Enrtry Level hardtail MTB suggestions

usainbolt

I am looking for suggestion for an entry level hardtail MTB from one of the better brands such as Trek, Specialized,Felt etc... 2011/2012 models or even 2nd hand if in good condition. Height 6'2", ride a 58cm trek road bike.


Thanks.

Icyseanfitz

whats your budget?

DrZeuss

I'm going to follow this thread. I'm in the market for one myself in or around the €400 mark. I'll keep an eye on the suggestions.

Icyseanfitz

this is a nice bike if you want something very cheap

DrZeuss

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

this is a nice bike if you want something very cheap

That looks like good spec alright, might be a liitle too high on price for me though.

I was looking at this , any thoughts?

Or this , I honestly dont know much about hardtails tbh, know road bike components but lost with mtb stuff!

Icyseanfitz

DrZeuss wrote: »

That looks like good spec alright, might be a liitle too high on price for me though.

I was looking at this , any thoughts?

Or this , I honestly dont know much about hardtails tbh, know road bike components but lost with mtb stuff!

i wouldnt get either of them tbh, they both have crappy forks and the rest of the components arnt all that great either, actually a friend of mine has that felt and its useless, i wouldnt buy a new mtb for less than the gt i linked, it has rock shox forks and a decent shimano drivtrain. just my opinion though

DrZeuss

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

i wouldnt get either of them tbh, they both have crappy forks and the rest of the components arnt all that great either, actually a friend of mine has that felt and its useless, i wouldnt buy a new mtb for less than the gt i linked, it has rock shox forks and a decent shimano drivtrain. just my opinion though

Cheers for the advice, I knew I would end up needing to spend more

May re-jig the budget so

Icyseanfitz

normally if someone told me they had 500 id say go second hand or halfords (normally some sort of sale on there) but that gt is very well speced for the price, and a good bike to start out on

enoonan

I recently bought a new hardtail and am new to the MTB riding.
Its a Cube Attention, 2012 model. Am very happy with it so far.
It was €799, which is above the budget mentioned by DrZeuss but may be an option for the OP.

Eoin

random.stranger

Hi OP,
I recently picked up a Ghost SE6000 & I'm happy to recommend it.

There is also a nice deal on Sunn Prim S2, but they are sold out in large.

I don't know if a 48cm would fit you. This might help

kuro_man wrote: »

I checked out the Ghost website FAQ, multiply your inseam (cm) by .57 to get a rough estimate of bike size, then go nearest smaller frame for comfort, nearest larger frame for a more racey bike.

kuro_man

Bugger, that Sunn Prim S2 is €50 cheaper than I paid for it!

rab!dmonkey

The weak point in the GTs spec is the fork (though it's still fields ahead of the forks on the two cheaper bikes). It'll be fine until you decide whether you're going to stick with mountain biking or not - then you can replace the fork or sell the entire bike, if it's not for you. I'd say go for the Ghost or the Sunn if you can; you'll get a lot more bike for your money by shifting into the low-middle price bracket, possibly the best value for money bikes are found there.

Icyseanfitz

meh the fork is a rockshox which is plenty good enough for paying 500 on a bike, even if it is at the lower end of their product lineup, personally i think the best value mtb's out at the moment are that gt, the canyon grand canyon AL 6.0, and this lovely cube full suspension bike from crc

random.stranger

kuro_man wrote: »

Bugger, that Sunn Prim S2 is €50 cheaper than I paid for it!

Sorry to hear that mate. Only available in extra small now, if that makes you feel better.

fran oconnor

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

meh the fork is a rockshox which is plenty good enough for paying 500 on a bike, even if it is at the lower end of their product lineup, personally i think the best value mtb's out at the moment are that gt, the canyon grand canyon AL 6.0, and this lovely cube full suspension bike from crc

Just got the 6.0 today, have not had a chance to ride it, but its a fantastic spec and very well put together.

kuro_man

random.stranger wrote: »

Sorry to hear that mate. Only available in extra small now, if that makes you feel better.

Yes, it does! Thanks. :rolleyes:

Donie75

I have a Trek Hybrid that I never use any more because I have a road bike now. I was thinking of selling it and buying a MTB for around €600.
I was in my LBS today and spotted these

1. Ridley Trailfire for €650 http://www.ridley-bikes.com/pd/ie/en-gb/5/394/mtb/trailfire

2. A 2011 Specialized Hardrock Pro 2011 for €600 down from €800

3. Forme Element http://www.formebikes.co.uk/bikes/mountain/element.php

Does anyone have any experience of these? I'm looking for a bike to do a few trails like Ballyhoura & Portumna and a bit of general messing around in winter.

Any advice regarding specs would be great.

Thanks

Icyseanfitz

whats the spec on the hardrock? id buy the specialized as it is a great brand and it probably has a good spec, although you might want to look at some of the other bikes posted in this thread as well,

actually scrap all that, just saw the hardrock spec and its nothing on this

Donie75

There are some bargains about alright but I'd look like I stole a kids bike on an XSmall Sunn

usainbolt

Budget is around 500 but will go to 750 if I get a lot more bike.

Icyseanfitz

these three are nice, Ghost, kona, kona

CatFromHue

500-750 is an awful lot to paying for an entry level bike. I'm assuming that since you looking for an entry level bike you are new or thinking of taking up mountain biking.

Would it not be best to buy a second hand bike for 200-300 first and then if you get into it and really like mountain biking you can upgrade. A bike you buy now for 200-300 would still be able to be sold for that price in 6 months. If your circumstances change, you never go biking, or you decide you don't like it you'll have saved a pile of money.

Donie75

Carfromhue,
I have a hybrid lying in the garage at home that I rarely use but I'd like to get into mtbing and do a few trails like Ballyhoura. I'm going to sell the hybrid and get €250 to €280. Then I'll put a few hunder quid to it and get a hardtail. There seems to be very good value in secondhand bikes at the moment. I guess some of these are Bike to Work scheme buyers who never used the bikes and might need a few quid. There are some nice Cube's and Treks out there around the 400 to 550 bracket.
Also, I'll use the mtb in the spring/summer on the road because i recently bought my mrs a hybrid so we can do a few spins together.
I have a road bike as well and I'm not really into €200 bikes.

Icyseanfitz, that Kona Kula looks very nice with a great spec. What are Kona bikes like? I'm not familiar with the brand.

fran oconnor

Donie75 wrote: »

Carfromhue,
I have a hybrid lying in the garage at home that I rarely use but I'd like to get into mtbing and do a few trails like Ballyhoura. I'm going to sell the hybrid and get €250 to €280. Then I'll put a few hunder quid to it and get a hardtail. There seems to be very good value in secondhand bikes at the moment. I guess some of these are Bike to Work scheme buyers who never used the bikes and might need a few quid. There are some nice Cube's and Treks out there around the 400 to 550 bracket.
Also, I'll use the mtb in the spring/summer on the road because i recently bought my mrs a hybrid so we can do a few spins together.
I have a road bike as well and I'm not really into €200 bikes.

Icyseanfitz, that Kona Kula looks very nice with a great spec. What are Kona bikes like? I'm not familiar with the brand.

If i wherec you i'd go a little further and get this http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=2537. I had one myself until some bastard robbed it, but it was a great bike and a very good spec for the money. These are also a nice bike http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=57174 , i'd rather the Canyon myself though..

rab!dmonkey

Kona are a great brand. They make solid bikes without as much hype and marketing nonsense as other big brands. You could continue this thread forever with people telling you 'spend €20 more and you could get what I got,' but the 2011 Kula looks like a good deal. It has better equipment than both the Canyon and the Cube (terrible fork for the price of the Cube).

Icyseanfitz

kona are a great brand, just go for the one of the ones i linked, great value

the Lamb Post

For an entry level MTB you don't necessarily need to have all the top components. i.e. Rockshox aren't a requisite, but most certainly would be of a higher quality.

I ended up with Suntour forks which most people told me weren't great, but they stood up to everything I threw at them for the last few months. The only reason they are no longer on my bike is because I got a free upgrade to Rock shox Dart 2's.

I recently discovered my love for the sport and am already planning what next on the upgrade list, but for someone starting out the budget may not need to be set as high as the bike may end up lying the shed when they discover it's just not for them.

Every person on here will recommend a different bike (I've a Lapierre BTW) but in my opinion the main things to watch out for on an entry level bike are the brakes... just ensure they are hydraulic discs and not mechanical, don't even look at V-brakes. After that nearly all the components will (or at least should) stand up to regular use.

I believe someone will know in their heart if they are actually gonna give MTBing a go, or if it's just a fad they're going through. The one's really giving it a go should be looking at a €600-€800 type bike (like Kona's, Sunn's mentioned above). If you're really not so sure then I wouldn't recommend spending a shed load of cash in case the bike sits in the shed. I would have loved that Kona to have been that price when I was buying

But then again that's just my opinion. I am biased, as I can't see how anyone who ever tries it doesn't like it.... IT'S DEADLY :D.

Best of luck guys and remember to make sure you get a bike that suits you, not just because someone recommends one. Make sure you take a test drive to check on comfort. Hopefully will see ya on the trails sometime.

mint man

u could rent a bike of biking .ie if your near dublin/wicklow to try out mtbing.
he has treks 4900.(sells ex rentals too)
i had a trek 4300 ,that i was happy with but the forks were useless,the brakes where mechanical disc ,just needed regular adjusting ,done the job.
ive upgraded to a higher spec trek now.
im in a mtb club and awouldnt say any make takes favour over others ,everyone has different opinions