Looking into getting a bicycle

[Lowe]

My money would be on the Trek.

In terms of the Shimano gears and their specs, a rough way to look at it is (from low to high spec):

Alivio
Deore (from here on up, all are 9 speed rears)
LX (now replaced by SLX)
XT
XTR

[neonplanet40]

Thanks Lowe The Felt QX90 looks better specced i think but i don't know :S

I keep reading that i should avoid front suspension as it will cause more hassle than its worth.

But im getting bored of looking and looking! Just want to decide on one and i think its going to be the Trek

Thanks guys

[neonplanet40]

So guys im ordering my bike this friday. i found a local bike shop that sells Treks! BUt he told me that they would be unable to put mud guards on the trek 7300. Is this correct? I would prefer the 7300 over the 7.3 fx.

Also any last minute tips? Or any opinions on either bike? If im wasting my money let me know

Many thanks for all the help!

Mark

[Konan555]

he told me that they would be unable to put mud guards on the trek 7300. Is this correct?

Not conventional ones, because of the suspension fork.

However...

These sorts of things fit and still move with the wheel.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/SK...rd/5300004091/

Very simple, only downside is the front doesn't catch spray sideways when you turn the wheel (I'd live with it)

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Cr...et/5300004946/

[neonplanet40]

lol thanks very much mate. bit of water won't do me any harm

[Lowe]

lol thanks very much mate. bit of water won't do me any harm

Shockboards are brilliant. Best thing I've actually bought for my bike truth be told, wish I'd had one from the start. I had a normal Crud catcher style jobbie for ages, and it's fine, apart from when you pick the pace up. Once you hit 20mph or thereabouts, the mud/water flicking off the front tyre is able to hit you in the face/glasses and that can be a royal pain in the backside. The Shockboard stops that, and they don't look too bad either with their MotoX looks.

Here's mine:

[neonplanet40]

Lol how much does a bike like yours cost? i like it!

Thanks for the information. I'll definetly be getting them!

[Lowe]

I don't like to think about how much it cost lol.

It's not an 'off the shelf' build as such, everything was bought separately over a period of time and then built up, replacing bits on an old bike so I wasn't without a bike to ride whilst it was being made.

All in all though it's probably about £1500's worth and the crazy thing is there's still bits which could be improved on. Bikes cost too much lol!

Current spec is something like this:

Frame: Charge Duster Steel
Fork: Rock Shox Reba Team RL
Wheels: Mavic 321 with Deore hubs/Tioga XC rubber (probably the current 'weak point')
Brakes: Avid Juicy 7's with 180mm front/rears
Gears: Shimano Deore XT
Bottom Bracket/Crank/Pedals: SKF BXC600 ISIS / RaceFace Ride XC / DMR V8's
Saddle / Seatpost: Charge Spoon / Thomson Elite Layback
Handlebars / Grips / Stem: FSA Carbon Kforce / Charge Sponge grips / FSA carbon stem

[neonplanet40]

Ok then lol i like it but my bank doesn't Its a very nice bike though!

I dont like the wheels on hybrids. They look flimsy compared to mountain bike wheels which is what im used too!!

[Million]

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?im...icial%26sa%3DG

I have the 3rd one down, and use it for pretty much exactly what you describe. I'm really happy with it, and i've been using it for 5 years with no problems. I did add kevlar tyres and it made a world of difference, haven't had a puncture since (and they're red, which of course means they go faster).

[neonplanet40]

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/...-bike-ec016318

Ok guys i like this bike and i can get 10% off with the evans new year discount code. Is it as good as the trek? Reason i ask is that i can get this for £90 cheaper than the trek....

[radar]

I got a nice custom dirtbike for £290 off eBay, all the parts had good names on and are sturdy and reliable. If you rack up some decent frame makers like Claude Butler, Specalized, DMR you'll be able to source some good bikes from a search query. Unless your looking to buy brand new then maybe you'll have to spend a little more.

I suppose a secondhand £100 full-sus' from your local bike shop should do the trick though.

[Tumble]

if you did want to look at road bikes - one of the guys from the mtb club has just got a BeOne from Chain Reaction Cycles - this one in fact they do basic bikes for not a lot of dough - he uses it every day for a 6 mile commute and it does the job adequately. CRC also do the Cube range - Cube make very light bikes with good component sets - see their hybrids here - there's one for around £350 too.

[neonplanet40]

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=25443

Hi guys, basically i was going to get the Trek until i was talking to a group of friends who are going mountain biking in a month or so. Im going to go with them so im back on to a mountain bike now!!!

I seen the above and thought it was good for the money. But all the BeOne cycles on that site seem to have alot of money off so do you guys have any other suggestions? I think ill need the 21inch frame. Also is BeOne a good brand? the parts seem to be good for the money.

Also does anyone know how Chain Reaction Cycles send their bikes?

Sorry for doing a complete u-turn but a hybrid was going to do me no good now. I can get city tyres for the mountain bike. I don't mind the extra weight on the bike or energy to cycle it as it will be good for my legs.

Mark

[neonplanet40]

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=25896

Also found this one

So its between the two lol. Lowe you have a mtb so im sure you will be able to give me some good information

If i really get into biking i'll prob buy a hybrid bike later in the year.

[Lowe]

Hmm this changes things around significantly. With a MTB bike your money doesn't go as far as it does with a hybrid. You've now got the suspension forks to budget in, so you're less likely to get such a good frame/wheels/brakes as you would have before.

Frame sizing is also totally different on an MTB. You're not looking for the ultimate efficiency in pedal stroke, you're looking for weight distribution, handling, controllability and to a certain extent making sure that if you bin it, you're not going to damage everything the Lord gave you. Typically, take 4" off what you would normally expect to be your frame size. For example, I'm nearly 6'4 tall, and should by rights have a 22" frame. I had one, I constantly binned it when off road. It didn't feel agile and it didn't inspire confidence. Next bike was an 18" frame and that was perfect. Yes it's a little snug, the saddle has to be high (and you can get seat posts which are bent, to give you more room) but it feels a whole lot better trust me. Obviously you won't beat going and sitting or riding on a few bikes at your LBS though. General point tho - smaller frame for off road.

For this kind of budget you're looking at a hardtail. Forget full suspension beasts, it's not going to happen. You've also got to decide if it's worth getting a bike which has a spec biased towards upgrading, or a spec which is trying to do the job at the price point you have. For example some bikes will have a decent frame/gears/brakes but will have a cheap fork to keep the costs down. The fork is something most people will upgrade if they get into the sport, so is a good upgrade path...

Be-One are pretty good. The bike you've listed is a bit of an all rounder. Biggest weak spot for me would be in the brakes. You can pick up hydraulic disc systems for about 100 quid which will hugely outperform the Vbrakes on that so it's a simple enough upgrade (assuming the hubs/fork/frame have the appropriate holes and mounting points)

The GT looks decent, only weak point is the fork. Out of those two I'd lean towards the GT, however it's only listed in Xtra Large...