[Duma]

Having just recieved a 12k payrise (this says more about my previous salary than my new one) am looking to spend some of it on a bike, and knowing sweet fuck all about them thought I'd try to pick some brains. It'll mostly be used to get to work (4 miles), but I'm just across the gorge from some good mountain biking I'm told, so my current thinking is to get a decent hardtail MTB and also some skinny arse tyres and wheels  to use day to day. Does anyone know of any possible probs with this approach/suggestions as to what to get? Am looking at spending £500/£600. this'd be nice but is a bit out of my price range:


Also thought about approaching it from the other direction:

[Bubba]

12k - nice

Don't know anything about those models, but I've just bought an Orange downhiller (Patriot 6.6) and am very happy with it indeed - build quality is sweet and I was also attracted to buying a local brand.

If it was me I'd probably be looking more at a trails type hardtail so I could learn to jump on it as well as get about town, but then it probably wouldn't be as good for cross country work - depends on what sort of mountain biking your area holds and what sort of thing you're into. Disc brakes will mean less faff if you're swapping wheels a lot.

anyway, enough of my ramblings - you'll guess that I really know fuck all about bikes

[hardy]

check out http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/
i got  bike from them, superb it is! as long as you dont mind riding a bike with no 'name' on it then youll be fine.
you will get a better spec on a merlin than oin a opff the peg bike!
also check out 2004 bikes or wait a couple of monts and get an2005 bike in the sale!

[hardy]

oh yeah.... dont get a jump bike, theyre just for over grown kids that are too obese to pedal uphill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 :wink:  :shock:

[SA Chris]

It's hard to see from the pic if those are cable or hydraulic discs brakes, if they are cable, I would avoid them, and I know some of the cheaper hydraulics are not so good.

I'm trying to remember are you Bristol based? If so, theres some great riding down in the Quantocks, the Mendips and up in the Cotswolds, but beware the notrious Cotswold mud, it;s like grease.

I have a TREK 7000 I got from www.evans.co.uk on a sale and I really like it, never given me any hassle in spite of the continual abuse and neglect.

Next years bikes normally come out about Oct/Nov time, so you can make big saving getting this year's Model about then.

Good work on the payrise.

[Bubba]

oh yeah.... dont get a jump bike, theyre just for over grown kids that are too obese to pedal uphill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 :wink:  :shock:

fighting talk!

I'll take you for a day doing d/h in Wharncliffe woods and you'll see how trashed you are at the end of it.....pedalling uphill is overrated

[tommytwotone]

I have a TREK 7000 I got from www.evans.co.uk...

just clicked that link Chris - how did you get a MTB out of outsized woman's outfitters Evans?

Is there something else you get up to at the weekends we should know about?  :wink:

[SA Chris]

Bugger. the secret's out  

Try http://www.evanscycles.com/ .

Or figure out which bikes you are after and look on ebay? Don't rawl through all the bikes though, there is a load of total crap on there.

[tommytwotone]

sod MTBs, it want one of these badboyz:

http://www.evanscycles.com/product_images/A9577.jpg

can I get a "low rider"?

[SA Chris]

This one is badder

[hardy]

oh yeah.... dont get a jump bike, theyre just for over grown kids that are too obese to pedal uphill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 :wink:  :shock:

fighting talk!

I'll take you for a day doing d/h in Wharncliffe woods and you'll see how trashed you are at the end of it.....pedalling uphill is overrated

tee hee! been to wharncliffe a few times now! its bloody fantastic fun!
anyhoo i wouldn't want to embarass you too much!!  :  :wink:

[hardy]

It's hard to see from the pic if those are cable or hydraulic discs brakes, if they are cable, I would avoid them, and I know some of the cheaper hydraulics are not so good.

cable discs on a £2500 xc bike?!?!?!? you must be aving a laugh!

[Bubba]

What, like embarrassed to be seen with you?

[dave]

yall wiggaz want one o deez:

[hardy]

What, like embarrassed to be seen with you?

ouch that hurt!!



will my lycra clad, silky smooth legs* not be welcome around there?????








*i do NOT wear lycra or shave my legs! i just said it for comedy value!

[SA Chris]

cable discs on a £2500 xc bike?!?!?!? you must be aving a laugh!

Duma, in the first post, said "Am looking at spending £500/£600"

I'm not 'aving a larf, me old geezer.

[Bubba]

*i do NOT wear lycra or shave my legs! i just said it for comedy value!

Don't lie, I found this photo of you:

[hardy]

cable discs on a £2500 xc bike?!?!?!? you must be aving a laugh!

Duma, in the first post, said "Am looking at spending £500/£600"

I'm not 'aving a larf, me old geezer.

ah! thought you were on about the orange! i do appolgise old bean!

[hardy]

*i do NOT wear lycra or shave my legs! i just said it for comedy value!

Don't lie, I found this photo of you:

ok ok! the lycra maybe! but check out me hairy legs!!! oh yes  :  

[Duma]

Hardy: cheers for the tip, have no interest in 'names' and am now seriously considering the XT spec version of this:

(its in the sale at 659) What did you get from them btw?
SA Chris - yeah I'm in bristol, you say some of the cheaper hydraulics aren't that great, does the XT stuff count as cheap? - I've read nothing but good about them. (and they don't seem cheap to me!)
Have thought about waiting till next years stuff is out to save but would like to get some riding in while the weather's still reasonable, plus by Oct I'll be on grit or in font like all sane individuals, and enthusiasm for new sports may be put on hold. Also considered last years stuff but seem to be a bit late as I can't seem to find much.
Cheers for all the info everyone (specially dave, that is a cruiser and a half!)

[hardy]

got that frame (malt 2) a couple of years ago still goin strong! the discs on those are magura julies...... they work very well!
thats a good buy!

[SA Chris]

I dont know thee exact do's and don'ts of discs I'm afraid. I'm sure there are more knowedgable souls out there, Lucien or Bubba may be more clued up than me. There are a few bike shops on Whiteladies Road, Noah's Ark in Stroud and Leisure Lakes in Cheltenham. I would say go and try out a few bikes if you can, and get a feel for what is good and what is crap.

Don't bother waiting for next year's stuff, it is usually pretty similar year on year, just a different colour and maybe some up/downgraded components.

MTB is good for those wet autumn days when you cant justify a trip to the Peak or Devon. There are some good trails in the Forest of Dean too.

[Bubba]

I'm not really up to date on all that stuff either Chris - despite getting a new bike recently, I've hardly ridden for a couple of years.

One thing I must say is that cyclists are probably the biggest gear-freaks known to man and you'll do just fine on last years kit. I only bought the latest version of my bike because it features adjustable frame geometry which means I should be able to tailor it for the riding I'm currently into (to a certain extent, anyway). It also future proofs it a bit by being able to add a larger array of fork/shock lengths.

If I'm checking out what a particular component is meant to be like, I'll usually head over to http://mtbr.com where they have users' reviews for just about everything mtb related.

[Yossarian]

i've always thought that shimano discs look a bit fragile and plasticky. well, apart from the saint ones, but you wouldn't put them on an xc bike.

my hope discs are great, and the hayes ones i've tried are ace too...

[fatboySlimfast]

Ok bike gear freak here to lay down some truth on your sorry hides :wink:
having finally dropped my bike count back to two(still got the spec enduro and me kona stinky) i can honestly say one bike is never enough :roll:
Anyway that merlin bike your looking at is good, Magura's very good brakes that never seem to go wrong, deore group set which works well(same as last years lx and theres nowt wrong with that) only reservation are the forks which ive never seen before and the flat xc style bars. (The bars are easily changeable to a riser which will give you more control) Forks are the exspensive things if you need to change them at a later datebikemagic.com
has a review page and a forum etc etc with loads of info and its more xc based