Bike Geeks: Help Needed!

Nix

Nix

Nix

Soldato
Joined
26 Dec 2005
Posts
19,841
I figure I'm going to be in the market for a nice mountain bike soon so I would like some suggestions and opinions - a 'spec me' if you will of my potential purchase.

Now, a few years ago I used to be really into my bikes (heck, I still love 'em), it's just that to my great disappointment I never got around to owning a nice/serious one due to finances and as such I sort of fell out of the loop. If memory serves me right, in or around 2005 I had my heart set on a Specialized Hardrock/Rockhopper (I think) which was I believe around £500-700.

As such, I am very aware that if I want quality I'm going to have to be willing to pay more than the basic £120 down at Halfords. As such I've set myself a budget of around £300 starting up to an absolute maximum of say, 7-800 but that will consider an extreme twist of the arm to go that far. So let's say as a guide I'm willing to spend about £400. Anyway, I hope that gives you an idea of the range I'm after.

I am ideally after a hardtail mountain-bike with front suspension that is comfortable for both distance, commuting and general piddling about in the woods on, is hardy and will last me for many years to come. As I am out of the loop, I'm completely oblivious to worth and quality so I'm hoping some astute posters can steer me in the right direction!

I'm just throwing this out there - I spotted this earlier, and although I have no idea if it is good value or even worth that money, I though it looked quite nice. Cannondale however, rung absolutely no bells for me:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/f6-disc-2009-mountain-bike-ec016564

Anyway, any help is very much appreciated!
 
Cannondale have been around for a LONG time and they generally make pretty decent bikes. The one you linked however, isnt great spec for the price: mechanical disc brakes and bottom of the range fork.

pinnacle peak -picture shows dart2 forks, spec says suntour forks? anway, neither are brilliant forks but the rest of the spec is much better than the cannondale for around the same price.
felt q620 -similar spec to the pinnacle but looks better and is slightly cheaper
Cube analogue -again with good brakes and shifters but an average fork (which has fairly short travel - you may be looking for a little more?)

If you can stretch to 500ish, this Focus Northern Lite is a good deal. -Sram x-9 shifter, hydraulic brakes and the claimed weight is 13.25 kg!!! (only 1-2 kg heavier than my alu road bike)
 
That's excellent touch, thank you. This is exactly what I'd hoped from the thread. :)

I'm not too keen on the Northern from first impression but the more I look at it the more it seems to grow on me. I can see that definitely being one to consider. I'm willing to stretch to £500 only if it is definitely worth it. :)
 
Supercow said:
Given you called us bike geeks :)
Click to expand...
He didnt call us bike geeks. He asked for the help of bike geeks so, by posting in this thread, you have called yourself a bike geek :D

Here is another option to consider:
Genesis core 1.0 It's not quite as good spec as the focus (let down a bit by the fork) but it is cheaper and a lot better looking. Gets a great review on bike radar also.

btw, here is the review for the focus. It gets a bit of a slating in the review but remember that it was reviewed when new costing £750 and there are a lot of very good bikes in that price range.

I still think the focus is the best spec for the price as long as you dont mind how it looks. Otherwise, the genesis comes in second.
 
I can recommend the genesis core 1.0 had it since it came out 07 model I think. the forks did brake after a year of hard riding now I put some marzocchi all mountains on it and it is brilliant
 
Supercow said:
Or we can argue he was referring to people who are knowledgeable about bikes, which include us ;)
Click to expand...

Regardless of what he considers to be a "bike geek", you have chosen to contribute to a thread clearly marked for "bike geeks". Thus, by contributing, you are acknowledging that you are a "bike geek" :D

Whats wrong with being a bike geek anyway?
 
touch said:
Regardless of what he considers to be a "bike geek", you have chosen to contribute to a thread clearly marked for "bike geeks". Thus, by contributing, you are acknowledging that you are a "bike geek" :D

Whats wrong with being a bike geek anyway?
Click to expand...

We can go over semantics all day, it was meant in jest to begin with, no offense was taken in the slightest.

BTW:
First thing that comes to mind when someone mentions Geek to me
geek2.jpg


First thing that comes to mind when anyone mentions bikes to me
pbpic4031119.jpg


Spot the difference :D
 
Just thought I'd mention that I got an '05 Rockhopper and it's still going strong now. VERY well made bike. I'm not up to speed anymore nowadays, but as an affordable decent brand, I still don't think you can go too far wrong with Specialized.
 
Checking out a few reviews and I once again stumbled across the Genesis Core 1.0.

I have to say, I really like the blue. :p

Shame I can't seem to find anywhere that actually sells that model anymore though!

What prices are we talking for better front suspension these days? ~£200?

Any more suggestions?
 
Last edited:
A decent set of forks will cost you at the very least £200, but to be honest the Suntours on that Genesis will serve you well enough until you can afford to upgrade.

I doubt you'll notice anything 'wrong' with them as such, but the more seriously and more often you ride you'll probably want to swap them for something better in time.
 
You should be able to pick up a reduced '09 bike as most of the big names have their 2010 stuff out now. Also if you know what to look for, you will be able to pick up a decent 2nd hand bike.
 
It would actually be nice if someone would show me where to be looking/buying from. Perhaps I didn't stress this enough in the first post: I have no idea what I'm looking at/for. I don't exactly want to **** money on something that wasn't necessarily worth it.

EDIT:

I think the Cinder Cone listed above is really beginning to grow on me. Can someone give me their thoughts on its specification please? It looks good to me, but as I said - completely out of the loop.
 
Last edited:
Kona tend to be a little like Cannondale in some respects, in that you pay quite a bit for the frame but the other components take a dive because of this.

The Cindercone looks good, but the forks really are quite simple, and from what I've heard about Shimano's entry level hydraulic disc brakes they're not worth bothering with.

As for bike shops, see if you have a decent local somewhere near you, or head to the nearest city having checked online for shops.

Evans Cycles and Leisure Lakes are quality shops, I have to leave my credit card at home when I visit Leisure Lakes these days as I could get myself into all sorts of trouble.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom