First real MTB bike - advice

Hi,

New to the forum just wanted to say hello and ask a question if thats ok

This will be my first real bike and i`m wondering what hardtail should I buy for around €1500? I presume I am not going to get a good full sus for that money. The main use will be just mucking about in wicklow nothing too serious

all advice welcome.....

This is what I am thinking of at the moment

http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/p...dproduct=30114

No one ever went wrong buying an XTC, but there is a new kid on the block that is shaking things up a bit when it comes to bang for your buck....

Stevens bikes

Check out this bad boy.

http://www.stevensbikes.de/2010/inde...=46&lang=de_DE

Drop gordob a PM.

I bought this for €1,530 incl 10% disc http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/p...dproduct=31482
Its my 3rd Cube and I'm not brand loyal, they are just good value and i like the look. if you see it at a cub race, ask for a go (after race). mine is medium if that fits you.

Second that....Stevens Bikes, i've ordered a Stoke myself arriving soon, the next model up, the Wave looks like a whole lot of bike at your pricepoint!!

First time real mtbs are a pain in the arse..
The shop that comes up with a solid Hardtail for €1000 with
Slx
Rebas
and hope and mavic wheelsets will clean up..
or a decent Fullsusser for €1500

All those €1500 Hardtails are good value..at the moment..
Its what you get aftersales is most important..
Lets be fair here and get a €1500 Hardtail spec from Al in the Bike Rack and Andy in Hollingsworth..
and it would be even better if a dealer was to offer a couple of extras..

I have no expereince or interest in Sram products but my ideal hardtail
would be
an Aluminium Frame
With a sloping top tube
Hope Hubs
Mavic 819 tubeless rims
Shimano brakes, Gears,Chainset, pedals..
Rebas or Fox100s

you need to be able to pedal up hills so get a machine that has a 32t rear Block..
Shifters are more important than the rear derailleurs and front derailleurs are no better than each other..
the only people who can tell the difference between things like that are bikegeeks..
you want something reliable, with an excellent warranty , you want to be able to fix the simple things easily and you want a bike that has easily sourced gear hangers , bottom brackets and replacement frames !
Don't get buried under a load of techno geekery..theres are savage riders out there on junk and more crap riders out there on deadly bikes..
I hope this info helps !!

My advice would be this, thats too much money just too be mucking around wicklow every now and then, and yes you could get a good enough full susser for that much but why bother, €6 - 800 would get you a wicked second hand hardtail and €1 - 1200 would get you a deadly second hand full sus, have a good look around before you buy new, there are guys who have upgraded and are selling off last years bike with little milage on them for little money.

Me neither till I borrowed Marcs Carboner and shaved 20 seconds a lap, I put it all down to the SRAM shifters, seriously.

Sram v's Shimano.... both have got to a point of good reliability. it's Mac v's pc these days.
I agree with everything Richie said. SLX, reba/fox etc. after that, the only improvement it weight and blingness.

Decision made

Hi,

Firstly thanks for all the advice but Byrner was right:

"First time real mtbs are a pain in the arse.." I had to make a decision before I went mad.

So I went out today and looked at a heap of bikes. I did listen to your advice and I wanted a new bike so I got a Reba, SLX all over, a good frame and I heard Avids were good so a set of them too. This all wrapped up and was called a Giant XTC 1. When I sat on it I just knew it was right for me...

Spec:
Frame Giant AluxX SL aluminium, Fluid FormedTM
Fork Rock Shox Reba SL Dual-Air 100mm
Saddle Fizik Tundra, MG rails
Pedals Shimano SPD M505 (now M540`s)
Shifters Shimano SLX 27 speed
Front Derailleur Shimano SLX
Rear Derailleur Shimano XT Shadow
Brakes Avid Elixir 5 hydraulic discs, 160mm rotors
Cassette Shimano HG50 11-34
Chain KMC HG73
Crankset Shimano SLX 22/32/44
Bottom Bracket Shimano SLX, External
Rims Mavic XM 117
Hubs Shimano Deore
Spokes Sapim Leader 14g
Tyres Kenda Small Block Eight 26x2.1"
Weight (lb/kg) 26.00/11.76

Nice, good choice!
I'd put some mud friendlier tyres on it though..

Cheers - I have 2.35 Kenda nevegals for it but going to give the stock ones a go, while it is dry.

congrats, I got one of those bikes recently.

get better XC tyres, don't even take those small block tyres out for a spin unless the trail is a desert!

Hi sk8board- What size works best on it - I was thinking of a 2.1 on the back and a 2.35 on the front?

That's exactly what you need, or 2.1 back and front.
Try the small blocks, or put the nevegal on the front for more confidence. There is no universal recipe for tyres, try different ones and use what works for you best.

nice bike.....enjoy

Hi,

New to the forum just wanted to say hello and ask a question if thats ok

This will be my first real bike and i`m wondering what hardtail should I buy for around €1500? I presume I am not going to get a good full sus for that money. The main use will be just mucking about in wicklow nothing too serious

all advice welcome.....

This is what I am thinking of at the moment

http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/p...dproduct=30114

No one ever went wrong buying an XTC, but there is a new kid on the block that is shaking things up a bit when it comes to bang for your buck....

Stevens bikes

Check out this bad boy.

http://www.stevensbikes.de/2010/inde...=46&lang=de_DE

Drop gordob a PM.

I bought this for €1,530 incl 10% disc http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/p...dproduct=31482
Its my 3rd Cube and I'm not brand loyal, they are just good value and i like the look. if you see it at a cub race, ask for a go (after race). mine is medium if that fits you.

Second that....Stevens Bikes, i've ordered a Stoke myself arriving soon, the next model up, the Wave looks like a whole lot of bike at your pricepoint!!

First time real mtbs are a pain in the arse..
The shop that comes up with a solid Hardtail for €1000 with
Slx
Rebas
and hope and mavic wheelsets will clean up..
or a decent Fullsusser for €1500

All those €1500 Hardtails are good value..at the moment..
Its what you get aftersales is most important..
Lets be fair here and get a €1500 Hardtail spec from Al in the Bike Rack and Andy in Hollingsworth..
and it would be even better if a dealer was to offer a couple of extras..

I have no expereince or interest in Sram products but my ideal hardtail
would be
an Aluminium Frame
With a sloping top tube
Hope Hubs
Mavic 819 tubeless rims
Shimano brakes, Gears,Chainset, pedals..
Rebas or Fox100s

you need to be able to pedal up hills so get a machine that has a 32t rear Block..
Shifters are more important than the rear derailleurs and front derailleurs are no better than each other..
the only people who can tell the difference between things like that are bikegeeks..
you want something reliable, with an excellent warranty , you want to be able to fix the simple things easily and you want a bike that has easily sourced gear hangers , bottom brackets and replacement frames !
Don't get buried under a load of techno geekery..theres are savage riders out there on junk and more crap riders out there on deadly bikes..
I hope this info helps !!

My advice would be this, thats too much money just too be mucking around wicklow every now and then, and yes you could get a good enough full susser for that much but why bother, €6 - 800 would get you a wicked second hand hardtail and €1 - 1200 would get you a deadly second hand full sus, have a good look around before you buy new, there are guys who have upgraded and are selling off last years bike with little milage on them for little money.

Me neither till I borrowed Marcs Carboner and shaved 20 seconds a lap, I put it all down to the SRAM shifters, seriously.

Sram v's Shimano.... both have got to a point of good reliability. it's Mac v's pc these days.
I agree with everything Richie said. SLX, reba/fox etc. after that, the only improvement it weight and blingness.

Decision made

Hi,

Firstly thanks for all the advice but Byrner was right:

"First time real mtbs are a pain in the arse.." I had to make a decision before I went mad.

So I went out today and looked at a heap of bikes. I did listen to your advice and I wanted a new bike so I got a Reba, SLX all over, a good frame and I heard Avids were good so a set of them too. This all wrapped up and was called a Giant XTC 1. When I sat on it I just knew it was right for me...

Spec:
Frame Giant AluxX SL aluminium, Fluid FormedTM
Fork Rock Shox Reba SL Dual-Air 100mm
Saddle Fizik Tundra, MG rails
Pedals Shimano SPD M505 (now M540`s)
Shifters Shimano SLX 27 speed
Front Derailleur Shimano SLX
Rear Derailleur Shimano XT Shadow
Brakes Avid Elixir 5 hydraulic discs, 160mm rotors
Cassette Shimano HG50 11-34
Chain KMC HG73
Crankset Shimano SLX 22/32/44
Bottom Bracket Shimano SLX, External
Rims Mavic XM 117
Hubs Shimano Deore
Spokes Sapim Leader 14g
Tyres Kenda Small Block Eight 26x2.1"
Weight (lb/kg) 26.00/11.76

Nice, good choice!
I'd put some mud friendlier tyres on it though..

Cheers - I have 2.35 Kenda nevegals for it but going to give the stock ones a go, while it is dry.

congrats, I got one of those bikes recently.

get better XC tyres, don't even take those small block tyres out for a spin unless the trail is a desert!

Hi sk8board- What size works best on it - I was thinking of a 2.1 on the back and a 2.35 on the front?

That's exactly what you need, or 2.1 back and front.
Try the small blocks, or put the nevegal on the front for more confidence. There is no universal recipe for tyres, try different ones and use what works for you best.

nice bike.....enjoy