Thinking of getting a mountain bike

[Goose]

Basically I have £120 and i want a half decent mtb that can be used to go downhill.

Doesn't have to be a downhill bike but I really dont know where to start.

Ive searched ebay and gumtree and i seem to need about £150-£200 for a bike that I want.

Anyone point me in the right direction?

Also how easy is it to build a bike from scratch?

- Frame
- Seat
- Seatpost
- Brakes
- Pedals
- Gears
- Handbars
- Forks
- Rims/Tyres

Have I missed anything else?

[Mochachino]

You really will not be looking at a proper bike for that money.

You wont be able to build a proper bike for that money.

In fact it isnt worth giving any advice as the only bikes you are able to get are argos bikes which are all of the same shit standard.

Save up around £300 more, even £200 more and you can get something ALOT better than a £200 budget.

EDIT: just read you want it for downhill too lol. My advise now is do not get an argos bike for £200 as it would just be dangerous to do downhill on. Look to spend around £1000. This will get you a bike thats up to the job at a more entry level price.

Im in the same market for a DH/Freeride bike take a look at these below,this is what you should be looking at:

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1018515/

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1018345/

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/900834/

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1018186/

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/979007/

[Goose]

I dont want to spend silly money on a bike as i dont know if im going to stick with it.

Theres a few specialized and konas going for £150-200. I will be buying second hand not new.

[m11ler]

Just keep browsing ebay for second hand bikes. Its suprising how much bikes depreciate.

[Goose]

I will mainly be using it to ride around some woods near me with the odd bit of downhill. Unsure on if I should be looking at multi geared or no gears?

[Baz]

My dad bought a GT Aggressor XC 3 for £150 off eBay, seemed pretty decent spec from what reviews etc I read up on it

[m11ler]

I will mainly be using it to ride around some woods near me with the odd bit of downhill. Unsure on if I should be looking at multi geared or no gears?

Deffinately go with gears. Gotta get up those hills to go down them.
You gonna be going out on your own or with a few mates?

[Goose]

You really will not be looking at a proper bike for that money.

You wont be able to build a proper bike for that money.

In fact it isnt worth giving any advice as the only bikes you are able to get are argos bikes which are all of the same shit standard.

Save up around £300 more, even £200 more and you can get something ALOT better than a £200 budget.

EDIT: just read you want it for downhill too lol. My advise now is do not get an argos bike for £200 as it would just be dangerous to do downhill on. Look to spend around £1000. This will get you a bike thats up to the job at a more entry level price.

Im in the same market for a DH/Freeride bike take a look at these below,this is what you should be looking at:

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1018515/

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1018345/

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/900834/

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1018186/

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/979007/

Cheers for the advice and the links dude, but like I say.. I want to see if it is for me first then will consider spending car sorts of money on one if I enjoy it as much as I hope.

I wouldnt dare buy a bike new for that money as I know i'd only end up with a shitty Apollo or whatever lol.

[Goose]

Deffinately go with gears. Gotta get up those hills to go down them.
You gonna be going out on your own or with a few mates?

Me and a couple of mates.

[m11ler]

Me and a couple of mates.

Are they into their bikes etc? Maybe they could point you in the right direction of whats best to buy

[Mochachino]

I will mainly be using it to ride around some woods near me with the odd bit of downhill. Unsure on if I should be looking at multi geared or no gears?

Yeh gears would be alot better.

I think what you mean, is you want an XC bike but like freewheeling down some hills, not proper DH.

eBay is pretty shit for second hand bikes imo, as in overpriced, and just not that much selection.

Check the links I gave you in my first post and use that site, you will get alot better bike for money off there :y:

[Goose]

Are they into their bikes etc? Maybe they could point you in the right direction of whats best to buy

Well one of them isn't in to bikes but has a rich mammy so he's sorted. :wall:

The other used to do it for fun and has a scott with gears but doesn't know that much about what to look for and all the rest of it.

I haver seen GT agressors going for 150 too and they look pretty good for a starter bike.

[Baz]

Well one of them isn't in to bikes but has a rich mammy so he's sorted. :wall:

The other used to do it for fun and has a saracen with gears but doesn't know that much about what to look for and all the rest of it.

I haver seen GT agressors going for 150 too and they look pretty good for a starter bike.

yeah not sure how he managed to find one for £150 because i've looked since and found nothing, was local to him too!! had a look at it last weekend, mint condition too, few scratches as you'd expect but that was it

[Goose]

The problem im gettng at the minute is if I can afford them they are in cornwall etc lol, and if I cant afford them they are within 10 miles!!

[Mochachino]

The problem im gettng at the minute is if I can afford them they are in cornwall etc lol, and if I cant afford them they are within 10 miles!!

Get them couriered! not too costly depending who you go with.

I would avoid the lower priced GT btw, they're extremely heavy.

May sound abit stupid, but look at Claud Butlers lol, im guessing theyre still going. If the same now applies to how they were years ago then theyre not well equipped but theyre light and comfortable to ride and have the potential to upgrade.

You could get a Claud Butler for £250. Its comfortable and light, it isnt well equipped though. But you could do some XC with this and if you enjoy it you have a good base to build around upgraded parts as you go along. Then once you have upgraded all the parts and you feel you want a better frame then you can get a better frame and transfer all your parts over.

Specialized also used to do good bikes for £500 which maybe in your budget second hand.

[Goose]

Get them couriered! not too costly depending who you go with.

I would avoid the lower priced GT btw, they're extremely heavy.

May sound abit stupid, but look at Claud Butlers lol, im guessing theyre still going. If the same now applies to how they were years ago then theyre not well equipped but theyre light and comfortable to ride and have the potential to upgrade.

You could get a Claud Butler for £250. Its comfortable and light, it isnt well equipped though. But you could do some XC with this and if you enjoy it you have a good base to build around upgraded parts as you go along. Then once you have upgraded all the parts and you feel you want a better frame then you can get a better frame and transfer all your parts over.

Specialized also used to do good bikes for £500 which maybe in your budget second hand.

Cheers for the advice dude, most peopel on ebay cba to courier things so I have given up asking lol.

But yeah your right, it XC i want and to do the odd bit of downhill when im feeling game for it.

I think it's going to be a case of keeping my eyes and ears open for the next few weeks.

Any brands to steer clear of? Apollo, Raleigh etc..

[Mochachino]

Cheers for the advice dude, most peopel on ebay cba to courier things so I have given up asking lol.

But yeah your right, it XC i want and to do the odd bit of downhill when im feeling game for it.

I think it's going to be a case of keeping my eyes and ears open for the next few weeks.

Any brands to steer clear of? Apollo, Raleigh etc..

Any brands that Argos sell really.

Im into XC too. So il tell you my situation which in my opinon is a good route to take and you can use it as advice if you like.

But basically my dad got a Claud Butler for £250 years ago, he wanted something just to ride down canal path type ride with.

It had poor equipment on, lowest standard Shimano gearing, cheap wheels, stupifly heavy shit forks etc.

I took that bike off his hands for getting A to B on and I was surprised how comfortable it was so decided to use it as an XC bike (had a 24 Seven Crosser for urban freeride and stuff). Once the forks and wheels were off the Claud butler I realised how light it was too, so I got some spares out the shed to make it a better bike, got some old Magura XC forks on which were some of the lightest on the market at the time and this transformed the bike, got eastern bars, stem, seat post for it etc and slowly got it up to a midrange £800 RRP type bike standard. That was using second hand parts. Now im getting new forks for it and revamping it again. Once thats done il look for a new frame for it and swap it all over.

My main focus is freeride now though so im focusing on a bike for that.

But thats what id advise you to do, get a bike that has a good frame and comfortable to ride and dosent have the shitty sram gripshift argos bikes have.

If you enjoy riding it then you have a good frame that you are able to upgrade parts on unlike Argos bikes that have quill headsets etc.

Cant remember now as it was years ago, but Specialized Hardrocks irc used to be good for the money.

[Goose]

Top man, you've helped me alot dude!

I will keep you posted with what happens, but this is deffo the route im wanting to take.

[wesley-saxo]

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&cm_cr=No+Campaign-_-Web+Activity-_-C283023-_-PRODHOME_ESPOTCAROUSEL-_-Carrera+Subway+Limited+Edition+Hybrid+Bike+2012+-+Large+20%22&productId=821659&msg=&langId=-1&catalogId=10151

brought this for riding to work ! but took it mountain biking stood up well !

[wicked-vtr]

Depends what you want to do, if you want to do mainly cross country steer clear of anything too heavy or with too much suspension. For example I used to have a big freeride bike with 10 inches of suspension. Was great on the downhills and over big jumps/cliff drops but actually riding it any distance was a killer.
Tbh I'd save up a few quid more, what you can get for a bit more money really is a better bike. In my experience if you buy a shit cheap bike you wont enjoy riding it. It's like the difference between going on a trackday in a 1.1 or a ferarri, you'll enjoy yourself more in the fezza.

[Manu]

£120 and i want a half decent mtb that can be used to go downhill.


Not gonna happen I'm afraid, that's a halfrauds bottom range price. Keep in mind that type of bike is a leg killer for any other type of riding, basically all your efforts end up being absorbed by the suspension.