What kind of bike do I need

Carb

Ok, the family needs a hobbie and I need some exercise.

My kids like cycling but don't do it too much. Too young for the roads on their own (rural BTW), my laneway wouldn't be out of place in a quarry, and around the house resembles a building site.

I like the idea of forest trails, maybe some fire trails and single track, and perhaps develop things from there, and also start taking them out occasionally on the local roads. I live on the border and am only discovering the range of options in the Mournes and general area. I'm pretty comfortable on what they need ie. probably not their heavy Smyths Toys bikes.

But for myself, I'm a little lost. I don't need road speed, and if I get my level of fitness up and think I have time to get into cycling I'll buy a road bike at a later date. I'm unlikely to do anything too extreme, but would see myself working towards blue/red trails.

So my question is, based on the above, what kind of bike do I need. I assume it doesn't need to be full suspension. Would a hardtail be a good option, or where do those classed as trail bikes fit in. Also on wheel size, I see most come in 26 or 29, with some models having 27.5. Is there anything else I need to consider or am I looking at the wrong options

Budget is likely to be 1 - 1.5k although closer to 1k would be preferable. (I'm changing jobs soon and can probably squeeze a bike through the BTW before I leave).

Thanks for any advice.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I think a hardtail bike would be ideal for your needs. As to which model or what size wheels, that's up to you and your budget. Visit your local bike shop and ask their advice and try a few bikes out for size. With your budget you should be getting a higher end alloy hardtail MTB, I'd steer clear of carbon in that price range.

JBokeh

Alloy hard tail as said above, wheel size is pretty subjective and more to do with marketing than anything else, however it's pretty hard to find a 26" one these days, though the secondhand market for them is very good. 29" would probably be good when you want to bring the distances up in that transition period when you're trying to work out if you're going to want a road bike, as there seem to be a lot of slick tyres available in that size.

At the price range you're looking at a lot of hard tails stop being in the recreational range and start getting the cross country race geometry, which is high saddle, long stem, and your body in a more road bike position, on the other hand these bikes climb effortlessly, though handling is compromised a bit, and the bike is a lot less forgiving. I'm not sure how to put it in words, but you need to shift your body around a lot more on a cross country bike to make it behave compared to other types of bikes. This doesn't apply so much for when you're pottering around with kids, but when you decide to start taking longer spins on trails you'll find it out.

Carb

Thanks for the responses both.

@JBokeh; Effortless climbing - Why do I suspect your idea of effortless climbing is different to mine:D. For guidance, the lift was out of service today at work, and my legs were objecting. 10 years of sitting at a desk has taken its toll.

I'll pop into some local bike shops as I would like to keep things local (particularly for servicing/advice), if the price is tolerable.

Carb

So, got around a few bike shops today. Options do seem to be a bit limited at this time of year with 2016 stock pending.

First shop I went to had a 2014 Merida Big Nine 29er for 1100, but also had a second hand 2014 Ridley Ignite C30 for 1000. From recollection these were 17 inch frames, and with 29 inch wheels, without taking them for a spin, the footprint and size of the bikes felt big. (I should had said I'm 5'5", with a 29" inseam).

In the next shop, they suggested spending less for starting off, and recommended a Trek 4300 2015 (16.5F) with disc brakes for 719. There are other options, but they felt this is the best at the price point. From what I've read online, they are probably correct. Also have a niggling feeling that the frame which is described as a virtual 17 is a touch too large. I would get away with it but I certainly wouldn't want to come down on the bar too far forward. Will have to revisit this. If I want a smaller frame I'll most likely have to wait for 2016 stock. In general, standing beside the 26" wheels feels more natural.

I had my son with me today so didn't quite get into the detail that I would like, but I think I am looking for a smaller frame than I seen today and most likely 26" wheels.

JBokeh

I'm < 1 inch taller than you, and with the same inseam, and I'd take a 17" or 18" cross country bike, and usually end up with the saddle higher than the bars. The trend these days is to have handlebars wider than 700mm, which makes the bikes feel pretty big, especially if you're coming from a road bike. I personally prefer a bike a little on the big side, then fitting a short stem and chopping the bars down a bit, it seems to get the fit a bit better while sharpening the steering a bit, and medium bikes are a lot easier to find than small ones

The bikes you've seen today are definitely in the cross country bracket, which generally these days are equipped with the 29" wheels. Try find a cube dealer, they do hard tails in your price range in both 29" and 27.5" (which is pretty close to 26")

I think what Trek are doing is offering the bigger frames in 29" and then the small and medium in 27.5", to stop the effect of sitting between the two wheels. I've had a few 29ers and enjoy them, but if you're getting a bit carried away on them it is possible to catch your ass on the rear tyre, which can easily happen on small and medium frames due to the tyre coming pretty high up in relation to the saddle. That usually happens just after going from my 26" to 29" though

Carb

JBokeh wrote: »

I'm < 1 inch taller than you, and with the same inseam, and I'd take a 17" or 18" cross country bike, and usually end up with the saddle higher than the bars. The trend these days is to have handlebars wider than 700mm, which makes the bikes feel pretty big, especially if you're coming from a road bike. I personally prefer a bike a little on the big side, then fitting a short stem and chopping the bars down a bit, it seems to get the fit a bit better while sharpening the steering a bit, and medium bikes are a lot easier to find than small ones

The bikes you've seen today are definitely in the cross country bracket, which generally these days are equipped with the 29" wheels. Try find a cube dealer, they do hard tails in your price range in both 29" and 27.5" (which is pretty close to 26")

I think what Trek are doing is offering the bigger frames in 29" and then the small and medium in 27.5", to stop the effect of sitting between the two wheels. I've had a few 29ers and enjoy them, but if you're getting a bit carried away on them it is possible to catch your ass on the rear tyre, which can easily happen on small and medium frames due to the tyre coming pretty high up in relation to the saddle. That usually happens just after going from my 26" to 29" though

Thanks.

Do you find the top tube high on a 17" bike, or generally fine.

Also, in relation to the Carbon bike I seen today, is there anything I should consider when dealing with carbon. I've no concern about the condition (previous short term use in a local forest that I know, before the owner decided to switch to a road bike), however does a carbon bike require additional TLC.

Will continue looking about. I work in Dublin south city centre so I have pick and choice of shops to visit, I just have a slight preference to shop locally as this is where I will need to go for servicing etc.

Also curious if anyone has experience of Merida bikes.

JBokeh

It can be a bit "snug" on the standover, some bikes have the top tube join a bit further down the seat tube, which helps comfort a bit. I don't tend to stand down over the top tube much. The main reason I go for 17" is partially because I chop and change bike a bit, and medium frames tend to be easier to come by, as well as sell on

Carbon MTBs are lovely, I've had 2, they seem to take some of the harshness out of the terrain. Some folk say one crash and they're finished, which isn't true. The problem is it is harder to see damage, on an alloy frame if you damage it, you'll see a dent or crack, on carbon the damage can be below the surface where you won't see it. I wouldn't be too worried about it on an XC bike, on an all mountain one i'd be giving it a full check over for tell tale scuffs. I've put carbon bars on lots of MTBs, and had lots of spills, and clipped trees with them, touch wood they haven't failed me yet.

I had a merida hybrid, it was a nice bike, they're actually owners of specialized, but being a hybrid it was terribly unremarkable, but it was good quality, things like the bearings in the headset, hubs, and bottom bracket put up with many miles of cycling without not so much as a hint of roughness. I sold it to my neighbours brother who had big plans to cycle everywhere, by all accounts he used it once :P

CycLok

Ideally take a few bikes and sizes for a spin so see that you think. I know people who had to ride larger frames than they were told just to feel comfortable. Remember if you don't feel comfortable you won't use the bike so always worth going with what feels right at the start.

As mentioned the only problem with carbon is it can damage under the surface. With an alloy bike you can crash all day long and chances are you won't do much damage at all. The carbon will take some buzz out of the trail/road but it's doubtful you would notice this when starting out. Take a look at the second hand market there is some serious bargains out there for your budget.

Probably worth calling into the Giant store in Dublin, wealth of knowledge among the staff there

CycLok

Ideally take a few bikes and sizes for a spin so see that you think. I know people who had to ride larger frames than they were told just to feel comfortable. Remember if you don't feel comfortable you won't use the bike so always worth going with what feels right at the start.

As mentioned the only problem with carbon is it can damage under the surface. With an alloy bike you can crash all day long and chances are you won't do much damage at all. The carbon will take some buzz out of the trail/road but it's doubtful you would notice this when starting out. Take a look at the second hand market there is some serious bargains out there for your budget.

On wheel size, it doesn't matter unless your a professional. 29ers can be more stable than 26" wheeled mountain bikes but again, when your starting out it's doubtful you'dd notice any real world difference.

Probably worth calling into the Giant store in Dublin, wealth of knowledge among the staff there and they have a HEAP of bikes to try

Carb

Thanks for the input.

I started out with no interest in carbon, given my budget. It was just the second hand option put to me at the weekend got my attention as I know this was a 2k plus bike, so at 1k it seems like good value, and its limited use looks genuine. I'll go back for a spin at the weekend.

Slightly less inclined towards the Merida now. Usual mistake of to much internet searching. From reviews there was complaints about the shock used, and creaking from the frame under strain. Whatever about the first (and that's a long shot), I seriously doubt I'll be putting the frame under strain. Regardless, a little off-putting when there are loads of other options.

I'll start looking at others once I rule the Ridley in or out.

CycLok

Yeah the internet can be off putting! If it helps here's how I started out in cycling in general;

I went into halfords and bought the cheapest, most useless bike they had. My theory was if I didn't take to cycling or I ended up not cycling much I wouldn't have wasted too much money! I rode that on flatish off road trails, dirt tracks, the road etc etc. I eventually broke something and turfed it out, but at that stage I knew I liked cycling and knew I wanted a good mountain bike.

I bought a used Felt Q920 after that and rode actual trails etc. I found I liked doing a bit of road training so put road tyres on the felt at first but ultimately I picked up a cheap Giant Defy as well (which I still have some 4 years later).

I eventually wanted more from the mountain bike as I started doing races and some events so I sold the felt and dropped over 4k on Giant Trance X0 which has been absolutely brilliant, but it would have been lost on my back when I started out.

The one thing I noticed over the years is the more the bike costs the more it takes to keep it on the dirt. I probably spend more servicing my trance over a 12 month period than I do servicing my car! Where the Felt only cost 40/50 quid a year to keep tip top.

Carb

So don't want to leave a story with no ending.

I ended up going for the Merida Big Nine 900 (this; http://www.merida-bikes.com/en_int/bikes/hardtails/29-xc-race-marathon/2014/big-nine-900-185.html although I believe the fork is different). Based on my limited knowledge, its light and has good components and most importantly, looks good:D. Its also from my LBS which was my preference. It didn't seem as big the second time I looked at it. Stand-over clearance is very snug, but when I was on it, it felt right.

I actually intended buying the second hand Ridley, but unfortunately it was sold the day before I went back.

Won't be collecting it until Saturday week as I'm away this weekend, but looking forward to getting some miles in.