I think I want a mountain bike. Not to go up and down mountains, but to tackle the mud, branches, puddles, leaf sludge, potholes and other cr*p that I face on my current leisure/exercise rides around the bike paths, cobbles and disintegrating on-road cycle lanes of Edinburgh. I have a cheapo one bought many years ago and it's starting to creak, snap and corrode in various ways so I think a replacement is due. But my budget is limited (£300-ish... cue knowing titters from the MTB cognescenti...). Given that it won't get Glentress-style punishment, is that budget realistic or daft? Can anyone suggest makes/models? Any good deals out there..?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help
A hardtail for hard times?
(18 posts)- Started 13 years ago by Its_Me_Knees
- Latest reply from Smudge
- This topic is
resolved
-
Posted 13 years ago #
-
You could try something from the revolution range - Cadence or Cuillin. Basic, value for money MTBs.
However your Dawes hybrid should be more than capable of tackling anything that Edinburgh can throw at it - as much as you love it and want to keep it good, that's the sort of thing it was designed to cope with. It should have the fatter tyres and gearing ratios to deal with anything. You then get to spend your £300 on other cycling related niceties - badass puncture-proof tyres, Ortlieb panniers in the colour of your choice, a fancy pump that impresses even Chdot and some clippy shoes and pedals. And have change left over for a cyclocomp!
You then also don't have to deal with the fact that you have a budget MTB with budget floppy forks which might just end up annoying you, it's another bike to put proper tyres on and is just another bike to take in for maintenance!
But yes. Revolution. Also, Velo Ecosse had a Giant MTB in the window for £269 today. - Giant Revel 3
Posted 13 years ago # -
@Kaptnk : My old boss was a keen road biker (even after he managed to ride full pelt into the back of a parked 4x4 last year and was lucky to get away with a few scrapes and strains...anyway, I digress...) who suggested to me that the number of bikes you needed was always one more than the number you currently own. I now know what he meant.
However... the Dawes is luvverly: eats tarmac with ease and is a sensible commuter machine. But on my leisure rides it does slip about a bit and I've almost come a cropper on it because of leaf sludge (one time) and post-snow road grit (another time)... and at my age I'm scarcely a speed merchant (although my weight distribution might not be helping). Noteably my cheapo (but disintegrating) mountain bike doesn't seem to suffer this as much.
I'd also like a backup bike anyway...that Giant Revel 3 looks interesting...
Posted 13 years ago # -
@chdot: Slightly scared about buying second hand - not experienced enough to spot potential problems, and no come-back if it falls apart.
Posted 13 years ago # -
"Slightly scared about buying second hand"
Understand, but if you're not after anything too 'modern' there are bargains to be had.
Look at the pictures - amazing amount of stuff on eBay is hardly used.
The links I posted are ones that have been labled "retro" by the seller (very subjective of course...)
There are only a tiny number of MTBs that might be classic/retro enough to attract any sort of 'collectors' premium'.
Look for a brand you've heard of and stick the link on here for advice.
Posted 13 years ago # -
"retro" MTBs seem to come with proper forks. Which is always a bonus!
Posted 13 years ago # -
"
"retro" MTBs seem to come with proper forks. Which is always a bonus!
"Yes.
I know nothing about 'modern' MTBs with front suspension, so can't advise I-M-K if he'd get 'OK' (suspension) forks at "£300-ish".
Posted 13 years ago # -
By 'proper' I take it you mean no suspension.? Am I allowed no gimmicks on my bikes...? :-(
Related (and undoubtedly very naive) question: how do frame sizes relate to wheel sizes? ie. all else being equal, would the seat on an 18" frame with 700C wheels be higher than one on an 18" frame with 26" wheels? Most online bike size tables seem to relate frame size to inside leg measurement but pay little heed to wheel sizes...
Posted 13 years ago # -
"
how do frame sizes relate to wheel sizes? ie. all else being equal, would the seat on an 18" frame with 700C wheels be higher than one on an 18" frame with 26" wheels?
"In simple terms (it's not a naïve question - the answer isn't 'obvious') frame size is the length of the seat tube.
'Traditionally' this was from the centre of the bottom bracket axle to the top of the seat tube. Then some people started measuring to the centre of the top tube (and measuring in cms.)
Some people even measured to a theoretical horizontal top tube.
Mountain bikes changed a lot of things.
Early MTBs still used lugs and so (mostly) had horizontal top tubes. So it became 'normal' to buy a bike 'two inches smaller than you are used to' - e.g. someone used to a 23" touring bike was pointed towards 21" 'mountain' bike. (It's a clearance thing - you understand.)
Then sloping top tubes became normal and frame sizes suddenly became much 'smaller' with 'unheard of' lengths of seatpost.
BUT at the same time higher bottom brackets came in - it's a (different sort of) clearance thing.
So...
Posted 13 years ago # -
Hmmm. So.... no straight answer I guess. Makes me even more reluctant to buy something online that I haven't tried in the flesh. Might give Velo Ecosse a visit.
Thanks for the info, anyway. Always worthwhile getting some input from those more informed than myself.
Posted 13 years ago # -
For the record, I'm not informed about MTBs at all! :)
Posted 13 years ago # -
The cheapest forks that are worth owning won't leave you much out of the rest of the budget for a bike, sadly. But you don't need them - fat tyres provide quite enough for even our cratered streets. Which, I suppose, means that you could fit cheap suspension if you liked, if you don't mind regretting it down the line!
Posted 13 years ago # -
Nothing will give you any grip on leaf sludge; not trying to turn or accelerate or stop on it is the only way to deal with it without Endomorph-width tyres.
Try and identify which aspect of the MTB's componentry or handling is helping with the sticks and stones and sludge and see if it's a direction in which the other one can be adapted within your budget, perhaps with different bars or chubbier tyres or perhaps even a spare set of wheels for quick-release mode-switching between commuting-tyres and knobblies.
Posted 13 years ago # -
I was going to suggest a second set of wheels with grim knobblies. Considerably cheaper than a new bike, and a lot easier to store.
Posted 13 years ago # -
@ Its_Me_Knees
For what its worth, I bought a Giant MTB (2007 model) for £60 on gumtree a couple of years ago and put it straight in the bicycle works for a service / new brake blocks etc.
It is clearly not a patch on my road bike, but horses for courses etc - I use it to commute during the horrible months, and am not worried if it falls to bits / gets stolen etc.
Big + for Daves point - I have 2 sets of wheels for the MTB – one with the slicks, one with the knobblies – never have an issue with swapping over between trails and town – something I put partly down to it being an older bike, making lots of bits a bit more ‘run in’ and loose – like the owner !!
Posted 13 years ago # -
Thanks everyone for the feedback - the comments all make sense.
I'm pretty certain that it's the knobblies on my current MTB, combined with a slightly lower centre of gravity, that makes it that bit more stable on the marbles and sludge. I'll think on...
Posted 13 years ago # -
Used tourer with 'cross tyres maybe? Or even a cyclo-cross type bike? Sounds like the sort of tracks you describe don't strictly need 2" wide knobblies...
Posted 13 years ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.
posts
