buying first mountain bike

JAMES VTI S

What do I need to look for when buying my first mountain bike.

I'm looking at a cube analog ?

macnab

JAMES VTI S wrote: »

What do I need to look for when buying my first mountain bike.

I'm looking at a cube analog ?

First thing is do you actually need a mountain bike, if you are going to ride up and down mountains then the answer is yes.
If on the other hand you will be doing mostly road riding then the answer is no.
Mountain bikes are not good road bikes because 13.5kg is too much weight to have to cycle up a hill no matter how smooth the surface.
The geometry of a mountain bike does not allow comfort over extended rides in the saddle, it concentrates too much of the riders weight on the sit bones (ass) and does not allow the rider to attain an aerodynamic position.
The handle bars really only allow one easy grip which can be uncomfortable after a while.
Mountain bike tyres are very wide and do not roll easily on tarmac, which means with the extra weight and all that rolling resistance you are going to be pumping a lot of energy into that bike that would translate into much more speed on a road bike.
The gearing on a mountain bike is not set up for road speeds which means you will be pedaling like a demented lunatic when the road points downwards.

However, if you answered yes to the first question and do intend to do a good bit of mountain biking, then just make sure the bike is the right size for you.
If you are buying 2nd hand make sure to test ride the bike. Other than that I don't mountain bike so I am out of my depth.

blobbie

I agree with all of the above. I have MTB & Roadbike and basically pick the bike to use depending on the surface / length of ride that you will be riding on.

"If on the other hand you will be doing mostly road riding then the answer is no."
Depends on the quality of "road". If sealed then a road bike. If not and in bad disrepair, a MTB is better.

"Mountain bikes are not good road bikes because 13.5kg is too much weight to have to cycle up a hill no matter how smooth the surface."
Quite a few MTBs come in at 11kg mark (and lower - but are expensive) these days. MTBs also offer lower gearing e.g. 42x32x24T and 11-36T which will probably get you up a wall.

"The geometry of a mountain bike does not allow comfort over extended rides in the saddle, it concentrates too much of the riders weight on the sit bones (ass) and does not allow the rider to attain an aerodynamic position."
True, but the likely hood is that you won't be racing or seeking PBs on a road using a MTB.

"The handle bars really only allow one easy grip which can be uncomfortable after a while."
You can get grips to allow a 2nd hand position e.g. Ergon GP3

"Mountain bike tyres are very wide and do not roll easily on tarmac, which means with the extra weight and all that rolling resistance you are going to be pumping a lot of energy into that bike that would translate into much more speed on a road bike."
True - I have swapped out the knobbly fat tires for "thin" 1.75 slicks and, on sealed road, it feels like threading treacle but is better than the knobbly tyres and does provide extra "comfort" on crap roads.

"The gearing on a mountain bike is not set up for road speeds which means you will be pedaling like a demented lunatic when the road points downwards." True, and also when on flat sealed roads.


When getting an MTB, things to look out for:

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/buyers-guide-to-mountain-bikes-for-500-1000-video-41284/


Hardtail v Full Suspension. Unless you are going to be "hardcore" a hardtail will probably suffice.


Brakes: "rim" brakes versus disc brakes. Disc brakes "hydraulic" versus cable. Hydraulic disc brakes = bleeding = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsqlEYJeLQU

A few friends have Avid brakes and they are not fans of them.

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/buyers-guide-to-mountain-bike-disc-brakes-45/


Fork: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/mountain-bike-suspension-forks-a-buyers-guide-55/

Wheel size: 26 / 650 / 29
Trend now is for 650 - was 29 until about a year ago and 26 was the original. If going overseas 26" is the more common in far flung places.

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/how-to-choose-mountain-bike-wheels-41118/


If buying new and not via the Bike To Work scheme, quite a few of the German sites do good MTBs at good prices.

http://www.radon-bikes.de/xist4c/web/ZR-Team-Series-2014_id_25069_.htm

http://www.rosebikes.com/products/bikes/mtb/

.ak

Yeah obviously don't buy a MTB if you're not planning on getting up a mountain and some trails anytime soon. But if you do think it's something you'd be interested in then do it. You can cycle your MTB on roads. You can commute with it. It will go uphill even at 13.5kg and it will roll over tarmac. However, it won't be as comfortable as a road bike for the above reasons. Put it this way, you probably won't be doing any 80k jaunts on your MTB.

It's a simple question really, is your commute to work massive? Or do you plan on just using the bike to get to a to b with the idea of mountain biking now and again? Or are you enthuastic in getting into MTBing in a big way?

Unless it's the first scenario I would say do it. The cube analog is a lovely bike, and I think it's lighter than most hardtail 29ers. I gave it a go but ended up going with the Giant Talon just because of the aesthetics... but I kinda wish I went for the lighter Cube.

If you don't like it you can always sell it. The money you'll get back will buy you a decent road bike.

.ak

Also, if you plan on commuting, there's sense in going for a 29er. Bigger wheels makes it easier to gather momentum and you cover more distance per cycle.

Having said that, I do find my 29er hardtail tricky to throw around corners. If I had the money I'd be buying a 650b (27.5") full suspension.... But really you want to be looking at 2k for something basic there.

Bravobabe

Hi, I recently bought a trex 29er and it is a lovely bike. I have to agree with all the points made above.

I bought the bike mostly for commuting to work two x 7km daily trips and possible some leisure trips at the weekend & holidays.
I haven't really cycled for 20 years plus and I went for the trex because I liked the construction and the big tryes as the roads are sh*t in my area. Also I can do the commute along a canal bank which is currently a grass/dirt track.

As the more experienced posters above say - It Depends What You Want It For?
My limited experiences (only have the bike a week)
Speed - currently I can do my commute in just over 20 min, which I presume will improve over the coming weeks (hopefully)
The gearing gives more options at the lower rather than the higher end - compared to road/hybrid bike
The chunky tyres do affect speed and are a little noisy, but bad road surface and debris are no problem
Saddle - presume my ars* is going to get used to it over the next few weeks, but if not a change of saddle may be on the agenda
Disc Brakes (cable) - happy so far

Yesterday while riding home - a group (4) of cyclists passed me, they all had road bikes (racers). While trying to keep up with them for a while (but soon got sense), I did notice that I was pedalling more that they were for the same speed (gears, weight, tyres).

However there was an incident down the road which held up traffic and the group of cyclists also got held up, but just before the hold up I was able to switch on to the canal path which runs adjacent to the road at that point. There is no way any sensible person would attempt it on a racer.
So I guess "its horses for courses"
At the moment this bike suits me - be in a few weeks I might be wishing I went for a hybrid

JAMES VTI S

Here it is.