Big Bike Thread

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Supercow said:
It’s Friday, so we’re in need of some awesomesauce shots

p4pb6236501.jpg
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Looks very Whistler, fairly sure I've got photos of me on that section somewhere.
 
jaybee said:
Another thing I have been meaning to ask on here, how did you guys learn to bunnyhop? I get annoyed even talking about it as I have never been able to do it. I'm getting older now so I'm worried I will NEVER learn it! I have owned skateboards and never been able to Ollie either. I just...CAN...NOT...bunnyhop. It really annoys me! I realised on my first ride out the other day in like a decade, that this is such a basic necessity to enjoy MTB riding. Any tips?
When I try, I just end up jumping off the pedals :( and looking like a complete moron. I get you need to lift front wheel first, but I just cannot turn it into a rear wheel lift and flowing movement. Doh!!!!
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The topic was covered a page or two back

Street said:
Well it turns out that my insurance company will not pay the full value on the bike as it wasn't specifically listed on my policy. They'll only cover £500.. Which is what I paid for it so not too bad, although I did lose a brand new set of M4s and SDG saddle in the process!

So I'm in the market for a new bike, thinking of spending around £1000.. Any recommendations? I did like my Rockhopper so I'm tempted to get another one of those unless anyone has any better suggestions?
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Second hand Pitch Pro
 
ichabod crane said:
Bikes sub £500 are all created equal.
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Within reason, I'd agree.

What I'd recommend is to see which ones you can test out first, and see which you like the best in terms of geometry/pedals/saddle/grips etc.

No use buying a £500 bike with slightly better brakes or fork, to then have to get new bars/grips/saddle because the stock ones were rubbish :p
 
That's more Itchycrotch's point I guess.
Regardless of which one you choose, you will need to make a compromise on something.

Id rather compromise on shifters/cranks that a fork and brake per say (Frame is a given obv)
 
Sorry...what now? Bikes under £500 are "created equal". What does that mean? I may as well buy one for £100? Clearly not. Can you explain.
As for bunny hopping I will search back a page or two. I get the videos I watch on how to do it, but just...can't. lol
 
jaybee said:
Sorry...what now? Bikes under £500 are "created equal". What does that mean? I may as well buy one for £100? Clearly not. Can you explain.
As for bunny hopping I will search back a page or two. I get the videos I watch on how to do it, but just...can't. lol
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Not the only one who cant, i can probably manage a 2cm bunnyhop, really pathetic :( But show me a jump and im fairly decent at getting air, but i suck at controlling the bike and landing, so not that often i hit the jumps anymore.
 
jaybee said:
Sorry...what now? Bikes under £500 are "created equal". What does that mean? I may as well buy one for £100? Clearly not
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What ichabod meant to say was that 'bikes under £500 in the same price range are created equal'.
i.e. Bikes costing £500; Specialized Hardrock, Kona Nunu, Trek 4300 etc are going to have pretty much the same mix of components and frame quality. Choose whichever suits you best.
 
SDK^ said:
What ichabod meant to say was that 'bikes under £500 in the same price range are created equal'.
i.e. Bikes costing £500; Specialized Hardrock, Kona Nunu, Trek 4300 etc are going to have pretty much the same mix of components and frame quality. Choose whichever suits you best.
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Right...ok....I think. But what I asked above was, at what prices do you start to generally get more stuff for the money. I mean...say I spend £100, £200, £300, £400 or £500 surely I would get different levels of equipment.
Anyway as for this...

Cuchulain said:
For £500 you should only be concentrating on getting a bike that's upgradeable, i.e. a decent frame with possibly a reasonable set of wheels.
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I don't buy that. That sounds a bit snobbish to me. That sounds like you are saying that for £500 it's never going to be that good, so just make sure the base is good so you can spend another XXX upgrading it. £500!? I'd expect a pretty decent bike for that to be fair. I'm starting to lose interest in getting back into it already if costs are sure to escalate further than that.
 
jaybee said:
I don't buy that. That sounds a bit snobbish to me. That sounds like you are saying that for £500 it's never going to be that good, so just make sure the base is good so you can spend another XXX upgrading it. £500!? I'd expect a pretty decent bike for that to be fair. I'm starting to lose interest in getting back into it already if costs are sure to escalate further than that.
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It's not snobbish at all and that's one thing I've never seen in this thread, no matter how cheap someone's bike is nobody scoffs at it. It's a fact that bikes in that price range generally have less durable components so you should ALWAYS aim for the best frame.
 
Cuchulain said:
you should ALWAYS aim for the best frame.
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I hear this a lot.

But I'm not 100% sure that I agree.

So your bike has a good frame - meaning you can upgrade later.... good theory.

Except come upgrade £500 bike to ~£1000 bike time you'll need:

New wheels
New fork
New headset
New chain/cassette/mechs
and quite possibly new grips/saddle as well.

Price that lot up, and you're probably well over the £500 mark, and may as well have just gone and got a new bike and sold the old one - given that everything on a new bike will be much newer, and therefore have less wear.

But thats my 2p. Take it or leave it, I'm easy either way. :)

My first proper MTB was a Carrera Banshee for £320.
 
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Richie said:
Jack the pressure up more then. Why anyone runs their MTB tyres at less than 50 psi when they are using it on the road confuses me.

I run my tyres at circa 60psi (rated to 80) to increase rolling speed when I know I am going on a hard surface (road/cyclepath). If I know I am doing some proper off-road/trails I will reduce it right down to circa 35psi.
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I had no guage to check it with the first couple of times. I've since invested in a better mini-pump and pinched a car tyre pressure tester-thingy so I can now get higher PSI easier.

Currently got the rear tyre at around 45-50 psi. As I said too, new tyres are on order, as well as some inners.

Someone suggested how to fix the rear-disc rubbing earlier, but I'm not quite sure where to attack it from. Can any one help with that?

As for the 'shiny-bits', granted it would attract more unwanted attention, but I'm only talking like a saddle and bottle cage, perhaps. Just want to feel like it's mine, if that makes sense?
 
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jaybee said:
As for bunny hopping I will search back a page or two. I get the videos I watch on how to do it, but just...can't. lol
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My advice though it's considerd poor form is to get some spd's and cheat. I can just about get the wheels off the grounb trying to bunny hop without them but can get as high as I need with them.
 
Nix said:
Someone suggested how to fix the rear-disc rubbing earlier, but I'm not quite sure where to attack it from. Can any one help with that?

I'm only talking like a saddle and bottle cage, ?
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Turn the bike upside down, drop the back wheel out, put a flat blade spanner between brake pads and push them apart. Re-fit the wheel and see if that fixes it.

Saddle is personal choice very much so, some rave about the charge Spoon but I dont find it coomfy.

This might be OK as a budget saddle?

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/riva-mtb-saddle-ec028215
 
So, for the mech, the opening I want to put the spanner in is the hole on the bottom when the bike is standing normally? The top hole on the mech is smaller and has a sort of silver frame thing.
 
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