looking for a bargain, decathlon do some fairly decent bikes for £4-500. I have the 2000 and something version of this: Decathlon - BIKES / BICYCLES / CYCLES bikes VTT B'TWIN - 8.1 2010 B'TWIN - regular mountain bikers looking for high performance on all terrains.

[Moscow Mule]

If money is an issue, seriously consider ebay for a quality Specialised or similar.

I got an '06 Rockhopper Pro for £300, which cost me £100 in servicing (including about £10 for parts) as I didn't have time to do it myself.

Edit: The '09 is also a good bike. Whatever you decide, bikeradar.com is a good place to check reviews

[suityou01]

Evening All,

well, now that MB04 is cycling it's time for MB and 'er-in to get bikes

mid range Merida - any good ?

Where's Shimano105 when you need him ?

Milan.

See, it's not just me

[milanbenes]

thanks RH

back to the drawing board

bugger

i'm not really into spending time studying this kind of stuff - hence normally outsourcing it to the experts

Milan.

[realityhack]

Even at £650, the spec seems a little overpriced.
Don't know anything about their frames - it could be that they're of the Kona mould - who produce high quality frames and ship with cheaper components (chainset, crank, gears etc).
If you're on the mainland it's worth taking a look at Focus. For your budget you'll get some high spec componentry and the frames are more than enough to cope with non-expert use, unless you're er, very heavy.
So it looks like you're looking at a hardtail (front suspension only).
At that sort of price bracket I recommend:

Wiggle | Felt Q720 2011 Hard Tail Mountain Bikes
Wiggle | Kona Kahuna 29er 2011 Hard Tail Mountain Bikes
Updated: Carrera Fury Review - BikeRadar
Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo Review - BikeRadar

I wouldn't recommend Giant, and know sweet football association about Mongoose & GT.
Caveat: I'm more of a road bike man, but know plenty of MTBers who swear by Focus, Kona and Fisher.

[milanbenes]

RH,

thanks,

looking at this one....

Merida 2011 Crossway-TFS-500-D The Bike Shop Scotland


it's £200 cheaper on the mainland

which is nice


but is it better value than say a GT / Giant / Mongoose etc for the same money ?

Thanks,

Milan.

[realityhack]

Merida Product Reviews

Road Bikes, Bike News, Bike Reviews, Bike Gear, Cycling Routes - BikeRadar

Depends what you want to spend. Their top-end full sus or hardtail MTBs seem like good value for money - not much cop at the lower price bracket (<£400).

More requirements needed to provide a comprehensive recommendation.

[rsingh]

Get one with the extra wheels. I think they're called stabilisers.