I need a bike!

[Crystalclear]

Ok, less need, more looking for one ( that'll last forever! )

I went into the local Halford's, and had the best time ever talking to a sales person; when it comes to bikes, I haven't sat on one since the 80's!

I genuinely need some help, as I know what my budget is, and that I want a mountain bike, but I just don't know where to start from. :/

I've seen three that I did a comparison on oh the Halford's web page, but I noticed something...

The best of the three doesn't have a Shimano gear changer?! :/ I would have thought at £600 they would put that one the back gears at the least? right?

I was offered an option of "upgrading" parts on the bike of choice, for a few pennies more.

Where do I start from, and what do I look for? Please help!

(Ooo, my maximum budget is £599.00)

 

[gregers]

check out a few independents before parting with your dosh at halfords.

 

[Crystalclear]

That thought has been at the back of my mind, but now you mention it...

It would have to be

# within drivable distance, incase I have to return the bike for whatever reason.
# a business that has been established long enough to have a good reputation for quality bikes.

 

[Nige F]

If you're within driving distance of Kent I know someone who builds bikes from scratch

 

[Brigadier]

What do you want it for?
Commuting?
Canal towpaths?
Single track?
Suicidal downhilling?
Other?

How often do you intend to ride?

 

[Crystalclear]

What do you want it for?
Commuting?
Canal towpaths?
Single track?
Suicidal downhilling?
Other?

How often do you intend to ride?

Hey Brigadier.

I'm over here with the shire folk, in Lancashire, where the roads aren't perfect, but the bike will used primarily on Tarmac, where I'm looking at an average mileage of 15miles stamina training, a week.

Downhills? I'll leave that for the ones with bones made of titanium! :/

A note: the advice was that, don't go for hybrid tyres especially with higher chance I'll buckle the wheels going over a hole in the road. :/

 

[Brigadier]

Over in lancs, there are quite a few well-respected independent bike shops. I'd seek their advice.
Personally, I'd go for a hardtail mtb at that money (a full suspension bike for that money would be hugely-compromised), and some semi-slick, high-pressure tyres.

 

[Crystalclear]

I found a few good ones, you're right.

Is that so? Ok. Fully sus'd ones are apparently 'too bouncy' when you ride on Tarmac? More because the rear sus takes away some of the power from the push on the pedals?

Hardtail MTB, like a Scott Aspect 740 2015? Thinking of traveling to a local bike store, and trying this out in the 18" frame (with my 31" inside leg measurement)

Semi slick? I read up on that, and I think you mean something similar to the 'schwalbe city jets' ?
I actually saw the type of tyre in halfords on a road bike I think, and the first thought that came to mind was, they'll wear away quicker on Tarmac! :/ ... I think I'm missing something in that equation! :/
I must add they feel of the slick tyres do have a dense rubber feel to them, compared to the MTB "knobbly" tyres.

Your feed back is very much appreciated

 

[Brigadier]

"Too bouncy" has little to do with it.
A £600 full susser will be rubbish.
If you want to spend £3k on one, it will be a fine bike (indeed, I know a bloke who's riding has been saved by one, where a bad back had previously threatened to curtail his cycling).
But you don't want to spend £3k.

Knobbly tyres will be less efficient on tarmac, and the thicker rubber will wear quicker. Dont fret about slicks.

 

[mattylad]

Where in lancs are you?
Burnley Cycles is good, ISTR there are a couple of good bike shops over here, Skipton way has bike shops for those that like to take them over the hills etc.

 

[foxhole]

Avoid Halfords, they haven't a clue how to build a bicycle, you could try local Freegle or Freecycle I just picked up one of these http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/city/touring/720/ for free, admittedly it's a much older model but it has 18gears and road tyres .

 

[durhamplumber]

DO NOT BUY BIKE FROM HALFORDS.

 

[ILikeDIYS]

Why don't you get a hardly-used second hand one?

Bikes have worse depreciation than cars. You can get a £1500-£2000 (when new) bike on ebay for £600 second hand.

When I wanted a bike I was looking at Konas and Specialized full suspension downhill mountain bikes which were retailing for >£1000 going for £400 on ebay.

For £600 you could be riding a £600 Halfords bike which is gonna get scratched anyway or you could be riding a £1500 bike you paid £600 for second hand.

Also SR Suntour is typically a budget brand for suspension you wanna aim for Rock Shox or Fox.

 

[ericmark]

I have a cheap Halfords mountain bike, very heavy, suspension front and rear which you can't lock out. For my photography it does what I want, if has disk brakes which are very good. Hitting pot holes does not cause problems and in North Wales we seem to collect them. But within a couple of weeks the front cogs had warped and required renewing FOC and the top speed is low, as to being a mountain bike it is that heavy I often end up walking beside it any lower geared one can't balance as too slow, but does not need to be very steep before I can't ride up it.

My wife has a composite, not Halfords with lockable front suspension, far better gears thumb up or thumb down, very much lighter, higher geared, and on a trip together she leaves me in the dust, calliper brakes which for her seem ample.

We have swapped bikes and no question, it is the bike not the person riding it, for road work really no point is a mountain bike.

We hear the pros and cons for disc brakes too, I will admit they do stop even when wet, but all the strain of stopping goes through the spokes so the hub needs to be larger and spokes thicker to take the disc brake.

For exercise does not really matter if you get off and push, your still getting exercise, so for me the heavy Halfords bike does the job, I tend to carry camera gear in ruck sack so not travelling light to start with, but I could not afford the price of my wife's bike given to her by my son, it was a ride to work deal, seems they get them tax free, with other intensives from work, and think it cost around 6 times price of mine. For her pushing a button to go up or down gears rather than my simple twist grip makes a huge difference. And I will admit my chain comes off far more than hers.

We are both heavy, I am around 22 stone, and it is really to get exercise so to my mind better to see countryside while exercising than look at the walls of a Jim. And those bikes in the Jim must be the worse ever designed, don't know how they can be called bikes when they don't have two wheels? Mono cycles with stabilisers which even a kid would not ride!

 

[motorbiking]

Decathlon is a good alternative to halfords, I build my own bikes mostly, but I could't resist an old school 26" from decathlon with full Shimano SLX group set at £300 for my son. Its a tiny bit heavy compared to my bikes, but then they didn't cost £300 new. Generally second hand is the way to go. If you are riding mostly on roads, then get some slicks or start looking at road/CX bikes. I agree about the pointlessness of hybrids. This is not the time of year to buy bikes from shops.

Another good place to look is http://www.paulscycles.co.uk as they do previous years bikes at a discount. Often the previous model is better than the current, particularly in the switch over from 26" to 27.5" wheels.

As someone who races ultra enduros I'd say the most important thing on any bike, be it a £100 BSO or a 5k full carbon, is make sure it set-up properly for you. Getting the seat up high can make a huge difference in power as will learning to pedal in cycles and not stomp.