mtb advice

avalanche

hi, im going to invest in a moutain bike and was wondering if anyone had any advice on a good deal in and around the 1000 mark.looking for a good lightweight, lockable suspension, disc braked machine which will last a few years.

i have been looking at this one

http://www.elcorteingles.es/deportes/asp/Ver_Producto/producto.asp?hddref=000015107

the one im looking at looks more like this without the mud and costs 1000 as its an older model but the spec is the same.

http://www.foromtb.com/vbpgimage.php?do=full&p=8436&d=1184954677

but am not familiar with the brand. anyone ever heard of it? or have any other ideas?

thanks:)

Bluefoam

Canon have a good rep for bikes at low prices. Usually very well speced

http://www.canyon.com/_en/

Rocky Mountain have a great rep for frames, but some say they don't come with a great component set for the price.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=25303

avalanche

hi thanks for the link. this one looks like what im looking for.

http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/index.html?b=146

havent heard of this make before though. have they a good rep plus has anyone ever seen on in the flesh? they always look good on the net?

TinyExplosions

avalanche wrote: »

hi thanks for the link. this one looks like what im looking for.

http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/index.html?b=146

havent heard of this make before though. have they a good rep plus has anyone ever seen on in the flesh? they always look good on the net?

Strange enough, I saw one hitched to the back of a car on Thursday... looked pretty swank actually -not the sort of thing I'd leave locked in Dublin (and that's a compliment!)

billyk

avalanche wrote: »

hi thanks for the link. this one looks like what im looking for.

http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/index.html?b=146

havent heard of this make before though. have they a good rep plus has anyone ever seen on in the flesh? they always look good on the net?

looks a decent bike except tha sram gear shifters and r dereilleur,
check a few local bike shops and you'll defo get something super for about 1000, trek+giant+specialised+gt+spiuk all have exactly what your after,
another newer brand worth a look is kellys

Bluefoam

billyk wrote: »

looks a decent bike except tha sram gear shifters and r dereilleur,
check a few local bike shops and you'll defo get something super for about 1000, trek+giant+specialised+gt+spiuk all have exactly what your after,
another newer brand worth a look is kellys

I'm not aware of any problems with SRAM, they were tested against Shimano in one of the mags recently and came out fairly equal.

billyk

ive had both and ive always found shimano easier to use and much more precise on gear change

kona

Bluefoam wrote: »

I'm not aware of any problems with SRAM, they were tested against Shimano in one of the mags recently and came out fairly equal.

no where near as strong;)
works just as well tho:)

avalanche

thanks for the advice, saw this older version of the one i was previously looking at. http://www.segundamano.es/vi/10192824.htm?ca=28_s

what do you reckon? its about the half the price of what i was originally looking at although the gear isnt as good and its a bit old. do you think its a good deal or is it better to go for brand new.:rolleyes:

Bluefoam

avalanche wrote: »

thanks for the advice, saw this older version of the one i was previously looking at. http://www.segundamano.es/vi/10192824.htm?ca=28_s

what do you reckon? its about the half the price of what i was originally looking at although the gear isnt as good and its a bit old. do you think its a good deal or is it better to go for brand new.:rolleyes:

It doesn't stand out to me as being a real bargain. Are you based in Ireland? If so keep your eye out on mtbireland.com for second hand bikes.

Mickeroo

I'm a newbie to mountainbiking and i invested in my first one about a month ago. I went with the GT avalanche 1.0, so far i love it, the components are decent too and as far as i can see it's a great entry level bike! I got the 2008 model for 700euro in a shop in galway but they have the 2007 model on chain reaction cycles for 401 - 441euro depending on the frame size, free delivery too, can't go wrong if you ask me!! heres the link: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=17829

Bluefoam

If you intend to go offroad & your budget can stretch to it you should look for hydraulic disk brakes as a min spec. They can be a costly upgrade, particularly if your wheels aren't disc ready...

avalanche

thanks for the gt link mickeroo, nice bike but i tend to agree with bluefoam. i used to do a good bit of moutainbiking but its been a while. reckon around 1000 seems to the the minimum for a bike with decent enough gear unless i go secondhand but to be honest i fancy a bike without too many problems from the off so new maybe the only way to go.

Mickeroo

whoops...should have looked closer at that, mine has disc brakes so i assumed that one did too! my bad....was thinking it was very cheap alright.

Bluefoam

Have you tried these guys: http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie

The Lapierres have a good reputation.

avalanche

mickeroo, just been having a look around and saw this writeup on your bike. looks pretty good.

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/avalanche-disc-10-08-24827?img=1

Mickeroo

wow,they gave it a pretty good write up. cheers for that :-)

avalanche

right lads so heres what ive narrowed it down to.


(a ) - i can get this one for 500 secondhand off the lad who has told me it is in excellent condition and recently serviced
http://www.segundamano.es/vi/10192824.htm?ca=28_s

or

( b ) i can get the exact same bike brand new from a shop which is reduced from 999 to 759,

or

( c ) i can pick this bike up off canyon for 1050

http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/index.html?b=146

I would really appreciate your feedback on this one as although i did some biking in the past i am a bit out of the game and am having difficulty deciding between value for money etc. please give me your preference;)

Bluefoam

On personal preference only, I would go for the Canyon. Have seen a few on the trails and they have a good reputation, just check the delivery times as I have heard they are built to order and can take a while if not in stock.

I don't know much about the J3 shock on the first bike, but the Formula Oro brakes should be good.

Bluefoam

By the way, the sand blasted finish on the Canyon (if you get it in black) should really hard wearing and won't chip like paint.

Morgan

The Canyon - no question. Better parts, better fork. We have several in MAD now and everyone who has ridden one has liked it.

avalanche

,thanks for that Morgan, the canyon is looking like a good bet alright. can i ask you does the canyon resemble the size of the Gt,specialized style bikes i.e big or is it more race style. its hard to tell from pictures. plus any idea what size frame your friends went for? i am 6ft2 so was thinking of a large. thanks:)

trinewbie

Buy the canyon - I have a grand canyon 8 and its savage in every way..you wont get a better specced or lighter bike for the price.

Morgan

avalanche wrote: »

,thanks for that Morgan, the canyon is looking like a good bet alright. can i ask you does the canyon resemble the size of the Gt,specialized style bikes i.e big or is it more race style. its hard to tell from pictures. plus any idea what size frame your friends went for? i am 6ft2 so was thinking of a large. thanks:)

The sizing seems to be pretty standard. My Specialized mtb is a large/19" and I've ridden a large Canyon which fit fine (I'm also 6'2"). You can enter your measurements into the website and it'll indicate which frame size you should be on.

avalanche

well fellas, thanks to your slight arm twisting i have gone with the canyon 6.0 which should hopefully arrive shortly. its a bit of wedge for me but im looking forward to it. sometimes quality costs eh.

Bluefoam

Great bike, enjoy!

trinewbie

Good man - best of luck with it - you will love it.

Get those feckin schwalbe tyres off it until the summer though, they are great in dry but any sign of roots or schlomp and your left with very little control or grip.

avalanche

Thanks lads. by the way if anyone owns one of these and has a photo can you post it as id love to see what they look like outside of the company website. take it easy.