UKC

i'm looking to get a mountain bike; no real cycling experience, but have had a couple of days trying it out this year and enjoyed it. after a bit of googling this came up as a potential candidate:

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/calibre-point-50-alloy-hardtail-mountain-bike-p...

reviews seem good, and £200 off? is this a good deal? not really looking to spend any more than this, is it possible to get more for your money that this one? and, any pitfalls buying from a large retailer like Go Outdoors compared to a specialist shop?

thanks for any advice,

gregor

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/C-10829-bikes#page2

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:
It's a very capable bike, decent spec decent fork good Xc Hardtail
My mate bot one early this year he's had it out a fair bit no
Hassle with it Thus far ! As good as you'll get for that money!

In reply to stevieweesaxs107:

Thanks stevie... Another thing- reading around, I've seen people say that this is the best time of year to get discounts as retailers try to move on 'last season's' stock. I'd prefer to hold off til after the new year before getting a bike; but if that's right, then I might have missed the best deals and could end up paying a lot more. Is this really the time of year when there are more deals about, or is it not as seasonal as some people have suggested?

Cheers
Gregor

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

>Is this really the time of year when there are more deals about, or is it not as seasonal as some people have suggested?

In my experience yes. If you're a giant or a dwarf, those bargains may be even cheaper in the new year as all the normal sized folk have cherry picked the regular sizes and the extremities are all that is left…

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

It depends on where you think MTB may take you. if you want this bike because you want to be able to get away with your mates two or three times a year, its fine. If you think there is a chance you could be out on this every weekend next summer, then it's maybe not, because this will be on fleabay for a tenner come the end of April and you'll be out on something lighter, more expensive with flick switch gears and a seat that you can drop up and down with a twist of a switch. If you think this could be something that becomes an obsession, but you don't want to spend too much right now in case it ends up gathering dust, there are possibly better options - eg spending more money on the frame rather than the components may get you something that can be upgraded in the first instance rather than replaced.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:
Gregor, go to your local bike shop. There's no comparison between the advice you'll get there compared to somewhere like Go Outdoors or Decalthlon. (They may profess to have a cycling specialist on their staff, but it just ain't the same as the guys down your LBS)

I think you need to think where the mtb journey is going to take you. If you think you're going to get hooked, try to stretch the budget as far as poss, but as already advised, put the biggest chunk of spend into the frame as components can always be upgraded.

The bike to work scheme is a good way of stretching the budget a little (okay, I know retailers are less flexible on the price because they get clobbered by the scheme, but consider it an interest free loan) or have you thought about second hand?

In reply to exiled_northerner:

thanks for the replies everyone,

mav and exiled_northerner: re how 'into it' I'm going to get- this is part of the problem, not sure at the minute!

but having said that, realistically, with a busy job and young family, I'm not going to be getting out every weekend, its more likely a day every few weeks and evenings in the summer. and if my climbing is anything to go by (another activity I've come to 'later in life'...), then the MTB equivalent of classic vdiffs and severes is what i'll be aiming at, rather than any danny macaskill-esque high jinks!

not sure I'm going to get so gripped that i'll have the inclination and technical aptitude to get into upgrading parts- I'm not so technically minded- but hard to say for sure. I guess the envelope is realistically £400 at this point, £500 at an absolute max. and would like it to be something that 'rides well' while I learn the trade, rather than necessarily being the most rugged kit possible- I don't think I'm going to be doing anything too demanding on it for a while (and again if the climbing is a marker, ever...!)

if I'm aire valley based in west yorks, anyone got a recommendation for a local shop? there used to be aire valley cycles in keighley, but its gone...

and if not the go outdoors one, any other suggestions for similar specced alternatives or deals...?

thanks!

Gregor

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Personally, and I'm often wrong about nearly everything, at that price I'd try and find a quality second-hand modern steel hardtail. I would trust it more to stand up to abuse and, if you weren't into it after all, you'd stand to make a lot more of your money back when you came to sell it on. Also, getting a decent steel frame and upgrading the kit hanging off it would allow you to put a pretty decent bike together over a period of time.

Look for 26" wheel bikes specifically, as, with 650b and 29ers being the way everyone is going, there are some low prices for some pretty decent bikes out there. Check on Pinkbike and Singletrack Buy/Sell sections for starters.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:
Advice #1 - if possible, go and try out a few bikes. Chevin cycles in Otley is not far from you and I think they do regular demo days (and is an excellent shop). However that might be more aimed at £1000+ market.

Advice #2 - you get what you pay for - pay more, get better components and a lighter bike, but there is the law of diminishing returns.

Advice #3 - I wouldn't get a 26" hardtail unless you're a midget ! Bigger wheels are better for less technical, cross-country style riding (or if you're tall). IMHO a 29er hardtail is a better do it all bike.

Advice #4 - buying a cheapish "starter" bike isn't a bad idea. If you get into it (and it is addictive) then you might want to upgrade to a full-suss sooner or latter, and so don't overspend now. MTB components do wear out quite quickly - especially if you ride in all weathers and gritty places (i.e. Yorkshire) and sometimes it's cheaper to buy a new bike than upgrade all the parts. But if you have room, it's useful to keep your old bike as a spare or commute bike.

In reply to Chris the Tall:

Advice #3 seems strange seeing as 26" wheeled MTBs was all there was for the best part of 25 years.

Yours sincerely,

Not a midget.

In reply to Chris the Tall:

Good Advice.

I bought my first mountain bike Ex hire from Grizedale Mountain Bikes.
Ideal, try before you buy.

In reply to MonkeyPuzzle:


I know - I had a few. And I then I got a 29er !

Gary Fisher says the reason he and his mates used 26" wheels was cos that's what they could get their hands on - originally used for cruisers and paper boy bikes, whilst the larger wheels on road bikes were unsuitable. And only a few years later did he and others have a rethink

See also - rigid forks, rim brakes, non-indexed gears, toe-clips, inner tubes, fixed seat-posts......

In reply to Chris the Tall:

1000 quid well past my budget at present. i think the 'starter' bike is the way to go- even if i don't get into MTBing, i will definitely use it for Munro approaches (a number of Munros I've been putting off for years- well, actually, decades...- til the time I've got a bike, I'd better get round to buying the bike soon or i'll be too old to ride it!).

rick- the ex hire idea is a possibility- i hired in aviemore last week, the bike was brilliant- they did ex hire, too far to go to get them, but grizedale is definitely in reach- was it in a reasonable state when you got it? how long did you use it for? and is there a time of year that they are selling off the hire bikes?

and re 26" vs 29"- how much of a difference does it make, especially to a novice?

lots of questions!

cheers
gregor

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:



and just to confuse the issue even more - don't forget 27.5"

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

What you don't know won't hurt you. I personally think that 26ers will make you a better rider, as you will end up picking your lines more carefully, whereas with a 29er you can just rollover rougher terrain. I also think that 26ers are more fun and responsive, but apparently I've just ridden the "wrong 29ers".

In reply to MonkeyPuzzle:


Or put it another way - start on a 26 and you'll appreciate moving up to a 29er even more !

I can only speak for myself and say that after 20 years of riding 26, getting a 29er was an absolute revelation . I ride far more, much further and do far more challenging stuff both up and down. And have far more fun (OK, and more injuries, but that's another story). Obviously there is a good reason why the top downhillers still ride 26, but I doubt if the OP is heading that way.

As for the "better rider" crap, file that away with "skill compensators" and "clown bikes" and the rest

To the OP: As you can see it's a topic which can get heated. You get the preachy converts like me and the diehard nay-sayers like MP. And you can never be sure on the advice from a shop because it may depend on what old stock they are trying to shift. Yes, wheel size made a big difference to me, but I'm 6'4, and like going up, and along, as well as down. Try before you buy, if possible.

In reply to Chris the Tall:



I think most World Championship DH riders are now on 650B (27.5)

In reply to MonkeyPuzzle:


Bigger wheels (650B/29er) (plus full sus) make the best line(s) rideable/survivable

In reply to ChrisJD:

650B - the Liberal Democrats of mountain biking, neither one thing nor the other !!!

Though I suspect you're absolutely right, and they are probably the best choice for most riders, but possibly not where you'll find the bargains.

In reply to Chris the Tall:

lol, not just climbing that provokes arguments then...!

I'm only 5'10" so perhaps the wheel size is less of a difference?

comment about shops perhaps keen to move on old stock that isn't *quite* right for me is something of a concern, given my current lack of knowleddge...

and bringing it back to my OP- the calibre bike currently reduced on go outdoors- if I'm probably going to get a 'starter bike' and use it for a couple of years for assisted munro bagging, some days out on blue circuits and dipping toes in red ones, and evening rides on the moors around here- would that be a such a good deal i should jump at it now? or is it pretty much the 'going rate' for that spec of bike, and should i hold off and see what comes up in the ex hire market, and do more browsing in local shops?


thanks for all the input folks!

gregor

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Just to chip in with my experience. I was in a similar place to you -I wanted to ride but hadn't much time or cash. I got an amazing deal on a basic kona with basic parts (and even rim brakes). I've ridden it for two years around the Peak District and had a blast. It's nowhere near the bare minimum most people would have you believe is necessary but I often overtake people on bikes 5 times the price of mine. I've worn out all the original components now so have upgraded nearly everything in the last 6 months and still ride the bike regularly. There's no question the upgrades have improved the handling, and I also have a new 27.5" hard tail too, but the £220 I spent on my original bike is possibly the best money I've spent considering the fun I've had. I reckon the go outdoors bike is a decent buy.

In reply to Monk:
Re Calibre
It's a Good Starter Bike , it'll get you out & about decent spec and its a capable bike
As good as anything you'll find at that money especially new!
Learn to shift properly and in time (if you haven't used a bike for a while!)
I destroyed my first mountain bike with poor shifting , I'd defo stick with it for a year or so and at that money you won't go wrong it'll still be worth maybe half to somebody else when ur finished with it on ur way to upgrading to a 650B

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

And to answer your question about the calibre. .. You'll struggle to find those components anywhere else for less or even similar price. My one concern would be that 26 forks are getting harder to replace as everything shifts to bigger wheels, but that wouldn't worry me much.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

By way of comparison, this came through on an email

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOOPWX5/on-one-parkwood-sram-x5-mountain-bike

Similar components, lighter frame, but significantly more expensive. Have a good look round before you buy, but the Go outdoors one does look like a bargain.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:


That's what I got my current MTB for. It's the one usage that it still haven't seen! Though given the price (cough, mumble, mumble, cough), I don't think I'd like to leave it lying around even in a remote Scottish glen.

Mountain bikes have improved massively over the last ten years, the modern machines are far more capable, quite which "improvement", change if you are more cynical, has had the most effect is hard to determine - it could be a combination of several of them:

slack geometry/frame design
wheel size
large volume tyres
low pressure
tubeless wheels
dropper posts
suspension improvements

In reply to Chris the Tall:



I was neither getting heated or being a diehard naysayer. I was saying that there's nothing wrong with 26" MTBs and that there are some steals out there because everyone who's onto their second/third/whatever bike is moving towards bigger wheels. But hey ho, whatever.

In reply to Bob + nmse




Exactly, Let the lad spend a few hundred on an ex hire bike and a good lock. He only wants to cycle up to Loch Einich or into the Dubh Loch. When he looks for a good spot to hide the bike, he will probably find a dozen there already, never had a problem.

When he has a four figure sum spare, he can join the gear freaks if he chooses.

In reply to Rick Graham:
Don't need a lock - you just take the axles or skewers out!

If the OP is near a Halfords then Boardman bikes are also good value, I know quite a few "serious cyclists" who have them, both mountain and road.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Well, seemed too good to be true, and it was... Only 2 of those left in the country, and the nearest is in Swansea. And is too big.

They do have this one, in the nearby go outdoors, from the same brand:

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/calibre-two-two-alloy-hardtail-mountain-bike-p2...

£380- nothing like the discount. How does it compare spec-wise? Is it still a good deal?

Cheers
Gregor

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

I've always thought the two two was a great deal as well. The specs on it would be found on a £500-650 bike from any other manufacturer.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Thats a pretty good spec for that price! I bought a specialized hardrock as my first MTB. Its now the daily commuter beast of burden but it did me really well getting me coast to coast across Scotland cross country.

Maintaining cheaper bikes is alot cheaper too!

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

For that money I would be looking at the voodoo bikes in halfords. Either the Hoodoo/Bantu in 27.5 or the Aizan in a 29. Currently there is a spend and save promotion on as well so you can buy a bantu and a water bottle (gets the basket over £400) and you get it for £360. Fab bike for the money.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Also check out Chain Reaction (Vitus are their brand):

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mountain-bikes/hardtail?ss=2488&sort...

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Buying direct from Commencal is also good at the moment with the Euro rate:

http://www.commencal-store.co.uk/sale-c102x2353598

http://www.commencal-store.co.uk/second-hand-c102x2385748

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Just read through this thread a bit more.

Don't underestimate the difference in feel and handling between 26er and 29er bikes.

The 29ers absolutely beast up steep climbs clogged with leaves and loose soil and give a smooth ride as their wheels do not fall so far into holes, 26ers achieve this via different means (more grunt work) and the handling is different.

If I had to buy an entry level MTB bike again I would go with a hardtail 29er with disc breaks - these have really come down in price so cost shouldnt be prohibitive.
Go disc breaks as there is no nightmare break realignment issues when your wheels get slightly bent and you need to take off the wheels to transport the bike in the car. These also dont lose grip when you go through mud or water like rim breaks do.

In reply to alx:

I picked up the full suspension Calibre Bossnut on Sunday... looks like a cracking bike for £1k but unfortunately haven't rode it in anger for a review of the 'make' rather than the 'model'.

The guy at Sheffield GoOutdoors seemed to be knowledgeable and competent but obv is limited in what he can offer if wanting general advice

In reply to alx:

so many options!

buying climbing gear is a doddle compared to this!

i wouldnt feel comfortable buying off net at this point- maybe the next bike one i know a bit more about what i'm doing...

boriselbrus- the halfords ones look like a good alternative, but i've heard mixed reviews of their customer service

i think the calibre one is in pole position at present, especially if it comes into one of the go outdoors sales.

thanks for all the comments and advice everyone,

best wishes
gregor

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Also look at the under £500 top three here:

http://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/hardtail/mbr-hardtail-of-the-year-sneak-previe...

In reply to idiotproof (Buxton MC):

Looks a Decent Bike I might pick up one of these myself
My mate gets 40% off so looks a Bargain !