As all my kids can now ride bikes I want to get one for myself but I know nothing about mountain bikes so need some advice please.

Budget is sub £100 so looking at second hand market, any brands to steer clear of or any features that I should definitely look for such as suspension, disc brakes etc? It won't be used for anything serious, just leisure rides with the kids.

Any advice appreciated.

When i was looking for a new bike a few years ago, i went to a real bike shop (not a national outfit) where the owner did cycle competition in his younger days and when i asked about a bike with front and rear suspension, he asked why i want rear suspension. He told me that bikes with rear suspension was basically a gimmick, unless you are prepared to fork out mega bucks for good kit, and then only really worth while if you are doing serious mountain downhill. The front forks are good though to smooth out the bumps on track or our crap roads to prevent the shock transferring to your arms and shoulders.
I went for the Giant Terrago (check my gallery) which has front suspension, hydraulic brakes, 24 speed, but maybe over your budget although it has came down in price since.
The hydraulic disk brakes on it are brilliant and not affected by water (puddles) as much as calliper. Hydraulic disks are better than cable disks which are better than calliper.
Gearing depends on what you want to use it for. If you live in a hilly place like i do, a wide gear ratio is better.
My wife also got a Terrago recently when she replaced her bike having tried mine.
She changed the seat for a soft gel seat which was more comfortable. You could spend a fortune on a bike but asking advice from a proper bike shop is your best bet, unless another forum member is a keen cyclist who can give more / better info. I would think whatever is available locally would do if just going out with the kids but the better the bike, the longer it will last and the more you will enjoy it. if you are planning on putting it on a vehicle rack, you also need to consider the weight when lifting it on and off. I've got a glass back so the Terrago is ideal for me and not too heavy to lift.
Hope this has given you a smidgen of help... Out with the old (2007 SE)
In with the new (2012 Dynamic with everything). Now also gone.

if you pm scotster he,s a mountain bike guru he will be able to give you some advise 07my Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Baltic Blue,Privacy Glass,Ebony black leather,Land rover detachable towbar,S/S Side bars,Climair wind deflectors,Bramble Rash,

Hi CG.

Less than £100??

Let me think.. I've seen a MTB for my daughters Barbie Doll that comes in at £30..

Sorry..

In all seriousness you won’t get much for £100.

I’ll make an assumption that you prefer substance over style - you do own a Fl2 after all..

What you therefore don’t want is a Toys r us or Sunday supplement 50 quid job that you see in the paper. They are very heavy, very unreliable, very ugly, and if serious off roaders (the pedalling two wheeled type) see you, they will look on in dismay and pity..

You DONT DONT need discs, You DONT DONT need rear suspension and you don’t stand a hope in hell of getting front suspension that works for £100 unless you do go very second hand.

You don’t even need front suspension unless you are going to be hitting the rocky or bumpy stuff at speed…..your arms and legs are the best suspension units there are!!

I say you don’t need them as you spoke about leisure rides with the kids and in any case to buy stuff that actually works and lasts longer than a couple of miles you would need to spend for example a minimum of £150 for a pair of disk brakes, £150 for a front shock and my rear shock unit (just the suspension component mind) costs £270!!

So in other words not only do you not need them, you wouldn’t be able to buy anything like that which actually works.

Sure you can get an £80 bike with all the above but firstly try lifting it,,secondly bounce in the forks and you will most likely find they have no damping (or very crappy damping) and the same for the rear..a hazard not a help. Plus it will have very heavy wheels and the drive train will last about 5 mins.

So stay STAY CLEAR of any name you don’t recognise that sounds naff like 'Terminator' or similar !!!

So what should you get?

Aim for a decent frame that fits.

Like a car, the chassis is all important and makes an amazing difference to the bike and if it doesn’t fit you will feel pain in places you didn’t know were there..

If you have a good LBS (local bike shop) then by all means use it, although its unlikely they will get you a second hand bike. Go to your LBS and get them to size you up for a frame. Get the frame size noted in inches if possible or at least small, medium or large. Then you can buy from anywhere

You can quite easily order a frame size just based on your height but some people have very long legs... and once you have a frame of the wrong size you are stuffed.....

After that make sure it is an alu. or high tensile steel frame - it should ping when you flick it, alloy rims, shimano gear train (don’t worry how many gears), v-brakes...and thats about it.

If you recognise the name it will be OK...Dawes, Trek, Marin,GT, Scott, Specialized, Orange, Saracan, Kona, Appollo, Carrera..

By all means buy it from your LBS but online can’t be beaten for value and don’t forget your local Halfords whos bikes are reasonably good. Decathlon the sports super store also do a blinding range. Second hand your best bet is www.singltrackworld.com - the most active classified section in the UK for bikes. BUT you have to know your onions on there.. or

ebay for second hand? Lovely Kona here for £150 at the mo: http://ngvi.ebay.co.uk/vi?ngvi&backtoi...b%2Ba6s%3D

Halfords have some decent bikes and the one near me has decent staff who know of what they speak.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/...ryrn_82394

How about the Viper TR 1 here ? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Categor...=PRICE_ASC

£269 and in the sale at £179. Looks like it ticks most of the boxes apart from being a bit over budget.
Viper sounds a bit naff but this web site is very reputable.

Confused?

I would say unless your LBS can give you a second hand deal then buy new as you need to know your onions to buy 2nd hand.

If you buy new and spend about £150-£200 and dont get wowed by the fake whistles and bells (no rear sus, no discs) you will get something that will be fine for what you want.
To be honest with no suspension at all I would say spend a min. of £150 and with front suspension a min of £250.

How about spending nothing? Freecycle is always throwing up unloved bikes. I have one in the shed for my wife. An old Cannondale. Must have been £500 quid new...

And when you see the truth and the light of a down to earth, teeth in the mud off road experience and get really into it you can splash out on a real trail bike like the Santa Cruz Blur here: http://www.bothybikes.co.uk/santacruz.html

These guys built up my blur for an eye watering and almost divorce inducing 4 grand...
I then took it straight out the shop and hurled it down a boulder field as fast as I could.

Have fun and drop me a line if you have any questions!

S. '57 GS TD4 in Stornoway. Privacy, Leather, Tred Cills. From ebay etc.. 18" 12 spoke HSE alloys, rear spoiler, clear side repeaters with clear leds, led interior light to replace bulbs, sports exhaust trim, TomTom 720.
Favourite Off road vehicle, still my Santa Cruz Mountain Bike! http://www.team-banana-racing.com

Great advice thanks

(Only 1 mistake in your reply, I don't own an FL2, swapped for a D3) ............... duck.

cotefarmboy wrote:

Great advice thanks

(Only 1 mistake in your reply, I don't own an FL2, swapped for a D3) ............... duck.

Nice bikes are the Santa Cruz

I just got my "Orange C16r" serviced at the end of the summer last year and nearly bought a new bike then instead

a "Scott Ransom **" but at £1799 my wife nearly blew her head off, you must have a forgiving wife to allow you to spend £4K Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

just speccing up a mercian canyon atb with a rohloff, daren't even get the catalogue out at home

I told my wife the price.......


....and she didnt believe me. Phew!

So the lesson is...go silly expensive and you just just might get away with it....

So spec up your Canyon with all the bling you can!!


High stakes though!!  '57 GS TD4 in Stornoway. Privacy, Leather, Tred Cills. From ebay etc.. 18" 12 spoke HSE alloys, rear spoiler, clear side repeaters with clear leds, led interior light to replace bulbs, sports exhaust trim, TomTom 720.
Favourite Off road vehicle, still my Santa Cruz Mountain Bike! http://www.team-banana-racing.com

The wife says its one bike out before another comes in, pity its not the same with handbags