which MTB should i buy

dom17

looking at getting a mtb, i've seen a few but being a road biker not sure whats what when it comes to mtb.thinking of getting a hardtail for around 1000 euro on the bike to work scheme,the choices seem to be
1 cube ltd
2 giant xtc 3
3 trek rockhopper

couple of questions though,which would be the best? anyone heard of haro bikes and are they any good?
thought of buying a second hand but probably get new for same money ?

Stingerbar

dom17 wrote: »

thought of buying a second hand but probably get new for same money ?

The second-hand market for MTB's is excellent. MTBs depreciate so fast, and with a budget like 1 grand, you would be able to get virtually anything from sub 21 lb retro Kleins to well maintained full suspension Specialized's, etc. However, for that, you need knowledge, lots of it, so as you don't buy a lemon, and since this is your first MTB I'd strongly recommend sticking with a new bike.


However just as buying advice goes, well, for 1 grand you should be getting a bike that is at least sub-27lb, you should have good stand-over clearance (so many roadies get MTB's that are far too big and uncontrollable), brakes should lock with one finger, enquire about tubeless (less punctures), and beware of the usual sales spiel from shop owners (shop around)

Unless you are in a desperate hurry for a bike, it really is a lot of fun buying your first MTB, especially with a big budget like that, I really just recommend not rushing in, seeing whats in the local bike shops, seeing what the best discounts are, and getting suggestions, reviews online.

If you are in a bit of a hurry to get one then the main brands that you really can't go wrong on are; Kona, Specialized, Cube, Cannondale, Scott, Trek. I'm not in the country at the moment so I don't know the best deals/stores, I'm sre others will fill you in on that.

derv

i'm in the same position as yourself mate,
i am going to spend the 1k on the Bike2Work in the next couple of weeks.

very interested in hearing peoples feedback also.

i have heard that Wheel Works do free servicing on any bikes bought there.
does anyone know if this is true?

that would be a massive selling point for me.

dom17

should have said budget of about 600 the bike sells for around a 1000 but will only cost me around 500-600 on the bike to work

Tenzor07

Which colours on the 3 bikes you have seen do you like most?

Cos thats what it comes down to on bikes around €1k

ratracer

dom17 wrote: »

should have said budget of about 600 the bike sells for around a 1000 but will only cost me around 500-600 on the bike to work

I haven't used the btw scheme yet, but I understand that you still have to pay the 1000 then claim back the tax at year end? You don't get to pay the shop 600 for it

dom17

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Which colours on the 3 bikes you have seen do you like most?

Cos thats what it comes down to on bikes around €1k

are you saying that if i chose 3 bikes at 2k that it would make a difference :rolleyes:

I haven't used the btw scheme yet, but I understand that you still have to pay the 1000 then claim back the tax at year end? You don't get to pay the shop 600 for it

your boss pays the shop full amount and you pay your boss back

Donie75

You could head to Ballyhoura or one of the other trails that have bike rental and try out some of the bikes that they have.
I was in Ballyhoura recently and they had a nice range of Cube & Lapierre hardtails and some full sus. www.trailriders.ie is the website. The hardtails are €35 per day.
I think there is a place renting bikes at Ballinastoe and Derroura too.

rab!dmonkey

There's very few bikes that stand out from the competition in the ~€1,000 price range. Just look out for a few key features and you'll pick up a nice bike.

• Fork: Suntour are generally pretty dire; Rock Shox Recon are the best you can ask for at this price.
• Brakes: Hydraulic discs are to be expected at this price. Not much seperates Tektro and entry level Shimano at this price.
• Crankset: Hollowtech II style cranks are desirable but not essential. Square taper cranksets don't last long if you ride hard, best to go for a HTII crankset when they wear out.

A few things that might give one bike an edge over a similarly equipped ones: high-volume tyres (>2.1") are generally more forgiving; slacker, longer bikes make better descenders; wider bars and shorter stems are better for descending, but taking it to an extreme hampers climbing. If you're between two sizes, go for the smaller one.

Are these the specs of the bikes you're looking at (I take it you meant the Spesh Rockhopper)? I'd go with the Cube out of those. Have you considered a Canyon? This one is very nicely specced

quenching

I got a Cube Ltd Pro from CycleSuperstore a few weeks ago, very happy with it. Listed at €1205 on their website, but €1085 after their loyalty scheme discount (anyone can join the loyalty scheme). I did a lot of research and this offered the best value, looks good too.

Tenzor07

dom17 wrote: »

are you saying that if i chose 3 bikes at 2k that it would make a difference

Would START to make a difference at 2k... €1k... no... you bike to workers should get with the concept of going over the €1k "limit"

dom17

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Would START to make a difference at 2k... €1k... no... you bike to workers should get with the concept of going over the €1k "limit"

tenzor try the concept of reading the post properly, if you read the op properly you'd understand that i know nothing about mtb, so i could look at 3 mtb at 3k and wouldn't know which would be better value, probably the red one cause they go faster :rolleyes:

thanks rab!dmonkey,Donie75 and quenching i did look at the canyons actually, i saw this one for 999 euro http://www.harobikes.com/archive/2011/mtb/bikes/XC-Performance-Hardtail/9/ looks ok ,never heard of them before though

can anyone confirm this ,guy in bike shop told me that fox forks have to be sent away to be serviced at cost of 120 euro

Tenzor07

dom17 wrote: »

Can anyone confirm this ,guy in bike shop told me that fox forks have to be sent away to be serviced at cost of 120 euro

No, that's not true at all! If someone in a bike shop told me that i'd quickly turn around and leave!

BR3N

dom17 wrote: »

can anyone confirm this ,guy in bike shop told me that fox forks have to be sent away to be serviced at cost of 120 euro

No.. OC Tuning are an official fox servicer, they're located in Dublin. Also I'm fairly sure they do them cheaper than 120, probably wrong though.

Sweenox

OC tuning is the best place to go for fox,don't think it costs that much,price list is on their site,they are quick and know what they're doing. The cubes are great bikes but like mentioned previously look at canyon too,not sure if any shops stock them but they are well kitted out compared to other bikes of the same cost. For your first mtb a hardtail is the way to go,you rely less on the suspension doing all the work and don't pick up bad habits,also less maintenance. Another thing is if you see a bike for more than the 1k budget I'm sure some shops could mark you down for a 1k bike and let you pay the extra cash,not that I would encourage such a thing;)
Also google the name of your bike with mtbr review after it,it should bring you to reviews on mtbr.com by people who have actually own that bike and lists its strenghts,weakness,sizing help etc.

Hope this helps some way