Which MTB for around £500

[Alex_S14a]

Hi,

I'm interested in buying myself a new mountain bike. I dont really know too much about them and I've seen quite a few threads about them on here so I'm guessing theres some enthusiasts out there :sxoc:

I have around £500 to spend. The main use will be a bit of road riding and at places like the new forest and Queen elizabeth country park, going for a leisurly ride down the trails there. I'm not after anything too extreme ;)

Any suggestions as to what to go for or where I should start looking? I've been into a local cycle shop and the guy in there has recomended a "Cube Attention" They any good?

Cheers

[Wallers]

I'm very happy with my Kona Cinder Cone, it was pretty much exactly £500.

[jay20]

'Cube Attention' never heard of that. kona bikes are good and realyable bikes and normaly a good spec .

[jay20]

just seen them on www.chainreacioncycles.com have a look through there plenty of bikes and well priced

[-Jamie-]

'Cube Attention' never heard of that. kona bikes are good and realyable bikes and normaly a good spec .

Cube are very very good :nod: If i had some spare cash i would be getting a Cube Fritz ;)

[sx rider r17t]

i have a full suspension trek,, i'd recommend a trek to anyone, its worth spending a little bit more on a decent brand to get the quality components that will stand the test of time.

does your work offer a ride to work scheme? that will save you mega money and spread the cost over a year interest free!

i got mine from evans cycles and got 12 months interest free credit from them.

[jay20]

fair enough.do you no if you want full sus or just front?there was a thread up not that long some one eles asking almost the same thing mite be worth a look.

[Si]

I wouldn't buy a £500 full sus bike :no: It'll be shite.

Wallers' Cinder cone is an absolute corker of an all rounder - really lovely frame :nod:

Something like the above is good for a bit of everything, but if you are more of an adrenaline junkie and seeking out the bike parts and dirt jumps, and hitting street, it wouldn't be the bike for you.

It's also worth considering whether it would be a 'complete package' or just a base - if it' just a base for future upgrades, go for the best frame you can, and sacrifice the componentry - this is where companies like Orange and DMR come into their own - seems like you're getting les for your money, but the frame at the centre of it all will last you years :nod:
This is the route I'd always take, but that's a personal thing :)

I LOVE my other half's DMR Sidekick, and I'd be sorely tempted to look at a second hand fully built Trailstar for that sort of money. Truly wonderful frames :nod:

[Alex_S14a]

Im self employed, so no ride to work scheme for me :( Its mainly just for leisure allthough I may ride it down too the office now the weathers getting better.

I've just had a look at that website and had a look through evans cycles. Some nice looking bikes on there. There's so many to choose from, allthough the Kona does look good, and, from the very little I know, seems to be a good spec. :confused:

I'm not really after a full suspension bike. I've riden them before and not too keen on the overly bouncy feel of them, allthough that may have been that particular bike?!

[jay20]

as si said you can get a relly good bike second hand that will prob be more spec'd up.depends if you want to go second hand relly.

[Petrolhead]

I LOVE my other half's DMR Sidekick, and I'd be sorely tempted to look at a second hand fully built Trailstar for that sort of money. Truly wonderful frames :nod:

you should buy my identiti ita a much nicer frame ;)

[glen200sx]

If you were wanting a full sus bike I'm gonna sell my kona stinky the owner before me built it from the frame up and seemed to specify the best of everything in 2001 hope hydrolic discs with big un hubs marzochi monster T's dmr chain guide fox rear shock top spec shimano gear kit totting it up from when I raced d/h your looking at about 2.5k at least to build it. Now obviously it isn't a brand new looking bike it's been used on trails but the paintwork on the frame is still a1 no dents or cracks just an honest bloody strong bike that I've used 3 times in two years :) I'm after about 400 or near to that if your interested

[Stu]

Wallers' Cinder cone is an absolute corker of an all rounder - really lovely frame :nod:

I find Kona frames to be a bit heavy which is okay for some mild downhill but a bit tiresome for cross country. I was tempted by a Kona but I found Specialized frames to be the lightest at that kind of price and they are well spec'd. You'll get a Hardrock Pro Disk at that kind of price which is the base frame but still decent enough.

[Teggers]

Have a look here (http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/category/645/Clearance_Hardtail_Bikes). Winstanley's have some good deals on old stock (as would most large bike shops). For example, they have this 2009 Kona Kahuna (http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/19872/Kona_Kahuna_Bike_2009) for a mere £499.99 reduced from £830!!! Just because its last years model. There are others like that too - I found an 09 Kona Hoss at £500 from £880, an 07 Kula for £500 down from a whopping £900!!

Between us, the g/f and I have a Felt Q520, a GT Aggressor 3 and a Kona Explosif. All 3 are very capable (I've had the Kona since 1992 :D) and the frames are good. Many components have been upgraded though as its easy to do. The Felt and GT were bought in clearance as they were the previous years model when we bought them. My Explosif I paid full price for (over a grand in '92!!) but then I was racing then.

I'd stick with the more popular brands (GT, Kona, Specialized and so on) as the frames are more likely to be better. The components will work but can alwasy be upgraded later. Personally, I'd buy a decent frame Kona over virtually anything else if I was looking at hardtails. Then upgrade the spec when I had the money and inclination.

In addition to Winstanley's, have a look at Wiggle, Evans Cycles, JE James - all big online retailers so all should have a clearance section.

The best idea though is to go to your local shop and try a few out. See what feels right - all the advice in the world on here means nothing if its not right for you. Then you have everyones brand preferences. I love Kona's, Stu doesn't seem to be as much as a fan as me though ;)

[-Jamie-]

I would avoid Winstanleys, very very poor customer service and they say stuff is in stock but it actually isn't then it takes weeks to either get the item or get a refund.

You have been warned :thumbs:

[Si]

I find Kona frames to be a bit heavy which is okay for some mild downhill but a bit tiresome for cross country. I was tempted by a Kona but I found Specialized frames to be the lightest at that kind of price and they are well spec'd. You'll get a Hardrock Pro Disk at that kind of price which is the base frame but still decent enough.
I think it depends what you are after - I've always found the Hardrock's a bit 'dead', but haven't ridden one less than 3 years old in terms of spec.
I've always loved Kona's, and all the one's I've ridden have a 'life' to them - Their ally frames feel so tight, I'm genuinely surprised that you've said you find them heavy - OOI, which ones did you ride?


If you were wanting a full sus bike I'm gonna sell my kona stinky the owner before me built it from the frame up and seemed to specify the best of everything in 2001 hope hydrolic discs with big un hubs marzochi monster T's dmr chain guide fox rear shock top spec shimano gear kit totting it up from when I raced d/h your looking at about 2.5k at least to build it. Now obviously it isn't a brand new looking bike it's been used on trails but the paintwork on the frame is still a1 no dents or cracks just an honest bloody strong bike that I've used 3 times in two years :) I'm after about 400 or near to that if your interested
That's ridiculously overkill for the sort of riding the OP wants to do - It will be more of a hindrance than a help.


you should buy my identiti ita a much nicer frame ;)
That could be a good choice too :nod: Which model?

[Petrolhead]

here you go Si

http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=446466

[Teggers]

I would avoid Winstanleys, very very poor customer service and they say stuff is in stock but it actually isn't then it takes weeks to either get the item or get a refund.

You have been warned :thumbs:

Ah. I haven't bought from them. I popped them up as they seemed to have a good selection and some cracking deals. But then I bought my Felt from JE James who have been great and the GT from Halfords of all places!!!

[LongshanksS14]

Cube are really good and well specced for the cash normally...
My last bike (before some theiving cnut stole it) was a GT Avalanche 1 and was in the £500 range on a deal... It was a cracking bike and took loads of abuse!

I'm currently abusing one of the Boardman Team Hardtails and it is fantastic for the money... Unfortunately only available in Halfrauds though so you take your chances with the customer service.

Have fun shopping around, there are good deals to be had at the minute!

[Adam0bmx0]

I'd go 2nd hand, at 500 brand new your looking at shit components, something like this will last and take anything you could throw at it (Could always try nd knock hom down, 550 or so);

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/495573/

or bit more of a 'hardcore' hardtail;

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/620585/

or a bit cheaper;

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/616468/

[Stu]

I think it depends what you are after - I've always found the Hardrock's a bit 'dead', but haven't ridden one less than 3 years old in terms of spec.
I've always loved Kona's, and all the one's I've ridden have a 'life' to them - Their ally frames feel so tight, I'm genuinely surprised that you've said you find them heavy - OOI, which ones did you ride?

I tried the 2009 Cinder Cone against a 2009 Rockhopper and the latter just felt more nimble and quicker so I went with that. The Rockhopper can get a bit skittish when things get really rough but it's a great bike for hammering along roads and hard trails. I was out for a quick 10 miles on predominantly flat trails and paths yesterday, first time out in ages thanks to man flu, and averaged 16mph.

The Kona was a nice bike and it was a tough decision but the Specialized just edged it. As Teggers recommends, you really need to get to a decent local shop (not Halfords) and take a few bikes out for a test ride. Minor differences in geometry can make 2 similar looking bikes feel very different and the "better" one is likely to be a personal opinion.

[Sharpy]

Another vote from me for Trek. I haven't ridden many other good brands of bikes, but I've always liked the quality of mine.