[Muenchener]

I’m thinking of picking up something a bit more cross country capable than my city commuter bike in order to be able to keep up with my son in the woods, take some of the sting out on long alpine approaches etc.  This would be my first MTB purchase this century so I’m not at all up to date on bits, specs etc. and I don’t want to spend much.

One of my local bike shops is doing a special offer on this hardtail from Centurion for 500 Euros. Good deal?

The obvious alternative would be a B’Twin Rockrider 560 for 600 Euros from Decathlon, but that would have to be mail order as my nearest Decathlon is in Stuttgart, and I’d prefer to buy from a local shop with service & support if possible.

[Fultonius]

Tricky one - I'm always wary of a Suntour Fork, but the Centurion has better tyres. (which on a more expensive bike is a "so what" but new tyres would be about €60-90 so it's a bit more important on a €500 bike).

[Palomides]

Same fork on both, but the Centurion has 10-speed Deore, shimano hydro brakes, chainset with external BB and serviceable hubs - all of which I'd prefer. Plus a name that's reminiscient of breastplates and oiled leather.

[andyd]

Can I suggest spending that on something that's second hand? You'll get a lighter, better spec, bike than that. Plenty of people upgrade and want to sell. There must be a facebook group you can join over there that'll have wanted/for sale items

[Muenchener]

Thanks for the tips. I'm inclining towards the second hand route: have been looking at local ads, and decent used hardtails (XT, better forks etc) seem to go for around 350€

Not so sure of what to check for though, as I only have the most rudimentary grasp of bike mechanics. I guess; clean, brakes/gears/forks work smoothly, bottom bracket & headset feel smooth & don't make any clicky/grindy/clunky noises, wheels reasonably straight. Anything else?

[bigtuboflard]

In no particular order, but things which invariably need replacing or point towards a hard life;

Teeth on front chainring shaped like sharks fins and not symmetrical
Seat post seized or not free moving
Scratches on the suspension fork stanchions (deep enough and the forks are generally knackered)
Suspension fork seals heavily oily. Same for rear shock if full suspension
Spoke tension (squeeze two adjacent between two fingers all the way round for even tension)
If its a steel frame, check for paint creases or folds, especially behind the head tube, can be the sign of a big crash. also check frames in general for small cracks or big dings (little ones are usually ok)
Brake pad wear (daft but if they are down to metal a new set will set you back anywhere up to £25 a set, so can use it as a bit of a bargaining tool.

Check the headset too by holding the front brake, turn the front wheel at 90 degrees and rock the bike back and forward with the brake still on. Any play is much more apparent this way.

Lastly, if the owner hasn't even bothered to give the bike a decent wash and clean, it usually indicates that they never looked after it when they used it, and it probably just got chucked back in the shed at the end of a ride.

[Oldmanmatt]

So, I got this Trek VRX 200 for £50 from a junk shop. No seat and no peddles, but otherwise all there. Just spent 20min tensioning spokes and tweaking things. Robbed the peddles from the Mrs' cheapy steel (read very very heavy) bike, need to buy a seat post as it's a 30mm diam. and the Mrs' bike was a 25mm. But everything works fine, fairly sure the Shimano are newer than the bike (they're identical to my Kona and that's only 6 years old).
Good buy?





All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. Looking at you, here, Dense.

[Fultonius]

Retro-classic. I remember the days when a cane-creek shock was a serious upgrade ( always a bit "sticky" though, iirc).

V brakes, nice. I recon that rear mech is from around 2002-4. Good old-skool long stem, narrow flat bar.  That thing is sooooo retro 

[SamT]

seat posts come as either 30.9 or 31.6mm... barely noticeable but much better to get the right one.

[SamT]

I think the vrx 200  is 31.6.

[kelvin]

Nice find that one - that front fork colour is of its era 

I'm on an old retro Muench, a Trek ZX6500 frame from '98. I used bits like wheels I had from another bike and bought a 2008 Deore LX groupset from Merlin (in 2010) for about £160, it works pretty well and I've even used it in an adventure race. The Judy forks that were on it are nice and firm initially but bottom out too quickly, only 63mm travel but I've just put some Suntour 100mm things I had on - the front drops a bit much now and they're a little soft to start with but handle my weight fine if you hit hardish. I think I'll buy some carbon rigids at some point. V-brakes obviously.

I'd go the retro route myself with that money to spend, just find a frame worth using and a bargain groupset. It's quite satisfying.

[SA Chris]

I've got a TREK 4500 hard tail from about Y2K vintage, and cannot destroy it. I've cycled it onto Cairngorms a few times, left it in the heather overnight, and cycled out, never maintained it, abused and neglected it and it's still going strong. It's called the Corrie Beater.

[kelvin]

In summery - it seems old Treks last pretty well. Mine has the legend "Handbuilt in the USA" on it and the lifetime frame guarantee but I don't reckon I'll ever need it.

I had a fullsusser before but went back to hardtail and have never regretted it for what I use the bike for. I just wanted a lightish bike.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Classic. Original spec here http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=2000&brand=Trek&model=VRX+200

[Oldmanmatt]

Picked up a seat post for it this morning, along with a wide seat and Mrs OMM took it for a spin around Haldon.
Proved to be excellent and a real boon for her at 1/3 the weight of her last bike, except...

1.5hrs into the ride, about as low as any of the trails drop on the south (read roasting hot, sunbaked) side; she blew the rear tyre.

And, I realised I'd left tubes/repair kit/pump in the van (hey! Organising four kids, a dog, a new bike etc etc; it's a wonder I brought my own head).

So we all rode off and left her to plod back up the forestry road.

We all felt really, really bad and did not enjoy any of the exciting descents or narrow tracks at all (especially the bit when I bottled it on a nuts steep bit and did the most amazing Ninja jump, over my handlebars, landing on my feet running like a scalded cat, as my bike tried to land on my head and my darling children pissed themselves laughing..).


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. Looking at you, here, Dense. 

[webbo]

So, I got this Trek VRX 200 for £50 from a junk shop. No seat and no peddles, but otherwise all there. Just spent 20min tensioning spokes and tweaking things. Robbed the peddles from the Mrs' cheapy steel (read very very heavy) bike, need to buy a seat post as it's a 30mm diam. and the Mrs' bike was a 25mm. But everything works fine, fairly sure the Shimano are newer than the bike (they're identical to my Kona and that's only 6 years old).
Good buy?





All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. Looking at you, here, Dense.

Should you be spending time riding when that back yard needs seeing to.

[Oldmanmatt]

So, I got this Trek VRX 200 for £50 from a junk shop. No seat and no peddles, but otherwise all there. Just spent 20min tensioning spokes and tweaking things. Robbed the peddles from the Mrs' cheapy steel (read very very heavy) bike, need to buy a seat post as it's a 30mm diam. and the Mrs' bike was a 25mm. But everything works fine, fairly sure the Shimano are newer than the bike (they're identical to my Kona and that's only 6 years old).
Good buy?





All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. Looking at you, here, Dense.

Should you be spending time riding when that back yard needs seeing to.

That is nothing.

You should see what's behind the camera. Wet suits that were hung to dry four days (and several rain showers) ago. Kayaks that only made it to the shed this evening after last weeks fun and games. All the junk from converting an old playhouse into a two floored rabbit hutch at the weekend. A broken skateboard ramp awaiting repair (two months and counting). Numerous, some burst (bloody dog) footballs and last (but of significant mass) various abandoned items of children's clothing (including, mysteriously, underwear) and a large area of lawn ~2 weeks overdue for a cut...


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. Looking at you, here, Dense. 

[webbo]

Never mind all that, there's even a couple of greasy marks on the front forks.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

That is nothing.

You should see what's behind the camera. Wet suits that were hung to dry four days (and several rain showers) ago. Kayaks that only made it to the shed this evening after last weeks fun and games. All the junk from converting an old playhouse into a two floored rabbit hutch at the weekend. A broken skateboard ramp awaiting repair (two months and counting). Numerous, some burst (bloody dog) footballs and last (but of significant mass) various abandoned items of children's clothing (including, mysteriously, underwear) and a large area of lawn ~2 weeks overdue for a cut...

Sounds like our back yard/garden most of the time. Sign of a family having a fun summer and getting your priorities right. 

[SA Chris]

Sounds like our garage too.