# Bikes



## UkDetail2021 (Dec 21, 2020)

Does anyone have any good suggestions for a Mountain Bike? I am looking for something not too expensive happy to buy second hand. Want to do some off roading downhill stuff
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## Tykebike (Mar 27, 2016)

If you want to ride up as well as down then you need a different bike to one that is made for downhill, yes you can ride them uphill but it is an Herculean task. I have an old but excellent Intense M1 downhill bike and it is a joy to ride downhill but at around 44lbs in weight you don't want to ride it very far up hill especially when you have sticky rubber tyres and low tyre pressures (extra grip). My other bike is a Liteville 601 which despite its' looks is fairly light at around 33lbs. It has almost as much suspension travel but is a do it all bike. I ride a lot of the same tracks in Wharncliffe Woods that I would on the M1 but ride up to the top of the next run down instead of pushing up (sorry track inspecting!). However on the way down the M1 is still king.

I would suggest looking at some of the articles and comments on Pinkbike to get an idea of the different bikes. Also check out the classifieds on the same site. Except my first bike all the rest have been secondhand and I changed bits and pieces to ones that I like. I just cannot justifiy paying for a new bike because I get all the smiles I can handle with a well chosen set up.
Also check out some of Ben Cathro's videos on YouTube, they are very informative both in riding techniques but also bike set up.


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## AnthonyUK (Jul 25, 2018)

It seems every man and his dog is looking for a bike and prices, even for second hand bikes are going up.

A mate just spent nearly £5k on a Specialised Levo e-bike which is amazing but £5k...no.

It is the perfect downhill bike though with the motor for going uphill.


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## vsideboy (Sep 1, 2006)

As Tykebike said, presumably you're going to need to actually pedal the bike at some point other than just free wheeling downhill so if that's the case then definitely discount any Full suspension bikes and just stick with a good front end suspension.

Having had a full suspension bike in the past and trying all sorts of methods and diy brackets to lock the rear suspension into a solid position for 95% of my cycling time I ended up giving it away and got myself a decent £600 front suspension Voodoo from Halfords under the cycle to work scheme about 7 years ago and it's still going strong now (albeit a few fasteners have rust on them but other than tyres and chain I've not needed to do anything to it.)

Not sure about them now but Voodoo did win a lot of awards around the time I bought mine, so if they're the same quality then I'd definitely recommend them mate.


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## The happy goat (Jun 26, 2019)

I’m looking at the moment and I’m looking at Whyte, British built 2.5k gets you a fairly decent full suspension bike if you can find one…………..


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## notfub (May 9, 2007)

Mountain bikes have come a long way in a short time. There's trail, cross country, downhill, mullet, e-bikes, full suspension vs hardtail, carbon vs aluminium, rockshox vs fox etc. So many variables.

If you have a local bike shop, pop in and have a good chat about the riding you intend to do and the sort of bike that will meet your needs.

If you get into it, you'll end up with more than one bike. Over the years I've bought and sold several bikes and have now ended up with a carbon hardtail for the odd xc event and less demanding rides and a full suspension trail e-bike (which I bought 2 years ago in a sale after trying a mates e-bike and really enjoying smashing the uphill trails with it - don't knock them until you've tried one, so much fun).

If you thought detailing cost you money, get ready to spend lots more on mountain biking. Oh and make sure you don't fall off and require shoulder reconstruction surgery....I'm 51 and should know better.


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## kingswood (Jun 23, 2016)

as above, prices have flown up. shipping prices from china have quadrupled.

£500 got u decent hydraulic hard tail last year. now ur looking at £600 min.

weather turned, loads of people will have bought bikes in summer and will prob cash out soon. if u have time to look in the classifieds.

if u want new get down to the local bike shop. they'll prob do 10% off for. cycle to work scheme is an option, they take 15% off the headline figure u send to the shop


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## ridders66 (May 24, 2019)

I would take a look at Merlin Cycles, they are pretty good with MTBs. Pay as much as you can afford, actually, push yourself and spend a little more. Spending more means you get a better quality bike, usually with a better quality groupset which will feel better to ride, and will last longer. Cheap bikes made to a price may boast Shimano gears, usually it is just the front, rear mech and shifters. They bikes are built to a price, what you usually get are cheap unbranded wheels bars, set post, bottom bracket, headset and tyres. If you buy a cheap bike, it won't be as enjoyable to ride. I'm not saying you must spend a fortune, (although I spend more on my bikes than my car!) but you really get what you pay for. If you buy a cheap bike, it'll be heavy, unwieldy, and if you use it often, it will probably last you 12-18 months. Pay a grand more and it'll last you years. But don't rush into it. Buy sensible, and you'll get more use and more pleasure out of it.


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## kingswood (Jun 23, 2016)

ridders66 said:


> I would take a look at Merlin Cycles, they are pretty good with MTBs. Pay as much as you can afford, actually, push yourself and spend a little more. Spending more means you get a better quality bike, usually with a better quality groupset which will feel better to ride, and will last longer. Cheap bikes made to a price may boast Shimano gears, usually it is just the front, rear mech and shifters. They bikes are built to a price, what you usually get are cheap unbranded wheels bars, set post, bottom bracket, headset and tyres. If you buy a cheap bike, it won't be as enjoyable to ride. I'm not saying you must spend a fortune, (although I spend more on my bikes than my car!) but you really get what you pay for. If you buy a cheap bike, it'll be heavy, unwieldy, and if you use it often, it will probably last you 12-18 months. Pay a grand more and it'll last you years. But don't rush into it. Buy sensible, and you'll get more use and more pleasure out of it.


good advice. the more u pay the better frame u get. lost count of the amount of people who buy a 'cheap' bike then spend a fortune upgrading the parts but the frame and wheels weigh a ton!

Merlin and rock lobster were class back in the day. showing my age. cld never afford them when I was a kid. now ive a orange P7 hang on the wall in the garage with full shimano XT731. to small to ride but makes me smile when I see it!


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

If you want to ride downhill; and uphill then what you are realistically looking at is an Enduro bike and most manufacturers make them but the better the quality, the higher the price.
YT make them in Germany and sell direct to the customer from the factory, not _that_ expensivein comparison
Nukeproof make one called the Giga which they call a Super Enduro bike, made in Belfast i believe
But both of these are into the thousands and some of the Specialized stuff can get into tens of thousands if you want high end.


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## andy665 (Nov 1, 2005)

very late arrival to this thread.

I bought two bikes in the last 2 years - a Vitus Sentier VRS and then an On One Scandal - both were just over £1200 at the time and both were sold within months due to lack of use and felt guilty at having a reasonable chunk of money tied up in something not being used

Have now just picked up a 2 year old Voodoo Bizango for £300 - completely unmarked and already been used more than the Vitus and On One were - very light and great fun to ride and if it sits in the bike shed unused for a while there is no guilt about a high value item n being used

Think there is a lot of snobbery and one-upmanship in the biking world that is very easy to get drawn into, for me if I can venture out locally and then use it for Cannock Chase etc then it will be fine, I am not capable enough to notice the differences (improvements) that a bigger money bike would offer me

My son has a brand new Trek Session 8 that cost me nearly 5k but he is competing this year so can justify that, even he is impressed with the Bizango despite initially telling me I'd regret not spending a lot more than I did


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

There is a lot of lightly and unused bikes on Gumtree and eBay. They aren't selling very well either and keep getting relisted as unsold. 

I've shortlisted a few 2021 bikes that are described as brand new condition. They'll be lucky to see 50-60% of the RRP. There wasn't such a big sale of last year's models as there used to be.


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## andy665 (Nov 1, 2005)

Kerr said:


> There is a lot of lightly and unused bikes on Gumtree and eBay. They aren't selling very well either and keep getting relisted as unsold.
> 
> I've shortlisted a few 2021 bikes that are described as brand new condition. They'll be lucky to see 50-60% of the RRP. There wasn't such a big sale of last year's models as there used to be.


Agreed, lots of people think that used bikes can still command the crazy prices of 2020 - 2021

New bike stock is still very poor - not sure if its poor supply or high demand


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## The happy goat (Jun 26, 2019)

Caliber boss nut come highly rated for a cheap bike


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

andy665 said:


> Agreed, lots of people think that used bikes can still command the crazy prices of 2020 - 2021
> 
> New bike stock is still very poor - not sure if its poor supply or high demand


Poor supply I'm told. A couple of bike shops were telling me replacement parts and bikes are still hard to get.

The Coronavirus bike rush didn't last. Panic buys have been locked in the garage after a few usages.

I put up an old Specialized Hardrock mountain bike. Perfectly usable bike in good condition, but a few years old. I listed it on Gumtree a number of times and I asked £80 or best offer. I didn't get a single genuine enquiry.

I put it on eBay and the auction didn't even make it to £8. :lol: The guy gave me £10 and didn't expect change.

I did notice that the bike is back on Gumtree. It looks like the guy is dealing in cheap bikes. He's took a few parts like the bottle cage off the bike and wants £120. I wish I had given to the local bike charity now.


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## ridders66 (May 24, 2019)

I would avoid buying a second hand bike on Ebay, if you do see one I would say to invest in a chain checker to check the chain wear. Quite often, second hand bikes, if not having had the chain replaced at the correct time, also need new chainrings and cassette, the worn chain wears the teeth, when a new chain is fitted it jumps out of the teeth. So the cheap bike has suddenly cost you another minimum £100 plus, before you can ride it. This can be avoided by buying a second hand bike from a shop, or someone you know.
Your best bet is to get a hardtail, full suspension can be a pain to ride uphill, plus there is more maintenance on the rear pivots and bearings. And I would avoid the cheap Halford specials, as I said in an earlier post on this thread, the more you spend, the better quality the components are, the better it'll ride, and the longer it'll last.


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## G.P (Dec 13, 2011)

Like many things its personal and what suits your requirements/comfort, for me I'd look towards Giant or Trek, Trek if an e-bike but actually more Trek dealers around than Giant hence we have Trek..


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

I've been round the shops up here in Aberdeen the last few days. Stocks aren't bad. There is a good supply of £2000+ bikes and lots of cheap bikes too. 

Something is a bit funny about how many brand new Boardman bikes crop up on websites for sale. There can't be many that spend £800+ on a bike that instantly have to sell. Is it a Halfords fraud or a buy to work scheme cheat?

Private adverts. How infuriating. They can't get basic information right and don't even give frame size. 

There has been a lot of "brand new" bikes coming up that turn out to be 5+ years old.

Bike shops are now discounting old stock.


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## musclelondo60 (7 mo ago)

If you don't plan on amateur riding then I recommend buying a used bike


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## ridders66 (May 24, 2019)

If you're going to buy second hand, be aware that if the chain is excessively worn, you'll probably need to replace the chain, cassette and chainrings too. This is a pitfall from buying second hand, unless you're buying it from someone you know.
So, an apparent bargain can come with an extra cost of £100 plus.


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## Tykebike (Mar 27, 2016)

ridders66 said:


> Your best bet is to get a hardtail, full suspension can be a pain to ride uphill


Not half as much as riding a hardtail down a rough trail.


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## TheRonin (Mar 12, 2006)

The specialized enduro climbs extremely well as does the santacruz megatower. On a technical climb I'd much rather climb my enduro than my trek hardtail.


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## vsideboy (Sep 1, 2006)

My voodoo is still going strong 8 years later mate, can't fault them.

Oh and I'd never have a full suspension one again, so much wasted effort when peddaling.


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## TheRonin (Mar 12, 2006)

vsideboy said:


> My voodoo is still going strong 8 years later mate, can't fault them.
> 
> Oh and I'd never have a full suspension one again, so much wasted effort when peddaling.


Very little wasted effort on modern full suspension geometry. Even the XC pros run full suspension. What kind of terrain do you ride on?


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