Fredster said:"rbb" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:I'm looking to get myself a new bike at the moment and was wondering what people would recommend?
I'm a short-arsed 5'6" weighing around 165lb. I want a hard tail bike with front suspension but
which can be set pretty rigid.
Budget is around £500 - £600.
I've been looking at the Specialized RockHopper '04 and the Giant SE3 '03. I like the look of the
Rock Hopper but the spec of the Giant seems too good to pass up. Does anyone have any other
recommendations or suggestions on which to go for?
Cheers,
Rob.
If you are prepared to buy mail-order, I can reccomend Merlin Cycles as well
(www.merlincycles.co.uk). I used to have a Merlin Malt1 and it was a really good bike - everything
was after market branded components, handmade wheels, very light and a very high spec. My only
reservation was the alu frame was a bit harsh. Hovever, they do do a very reasonable steel
hardtail if comfort is your thing. The spec on the Giant does look good and they are the world's
biggest manufacturer. Having said that, Specialized have won an awful lot of awards for their
entry level bikes so I wouldn't be able to choose between them without riding them.
Yeah i'll second that. My Malt 1 never ceases to impress me. It's alu, so yes it is stiff, but that
also means maximum feedback from the back end, which for me isn't a negative point, and it is
*light*, despite a very solid contruction.
Merlin will build to your specification, or supply frames & parts for you to build up. As
Fredster said the wheels are handbuilt (again to your spec if required) and are second to none.
They are mailorder, but if you're anyway near Preston, they have a store there, so you can try
before you buy.
--
Mark
