Reasonable mountain bike

mondeo

Hi,

I'm looking for a mountain bike. Cycling to work and a little bit of mucking around on the weekends sort of thing. I was looking at this in Halfords.

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_786135_langId_-1_categoryId_212589

Will this suit my needs? The last mountain bike I actually bought was a Raleigh activator 2 in 1993! We are going way back here with that one. I like the front and rear suspension on the one in the link. Reminds me of my old activator 2.

My budget is 300 max as I'm not entering competition or anything.As long as I can cycle comfortably to work, head down through a few fields and a dusty track here and there I am happy.

Thanks:)

colm_gti

mondeo wrote: »

My budget is 300 max as I'm not entering competition or anything.As long as I can cycle comfortably to work, head down through a few fields and a dusty track here and there I am happy.

If that's all you're after would you not be better off with a cyclocross bike of some sort, probably second hand given your budget, would be hard pushed to buy a decent new bike for 300, never mind a double suspension mtb...

mondeo

colm_gti wrote: »

If that's all you're after would you not be better off with a cyclocross bike of some sort, probably second hand given your budget, would be hard pushed to buy a decent new bike for 300, never mind a double suspension mtb...

Dunno to be honest. I'm not a bike man really and pretty clueless:(. I just like the idea of biking it when doing local runs here and there. Might help me get abit fitter aswell:pac:

Sagi

I'd also say you should go second hand on that budged, and if you buy a new bike, don't go for a full suspension, it will not really be mor comfortable but rather a mad bouncing machine and most propably youll have problems with the suspension or the bearings after a short while.

If you really want to go for a new one I would rather suggest something like this
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_892925_langId_-1_categoryId_212377#tab2

but still if you want to do sports and have a bike that satisfies your needs for a longer time you will want to have a decent suspension fork and components of a higher quality.

You ca definetly find a very nice second hand bike for your budged but hardly a new one.

mondeo

Sagi wrote: »

I'd also say you should go second hand on that budged, and if you buy a new bike, don't go for a full suspension, it will not really be mor comfortable but rather a mad bouncing machine and most propably youll have problems with the suspension or the bearings after a short while.

If you really want to go for a new one I would rather suggest something like this
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_892925_langId_-1_categoryId_212377#tab2

but still if you want to do sports and have a bike that satisfies your needs for a longer time you will want to have a decent suspension fork and components of a higher quality.

You ca definetly find a very nice second hand bike for your budged but hardly a new one.

I was in halfords today looking at that. Its very decent I have to say. I was also looking at this similar make but with a front suspension fork.
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_810729_langId_-1_categoryId_212589

I have upped my budget abit so I could get this one?

Carrera are a halfords own brand acco0dring to the lad in the store. He said they are made on same production line as Giant in Taiwan so are very good bikes. Hmm interesting.

On another note here is another model from Hollingsworth cycles. What would you say about this Giant?
http://www.mycycle.ie/giant-revel-3-p/gr34523523.htm

Thanks

random.stranger

All the bikes you linked to look fairly bad to me, those cheap forks take away from the bikes, they don't add anything.

I'd save a few quid & listen to Sagi's advice.

Sagi wrote: »

I'd also say you should go second hand on that budged, and if you buy a new bike, don't go for a full suspension, it will not really be mor comfortable but rather a mad bouncing machine and most propably youll have problems with the suspension or the bearings after a short while.

If you really want to go for a new one I would rather suggest something like this
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_892925_langId_-1_categoryId_212377#tab2

but still if you want to do sports and have a bike that satisfies your needs for a longer time you will want to have a decent suspension fork and components of a higher quality.

You ca definetly find a very nice second hand bike for your budged but hardly a new one.

Johnny Jukebox

Its a going to the shops bike. Taking it up around the trails in 3 rock etc will break your heart because its too heavy for climbing and it will fall apart in no time.

You don't get a bike that you can ride up and down mountains for 300 yoyo, no matter how well it looks in Halfords. Buy a 2nd hand hardtail (i.e. no rear suspension). Spend some time looking at 600-700 yoyo hardtails online and in the shops and figure to pay about half that for a decent 2nd one.

kling

Reasonable? Check
MTB? Check
Better than the stuff in Halfords? Check
Cheaper? Check

http://www.gumtree.ie/cp-sports-leisure-in-dublin/kona-mountain-bike-10-ono-425586763

Sagi

Go for the Kopna if it is still available, kling found a very nice bike for you and even if there would be some work to do on it, you can still bring it to the bike shop and get it fixed for the money you saved.
Much better bike than all the new ones, for sure a few years old, but those old marzocchi forks are hard to kill

Johnny Jukebox

The Kona only has V-brakes which means you won't be able to stop in the wet going down a mountain.

This is within your budget;

http://www.gumtree.ie/cp-sports-leisure-in-dublin/specialized-hardrock-sport-disc-mountain-bike-399194601#

C3PO

Johnny Jukebox wrote: »

The Kona only has V-brakes which means you won't be able to stop in the wet going down a mountain.

This is within your budget;

http://www.gumtree.ie/cp-sports-leisure-in-dublin/specialized-hardrock-sport-disc-mountain-bike-399194601#

Assuming that the Specialized is as described I'd buy it long before one of those Halford's bikes!

kling

Johnny Jukebox wrote: »

The Kona only has V-brakes which means you won't be able to stop in the wet going down a mountain.

Because no-one ever managed to brake going downhill offroad before disc brakes became standard? In general disc brakes may be a more effective option, but V brakes work just fine in the stopping game - albeit a bit noisier in the wet. How many disc brakes on road racing bikes for mountain stages?*

That said - the Specialised looks like a good option too.


*Disclaimer - personally still rocking the V brakes on oldschool mtb's.

Sagi

Hard to say if I'd go for the kona or the specialized
I think the specialized is the newer bike, but the kona has better parts, there is a rather not so great suntour fork on it and if those are shimano disc brakes it must be some mechanical model, which I have not made good experience with.

I can remember going down mountains in the wet pretty fast with v brakes and I'm still aliove, so that would not be a no go for me. unfortunatly the fork has no disc mounts as far as I can see from the picture, so no up[grade is possible.

For me it would still be the kona, but a complete part list for both bikes would make it easyier to decide.