Spec me a bicycle

PiKe

PiKe

PiKe

Caporegime
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
25,287
Location
Lake District
It doesn't really belong in this section but its closer to a motor than GD to be honest. I've been told that if I wanted a mountain bike for road/off-road riding I should expect to be paying at least £400 for one, would people here agree with that?
 
PiKe said:
It doesn't really belong in this section but its closer to a motor than GD to be honest. I've been told that if I wanted a mountain bike for road/off-road riding I should expect to be paying at least £400 for one, would people here agree with that?
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There's no real upper or lower limit, set yourself a budget and buy the best for the money you have.

£400 will get you a Spec. Hardrock or GT Avalanche 2, and £100 and you'll get an Avalanche 1 which always wins it's group tests in reviews.
 
Are bikes with rear suspension not a lot harder work to pedal uphill, I'd imagine the suspension saps some energy unless you can lock it off on the Avalanche 1?
 
£400 is a good price for a starter mountain bike. You should be able to get a semi-decent hardtail (i.e. only front suspension) bike for that price. Whatever you do, don't get full suspension unless you're willing to double your budget - cheap full sus bikes are a waste of money. And yeah, virtually all (especially cheap) full sus bikes are less efficient when climbing.

Have a look at somewhere like Evans Cycles to get an idea of what you want etc, then head down to your local bike shop. I wouldn't recommend buying online unless you know exactly what you want (bike/size) and are proficient at building a bike up from a flat pack.

Check our something like a Specialized Hardrock, Marin Bobcat Trail, Trek 4500, Kona Firemountain deluxe etc. To be honest, as long as it's from a decent bike manufacturer and you've bought it from a reputable shop (not Halfords) you're unlikely to buy a bad bike.
 
PiKe said:
It doesn't really belong in this section but its closer to a motor than GD to be honest. I've been told that if I wanted a mountain bike for road/off-road riding I should expect to be paying at least £400 for one, would people here agree with that?
Click to expand...

You can get a nice entry level Specialized for £220 from Evans.
 
PiKe said:
Are bikes with rear suspension not a lot harder work to pedal uphill, I'd imagine the suspension saps some energy unless you can lock it off on the Avalanche 1?
Click to expand...

Good rear suspension can aid climbing on rough terrain, not on a £400 budget though.
 
I don't have room inside to store the bike, so it would have to be stored outside under something like a tarpaulin, would that be sufficient to prevent corrosion?
 
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