Mountain bike recommendations

cheesyboy · 7 Jul 2022 at 00:23

Looking to buy a new bike on work's cyclescheme as soon as I can arrange it, as I'm in a **** tax bracket this year.

I've currently got a ~15 year old Saracen mountain bike which I use for leisure rides on the local country roads, muddy canal towpaths, and a bit of proper mountain biking with my son.

It's pretty knackered, and needs replacing.

Any thoughts on what I should be looking at? Budget of perhaps up to £1k. I'm not a serious cyclist, so would probably rather not go over that without compelling reason.

I see that modern mountain bikes seem to have enormous tyres: is this always the case? Not sure I'd want that for all-around use.

My son, 12, has a Pinnacle Cobalt 1 hybrid, which leans more Mountain than road. But the tyres are a bit low-grip. Should I look to a hybrid?

In case it's important, I'm about 6'2", 13st.

Martynt74 · 7 Jul 2022 at 15:13

I'll be the first to admit i know very little, but Canyon always get very favourable reviews

Grand Canyon 6

A modern mountain bike with best-in-class components, the Grand Canyon 6 delivers on everything you need for off-road exploration. Level up your trail riding at an unbeatable value with the bike’s agile geometry and progressive design.

www.canyon.com

GuruJockStrap · 7 Jul 2022 at 17:28

I'd personally be going for a Voodoo Bizango for £750 or the Bizango Pro for £950. Excellent spec for the money.

The_Arbiter · 7 Jul 2022 at 17:38

As you're in Glos, see if deltabikes is close enough for you. You can get test rides on various sizes and bikes, preservice and post 1yr service for free, and will do price matches and cycle to work scheme or finance.

radderfire · 7 Jul 2022 at 17:43

cheesyboy said:
Any thoughts on what I should be looking at? Budget of perhaps up to £1k. I'm not a serious cyclist, so would probably rather not go over that without compelling reason.

I see that modern mountain bikes seem to have enormous tyres: is this always the case? Not sure I'd want that for all-around use.

My son, 12, has a Pinnacle Cobalt 1 hybrid, which leans more Mountain than road. But the tyres are a bit low-grip. Should I look to a hybrid?

In case it's important, I'm about 6'2", 13st.

Mountain bike tyres vary a lot. Some are a cross tyre so suitable for on and off road, others are full off road - you can also buy slicks and fit them to your mountain bike. Tyres can also be changed easily. Personally, I prefer mountain bike to hybrid bike, as generally they are a more comfortable ride. However, if you aren't doing extreme off road, a hybrid would do. I've got a mountain bike with front suspension, but sometimes I think I'd prefer a fixed fork. If you do get front suspension, it's useful to have a handlebar mounted fork lock out switch, so you can easily lock/unlock the forks.

Brands I like: Trek, Marin, VooDoo.

This mountain bikes page has a list of major brands with links to their websites, so that should help with your research.

dave28 · 7 Jul 2022 at 17:45

Boardman MTX 8.9 2022 - Hybrid Sports Bike

The trouble is you say "a bit of proper mountain biking"
and for that you need a proper mountain bike in my opinion or it could even be dangerous with some bike that is neither one thing or the other.

cheesyboy · 7 Jul 2022 at 18:16

dave28 said:
Boardman MTX 8.9 2022 - Hybrid Sports Bike

The trouble is you say "a bit of proper mountain biking"
and for that you need a proper mountain bike in my opinion or it could even be dangerous with some bike that is neither one thing or the other.

'proper' as in steep muddy tracks through the woods or down local hills. But not very quickly or highly skilled

radderfire · 7 Jul 2022 at 18:52

cheesyboy said:
'proper' as in steep muddy tracks through the woods or down local hills. But not very quickly or highly skilled

I would say you want a mountain bike then, a hybrid is not suitable for this. Also I don't think you need to spend £1,000 for this usage (it's not like you're racing) so £600-700 should do it, albeit you will have lower end but perfectly adequate components.

Hedge · 8 Jul 2022 at 08:48

I'd likely go for a voodoo or a vitus.

R4z0r · 9 Jul 2022 at 07:23

Trek X Caliber would be worth a look.

radderfire · 9 Jul 2022 at 10:52

Looks like a good entry level mountain bike to consider:

VITUS NUCLEUS 29 VR MOUNTAIN BIKE BLUE - £649.99

Vitus Nucleus 29 VR Mountain Bike Blue

The Vitus Nucleus is the mountain bike you never forget. The one that got you hooked. It’s everything a mountain bike should be - comfortable, reliable and predictable. But above all, it’s fun. The Nucleus is versatile enough to ride anywhere, but you’ll have the best time riding proper trails...

vitusbikes.com

You will have to decide whether you want 27 or 29 inch wheels.

One thing this is missing is a handlebar mounted fork lock out.

Vitus is a British company.

dunker · 22 Aug 2022 at 09:24

it has a lock-out on top of the right fork leg, blue knobby thing.
have a Vitus Nucleus myself, the thing is a tank

ak22 · 22 Aug 2022 at 20:17

Voodoo Bizango or Kona Mahuna Currently £759 for XL

Kona Mahuna 2022

The Kona Mahuna strikes that perfect balance of mountain bike and all-around fun rig. Its 29” wheels easily roll over obstacles and provide a smooth, predictable ride. The fork features 100mm of smooth travel and together with the 29” wheels, helps keep bumps in check. You have complete control...

www.biketart.com

mattyfez · 22 Aug 2022 at 22:35

Just make sure it has hydraulic brakes and an air sprung fork and isn't too heavy. Aim for sub 14kg.

mattyfez · 22 Aug 2022 at 22:39

radderfire said:
Looks like a good entry level mountain bike to consider:

VITUS NUCLEUS 29 VR MOUNTAIN BIKE BLUE - £649.99

Vitus Nucleus 29 VR Mountain Bike Blue

The Vitus Nucleus is the mountain bike you never forget. The one that got you hooked. It’s everything a mountain bike should be - comfortable, reliable and predictable. But above all, it’s fun. The Nucleus is versatile enough to ride anywhere, but you’ll have the best time riding proper trails...

vitusbikes.com

You will have to decide whether you want 27 or 29 inch wheels.

One thing this is missing is a handlebar mounted fork lock out.

Vitus is a British company.

One thing you'll soon realise is that bar mounted suspension lock outs are pointless. They just add weight and clutter.
You can just reach down and flip the lock on the fork crown when you need to.