help me pick a MTB under £399 ?

[Mike_420]

hi al,


im totally clueless about bikes, i wont be doing huge jumps, it will just be some small down hill riding, so front suspension would be essential,

halfords has a hardtail something that looks nice but i cant reember the brand.


i plan on seeing how i get on with a cheapish MTb before i spend big money,

ideally the bike in white/green or a combo, thanks

[KamRacing]

check out chainreaction, evans and wiggle. Last season bikes are on sale...

[dolby20]

Above is a good shout
Pinkbike is good shout for 2nd hand ones
Halfords have a Carrera Vulcan - hard tail, black/green, RRP around £400, fully hydraulic brakes as a bonus!

[Mike_420]

is their any sites you'd recommed for purchasing ? ill google them no need for links :)

[saladdodger]

Specialized Hard Rock Sport. Highly recommend it, takes a right beating by 17st me.

http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae35/AndyJamesWilliams/48323_1_SuperSize.jpg

[dolby20]

Pink bike, single track
Watch pink bike for being full of 'swap for Xbox mate'

[Bean]

As Dolby says the carerra Vulcan is a good all round bike, just make sure you get something with a good frame as you can always add to that, bikes under the £500 mark a lot of the running gear doesn't last too long and components are heavy

[Bean]

I mast the mistake of buying a £400 giant revel, I thought it would be ideal for what I wanted! It ended up being shit with crappy brakes suspension etc, but they ran that frame though the whole revel range so all I did was strip it back to just the frame and had it all custom built and couldn't be happier! It's probably now set me back £700+ but in parts it's 1k of bike so I'm pleased! Plus 90% of the parts were used

[0rang3peel]

for £400, I'd get something second hand.

I sold a £500 bike recently for £150, hardly ridden just couldn't get rid

[16vdady]

Check out paulscycles in Norfolk. Always good deals and helpful

[dolby20]

Check out paulscycles in Norfolk. Always good deals and helpful

Nice bikes at good prices - albeit slightly higher price range!

[wadoryu]

A carrera from halfords, best bet for the money.

[Bedford126]

A carrera from halfords, best bet for the money.

Don't agree at all. Carrera frames are shocking metal fatigue is amazing on them. I had one just to ride to work and back 4 mile there 4 mile home. lasted 4 months before the bottom tube cracked away from the bottom bracket. to take it back to halfords where he said "Its a pretty common fault."

Currently I have a orange and GT avalanche 1.0 both out of your price range but a GT avalanche 3.0 Would be a good buy second hand from ebay around the £250 mark.

[AXracing]

hi al,


im totally clueless about bikes, i wont be doing huge jumps, it will just be some small down hill riding, so front suspension would be essential,

halfords has a hardtail something that looks nice but i cant reember the brand.


i plan on seeing how i get on with a cheapish MTb before i spend big money,

ideally the bike in white/green or a combo, thanks

http://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/sale#b7 How about one of them

[16vdady]

Paulscycles does mail order! Thanks for researching my post!!

[Bedford126]

Paulscycles does mail order! Thanks for researching my post!!

Pauls cycles use to be the daddy's but seem to be on the expensive side now.

[dolby20]

Paulscycles does mail order! Thanks for researching my post!!

Apologies, adjusted my quote to suit :)

[16vdady]

I bought a nice giant that was old stock £1400 bike as a last year model for £400.

[Jazz]

Some good suggestions, but for this budget I was recommended one of these by the admin of a MTB forum.

Good spec for under £400.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=66758&PartnerID=2812&awc=2698_1352243073_12d67639bf2b2888dd6d8342e798ca ed

[dolby20]

Some good suggestions, but for this budget I was recommended one of these by the admin of a MTB forum.

Good spec for under £400.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=66758&PartnerID=2812&awc=2698_1352243073_12d67639bf2b2888dd6d8342e798ca ed

Credit where credit is due, that's a very nicely spec'd bike for the price
And being a commencal owner, albeit it a Commencal DH supreme WC edition, I can't fault the brand name!

[Jazz]

Yup not many people are aware of the Commencals but they are indeed very, very good bikes.

For that money it would probably be out that or a Vulcan, GT Avalanche 3.0 (poverty spec) or a mid-spec Specialized of sorts, I'd rate the Commencal heads and tails over them all for this price range.

[Bedford126]

avalanche frame wank's all over any frame in that spec from any one. lighter and stronger.

Aux's can be swapped and upgraded a any time but a low cost cheap made frame will always be just that.

[Bean]

avalanche frame wank's all over any frame in that spec from any one. lighter and stronger.

Aux's can be swapped and upgraded a any time but a low cost cheap made frame will always be just that.

Amen to that one brother!!

[wadoryu]

Don't agree at all. Carrera frames are shocking metal fatigue is amazing on them. I had one just to ride to work and back 4 mile there 4 mile home. lasted 4 months before the bottom tube cracked away from the bottom bracket. to take it back to halfords where he said "Its a pretty common fault."

Currently I have a orange and GT avalanche 1.0 both out of your price range but a GT avalanche 3.0 Would be a good buy second hand from ebay around the £250 mark.

The gt is a poorly speced bike, good frame though.
At the money for an all round bike carrera are where it's at. Iv had two my mates have some XC ones, all been pretty good.

[Bedford126]

What gt are you talking about there are 4 different specs and 4 different prices even if you buy the 3.0 just for the frame and build your own to the spec you choose you won't be far from the price of a similar spec carerra but you have the bonus of a better and lighter frame.

[Gareth_R]

Something to bear in mind; if you start doing downhill riding on a cross country bike, you aren't going to get much of an idea of what it's really like. Just make sure whatever you buy is going to give you some benefit in the events you are going to do. I've been spending aaaaages looking for a new bike recently. I have a Marin cross country bike but now looking into something in the super enduro style. There's just so much out there!!

[Mike_420]

i guess im using downhill a little out of context here,

i will be using it for small downhill runs, nothing big, maybe the odd 2ft jump max.

basically its so see if i like it and take up as a hobby, then i can progress and move on to better.

[shaneio]

Got an oldskool identiti 666 in white, 24" white halo combats, hope front n rear hydro brakes, single speed, dj3 forks. If u interested??

[Mike_420]

I have no clue on MTB's so have no idea what your on about :), something basic and hardy would do me till i upgrade

something decent i can get from halford or the like that will allow me to do some woodland biking, im not looking into huge downhill runs just yet lol

[Mochachino]

If the GT avalanche is anything like it used to be then they were always under equipped when other bikes had better group set and components on. The frame is good, as in nice geometry and well built, but fuck me its a heavy bike when built up! You can get DH bikes which weigh the same as those lol

[Bedford126]

If the GT avalanche is anything like it used to be then they were always under equipped when other bikes had better group set and components on. The frame is good, as in nice geometry and well built, but fuck me its a heavy bike when built up! You can get DH bikes which weigh the same as those lol

A avalanche frame built up is heavy? not any more mate.

My avalanche weighs literally half the weigh as my orange 224. In my opinion the GT avalanche frame from 2009 on is quite possibly the best hard tail under £500.

[manta]

If you're doing downhill stuff, wouldn't an old dj be more suited to the job than a xc?

It might just be my personal preference to have a lower frame.

[Mochachino]

A avalanche frame built up is heavy? not any more mate.

My avalanche weighs literally half the weigh as my orange 224. In my opinion the GT avalanche frame from 2009 on is quite possibly the best hard tail under £500.

Yeh they used to be fucking heavy beasts, going back 7 years ish, so maybe they have improved them now!

If you're doing downhill stuff, wouldn't an old dj be more suited to the job than a xc?

It might just be my personal preference to have a lower frame.

Probably an all mountain bike would be more appropriate with around 140mm travel.