looking to start mountain biking

Icyseanfitz

hey guys im looking to get into mountain biking as ive had an interest in it for a good while now (just turned 21 so i hope im not too late to the game ) and im just wondering do ye have any advice as to where i should start (what kind of bike to buy, where etc.) living in kerry if thats any help, i used to be crazy into bikes when i was younger so hopefully i havnt forgot too much

silvo

If you want to contact the guys in Killarney Cycling Club, they do mtb spins and might be able to point you in the right direction: http://www.killarneycyclingclub.com/

Icyseanfitz

thanks for that will definitely look into that, any tips on where i should be buying a bike from? internet or shop? im thinking il have a budget in between 600-800 so im hoping that will get me something thats alright (already have a sarcen downhill bike but as it only cost me like 400 euro 5 years ago im guessing its not up to par ) not sure whether i should be looking at full suspension or a hardtail, was looking at this even if its on the pricy side (also dont know if they even ship to ireland)

Icyseanfitz

silvo wrote: »

If you want to contact the guys in Killarney Cycling Club, they do mtb spins and might be able to point you in the right direction: http://www.killarneycyclingclub.com/

just read on their site that they stopped downhill courses pity that could have been fun

this also looks nice

guym

The usual way to go is to start off with a hardtail. With your kind of budget you could pick up a lovely second hand hardtail with a much better spec than a brand new one. There are plenty of bargains around, try looking on adverts.ie or on the irish mountain bike sites such as epic mtb or mountain bike cork. If your set on having brand new try sites such as chain reaction or wiggle who both do free delivery to Ireland.

Icyseanfitz

cool thanks for all the info, is the mountain bike scene any big in ireland btw as in competitions etc. oh also any good quality brands that are within the 600-800 bracket that i should keep an eye out for? and any idea what size bike i should be looking for (im 6 foot and weigh around 13.5 stone)

adrianshanahan

I guess it all really depends on what kind of mountain biking you are interested in doing?

Icyseanfitz

well i was looking at getting into downhill but as thats fairly rare here im probably looking at getting into XC biking (with maybe a little downhill if i can find a place ) pretty much a jack of all trades is what im looking for

thebouldwhacker

This is mountain biking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP7KxvaBIkg

This is downhill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9ARlglIUTE

They are different with different skills, fitness, bikes and gear.... just know which you want before splashing the cash!

zil

Wow thats impressive from greg, fort william at race speed while chatting on cam.. don't you just hate people that good :P

Icyseanfitz

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

This is mountain biking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP7KxvaBIkg

This is downhill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9ARlglIUTE

They are different with different skills, fitness, bikes and gear.... just know which you want before splashing the cash!

well i know il be starting off in mountain biking but id like a bike that would give me an opportunity to try out downhill if it comes along (i think ive seen fellas using hardtails for downhill, i wouldn't be able to find the 2000 you'd need for a proper full suspension bike ) is the downhill scene even alive in Ireland at the moment? from what ive seen mountain biking has aspects of downhill just not as fast or difficult

silvo

Yep, there is a very healthy downhill scene in Ireland. Have a look at www.Irishdh.com. Lots of information there. Also lots of starter DH bikes for sale for a fair bit less than 2000.

thebouldwhacker

This is from 2007 but shows the track in Kilgarvan. I rode a tiny bit of it, there are some pretty hard core sections to it, 15 foot vertical drops etc. depending on what part of Kerry your in there is a track in Dunmanway too. Check out trailriders.ie, they have their fingers in both dh and mtb and are based (ish) in Ballyhoura. Do your research before buying and you can upgrade your gear as you go, ie cheap frame now with good front shock, then up grade your wheels and tyres then decent frame etc. It doesnt have to cost a fortune.

Icyseanfitz

is there any chance you could give me a good starter bike to look at in between the 500-800 range? trying to do my own research but im getting a little bit overwhelmed , i live in tralee but i have car so im not too worried about traveling with a bike in the back after all Ireland's a small island

adrianshanahan

Hey,

Before I start just tho say there are others around with far more knowledge on the topic than me. From what you are saying it sounds like you want an "All Mountain" bike which could be summed up as a XC bike with lots of travel or a far less extreme / full on DH bike that you can actually ride up hill.

This might be of interest to you, its a little more than you wanted to spend but not by much HERE.

If you were willing to up your spend to €1000 you would have more options in the used full sus market. As for DH on a hard tail, rather you than me.

Adrian

Icyseanfitz

haha thanks for that ya downhill on a hardtail could get a little over the handlebar nuts thanks for that link too but 1100 is a fair bit too much for me 800 is my limit at the moment as things are tight

adrianshanahan

Talk to the man, you never know ye might be able to meat in the middleof some such.

Cost nothing to ask.

Icyseanfitz

suppose your right il get onto him later, damn just looked at the size im 6 foot so it would be too small for me

sham2

Don't forget to factor in some initial outlay on gear. Helmet and MTB shorts (for comfort) are essential and possibly gloves. Then depending on your speciality down the line; pads, goggles/glasses, shoes (flats or SPDs), spare tubes...The list could go on all day. I've spent almost as much on gear as the bike but that's just me.

Icyseanfitz

i take it these are the kind of helmets that are used in general mountain biking and not the full face (which look awesome btw ) or the skater helmets, i take it you dont need goggles for normal mountain biking either? also would it a good idea to get knee/elbow pads?

thebouldwhacker

Most use normal bike helmets for mtb, but full face and body armor for dh though some use full protection for mtb, all depends how hard you intend to ride.
mtb is pretty straight forward, bike helment, gloves and some kinda eye protection is good and off you go. You pick up what you need as you go along, if your new to it all probibly start off with mtb and work your way up.
Check out the mtb and dh sites as people are always up grading so you can pick up gear second hand as you go along. Best advice is get a mtb bike that will stand up to trails (€300 second hand will get you going) and start riding. Check out the trail riders site they sell off ex rentals which are as good as you'll get tbh. Get riding, talk to people and you'll be a pro before you know it....

seamus

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

They are different with different skills, fitness, bikes and gear.... just know which you want before splashing the cash!

Mountain biking generally requires a decent bit of fitness, a strong will (to keep going climbing up a 10% incline of loose gravel) and an enjoyment of long spins.

Downhill requires a distinct disregard for personal safety, very little fear and strongly positive attitude towards alcohol consumption (afterwards). Hatred of hill-climbing is optional, but it helps.

At least that's how the MTBing "classes" were defined in the 90's....

Icyseanfitz

seamus wrote: »

Mountain biking generally requires a decent bit of fitness, a strong will (to keep going climbing up a 10% incline of loose gravel) and an enjoyment of long spins.

Downhill requires a distinct disregard for personal safety, very little fear and strongly positive attitude towards alcohol consumption (afterwards). Hatred of hill-climbing is optional, but it helps.

At least that's how the MTBing "classes" were defined in the 90's....

well im leaning more towards downhill so il start off with mountain biking though to get my fitness and skill back to where i used to have it when i was younger :rolleyes:

Icyseanfitz

also do i have to have any kind of special shoes for mountain biking?

thebouldwhacker

Jez man your just looking to spend money:)

If you cycle clipless already you can (and should) get clipless mtb shoes which attach to the bike. If your starting out though flat pedals and some kind of runner is perfect.

Icyseanfitz

nah just trying to figure out what im going to need coming up to xmas actually want to get into it properly as i really like the sport

Icyseanfitz

thanks for all the help again guys if anyone has any advice on a bike just throw it up here

Gavin

Ok, sorry, but this is driving me loco. Mountain biking encompasses XC, cross country, downhill, freeride/all mountain blah blah etc. What you are calling mountain biking is cross country. Anyway.

You'll be hard pushed to get a downhill MTB for less than 1000. In general I would be very wary buying a second hand mountain bike. This is particularly the case with a downhill bike. The bike will have been crashed at high speed. You don't know how battered the frame is and if you aren't familiar with bikes won't be able to tell how worn the parts are. This is generally the case with XC bikes as well. So unless you know your stuff or know someone who can inspect the bike for you or trust the seller, avoid second hand.

Starting off, the general advice is to get a hardtail as already said. You get better value for money than if buying a full suspension as there is less to compromise.

As you want to try more aggressive riding you could look for a long travel hardtail, that is a hardtail with a fork of up to 160mm travel. It's possible to get forks like a Fox Talas which have adjustable compression, so you can set it to 120 for XC climbs and then crank it to 160 for more downhill. I don't know where you would buy a bike like that new though, they are more generally self built. On-one sell cheap frames, the 456 range are suited to long travel fork. I have a bike built with this frame and a 140mm fork and really like it. There are also Ragley frames which are quite popular.

If you just want an XC bike with 100-120 mm of travel, the most economical, good quality, bikes I know of are Merlin and Canyon. If you wait until December, Canyon usually have a sale of last years stock. You could pick up a Grand Canyon AL model for around 800 or so. On-one as above also do decent 100mm complete bikes based on their Scandal frame.

thebouldwhacker

While I agree with what your saying for the point of this thread I think its good to split the term. No point buying a fully kitted dh bike if all he is gonna do is use trails like Bhoura. The same can be said for 'road'
bikes but they are as diverse as off road bikes
I do disagree with you about second hand gear though, if your starting out on a budget second hand is an economic reality. When I started I bought second hand and yea you come across people selling crap but tbh its the same with anything second hand esp cars or any sports gear, ya gotta just know what to look for, thats why I was recommending the ex rentals from trail riders cos they're stuff is good.

Gavin

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

I do disagree with you about second hand gear though, if your starting out on a budget second hand is an economic reality. When I started I bought second hand and yea you come across people selling crap but tbh its the same with anything second hand esp cars or any sports gear, ya gotta just know what to look for, thats why I was recommending the ex rentals from trail riders cos they're stuff is good.

Yes, well I did say that it's usually ok if you know bikes, or know someone that can have a look at them for you. Rentals are a reasonable option, true.

Icyseanfitz

Gavin wrote: »

Ok, sorry, but this is driving me loco. Mountain biking encompasses XC, cross country, downhill, freeride/all mountain blah blah etc. What you are calling mountain biking is cross country. Anyway.

You'll be hard pushed to get a downhill MTB for less than 1000. In general I would be very wary buying a second hand mountain bike. This is particularly the case with a downhill bike. The bike will have been crashed at high speed. You don't know how battered the frame is and if you aren't familiar with bikes won't be able to tell how worn the parts are. This is generally the case with XC bikes as well. So unless you know your stuff or know someone who can inspect the bike for you or trust the seller, avoid second hand.

Starting off, the general advice is to get a hardtail as already said. You get better value for money than if buying a full suspension as there is less to compromise.

As you want to try more aggressive riding you could look for a long travel hardtail, that is a hardtail with a fork of up to 160mm travel. It's possible to get forks like a Fox Talas which have adjustable compression, so you can set it to 120 for XC climbs and then crank it to 160 for more downhill. I don't know where you would buy a bike like that new though, they are more generally self built. On-one sell cheap frames, the 456 range are suited to long travel fork. I have a bike built with this frame and a 140mm fork and really like it. There are also Ragley frames which are quite popular.

If you just want an XC bike with 100-120 mm of travel, the most economical, good quality, bikes I know of are Merlin and Canyon. If you wait until December, Canyon usually have a sale of last years stock. You could pick up a Grand Canyon AL model for around 800 or so. On-one as above also do decent 100mm complete bikes based on their Scandal frame.

so il probably be looking at getting a hardtail with long travel fork any ideas anyone? could i buy bike and then buy a long travel fork and put it together myself? wouldnt mind buying parts and assembling but from what ive seen on sites that can get very expensive

Gavin

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

so il probably be looking at getting a hardtail with long travel fork any ideas anyone? could i buy bike and then buy a long travel fork and put it together myself? wouldnt mind buying parts and assembling but from what ive seen on sites that can get very expensive

Yeah it does work out more expensive to get the parts. Usually. It is fun to build it yourself, but maybe not your first bike. The advice above is probably good for you. Get an XC bike, then save up for a downhill monster. Or, increase your budget, wait til christmas and get a good all mountain bike in the Canyon sale. The problem with buying a long travel hardtails is that good forks are fairly expensive - http://on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOO456XT/on-one-456-xt

Icyseanfitz

well i generally like to build things to my own specs but i can see these bikes get very expensive when customized so i guess il be buying one from a store, i was looking at this what do ye think? i could go a bit cheaper as well with this any opinions?

guym

You said you were around 6ft, well check this bike out, it's much better specced than anything you will find brand new but looks in perfect nick & will be the perfect size, the sellers says he's open to offers. Also, if you decide to sell on after a year or so you will get much more for it than if your selling on a bike that cost you €800 new.

http://www.epicmtb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12550

Icyseanfitz

guym wrote: »

You said you were around 6ft, well check this bike out, it's much better specced than anything you will find brand new but looks in perfect nick & will be the perfect size, the sellers says he's open to offers. Also, if you decide to sell on after a year or so you will get much more for it than if your selling on a bike that cost you €800 new.

http://www.epicmtb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12550

is that a good bike? i take it its better than the other i pointed out but why? are the forks much better etc.

petethedrummer

Keep an eye on bike radar deals of the week. There's always a link on the main page and it gets updated one a week.

Icyseanfitz

guym wrote: »

You said you were around 6ft, well check this bike out, it's much better specced than anything you will find brand new but looks in perfect nick & will be the perfect size, the sellers says he's open to offers. Also, if you decide to sell on after a year or so you will get much more for it than if your selling on a bike that cost you €800 new.

http://www.epicmtb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12550

thanks for that pete, is this the same bike as the one you linked me guym ? if so i might just have to see what this guy might take for it

guym

Hopefully this link will work for you.
http://img156.imageshack.us/f/lp01im7.jpg/

The link you posted is more or less the same bike although the one this fella is selling has a higher spec drivetrain (xt over slx). I'd give him a shout and ask him to list the spec, or even the weight of the bike (anything under 12kg and your looking at a pretty good bike) but from the picture it looks in perfect nick.

guym

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

is that a good bike? i take it its better than the other i pointed out but why? are the forks much better etc.

From the pic the forks are much better than anything you'd find on a new bike (see how many new bikes you can find on the web with Fox forks for under €800............none). Also the drivetrain is shimano xt which is very good gear and again you would not find on a new €800 bike. It's very confusing when your new to the game but if you find out the spec of a bike and then go to a site such as chain reaction and price up the individual components you'll soon start to figure out what is better. Another good resource for info is http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb.

Icyseanfitz

thanks for all that il definitely give him an offer when i get a bit of cash, would that bike do a bit of freeriding for me if i ever got around to it?
i have a 5 year old full suspension bike (looks like a downhill bike and weighs a fair bit) that needs a bit of tlc il throw a few pics up tomorrow and hopefully someone will tell me if its worth anything or if it would be any good for a bit of downhill

guym

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

thanks for all that il definitely give him an offer when i get a bit of cash, would that bike do a bit of freeriding for me if i ever got around to it?
i have a 5 year old full suspension bike (looks like a downhill bike and weighs a fair bit) that needs a bit of tlc il throw a few pics up tomorrow and hopefully someone will tell me if its worth anything or if it would be any good for a bit of downhill

If your new to mountainbiking I'd say that bike would be a fantastic first 'proper' bike, the envy of many a person on the trail.

Icyseanfitz

well the logos on the side read

Saxon monocoque dual activated
Carnage

on the suspension: Enrage dual blade suspension PMS

il add some pics as well, just trying to figure out if this bike is any good (should i go to a shop and tidy it up a bit, upgrade etc.) or if it would get me killed on a trail

nomadic

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

well the logos on the side read

Saxon monocoque dual activated
Carnage

on the suspension: Enrage dual blade suspension PMS

il add some pics as well, just trying to figure out if this bike is any good (should i go to a shop and tidy it up a bit, upgrade etc.) or if it would get me killed on a trail

I'd throw it in the bin. POS

Icyseanfitz

yeah i was thinking the same thing myself pity

at1withmyself

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

well the logos on the side read

Saxon monocoque dual activated
Carnage

on the suspension: Enrage dual blade suspension PMS

il add some pics as well, just trying to figure out if this bike is any good (should i go to a shop and tidy it up a bit, upgrade etc.) or if it would get me killed on a trail

That bike would be ok for light single track but I wouldn't be going downhill on it. It's not really a proper mountain bike so I wouldn't put any more money into but instead try and improve on your budget for a new bike.

As mentioned already you'll have a hard time finding a suitable bike for both downhill and cross country but to add to the mix I'd recommend an 'All Mountain' mountain bike. They generally have more travel then an xc, heavier but not too heavy and re-enforced welds on the frame. Also check out 'trials' bikes as they might be more suited to what your looking for. Check out the NS range on chainreaction for an idea...

Plenty for sale on the net so do some research and stick up some links of anything that takes your fancy for some feedback...

Icyseanfitz

im looking into these all mountain bikes, these are kind of the jack of all trade bikes are they?

im looking at this

Gavin

Look at the fork travel. As a crude guide

• 100mm - XC
• 120-140mm - all mountain
• 160+ - Downhill

at1withmyself

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

im looking into these all mountain bikes, these are kind of the jack of all trade bikes are they?

im looking at this

That's one way of putting it but remember "Jack of all trades but master of none" applies.

The Cube range are XC bikes and the one you've linked is no longer available. The Cubes are great value for money and worth a look but not suited for Downhill.....

Icyseanfitz

decisions decisions :rolleyes:

Icyseanfitz

this looked really good but its discontinued

im looking at a couple of things on ebay that seem to cheap to be true (anyone here ever buy a bike off ebay?)
this
this (really liking this one as i have read some good stuff online about it but am a bit worried about it being too small for me as im 6 foot tall and the bike is a medium size with 26 inch wheels)
any opinions?

seamus

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

(anyone here ever buy a bike off ebay?)

My primary concern with this would be your comeback if you have parts failures and the like. Check the seller's rating and their feedback - especially for higher value items. People with established eBay shops tend to be fine.

(really liking this one as i have read some good stuff online about it but am a bit worried about it being too small for me as im 6 foot tall and the bike is a medium size with 26 inch wheels)
any opinions?

Just FYI, all MTBs have 26 inch wheels. It's the size of the frame that matters.
"Medium" is an annoyingly meaningless size as that could be just the right size for your average bloke (5'10" - 6') or it could be a little bit too small.

According to the Mongoose website, a medium is 18", which I would say is just a tad too small for you. 20" (Large) would be the way to go IMO.

Also note that the Mongoose you've linked to above is a 2009 model.

I don't know where you are, but go around to a few shops and have a look at their bikes and even take a test spin on one or two. This will allow you to find out exactly what size is right for you and you can also decide if high-spec hardtail will work for you rather than mid-spec full-sus. In my experience, your value for money has improved a lot in Irish bike shops over the last year, though I can't vouch for the price of new bikes.