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Cheap mountain bike

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Started 5 months ago by Baldcyclist
Latest reply from davey2wheels
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Baldcyclist
Member

So, up front, I've riden road bikes all my life and have no clue about MTBs at all.

Looking to do some wild camping with the boy next year (he'll be 10 then), ride in - up to 15km - pitch up, walk up a hill in morning, ride out. Do this maybe 3 or 4 times a year.

Might also replace my decrepit Pashley with it as a shopper/train/work bike occasionally (also to maybe justify a cycle to work purchase).

Bike will mainly see landrover tracks when off road, need pannier rack for camping stuff. Don't want to spend a lot for limited use case.

What should I be looking at, specs, cost for this type of activity? Halfords Boardman, Decathlon MTB, would that type of thing do?

Not really seen anything with pannier mounts, how do you do that on an MTB?

Thanks in advance.

(also, If I do C2W. Halfords/Tredz seems to be my options for purchase)

Posted 5 months ago #
chdot
Admin

For such low level use, I’d start with Gumtree

Most bikes have frame fittings for racks

For £50-100 usually plenty of choice

Obviously, alloy rims, cantilevers (rather than side pulls) 18 gears or more

Perhaps main ‘consideration’ might be tyres - ‘general use’ or chunky enough for mud…

Posted 5 months ago #
davey2wheels
Member

There's several types that come under MTB depending on the difficulty of the terrain. Starting cross country (XC) which could be full suspension (front and back) or hardtail - front suspension only. Then trail bike, all mountain and up to down hill. There is some overlap between.
Or you could consider a gravel bike - looks like a road bike but different geometry, a wide gear range and flared drops for off road and should be able to fit panniers. Another difference is the tyre clearance offered so you would be looking for a frame and fork that could take up to typically 50C tyres.

Posted 5 months ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

Gravel bike could double as a new commuter as well, however my current commuter (kind of early gravel, pre cx) is close enough to a gravel bike to know I want a wee bit more comfort and less bone shaking.

I know I don't need full suspension or downhill, I'm thinking something with front suspension.

Had thought about gumtree as well, and spend £150 but then thought I could probably spend £700/£800 on CtW and have a cost to me of less than £400.
I however do tend to overspend on bikes (the 2009 tour winning Cervelo hung from wall testament to that), and I'm determined not to do that here, hence strict £7/800 budget (CtW) or £500 (non CtW).
I think I could use a MTB on the train enough times not to lose sleep over using CtW.

Posted 5 months ago #
Dave
Member

For front suspension to keep working effectively it needs to be taken care of / serviced otherwise you just end up with a very heavy nearly rigid fork (we have one of these!) and the cost of that can be kind of grim.

For something that you want to use to ride in on access tracks I would try to get a rigid frame that will take at least a 50mm tyre, personally.

Posted 5 months ago #
Morningsider
Member

I bought a new mountain bike about 18 months ago (Merida Big Trail 600) using the cycle to work scheme. I decided to push the boat out a bit, but it was well worth it as it it is super fun to ride.

Merida (big Taiwanese frame builder for other brands) offer great value - much better components for the price than competitors. The Edinburgh Bike Coop seem to have some great deals on 2023 Merida bikes at the moment - Big Trail 400 for £795 looks good and seems to fit your criteria.

Posted 5 months ago #
fimm
Member

On a MTB, the "expectation" is that you would use bikepacking bags for luggage - these can be quite expensive but I think you can also get stuff second hand. Your other option would be to see if you could get hold of a Bob Yak or similar trailer - off-road trailers seem to have gone right out of fashion with the advent of on-bike bags, but I think one would work well for what you want to do.

Posted 5 months ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

@Morningsider Thanks, that looks like it would fit the bill - and also could be purched on CtW from Tredz (I'm limited to Halfords scheme).

@fimm I hadn't even considered that, I had expected to just use my current Edinburgh bike co-op commuter bags (I have 2), and strap tent/sleeping mats/bags to top of rack with bungees.
But come to think of it, I have the boys old trailer which he is now too big for (that the dog uses sometimes) which I could just load up. For short distances (<15km) that would be grand. Also would have the added benefit of dry overnight storage when using a small backpacking tent. :)

Posted 5 months ago #
neddie
Member

@IWRATS (is he still here?) used to use a single-wheel MTB trailer for his "overland" adventures.

So if it's good enough for him, it's definitely the right choice

Posted 5 months ago #
fimm
Member

Yes, I was thinking of IWRATS' journeys. Sounds like Baldcyclist has a two-wheel trailer, which will be "more challenging" off-road but for 15km up a land rover track it should be fine, even if you have to unhitch briefly to drag it over some awkward section while your 10-year-old laughs/complains about the midges...

The Red House bothy (https://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/bothies/eastern-highlands/the-red-house-ruighe-ealasaid/) might make a good destination for a first trip - no tent required.

Posted 5 months ago #
Arellcat
Moderator

@neddie, no he isn't.

Posted 5 months ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

Thanks for suggestions.

Noticed there was another £75 off the Merida big trail 400 and that was enough to persuade me to pull the trigger.

May have to consolodate bikes now, is 5 too many?

Posted 3 months ago #
chdot
Admin

“

N+1

This is a notion known to many people who cycle – how ever many bikes they have, there’s often a desire for one more!

“

https://cyclefridays.wordpress.com/n1/

Posted 3 months ago #
acsimpson
Member

Is 5 enough?

Posted 3 months ago #
chdot
Admin

N+1 can’t be same as 5=E…

Posted 3 months ago #
chdot
Admin

Of course a consideration is ‘how many different reasons/purposes do you have (a) bike for’ & ‘how many of these can be combined’.

Considerations include -

Distance, speed, comfort, topography, terrain, weather (eg mudguards),carrying capacity, multimodal ability, fashion/impression creation.

Of course if you have financial, space or ecological reasons for restricting bike ownership to 1 (or perhaps 2) then life can be simpler.

Two is good as it reduces the chances of waking up and finding your essential transport has a puncture.

I have more than 5 bikes.

Each one is different (of course). Some cost me nothing to acquire (including one that was my father’s).

In total they will be worth less than ‘most’ people spend on a secondhand car.

They are cheaper to run/maintain - and will outlast most cars.

They are ‘essential’ parts of my life.

I lend them to people.

Etc.

Posted 3 months ago #
neddie
Member

Wish I’d kept my old fully rigid circa 1996 Cannondale M500 now. Did see someone else (legitimately) using it in town as a hybrid*, a few years back.

Especially after my full susser got nicked oot the hoose a couple of years ago… (always thought I’d replace it, but haven’t - have you seen the prices now? One sitting in the centre of the bike coop At £9999. Bargain!) (starting to speak like gembo now)

*Aka with road tyres and rack fitted

Posted 3 months ago #
cb
Member

I wouldn't recommend a two wheel trailer on rutted Landrover tracks, I've done this and it is not fun. Impossible to keep more than two of the three wheel allignments on a 'smooth' bit.

Posted 3 months ago #
gembo
Member

@neddie Oh wad pow’r the giftie gie usTae see ourselves as others see us

Posted 3 months ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

Bike arrived, despite being a small it seems huge. :D

Will go out with boy to have some fun tonight.

Quick question for MTB folks, it's a single chainring at the front, but there is a wee lever on the left handle bar (where a gear shifter would have been), any idea what that's for?
Ta. :)

Posted 3 months ago #
Morningsider
Member

Could be the control for a dropper seat post. Allows you to lower/raise the saddle on the fly while in motion. I thought it sounded like nonsense, but it's actually very useful for going up/down steep hills.

Posted 3 months ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

Ah, yes. That's exactly what it is, which likely means I need to set my saddle height again - presumably you set with the extension out for normal riding, so that you can lower it and have it pop out to normal height.

Had a wee ride out with the boy tonight, seating position is much further forward to what I'm used to and I seem not to have muscles developed for that position, so ouchie. Guess legs will adapt with some new lumps.

Posted 3 months ago #
Morningsider
Member

Exactly - set the saddle to your preferred height with the dropper fully extended, you can then lower and raise it as required. I find it great for descending steep off-road tracks (as I am usually a massive chicken), the change in the centre of gravity when you drop the saddle is amazing. Feels like the bike is nailed to the ground.

Posted 3 months ago #
Baldcyclist
Member

Ridden bike about 100km now, like it, and it's just what I needed, and specced just right for me, so again thanks for reccomendation.

Also a good excuse to spend more quality outdoor time with the boy (he's developing a belly which we need to sort sooner rather than later) doing something he actually likes is helping - I've tried getting him walking up hills and he just complains.

Think I've still got a couple years beating him on the uphill, but I'm just a big girls blouse on the downhills and he shoots past me laughing. :)

I rode the bike home on a commute the other day - I felt I have to justify the C2W scheme so will do that periodically.

There were some revelations for me...

- I actually quite like the 1x10, yes the jumps can be quite big sometimes, but the range was definately there.
- Controversially (for me), I am definately ready for flat bars I think.
- I need to put a rack on it, my neck and shoulders wre killing me with heavy laptop in a rucksack.

I think my commuter is about to go through a third itteration, by hybridising it with flat bars and a 1 x 10 groupset. Winter project, maybe Santa will supply bits, it also needs a new back rim as well, so maybe just a new commuter bike which will take wider tyres (35mm)? I don't know, had the commuter 12 years and am a bit attached to it, even thoughframe is the only original part.

I'm not quite ready for an electric bike just yet, hill walking has kept my fitness up enough that I was quite surprised how easy cycling was when I got on the bike. It took me 2hrs 7 mins to get home on the MTB, which I thought was really not bad given it takes 1hr 45mins on the commuter, and I've also not cycled home in a year. Think on my commuter I'd be near my 'normal' time.

On a sad note, I think the new MTB renders my Pashley Parabike obsolete (and especially if I hybridise my commuter), as it can do everything the Pashley does. Also the Pashley is objectively rubbish, but it is still my favourite bike. Oh maybe I'll keep it for just a bit longer.

If anyone has a use for a well used and pretty beaten and rusty Parabike, and the offer is right, maybe I'll let it go...

Posted 2 months ago #
davey2wheels
Member

Regarding going downhill, you'll be up out of the saddle feet on the pedals, dropping your heels will lower your centre of gravity and make it feel more stable. When turning, keep your body upright and tilt the bike in the direction of the turn - the knobs on the side of the tyres will maintain the traction.

Posted 2 months ago #

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