Kick in the Noob's - MTB Experts

chickensambo

Hey,

Long time lurker, first time poster so hopefully you guys can point me in the right direction.

Looking for a bit of advice on the following. I am looking to purchase my first MTB and I am looking at a 2009 Specialised FSR-XC Expert. Supposedly in mint condition with less than 200 hrs on it. Retailed about €1700 (so I'm told), bloke is looking for €750. Is this a fair price?(obviously subject to it's condition)

http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?arc=2009&spid=40121

Cheers

Sam

Tenzor07

It's a reasonable price for the seller, but soon Specialized will have the 2012 models in stock meaning that bike is 3 years out of date...

Offer him €500 cash, anymore than that is too much for a Spec of that year...

Lumen

chickensambo wrote: »

Supposedly in mint condition with less than 200 hrs on it.

I'm pretty sure I could completely trash a MTB in a lot less than 200 hours.

Icyseanfitz

pretty sure? i know i could haha, i suppose 750 isnt that bad of an asking price just make sure to inspect it, have you seen pictures of the bike?

Tenzor07

Give it over to the "IC Seanfitz repair service", 200seconds and BOOM!

chickensambo

Cheers lads, thanks for the feedback. He did indeed send on some pictures and minus the crud stuck all over it he reckons it is mint. Will probably have a look at it on Tuesday.

davey101

chickensambo wrote: »

He did indeed send on some pictures and minus the crud stuck all over it he reckons it is mint.

First off get him to clean it! Then take it for a spin listen for any creaking as this could be an indicator of bearing wear, which becomes pricy. check the shock and fork for any signs of oil after you have compressed them a couple of time as this could indicate a need for servicing again pricey. Also look for any marks on the fork/shock, a scrape or gouge on either stanction would be enough for me to walk away.
I would take the wheels and seatpost off and check for any cracks/damage on the frame/fork and remove chainstay protector just to have a look. I would probably expect to get it for €550 unless it is indeed imaculate and you dont intend on upgrading it for a good while. you will make your own judgement on the seller when you meet him and take it from there.
Other than that they are a great bike.

chickensambo

Davey, thanks for that mate, much apprecaited. The seller seems like a decent enough bloke in fairness and he is just looking to switch back to a road bike but i have a feeling that at €750 he is optimistic.

Icyseanfitz

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Give it over to the "IC Seanfitz repair service", 200seconds and BOOM!

im good but 200 seconds is yet beyond my abilities

Tenzor07

The fact that the bike is all mucked up in the advert pics shows its used an awful lot, typically seals on the front and rear shox could be well worn resulting in visibly discoloured/worn stanchions/slider and may not have been serviced since new...

If your Dublin based ask the seller to meet you at OC Tuning so you get an expert to give it the once over...


Just be careful your not buying someone else's problem! (ICSF...cough..cough) :pac:

Icyseanfitz

Tenzor07 wrote: »

The fact that the bike is all mucked up in the advert pics shows its used an awful lot, typically seals on the front and rear shox could be well worn resulting in visibly discoloured/worn stanchions/slider and may not have been serviced since new...

If your Dublin based ask the seller to meet you at OC Tuning so you get an expert to give it the once over...


Just be careful your not buying someone else's problem! (ICSF...cough..cough) :pac:

my bionicon was in fairly fairly decent condition when i bought it, i now realize that all my troubles came from a bent hanger and a shoddy rear hub (i didnt know this at the start so i ended up replacing everything to my expense ),

op the thing about full suspension bikes vs say a hard tail is that there is a lot more moving components that can go wrong (pivot bearings, shock bushings) that you probably wouldnt notice if your a newbie to buying bikes, if you can feel a bit of play by pulling the bike up by the saddle (will be small) the bearings/bushing could be shot and in need of replacement, also check for play in the rear hub (see if the wheel will wobble from side to side) although this could be just a tightening job but why wouldnt a seller do something so miner before a sale.
Check that the brakes work nice as well as these can be a pain to fix if you dont know what your at......at least they where for me when i started out

Tenzor07

If you manage to get the bike for €500, use whatever money you have left for things like a cycle helmet, gloves, knee pads, pump/tube/camelback...

It would be good for not just you but any MTB noob to get lessons from the likes of Niall @ biking.ie
It's amazing the amount of noobs that i see getting carted off the Coilte trails every week....

Icyseanfitz

Tenzor07 wrote: »

If you manage to get the bike for €500, use whatever money you have left for things like a cycle helmet, gloves, knee pads, pump/tube/camelback...

It would be good for not just you but any MTB noob to get lessons from the likes of Niall @ biking.ie
It's amazing the amount of noobs that i see getting carted off the Coilte trails every week....

id definitely second getting out and riding with people who know what their at as opposed to hitting it yourself, join a club or getting lessons is a smart thing to do

chickensambo

Cheers lads, thanks for the suggestions. I have a helmet, gloves, a hydration pack. What else would I need?

I will defo look at talking a few lessons but i have a good buddie who is big on XC so will hook up with him around Wickla.

Cheers Again

Tenzor07

chickensambo wrote: »

Cheers lads, thanks for the suggestions. I have a helmet, gloves, a hydration pack. What else would I need?

I will defo look at talking a few lessons but i have a good buddie who is big on XC so will hook up with him around Wickla.

Good man! Better to go with an expierienced MTB'er and learn the right way, too many people think they are Mountain Bikers just 'cos they own an MTB! :rolleyes:

You will need:
Helmet
Gloves
Camelback
Pump
Tubes x 2
Puncture repair kit/Tyre levers
Get a Sram chain €20 and Powerlinks €2
Decent shoes/SPD pedals
Rain jacket
Jersey/padded shorts
crud catcher would be useful in this weather

Icyseanfitz

small pump, multitool, some spare tubes, some powerlinks, after that its pretty much up to you, go check out chainreactioncycles.com and be careful it can turn into an expensive hobby

chickensambo

Cheers boys, any suggestion on MTB shoes/pedals. I have the rest of the kit listed and I have a pair of Look Keo's from a road bike but will be hawking them off in good time.

Icyseanfitz

im probably in the minority here but i like flats on my bike, probably get shot by some xc lads for saying that id nearly start on flats if i where just starting out though and then head onto spd's if you want better peddling

Tenzor07

chickensambo wrote: »

Cheers boys, any suggestion on MTB shoes/pedals. I have the rest of the kit listed and I have a pair of Look Keo's from a road bike but will be hawking them off in good time.

Nooooo road pedals....!

You need these and these

chickensambo

Hmmm fair point don't fancy a "dirt nap" at 0 miles an hour cos I can't get my foot out of the clips. Having said that I used them on a road bike for ages and rarely fell off......rarely

Tenzor07

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

im probably in the minority here but i like flats on my bike, probably get shot by some xc lads for saying that id nearly start on flats if i where just starting out though and then head onto spd's if you want better peddling

Yes you would! Boom!!

Flat's, i dont see the point unless your expierienced and know how to shift your bodyweight around the bike....otherwise its too easy to become separated from your bike...spd's are easy to clip in and out of and give you more control and better feeling of the bike when you are new or expert on a mtb...

Icyseanfitz

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Yes you would! Boom!!

Flat's, i dont see the point unless your expierienced and know how to shift your bodyweight around the bike....otherwise its too easy to become separated from your bike...spd's are easy to clip in and out of and give you more control and better feeling of the bike when you are new or expert on a mtb...

i will agree that becoming separated can be a problem if you are tackling certain stuff really rocky descent etc. although those downhillers dont seem to mind haha
as i said im probably alone in my flat obsession try both and see which you like more op

chickensambo

Grand job, will look at the Shimano SPD Pedals and shoes. Yer boy is willing to do the bike for €600 and I reckon this is the best he will go so I will give ye a heads up Tuesday to see if it's a goer......

Icyseanfitz

seems like a nice price for a full suspension bike to me, just check it out before you buy it

triggermortis

chickensambo wrote: »

Cheers boys, any suggestion on MTB shoes/pedals. I have the rest of the kit listed and I have a pair of Look Keo's from a road bike but will be hawking them off in good time.

I have these on my mountain bike http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=53277

and I think they're grand. Very easy to get into and out of - 4 sided so they are never in the wrong position and they don't hold onto mud and gloop so they lock in well

chickensambo

Nice one trigger, those crank brothers look like nice pedals....will have a mooch around the shops then do the usual and buy them on-line.....

Tenzor07

chickensambo wrote: »

Nice one trigger, those crank brothers look like nice pedals....will have a mooch around the shops then do the usual and buy them on-line.....

Those pedals suck, would be my last choice! If you look at any of the pedals mountain bikers use then i'd say less than 1% would have the Eggbeaters, popular in the States though...

davey101

I use eeg beaters too and never have a problem with them getting blocked up with muck which can happen shimano, but the main reason i use them is there is plenty of movement available for your foot while clipped in which helps if you suffer with knee or hip injurys/problems.
I would probably recommend starting on flats too, although you are used to clipless pedals on the road its a different story off road, just give a pair of flats a go for the first few rides and see how it goes then switch over.