Opinions on prospective first MTB?

I love cycling but only recently got into the MTB side of things with the loan of a friends bike. I need to get my own bike and was looking at this.

It seems really good spec for the money compared to other bikes available. Can people give me their opinion?

Am I mad paying so much for my first bike?

Yes. Get a hardtail, don't spend more than €1000.

This has been done to death lately, we need a FAQ section!

well.. i think you'd be better off spending that €2,600 on Beer, dirty sluts, Liposuction , skingrafts anything that will liven up your life to be honest..

I've already been out a good few times on a hardtail and all my friends are telling me that if I bought a hardtail, I would just want to change to full sus after a while anyway, so why not go straight for the full suspension at the start.

I was also hoping that rear suspension would help with the way I am at the moment on the hardtail with the back of the bike kicking all over the place on fast downhill sections.
I take the point of supporting a local bike shop but I've been trawling websites for the last 2 weeks and for this money anywhere else, I don't get near the same components.

I love it when people ask the experts for advice and take this fully onboard.....

You friends are right, you will want to go FS in time. But you learn fast on a HT because you have to, line choice, balance, reading the terrain, when to power, you will become technically good, and this will serve you well when you go FS. Go FS now and you risk being a lazy, rough rider that crashes a fair bit.

But I suspect you have your mind made up anyway.

If you want one bike to do everything that Canyon is a good choice, but to get the best out of it you need to like long fast descents, preferably ones you dont know but you are following a fast rider and don't want to get dropped - thats when they come into their own. Its not heavy either so will be good one long spins and hills if you set it no to bob on pedalling. Go for it !

That's very specific...


The sensible people are right, by the way, you'll end up a better rider if you start on a hardtail, use your legs as suspension, learn to pump the bike, how to balance, how to apply power...... and so on

There are loads of nice "hardcore hardtails" going...

Take a look at Cotic bikes or Genesis or DMR

http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/mountain/

http://www.cotic.co.uk/

As above !