Mountain Biking

Hank_Marvin · 2 May 2020 at 15:53

Anyone got one of these? What do you think, decent deal?

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/BNSCANDALHSSC/scandal-frame-headset-and-seat-clamp-bundle

Had kind of set my mind on a 27.5+, think this would work with that setup?

MrRockliffe · 3 May 2020 at 15:36

Hi all

my father has started mountain biking, and as a little gift I thought I’d get him some shoes, as he’s currently wearing trainers which are getting soaked.

Can someone recommend a pair for ~£40?

Thanks

robj20 · 3 May 2020 at 15:43

MrRockliffe said:
Hi all

my father has started mountain biking, and as a little gift I thought I’d get him some shoes, as he’s currently wearing trainers which are getting soaked.

Can someone recommend a pair for ~£40?

Thanks

Better with seal skin socks.

Begbie · 3 May 2020 at 15:52

robj20 said:
Better with seal skin socks.

Agreed seal skins are very good for this.

Need to spend a fair bit to get waterproofed shoes.

MrRockliffe · 3 May 2020 at 16:50

Thanks

Ordered the following as he typically gets quite warm, especially with the weather atm: https://www.merlincycles.com/sealsk...r-mid-length-socks-with-hydrostop-154455.html

Begbie · 4 May 2020 at 18:28

MrRockliffe said:
Thanks

Ordered the following as he typically gets quite warm, especially with the weather atm: https://www.merlincycles.com/sealsk...r-mid-length-socks-with-hydrostop-154455.html

Decent price too! THey've allowed me to use wet shoes the next day before. Fantastic.

robj20 · 4 May 2020 at 19:02

I have also used a plastic bag sandwiched between two pairs of socks before and that worked really well.

SpudMaster · 22 May 2020 at 00:41

Looking for a bit of advice on trail bike sizing. I currently own a large YT Tues which has a reach of 452mm which feels great for me. I'm looking to get an Orbea Occam to add to the stable but according to Orbeas size guide I'm in the middle of a medium and large. A medium has a 450mm reach and a large has 474mm reach. Part of me thinks get the medium as its practically the same as my Tues but them I'm also thinking that a trail bike should be sized a little larger. Eg YT say my Tues is idea size for me but they also say that Jeffsy with a 470mm reach should fit me. I'd normally just go to a shop and try the bikes but at the moment all the shops who sell Orbea near me and mail order only.

So in a nutshell should I go for a bike with a longer reach than my DH bike for trail riding?

joelk2 · 22 May 2020 at 21:45

Anything sub £500 worth looking at? Mountain bike style. Got some good forests nearby.

nicktay2605 · 24 May 2020 at 16:56

joelk2 said:
Anything sub £500 worth looking at? Mountain bike style. Got some good forests nearby.

Due to how many people have taken up mtb during lockdown you're going to find it hard to get your hands on anything in that price point at the moment, particularly anything that's been well reviewed. The best bikes around £500-550 are the Vitus Nucleus, Pinnacle Kapur 2, Marin Bobcat Trail 3, Trek Marlin 6, or Calibre Two Cubed, but I'm pretty sure they're all sold out everywhere. From what I've read the Vitus is by far the best of that bunch, but it's only sold by Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles and stock is like gold dust at the best of times.

chroniclard · 24 May 2020 at 17:04

Ordered a cube acid pro for my son last week, 440. Its not gonna do downhill but be fine for forest trails. As mentioned above it was hard to find stock of much in that price range.

Someone mentioned trying the canyon website.

joelk2 · 24 May 2020 at 18:26

nicktay2605 said:
Due to how many people have taken up mtb during lockdown you're going to find it hard to get your hands on anything in that price point at the moment, particularly anything that's been well reviewed. The best bikes around £500-550 are the Vitus Nucleus, Pinnacle Kapur 2, Marin Bobcat Trail 3, Trek Marlin 6, or Calibre Two Cubed, but I'm pretty sure they're all sold out everywhere. From what I've read the Vitus is by far the best of that bunch, but it's only sold by Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles and stock is like gold dust at the best of times.

cheers thanks. Have had a look round myself and have found the same to be fair. Maybe I'll just grab my old bike back off my brother in the meantime.

Jonny ///M · 24 May 2020 at 23:52

Yeah stock is completely shagged everywhere.

I logged in to Cube and Cannondale and they have nothing under a grand in mountain bike or hybrid. Plenty of top end road bikes or ebikes.

nicktay2605 · 25 May 2020 at 11:14

Even full suss bikes under £2k (which I guess is considered low end for a full suss) are hard to find. I've been looking at something to replace the old hardtail I've been using and it's honestly pretty tough to find a well reviewed full suss in stock that isn't over £2k.

Illgresi · 30 May 2020 at 00:22

Evening all. Popped in here for a little advice. Our company has just joined the Cyclescheme, so I'm thinking of getting a mountain bike. My manager (more of a mate now) is a keen mountain biker, and I used to be back when I was a teenager. I've been on a sustained health kick for some time, albeit mostly lifting weights, so I need to add cardio to my life.

The group he cycles with do enduro type riding, which suits me perfectly, as I can take my time with the uphills and build up my fitness, but still enjoy the fun part. So I have a few questions, and I'd be very grateful for opinions and advice.

1. Cyclescheme appears to be a no lose; does anyone have any negatives to the scheme?

2. I figure if I'm doing it, I might as well go all out; that's my personality. So I'm looking at bikes along the lines of the Specialized Enduro, or Norco C1/2/3. Here's where I need the most advice. I haven't done a huge amount of research, but enough to know that style of bike would fit my needs. I don't want to spend crazy amounts of money if it isn't necessary, so if something that's 90% as good as the Enduro is available for 50% the cost...I'll go for that. But in a similar but opposite train of thought, I don't want to cheap out and have to replace it in 2 years because it doesn't meet my future requirements.

3. The cyclescheme doesn't just limit you to a bike, but also allows you to buy accesories also. A full face helmet will be a minimum, and probably elbow and knee pads as well. Are there any other considerations I should chuck in there while I have the chance? Even minor things like a pump, puncture repair kit etc..

Many thanks for your time all. Happy Saturday.

mattyfez · 30 May 2020 at 04:00

My most used items are probably
A track pump for use at home, really takes all the hassle out of pumping tyres
Digital pressure guage - don't underestimate the value of finding a pressure that suits you and your riding style and being able to dial in that pressure precisely every time
Chain lube.. One bottle will last ages but you'll use it often.

nicktay2605 · 30 May 2020 at 21:32

Illgresi said:
Evening all. Popped in here for a little advice. Our company has just joined the Cyclescheme, so I'm thinking of getting a mountain bike. My manager (more of a mate now) is a keen mountain biker, and I used to be back when I was a teenager. I've been on a sustained health kick for some time, albeit mostly lifting weights, so I need to add cardio to my life.

The group he cycles with do enduro type riding, which suits me perfectly, as I can take my time with the uphills and build up my fitness, but still enjoy the fun part. So I have a few questions, and I'd be very grateful for opinions and advice.

1. Cyclescheme appears to be a no lose; does anyone have any negatives to the scheme?

2. I figure if I'm doing it, I might as well go all out; that's my personality. So I'm looking at bikes along the lines of the Specialized Enduro, or Norco C1/2/3. Here's where I need the most advice. I haven't done a huge amount of research, but enough to know that style of bike would fit my needs. I don't want to spend crazy amounts of money if it isn't necessary, so if something that's 90% as good as the Enduro is available for 50% the cost...I'll go for that. But in a similar but opposite train of thought, I don't want to cheap out and have to replace it in 2 years because it doesn't meet my future requirements.

3. The cyclescheme doesn't just limit you to a bike, but also allows you to buy accesories also. A full face helmet will be a minimum, and probably elbow and knee pads as well. Are there any other considerations I should chuck in there while I have the chance? Even minor things like a pump, puncture repair kit etc..

Many thanks for your time all. Happy Saturday.

1. There aren't really any negatives that I can think of per se, the only minor one is that there are several different cycle to work schemes and different bike manufacturers and retailers support different schemes. For example, I've been looking at different bike brands and I was keen on a Canyon bike, but unfortunately they use the Green Commute Initiative, not Cyclescheme. If you're unlucky then the bike you set your sights on might not be available on the scheme. This is particularly likely if you're looking to buy from one of the direct-to-consumer brands (such as Canyon).

2. They're both good bikes that you've mentioned there, The S-works version of the Enduro has done very well in most bike group tests and won enduro bike of the year in Enduro magazine. It's also worth considering the Commencal Meta AM 29, RAAW Madonna V2, Yeti SB150, Nukeproof Mega 290, and Whyte G-170. Some of those are direct-to-consumer brands, so with those particular brands you'll likely get better components for the money. Honestly you'll be happy with any of those bikes, they're all excellent from what I understand.

3. Going tubeless with your tyres is a good idea, it makes punctures less likely and means that if you get a small cut in the tyre you should still be able to carry on. I'd still recommend taking spare inner tubes with you on a ride though, as well as a multi-tool, some zip ties, a first aid kit, etc.

iMacMart · 2 Jun 2020 at 13:28

Afternoon all!

Changing some parts on my Voodoo Bizango 2019.. I have a dropper post, below is what I have chosen unless there is better for the money?

Thanks

Wake 720MM Mountain Bike Handlebar Wide MTB Riser Bars 31.8MM Extra Long Bicycle Handlebars for Downhill Cycling Racing - £15.99
DMR Brendog Death Grip (thick) -£16.95 + £3.95 postage
INBIKE Bike Pedals Mountain Road In-Mold CNC Machined Aluminum Alloy MTB Cycling Cycle Platform Pedal - £25.99 (out of stock currently)

DereksDontRun · 2 Jun 2020 at 18:09

720mm wide handlebars seem possibly slightly narrow for modern geometries? I think they're now usually around 760ish mark - but 20mm a side isn't a terrible loss.
Deathgrips are nice, I've got them on my hardtail, I like them. enough that I might add them to by Jeffsy.
peddles - tbh, the best value I've found are from SuperStar Components. Their Evo is regularly discounted (watch their Facebook or get on their mailing list and wait for a code). e.g. May had a 30% off, so down to £35. No idea what the Inbike are, but could be worth watching for the SuperStar Evos...

Begbie · 2 Jun 2020 at 18:29

Agree with the above.

Superstar Components are the best budget pedals around, if not the best flat pedals around. Buy some when the go cheap, but even at full price they are awesome vfm.

Not sure how I'd feel using £16 bars though? Get a 2nd hand set of Renthal or one of the bigger companies. Depending on why you want to change it?

I use the DMRs, they're good.