[Adam Lincoln]

Finally trying to get round to buying a bike. Have always loved mountain biking, but never had a decentish bike. Family live up near some good trails in Scotland, so good excuse to visit  Also prefer the idea of downhill, so a bike that can cope with both.

What would this be worth bidding up to...?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ClubRoost-DH8-Downhill-Mountain-Bike_W0QQitemZ260533843634QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Bikes_GL?hash=item3ca906f6b2

[Palomides]

Isn't that a pure downhill bike (i.e. too heavy to pedal uphill??)

[Adam Lincoln]

Isn't that a pure downhill bike (i.e. too heavy to pedal uphill??)

Yep, i am guessing the stuff i want to do it 60/40 in favour of downhill. Will it be THAT heavy it will be no good on trails? Have edited original post to reflect my needs.

[cofe]

You can buy decent all round 5" trail bikes that will do most stuff, bar full on downhilling. I wouldn't buy that, but research a bit more what kind of thing is available.

[clm]

orange five

[Joepicalli]

If you want to go out on trails, at all, this is not the bike for you. It's a pure downhiller.  Orange Alpine or, if you are on a budget well maintained and upgraded 2004-5 specialized Enduro (if you can find one).

[john horscroft]

 

Looks like your on a budget, so Joe's suggestion of one of the older Enduro's is spot on.  Other candidates - Scott MC 50/40 etc, Marin Rock Springs..............

[northerngreg]

Will it be THAT heavy it will be no good on trails? Have edited original post to reflect my needs.

Yes, the weight would be an issue, but more importantly in my opinion, it's the head and seat angles that would cause it to be a proper pig anywhere else but downhill. They're going to be so slack on that bike that it would be like pedalling in an armchair - almost impossible to get any real power down when going uphill. Also, 8" travel at the back it is going to wallow around under pedalling and waste your energy.

orange five

An all mountain bike is the way to go. Slackish head angle to make it handle well downhill, steep enough seat angle to enable you to get yer power down uphill. 5" travel front and rear.

[john horscroft]

Aw shucks, I'm coming off the fence.  Scott MC 40.  Climbs like a mountain goat (remote lock-out for the shock on the handlebars), is sweet on singletrack and still copes with drop offs and jumps.  Not that I'm biased mind, having owned an MC for 5 years.............

[Falling Down]

I've got an MC40 too and have had it for 8 years or so.  Great all round bike for all round biking.

[john horscroft]

I've got an MC40 too and have had it for 8 years or so.  Great all round bike for all round biking.

Have you made any changes to yours over the years Ben, (christ I sound geeky.  If the cap fits I guess.....)?  I've put a longer fork on mine, chunkier wheels and reduced to two chainrings/bashguard combo.  Kind of DH lite now I guess........

[fatdoc]

seen this late.. sorry.

right.. that's no way gonna go uphill.

what do you mean by DH??

seems to me you want a AM / Fr machine.. just like buying a car... wait.. something will come up.


forget ebay, it's full of shite or nicked bikes.

go for SDH forums.. it's a DH site.. so the AM bikes go for less there.. a good safe place - I have bought and sold off there for years..

SET yr budget 1st.

find a bike.. express interest and then start a new thread on here for advice.. 10 or more of us will assist.

[Bubba]

forget ebay, it's full of shite or nicked bikes.

I dunno, I've bought a bargain Specialized and sold a perfectly good Orange on ebay, so it's not all bad.

go for SDH forums...

That's http://www.southerndownhill.com/forum/ btw

[Falling Down]

I've got an MC40 too and have had it for 8 years or so.  Great all round bike for all round biking.

Have you made any changes to yours over the years Ben, (christ I sound geeky.  If the cap fits I guess.....)?  I've put a longer fork on mine, chunkier wheels and reduced to two chainrings/bashguard combo.  Kind of DH lite now I guess........

Sorry John, just seen this as I was out of the country.

The only changes I made was to put some Crank Bro's Mallets on as soon as I got it to replace the shimano SPD's and give more of a platform for gnarlier descents.  I'm a bit clueless when it comes to tinkering with bikes though so have always shied away from messing around too much for fear of ruining what's already there.  The way mine is setup it sometimes feels a bit too cross-country for the shorter, bumpier type of rides that I normally do.

Your's sounds good, what forks did you put on?

I have a Specialised P All-Mountain for thrashing around on that I got for 250 quid off eBay that I plan to put chunkier wheels on and pimp up a bit for the Summer.

[john horscroft]

I went for the Crank Bros Acids for the same reason.  Great pedals but the bearings take some looking after!

I went for Manitou Nixons.  Slightly longer and a damn sight better than the Manitou Blacks that it came with.  Being longer, they slacken the head angle and unleash the MC's inner beast.  It seems much more stable on rocky descents and copes with pretty much anything I'm capable of riding.  On the latest MC's Scott have done pretty much the same thing.  So, same brilliant XC ability but capable of handling the rough stuff, kind of DH lite......

[Norton Sharley]

seen this late.. sorry.

right.. that's no way gonna go uphill.

what do you mean by DH??

seems to me you want a AM / Fr machine.. just like buying a car... wait.. something will come up.


forget ebay, it's full of shite or nicked bikes.

go for SDH forums.. it's a DH site.. so the AM bikes go for less there.. a good safe place - I have bought and sold off there for years..

SET yr budget 1st.

find a bike.. express interest and then start a new thread on here for advice.. 10 or more of us will assist.

Bloody ell its like goin t ospital init you need a translata to understand wot e sez cos its all abreathiated an that its like txting for old buggers

[fatdoc]

yeah well.. innit.

not far off my level of conversation with you really..

one has to descend to the common denominator

[SA Chris]

I fink tanman in down wit' da kidz and up on da lingo.

[Adam Lincoln]

Any thoughts on a  Marin Alpine Trail? All the recent stuff has been going for more than i wanted to pay. There was an 2004 that ended without bids. Whats a fair price for one in good nick? Are Marins on the heavy side?

[fatdoc]

which year?
 marin change the models but not the names..
no, not heavy.

BUT  unless its the current shape they are flexy.. you ride on them not in them and the angles are too steep. old school XC..


bit shit really.

[Adam Lincoln]

Seems that Stump Jumpers are coming up a fair bit in my price range. Obviously the full sus version.

[tlr]

Good bikes xc/trail bikes, especially for the money.

[Adam Lincoln]

Good bikes xc/trail bikes, especially for the money.

Cheers guys. Am looking at this one? What do you think?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330411625970&rvr_id=&mfe=sidebar

[fatdoc]

be nice to hear whether the bearings on the frame have been replaced....

good suspension... for XC that year of brain was more accommodating than before.

avid brakes ( i'm presuming the smaller size) are very good. a twat to service, but very good.

Nice mech.

riser bars with bar endZ??

this show the guy is a true XC saddo with no flare for fashion / style.. as such the bike will not have been ragged down serious descents ( bigoted view... but it's my honest opinion)

all in all a good example of an up hill, down dale proper full sus mtb. Please change the bar ends....

[fatdoc]

BTW, if you jump on it



it wil break...


if it's riding with a little gnar gnar you are still after ( just read the thread again..) you'll be looking at an enduro from spesh... not  a stumpy.

[Adam Lincoln]

BTW, if you jump on it



it wil break...


if it's riding with a little gnar gnar you are still after ( just read the thread again..) you'll be looking at an enduro from spesh... not  a stumpy.

So taking many drop off's is going to break it?
Also is that a good price?

[fatdoc]

all the routes in the peak in Jon Bs & Cofe's books on XC in the peak fine... trail centres fine... XC in the lakes ( again by V graphics ) fine... 24 hr team events fine..

pissing about with a spade in the local woods probs fine... going down steps fine...

jumping down flights of steps... not so good..

making yr riding mission to jump  / drop otherwise unridable obstacles on a regular basis... not fine..

depends on yr definition of free riding...

the tracks in wharncliffe... defo NOT fine. DH courses in the UK.. NOT fine.

( an enduro, esp the 150mm versions... would generally be fine)

as would a reign.. a burly built orange 5 etc...

IMO be sure of yr intended purpose.. as a 30LB twin / triple ring 150mm AM bike is all well and good.. but they are not fun to climb on.. and after 35km you'll be cursing it.. unless it's focus for purchase is for the flights of steps / jumps & you are willing to endure the slog up for the larf on the downs..

[SA Chris]

Wise words from the doc, especially being sure of your intended purpose.

Don't buy a bike thinking you would like to do big drops and shit on it at some point in the near future. Should you get to that point, time to get a new bike. Loads of mates have/have had them with no major bothers.

[Adam Lincoln]

Is this worth £1100?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130376282672&rvr_id=&mfe=sidebar

[fatdoc]

PM sent

[Adam Lincoln]

Finally got a new bike.

Specialized Stumpy Expert. Tires will be coming off sharpish!

[Bubba]

Nice 

I quite like the tyres

[Adam Lincoln]

Nice 

I quite like the tyres

I have to say they are growing on me 

[tomtom]

Nice 

I quite like the tyres

I have to say they are growing on me 

they're ming! are you both colourblind 

[Norton Sharley]

Blimey, can't believe I've been missing the opportunity to have Jon abuse me for reducing the conversation to the lowest common demoninator.

Nice bike Adam 

Except for the tyres obvioushirley.

[cofe]

the tyres look like lego. a strong look.

[Yossarian]

Michelin Mountain Xtrem 2.5? 

I escaped from a fucking evil dog and the Indian police on a pair of them.

If Pablo Escobar rode a bicycle, those are the tyres he would pick...

[Adam Lincoln]

Michelin Mountain Xtrem 2.5? 

Correct!

On a related note, just bought a cycle computer, and the nearest setting was the 2.3, which i selected. Is it likely to cause much difference in actual readings? Excuse my ignorance!

[Norton Sharley]

Not after you've learnt that cycle computers last about five minutes before they fall off your mountain bike 

[slackline]

the tyres look like lego. a strong look.

Maybe they're from Santander.

[Adam Lincoln]

Not after you've learnt that cycle computers last about five minutes before they fall off your mountain bike 

Oh.  Noob alert!

[SA Chris]

Plus on that bike you should hopefully spend a lot of time with wheels off the ground, thus rendering any measurement pointless.

Oh, and very nice bike. Good work.

[Adam Lincoln]

Plus on that bike you should hopefully spend a lot of time with wheels off the ground, thus rendering any measurement pointless.

Oh, and very nice bike. Good work.

Glentress this weekend! 

[SA Chris]

Nice. Won't be able to get there at short notice, but give us a shout if you are up again. I'm in Dumfries area 12-19 Jun, be up for some more 7  Stanes action,. plus hitting up Thirlstane.

[Adam Lincoln]

Nice. Won't be able to get there at short notice, but give us a shout if you are up again. I'm in Dumfries area 12-19 Jun, be up for some more 7  Stanes action,. plus hitting up Thirlstane.

Its a date  My dad lives 30 mins from Kirroughtrees and Glentrool. Be good to get out.

[SA Chris]

Sounds good.