Return to biking : What bike?

Simon Fraser said:

Hi All

I'm looking to return to biking and am struggling with what bike to buy. I
know I want to get a mountain bike because I can i) use it on the streets
and ii) use it off-road at one of the many mountain bike trails that are
opening up these days.

A quick jont down to Halfrauds and my local bike shop I'm none the wiser and
don't know what make/models to look at. The last bike I bought (ok,
received as a gift) was a Saracen Eiger Competition priced at around £300
some 10 years ago. I took it in to get repaired today and said what I
wanted to do with it and was literally laughed out of the shop. I honestly
didn't think it was that bad a bike, but I guess things have moved on a bit
since I was last on the 'scene'.

I'd be very grateful for any suggestions about bikes that are worth a look,
especially in the £250 - £400 region (£400 being the absolute max!). To be
honest, the majority of usage will be on street for keeping fit (evening
runs etc) but I would also like to take it to a trail if I wanted to.

Saracen are still around and are good value. Avoid anything with full
suspension at this price.

You could always take your old one to a *good* bike shop and have them
fix it up. For £100 you could probably get a new chain, cassette and
have it fitted with V-brakes (which I am completely converted to after
years of fiddling with the pad adjustment on cantilever brakes).

in message <[email hidden]>, Simon

Fraser (') said:

I'd be very grateful for any suggestions about bikes that are worth a
look,
especially in the £250 - £400 region (£400 being the absolute max!).
To be honest, the majority of usage will be on street for keeping fit
(evening runs etc) but I would also like to take it to a trail if I
wanted to.

I think this boils down to how serious a trail you want to be able to
do. A good mountain bike is not a good road bike because the gears,
suspension and particularly tyres are all wrong; but it can at least be
safely used on the roads. There's a limit to how difficult a trail a
bike set up as an urban commuter will comfortably cope with. So if you
want to be able to play with technical singletrack in the woods, go for
something like

Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op Cuillin 3HT (£229);
Specialized Rockhopper (about £299);
Claud Butler Cape Wrath (about £399)

These are all aluminium hardtails; they're all moderately competent and
will do serious off-road without difficulty. You won't get a usable
full suspension bike for this sort of money.

If you don't want to go seriously off road you could do an awful lot
worse than Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op's Contour, which is much better
suited to road use, and spend the money you save on a decent rack and
waterproof.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

X-no-archive: No, I'm not *that* naive.

Thanks for the reply :-)

It was suggested by the bike shop that it'd cost £100 to get it up and
running again, but there's the thought in the back of my head saying "why
not put that money towards a newer (more reliable?) bike".

If I were to buy a new bike I'd definately want at least V-brakes, if not
disc brakes :-)

I'll take the bike to another shop tomorrow! Thanks for your input!

Simon

"Zog The Undeniable" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:411124bc.0@entanet...

Quoted message said:

Simon Fraser said:

Hi All

I'm looking to return to biking and am struggling with what bike to buy.

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

know I want to get a mountain bike because I can i) use it on the

streets

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and ii) use it off-road at one of the many mountain bike trails that are
opening up these days.

A quick jont down to Halfrauds and my local bike shop I'm none the wiser

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

don't know what make/models to look at. The last bike I bought (ok,
received as a gift) was a Saracen Eiger Competition priced at around

£300

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

some 10 years ago. I took it in to get repaired today and said what I
wanted to do with it and was literally laughed out of the shop. I

honestly

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

didn't think it was that bad a bike, but I guess things have moved on a

bit

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

since I was last on the 'scene'.

I'd be very grateful for any suggestions about bikes that are worth a

look,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

especially in the £250 - £400 region (£400 being the absolute max!). To

be

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

honest, the majority of usage will be on street for keeping fit (evening
runs etc) but I would also like to take it to a trail if I wanted to.

Saracen are still around and are good value. Avoid anything with full
suspension at this price.

You could always take your old one to a *good* bike shop and have them
fix it up. For £100 you could probably get a new chain, cassette and
have it fitted with V-brakes (which I am completely converted to after
years of fiddling with the pad adjustment on cantilever brakes).

Simon Fraser said:

Hi All

I'm looking to return to biking and am struggling with what bike to
buy. I know I want to get a mountain bike because I can i) use it on
the streets and ii) use it off-road at one of the many mountain bike
trails that are opening up these days.

A quick jont down to Halfrauds and my local bike shop I'm none the
wiser and don't know what make/models to look at. The last bike I
bought (ok, received as a gift) was a Saracen Eiger Competition
priced at around £300 some 10 years ago. I took it in to get
repaired today and said what I wanted to do with it and was literally
laughed out of the shop. I honestly didn't think it was that bad a
bike, but I guess things have moved on a bit since I was last on the
'scene'.

I'd be very grateful for any suggestions about bikes that are worth a
look, especially in the £250 - £400 region (£400 being the absolute
max!). To be honest, the majority of usage will be on street for
keeping fit (evening runs etc) but I would also like to take it to a
trail if I wanted to.

Thanks in advance,
Simon

You have a good choice of bikes:
Giant Terrago FS3 £325
Cape Wrath around £360
Hardrock Sport £300/Disc £400
GT Avalanche 1.0 £300/Disc Version £350
Carrera Kraken SE £300

You might also try Merlin Cycles. They do some great bikes for good prices.

--

Burning_Ranger

To email: [email hidden]

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think this boils down to how serious a trail you want to be able to
do. A good mountain bike is not a good road bike because the gears,
suspension and particularly tyres are all wrong; but it can at least be
safely used on the roads. There's a limit to how difficult a trail a
bike set up as an urban commuter will comfortably cope with. So if you
want to be able to play with technical singletrack in the woods, go for
something like

Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op Cuillin 3HT (£229);
Specialized Rockhopper (about £299);
Claud Butler Cape Wrath (about £399)

These are all aluminium hardtails; they're all moderately competent and
will do serious off-road without difficulty. You won't get a usable
full suspension bike for this sort of money.

If you don't want to go seriously off road you could do an awful lot
worse than Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op's Contour, which is much better
suited to road use, and spend the money you save on a decent rack and
waterproof.

Thanks for your reply Simon! (like the comet pic which I've seen before)

I realise a mountain bike may not make a good road bike, but conversely a
good road bike (or racer) is not at all good on the trail. The main reason
for going for a MTB is to try and get off the roads and away from the
traffic.

I like the look of the Edinburgh Co-op Cuillin and it certainly looks like
it might fit my needs. I hadn't actually realised how good Edinburgh
Bicycle co-op prices were so I'll head over to their shop at the weekend.
BTW, did you know I lived in Edinburgh???????

Again, I really appreciate the input, and if anyone else has a bike they'd
suggest I look at I'd be very grateful.

Simon

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I think this boils down to how serious a trail you want to be able to
do. A good mountain bike is not a good road bike because the gears,
suspension and particularly tyres are all wrong; but it can at least
be safely used on the roads. There's a limit to how difficult a trail
a bike set up as an urban commuter will comfortably cope with. So if
you want to be able to play with technical singletrack in the woods,
go for something like

Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op Cuillin 3HT (£229);
Specialized Rockhopper (about £299);
Claud Butler Cape Wrath (about £399)

You'll get a Specialized Hardrock Sport for £299. The Rockhopper models
start at £550.

<snip>

--
Richard

"Simon Fraser" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hi All

I took it in to get repaired today and said what I

Quoted message said:

wanted to do with it and was literally laughed out of the shop. >
Simon

Unf*****g believable.

I'm not one for insisting that a bike shop should always treat you
like their best mate, but this is appalling.

Can you name and shame? And find a better shop?

Also, the mountain bike mags often have reviews of bikes in that price
range, and buyer's guides which are sometimes useful, sometimes less
so.

Personally I'd go for a fully rigid bike without front suspension.
But that's because I value light weight and speed on the road over
comfort. What ever you get I've found the thing which really matters
is to buy the bike which makes you exclaim "WOW, I WANT TO RIDE
THAT!", no matter what anyone else says.

Steve

Simon Fraser said:

Hi All

I'm looking to return to biking and am struggling with what bike to buy. I
know I want to get a mountain bike because I can i) use it on the streets
and ii) use it off-road at one of the many mountain bike trails that are
opening up these days.

A quick jont down to Halfrauds and my local bike shop I'm none the wiser and
don't know what make/models to look at. The last bike I bought (ok,
received as a gift) was a Saracen Eiger Competition priced at around £300
some 10 years ago. I took it in to get repaired today and said what I
wanted to do with it and was literally laughed out of the shop. I honestly
didn't think it was that bad a bike, but I guess things have moved on a bit
since I was last on the 'scene'.

I'd be very grateful for any suggestions about bikes that are worth a look,
especially in the £250 - £400 region (£400 being the absolute max!). To be
honest, the majority of usage will be on street for keeping fit (evening
runs etc) but I would also like to take it to a trail if I wanted to.

Thanks in advance,
Simon

Well im no expert but my current mountain bike is a hard tail Marin, I paid just over £300 for it 2 years ago and it has given me no problems what so ever. Theres a good range of Marins out there at various prices, I think my one at £300 was one of the cheaper bikes that Marin offer but its taken everything i have put it through without a moan. Poor bike had a good de-greasing over the weekend, bikes and sandy beaches dont go!!

in message <[email hidden]>, Simon

Fraser (') said:

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So if
you want to be able to play with technical singletrack in the woods,
go for something like

Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op Cuillin 3HT (£229);
Specialized Rockhopper (about £299);
Claud Butler Cape Wrath (about £399)

Thanks for your reply Simon! (like the comet pic which I've seen
before)

Have you? Where? It made the cover of Reforesting Scotland, and we've
published it as a postcard, but I'm always interested to know where it
turns up. It still gets plenty of downloads - the poster size was
downloaded 43 times last month.

Quoted message said:

I realise a mountain bike may not make a good road bike, but
conversely a
good road bike (or racer) is not at all good on the trail. The main
reason for going for a MTB is to try and get off the roads and away
from the traffic.

I like the look of the Edinburgh Co-op Cuillin and it certainly looks
like
it might fit my needs. I hadn't actually realised how good Edinburgh
Bicycle co-op prices were so I'll head over to their shop at the
weekend. BTW, did you know I lived in Edinburgh???????

No, just they are in my opinion the best people in the UK for budget
bikes and I know their own brand stuff is very good; and they're one of
my favourite bike shops anyway. I knew the guy who founded the co-op,
but I gather he's long since left.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

I'm fed up with Life 1.0. I never liked it much and now it's getting
me down. I think I'll upgrade to MSLife 97 -- you know, the one that
comes in a flash new box and within weeks you're crawling with bugs.

in message <[email hidden]>, Richard

Lewis (') said:

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I think this boils down to how serious a trail you want to be able to
do. A good mountain bike is not a good road bike because the gears,
suspension and particularly tyres are all wrong; but it can at least
be safely used on the roads. There's a limit to how difficult a trail
a bike set up as an urban commuter will comfortably cope with. So if
you want to be able to play with technical singletrack in the woods,
go for something like

Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op Cuillin 3HT (£229);
Specialized Rockhopper (about £299);
Claud Butler Cape Wrath (about £399)

You'll get a Specialized Hardrock Sport for £299. The Rockhopper
models start at £550.

Whoops, sorry, got the price off a website.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Diplomacy, American: see Intelligence, Military

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>,

Richard Lewis (') said:

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I think this boils down to how serious a trail you want to be able
to do. A good mountain bike is not a good road bike because the
gears, suspension and particularly tyres are all wrong; but it can
at least be safely used on the roads. There's a limit to how
difficult a trail a bike set up as an urban commuter will
comfortably cope with. So if you want to be able to play with
technical singletrack in the woods, go for something like

Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op Cuillin 3HT (£229);
Specialized Rockhopper (about £299);
Claud Butler Cape Wrath (about £399)

You'll get a Specialized Hardrock Sport for £299. The Rockhopper
models start at £550.

Whoops, sorry, got the price off a website.

I saw one at £299 too - last years model though, and probably not any left
in August.

Simon Fraser said:

A quick jont down to Halfrauds and my local bike shop I'm none the wise=

r and

Quoted message said:

don't know what make/models to look at. The last bike I bought (ok,
received as a gift) was a Saracen Eiger Competition priced at around =A3=

300

Quoted message said:

some 10 years ago. I took it in to get repaired today and said what I
wanted to do with it and was literally laughed out of the shop. I hone=

stly

Quoted message said:

didn't think it was that bad a bike, but I guess things have moved on a=

bit

Quoted message said:

since I was last on the 'scene'.

My brother got his Saracen MTB in about '87. It sucks compared to what=20
you can get today, but that's relative. At the time it was a good=20
machine and in /absolute/ terms people did some pretty serious stuff on=20
them because that's what you got those days. A lot of bikes with canti=20
brakes that seem to weigh a tonne have done Really Serious Stuff,=20
probably a damn site more serious in their time than the great majority=20
of "better" bikes are used on today because in those days they were=20
bought to go mountain biking, rather than because MTBs were a mass=20
market commodity.

Having said that, I think you probably would be better off with a new=20
bike: my EBC Contour 400 was bought 10 years after my bro's Tufftrax for =

nominally the same amount (less in inflation-adjusted real terms) and is =

better in /every/ respect. =A3300 would get you a lighter, more=20
responsive machine with more powerful brakes and more gears that shift=20
better from easier controls.

Quoted message said:

I'd be very grateful for any suggestions about bikes that are worth a l=

ook,

Quoted message said:

especially in the =A3250 - =A3400 region (=A3400 being the absolute max=

!). To be

Quoted message said:

honest, the majority of usage will be on street for keeping fit (evenin=

g

Quoted message said:

runs etc) but I would also like to take it to a trail if I wanted to.

If it's the odd trail I wouldn't get an MTB, to be honest. Most bikes=20
will do a non-technical trail (I've done trails around Glenmore on my=20
Brompton folder with 16" wheels) with no problem. Roos and I took fully =

laden recumbent tourers along quite a few chunks of off-road on our=20
recent Tour du Nord. Road kit doesn't work as well off-road, but=20
off-road kit doesn't work so well on tarmac and if the tarmac is where=20
you'll be most then that's what to be set up for IMHO. As long as you=20
can swap tyres over to something knobbly for softer days a typical=20
modern hybrid will probably manage at least as well as old MTB, and=20
you'll enjoy more of the time in the saddle because you'll have a bike=20
that can do roads better.
MTBs are miles ahead on /technical/ terrain, but lots of "off road"=20
isn't really technical, it just doesn't have tarmac.

Pete.
--=20
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Simon

Fraser (') said:

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So if
you want to be able to play with technical singletrack in the woods,
go for something like

Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op Cuillin 3HT (£229);
Specialized Rockhopper (about £299);
Claud Butler Cape Wrath (about £399)

Thanks for your reply Simon! (like the comet pic which I've seen
before)

Have you? Where?

Not sure, but there was a link to your website which I must've checked out
several months ago.

Anyway, I took a wander in to Edinburgh Bicycle today and bought the
Revolution Cuillin Disc '04 for £299. I think it's branded as a Edinburgh
Bicycle bike and looks like it offers everything I think I may need out of
it.

The member of staff that dealt with me was brilliant and certainly didn't
make me feel an idiot for asking so many 'newbie' questions. Showed me
several bikes and even brought out a Cuillin that was in for it's 6 week
service as they didn't have any of their own in stock (must be popular?).

Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it!

Simon

"stephen pridgeon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Simon Fraser" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Hi All

I took it in to get repaired today and said what I

Quoted message said:

wanted to do with it and was literally laughed out of the shop. >
Simon

Unf*****g believable.

I'm not one for insisting that a bike shop should always treat you
like their best mate, but this is appalling.

Can you name and shame? And find a better shop?

I'd rather not "name and shame", and found a better shop instead.

Quoted message said:

What ever you get I've found the thing which really matters
is to buy the bike which makes you exclaim "WOW, I WANT TO RIDE
THAT!", no matter what anyone else says.

Found a bike in Edinburgh Bicycle (see other post) that I think I'll enjoy.
I was offered a Specialized somethingorother at a good price, but it was too
'bling' for me and not something I'd want to ride .... even though it was
slightly higher spec than the bike I bought.

Cheers,
Simon