Another mountain bike topic
Posted by: Paul Hutchings on 30 May 2004
I used to ride quite a bit but haven't done so for several years, so I thought with the weather being generally nice I might get a bike and try and get back into things.
Mostly talking town/paths and light stuff like canal paths and the local woods.. so far I figure I'm looking at a hardtail, maybe with front suspension?
So I'm after suggestions on any bargains or what to be looking at?
The stuff that's caught my eye, albeit only from websites for £300 or so is the obligatory Hardrock, the Scott YZ series and lots of stuff at http://www.paulscycles.co.uk - the gary fisher wahoo disc for example.
Basically I'm after some advice on where to start.. I'd imagine that as with hifi, most bike shops are naturally going to be biased towards what they stock.
cheers,
Paul
Mostly talking town/paths and light stuff like canal paths and the local woods.. so far I figure I'm looking at a hardtail, maybe with front suspension?
So I'm after suggestions on any bargains or what to be looking at?
The stuff that's caught my eye, albeit only from websites for £300 or so is the obligatory Hardrock, the Scott YZ series and lots of stuff at http://www.paulscycles.co.uk - the gary fisher wahoo disc for example.
Basically I'm after some advice on where to start.. I'd imagine that as with hifi, most bike shops are naturally going to be biased towards what they stock.
cheers,
Paul
Posted on: 30 May 2004 by John G.
quote:
Originally posted by Paul Hutchings:
Basically I'm after some advice on where to start.. I'd imagine that as with hifi, most bike shops are naturally going to be biased towards what they stock.
cheers,
Paul
This website was useful to me for selecting the type of bike that fit my needs.
Gary Fisher
Posted on: 30 May 2004 by Naheed
excellent link - my 2nd bike quest begins again
naheed. . .
naheed. . .
Posted on: 30 May 2004 by Two-Sheds
I just bought a gary fisher marlin and used it for the first time in anger today. I'm very happy with it, I just get the impression it's just pissed off with the lardy ba***** sitting on it slowing it down.
Went on some trails with alot of up and downs (no big climbs or descents, just go up a bit then down a bit). Loads of roots sticking out, logs over the path (most of which I carried the bike across).
Went on some trails with alot of up and downs (no big climbs or descents, just go up a bit then down a bit). Loads of roots sticking out, logs over the path (most of which I carried the bike across).
Posted on: 31 May 2004 by Steve G
I've bought from Pauls Cycles before and encountered no problems. I think I phoned up and ordered the bike one day and it was either delivered the next, or the day after that. They're a good source for good, cheap bikes from previous model years.
In the ranges they're stocking at the moment the following stand out for me:
Kona Cindercode £449 (was £700). Decent forks, 27 speed Deore with LX and Truvativ bits, very good frame.
Giant ATX870 £499 (was £875) Manitou forks, 27 speed Deore/XT mix, Magura disc brakes.
Schwinn Moab 2 £349 (was £700) Manitou forks, 27 speed Deore/LX
Schwinn Moab 3 £249 (was £600) Crap forks, but good 27-speed Deore/LX drivetrain for the cash.
Schwinn Rocket 4 £399 (was £850) Crap forks but good drivetrain and Fox vanilla rear shock. The Rocket 3 is probably worth the extra though, as it has better forks, brakes and drivetrain.
Giant XTC SE4 £424 (was £650) These are supposed to be pretty good bikes and it has good forks, drivetrain, hydraulic discs and good tyres. Looks a bargain. The SE3 also looks good value.
The Giant NRS bikes are also decent full-suspension bikes although they're quite active when climbing. The NRS3 is a good spec for the price.
I'm not a big Gary Fisher fan, but the HOO KOO E KOO disc looks ok for the cash.
A friend of mine has a Yecora and while it's a good frame it's not all that well specced for the cash (crap forks, 24 speed drivetrain) - even the £289 Pauls want for it.
Of all the bikes in the £400 or so price range that they sell then my pic would be the Giant XTC SE4 by a considerable margin.
In the ranges they're stocking at the moment the following stand out for me:
Kona Cindercode £449 (was £700). Decent forks, 27 speed Deore with LX and Truvativ bits, very good frame.
Giant ATX870 £499 (was £875) Manitou forks, 27 speed Deore/XT mix, Magura disc brakes.
Schwinn Moab 2 £349 (was £700) Manitou forks, 27 speed Deore/LX
Schwinn Moab 3 £249 (was £600) Crap forks, but good 27-speed Deore/LX drivetrain for the cash.
Schwinn Rocket 4 £399 (was £850) Crap forks but good drivetrain and Fox vanilla rear shock. The Rocket 3 is probably worth the extra though, as it has better forks, brakes and drivetrain.
Giant XTC SE4 £424 (was £650) These are supposed to be pretty good bikes and it has good forks, drivetrain, hydraulic discs and good tyres. Looks a bargain. The SE3 also looks good value.
The Giant NRS bikes are also decent full-suspension bikes although they're quite active when climbing. The NRS3 is a good spec for the price.
I'm not a big Gary Fisher fan, but the HOO KOO E KOO disc looks ok for the cash.
A friend of mine has a Yecora and while it's a good frame it's not all that well specced for the cash (crap forks, 24 speed drivetrain) - even the £289 Pauls want for it.
Of all the bikes in the £400 or so price range that they sell then my pic would be the Giant XTC SE4 by a considerable margin.
Posted on: 02 June 2004 by John G.
"Mostly talking town/paths and light stuff like canal paths and the local woods.. so far I figure I'm looking at a hardtail, maybe with front suspension?"
"Basically I'm after some advice on where to start.." Paul
How often do you intend to use the bike and what kind of distances will you be doing?
From the type of riding you describe it sounds like you might want to avoid a heavy MTB with big fat tires greater than 2 inches wide. A front suspension may also not be necessary as they add extra cost and weight and the quality may not be that great at the price point your looking at. If you want to exercise your heart and lungs you want a bike that won't tire out your leg muscles before you reach your goal.
Best,
John
"Basically I'm after some advice on where to start.." Paul
How often do you intend to use the bike and what kind of distances will you be doing?
From the type of riding you describe it sounds like you might want to avoid a heavy MTB with big fat tires greater than 2 inches wide. A front suspension may also not be necessary as they add extra cost and weight and the quality may not be that great at the price point your looking at. If you want to exercise your heart and lungs you want a bike that won't tire out your leg muscles before you reach your goal.
Best,
John
Posted on: 03 June 2004 by Steve G
quote:
Originally posted by Peter Main:
Any thoughts on the other bikes at Pauls
Giant 2003 - TERRAGO FS 1
Scott - G ZERO FX3
Giant 2003 - TERRAGO FS 1
Strange spec that one. The forks aren't very good, it's got a 24-speed drivetrain but it has got hydraulic disk brakes. If you really want disc brakes (which you might do if you ride in wet & muddy conditions frequently) then at £349.95 it looks decent value, although I've no idea what Giants own brand brakes are actually like. Personally I'd say the XTC SE 4 is well worth the extra £80 as you get much better forks, a 27-speed Deore/LX drivetrain and the same brakes.
Scott - G ZERO FX3
I don't know much about Scott full-suss bikes, however that bike looks like it'll be heavy. The RST forks are absolutely crap (I had a bike with a set once and they're the worst and heaviest forks I've used by a huge margin), it's got a Scott own brand rear suspension unit and a 24-speed drivetrain. It also looks like a simple single pivot design which probably means it'll bob a lot which will make it hard work when climbing. The FX25 (at £699.95) looks to be the cheapest of the full-suss Scott bikes that would be worth considering.
Posted on: 04 June 2004 by Paul Hutchings
Well I had a day off on Thursday so went up to Derby as it's half an hour away and has mercian cycles, samways and leisure lakes.
i have to say i was a little surprised at the "sameness" in terms of brands stocked.. for example most places have trek/gt on the books but few had them physically in the store.
I took a good look at the specialized hardrock and a marin bolinas ridge and took a short-ish ride on both around the streets at leisure lakes..
it's tricky to say anything overly constructive after so long not having ridden, certainly v-brakes are better than canti's as I damn near went over the bars the first time i braked!!
I know i'm bloody tempted to go and buy a hardrock disc (sounds silly but i don't like the colours of the std hardrock) as it seems time spent researching and mulling over reviews could be spent riding the damned thing :-)
One thing that did surprise me was that almost everything is "made in Taiwan".. don't get me wrong I wasn't expecting lovingly handbuilt american craftsmanship for £300, but it is quite funny when you see how the catalogs sound.. and it does piss me off that a £340 marin bolinas ridge is listed on the Marin site as list $315 sigh..
opening a can of worms here, but the benefit of saying "sod it" and going up a step and looking at the likes of an orange gringo would be??
regards,
Paul
i have to say i was a little surprised at the "sameness" in terms of brands stocked.. for example most places have trek/gt on the books but few had them physically in the store.
I took a good look at the specialized hardrock and a marin bolinas ridge and took a short-ish ride on both around the streets at leisure lakes..
it's tricky to say anything overly constructive after so long not having ridden, certainly v-brakes are better than canti's as I damn near went over the bars the first time i braked!!
I know i'm bloody tempted to go and buy a hardrock disc (sounds silly but i don't like the colours of the std hardrock) as it seems time spent researching and mulling over reviews could be spent riding the damned thing :-)
One thing that did surprise me was that almost everything is "made in Taiwan".. don't get me wrong I wasn't expecting lovingly handbuilt american craftsmanship for £300, but it is quite funny when you see how the catalogs sound.. and it does piss me off that a £340 marin bolinas ridge is listed on the Marin site as list $315 sigh..
opening a can of worms here, but the benefit of saying "sod it" and going up a step and looking at the likes of an orange gringo would be??
regards,
Paul
Posted on: 04 June 2004 by Bruce Woodhouse
My first MTB was a Gringo. I still go misty eyed at the thought. Utterly indestructible, assembled by a bluff Yorshireman (with a large beard) in Halifax. It will surely last you and a basic gringo will stand all sorts of upgrades later if you want. Loved mine.
Still will be made in Taiwan though, at least the tubing will be.
Bruce
Still will be made in Taiwan though, at least the tubing will be.
Bruce
Posted on: 05 June 2004 by Steve G
My Specialized Epic was made in Taiwan, as was my UK designed Cotic Soul and as was the UK designed On-One Inbred I had before that. Taiwanese factories make a lot of bikes and they are amongst the most competent welders anywhere in the world.
The Orange Gringo will have a nice frame but you'll need to spend a fair amount to get a decent spec build.
The Orange Gringo will have a nice frame but you'll need to spend a fair amount to get a decent spec build.
Posted on: 05 June 2004 by Steve G
quote:
Originally posted by Peter Main:
Is the Giant XTC SE4 £424 still a good buy versus the following from Evans
GT Avalanche 1.0 2004 £349.99
Looks ok but the disc version is probably worth the extra £50.
quote:
Trek 4500 2003 £329.99
Drivetrain is pretty downmarket - the GT is easily worth the extra £20
quote:
Trek 4300 Disc 2003 £349.99
Crap fork, very cheapo drivetrain - too compromised to get the disk brakes on IMHO.
quote:
GTAvalanche 1.0 Disc 2004 £399.99
Judy TT forks aren't the best (but still better than a lot of budget bikes have fitted), 27-speed Deore is good, Shimano cable discs - not bad, overall looks ok.
quote:
Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc 2004 £399.99
Not the best of forks, 24-speed drivetrain - I think there are better bikes about.
I still prefer the Giant XTC SE4 at £424 but of the above the GTAvalanche 1.0 Disc 2004 at £399.99 looks the best value - IMHO.
Posted on: 06 June 2004 by Paul Hutchings
Well at the moment I think I've "narrowed" it down to the following:
Hardrock Sport £300
Hardrock Sport Disc £399
Hardrock Pro £499
Orange Gringo £549
Orange Gringo Disc £649
Apparently the gringo's are now taiwan made/assembled so "buying british" might not figure that highly in the equation.
I'm sure I'm overlooking lots of other makes that are just as good, but as with most things I guess you have to bite the bullet and narrow the field somehow.
It's really easy to keep saying "just another £xxx", I get the impression the gringo's a really good frame with half-decent components that wouldn't need to be upgraded, but then the Hardrock Pro seems like a bloody good spec for the cash.. easy it ain't!!
regards,
Paul
Hardrock Sport £300
Hardrock Sport Disc £399
Hardrock Pro £499
Orange Gringo £549
Orange Gringo Disc £649
Apparently the gringo's are now taiwan made/assembled so "buying british" might not figure that highly in the equation.
I'm sure I'm overlooking lots of other makes that are just as good, but as with most things I guess you have to bite the bullet and narrow the field somehow.
It's really easy to keep saying "just another £xxx", I get the impression the gringo's a really good frame with half-decent components that wouldn't need to be upgraded, but then the Hardrock Pro seems like a bloody good spec for the cash.. easy it ain't!!
regards,
Paul
Posted on: 10 June 2004 by Steve G
quote:
Originally posted by alexgerrard:
Steve G
You have a PT.
I've replied to your PT - sorry about the delay!
Posted on: 10 June 2004 by Steve G
quote:
Originally posted by Paul Hutchings:
It's really easy to keep saying "just another £xxx", I get the impression the gringo's a really good frame with half-decent components that wouldn't need to be upgraded, but then the Hardrock Pro seems like a bloody good spec for the cash.. easy it ain't!!
The P7 (which is steel) frame price is the same as the Gringo so that might be an option to consider. The P7 build is higher spec than the Gringo ones though so complete bikes are more expensive.
Posted on: 10 June 2004 by Mekon
P7s are a beautiful ride, just lovely. In the absence of the C16R, they are my nomination for the Nait2 of the MTB world.
Posted on: 10 June 2004 by Steve G
quote:
Originally posted by Mekon:
P7s are a beautiful ride, just lovely. In the absence of the C16R, they are my nomination for the Nait2 of the MTB world.
I'd say the Nait 2 equivalent is the Inbred as it's £100 cheaper than a P7 but also a lovely bike to ride.
Posted on: 10 June 2004 by Mekon
Yeah, I need to try out an Inbred. However, at the mo' I can't get (entirely unrealistic) thoughts of an ICE Trice Monster out of my head. Anyway, if I can land a job before October, I'll definitely be looking for a steel hardtail with room for 100mm+ forks.
Posted on: 10 June 2004 by Steve G
quote:
Originally posted by Mekon:
Yeah, I need to try out an Inbred. However, at the mo' I can't get (entirely unrealistic) thoughts of an ICE Trice Monster out of my head. Anyway, if I can land a job before October, I'll definitely be looking for a steel hardtail with room for 100mm+ forks.
Inbred good, Cotic better (but more expensive).
There is a version of the Inbred for longer travel forks out later this year which could muddy the waters somewhat, especially as it'll be the same £225 frame price as the current one.
Used Inbred frames can be had for £100 or so as well - which is a stupid, stupid bargain really.
Posted on: 11 June 2004 by Mekon
EpicSteve - where have you seen them for £100, and do you reckon my Xverts would fit? Any idea what I might get for a B17 frame?
Posted on: 11 June 2004 by Steve G
quote:
Originally posted by Mekon:
EpicSteve - where have you seen them for £100,
www.singletrackworld.com is the place for used Inbreds and scruffy ones are occasionally seen for that sort of cash. I paid a couple of hundred quid for an Inbred frame with '03 MX Comp ETA forks, a FSA headset, a Race Face Prodigy stem and a Truvativ ISIS BB. The frame had paint scratches and chips but who cares about that?
There's nothing that cheap on there at the moment though.
quote:
and do you reckon my Xverts would fit?
If they're 80mm travel then they'd probably work although the steering would be pretty quick (some folks prefer it that way though and the frame is designed for 80-100mm forks). I've got a set of 105mm '03 MX Comp ETA's that I'll be selling though - they work great on an Inbred.
quote:
Any idea what I might get for a B17 frame?
No idea!
Regards
Steve
Posted on: 11 June 2004 by Steve G
Just noticed you referred to me as EpicSteve - does that make you a STW user already?
Posted on: 11 June 2004 by Mekon
Yeah; I spied the C16R thread.
I dunno what length my Xverts are. I was under the impression that they are 100mm. If I get a new frame, I'll strip down the B17 and sell it. The Xverts will have to go on the new bike, as I would want to upgrade my wheels and groupset before grabbing some new forks.
I dunno what length my Xverts are. I was under the impression that they are 100mm. If I get a new frame, I'll strip down the B17 and sell it. The Xverts will have to go on the new bike, as I would want to upgrade my wheels and groupset before grabbing some new forks.
Posted on: 11 June 2004 by Steve G
quote:
Originally posted by Mekon:
Yeah; I spied the C16R thread.
I dunno what length my Xverts are. I was under the impression that they are 100mm. If I get a new frame, I'll strip down the B17 and sell it. The Xverts will have to go on the new bike, as I would want to upgrade my wheels and groupset before grabbing some new forks.
I had a set of Xverts a few years back and I think they might have been 100mm as well - if so they'd be good on the Inbred I'd expect.