Mountain biking

shaunie007

Hey folks,

I've been thinking of getting into mountain biking for a while, but before I take the plunge and spend some cash on all the gear, I'm wondering is there anywhere, ideally in the north west, where I could go and hire out the gear for a day and do a bit with a group as all my mates are born lazy!!



Cheers

silvo

Hey - you could try these guys: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Northwest-Adventure-Tours/210124609012438?sk=info They are based in Sligo. I think the site is under construction but there is an email to contact them. I'm pretty sure they rent out mtbs.

snotser94

Something ive been thinking about geting into lately aswel but id be a complete novice to it and Im also in the north west I think id need to get a bit fitter first though

shaunie007

snotser94 wrote: »

Something ive been thinking about geting into lately aswel but id be a complete novice to it and Im also in the north west I think id need to get a bit fitter first though

I hear ya dude, i'm in the exact same boat!!

Im a total beginner also!!! Thinkin of heading to Limerick soon though to try it out; trying to get a few of the lads down. Can't wait!!!:rolleyes:

Tenzor07

It would be worth heading down to Ballyhoura for the day, bike hire readily available, marked trails for beginners, could not be easier...

snotser94

Anyone knw how much is it to rent a bike in Ballyhoura?

petethedrummer

http://www.ballyhouramtb.com/bike-rental/2.html

Of the two listed there I think we went with when we needed a bike for one of our group.
http://www.ballyhourabikehire.com/

They got us a bike promptly at very short notice and were very flexible with the return time.

shaunie007

i've been looking at a few bikes on-line...some beauts out there!!!

What do ye think of this: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=55690

I'd really prefer, if i was to purchase, something second hand, but this looks good to my novice eye...

fran oconnor

I'm only new to mountain biking myself, i do more road cycling but have found mountain biking great fun since i have go into it, anyway, i bought a Canyon like this to start off with and have found it great so far http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=2051.

snotser94

Theres a few videos about ballyhoora on youtube and it looks like a class place. . Really want to go there now :P Heres one of them

shaunie007

fran oconnor wrote: »

I'm only new to mountain biking myself, i do more road cycling but have found mountain biking great fun since i have go into it, anyway, i bought a Canyon like this to start off with and have found it great so far http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=2051.

She's a beaut!!

€699 is a bit rich for my blood though...

I've seen some nice ones in the adverts secion on here..some reasonable enough too.

Did you purchase yours 2nd hand or off the shelf??

fran oconnor

shaunie007 wrote: »

She's a beaut!!

€699 is a bit rich for my blood though...

I've seen some nice ones in the adverts secion on here..some reasonable enough too.

Did you purchase yours 2nd hand or off the shelf??

Sorry for the late post, i bought online for that price, it was 740 shipped from Canyon. I'm not sure if you know much about Canyon, but the only way to buy them new is from there website. This was the second bike i have bought from them, i also got a road bike to and found the service very good.

Icyseanfitz

this seems like a very good value mtb, probably a little heavy but at least you get a decent fork, proper chainset (xt rear mech :eek:) and hydraulic brakes all for 509 euro

shaunie007

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

this seems like a very good value mtb, probably a little heavy but at least you get a decent fork, proper chainset (xt rear mech :eek:) and hydraulic brakes all for 509 euro

really nice bike, cheers for that...

still waiting to get a go down in limerick before i purchase..

This is obviously too good to be true:

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/bicycles/2529558

or http://www.adverts.ie/bikes/giant-yukon-aluxx-6000-series-xc/312784

Icyseanfitz

shaunie007 wrote: »

really nice bike, cheers for that...

still waiting to get a go down in limerick before i purchase..

This is obviously too good to be true:

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/bicycles/2529558

no just no its a bike shaped object , stay far away from any full suspension bikes under a grand is what id say (and ive a little experience in that area right lads) that one i linked you seems about the best your money can buy new from what ive seen, obviously a second hand bike for that money would be much better equipped but as you've no experience in mtb's you could end up buying a lemon without knowing it

Icyseanfitz

just a bit of perspective on a full suspension bike, this is around what id be expecting to pay for a decent full sus mtb second hand give or take a few hundred, new you would be looking at around 2000 at least,

you're better off with a nice hardtail as your fist bike tbh it teaches you a lot about bike handling that a full sus wouldnt, as well as that you will get more bang for your buck in a new hard tail

hope all this helps was in a similar situation a year ago

shaunie007

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

no just no its a bike shaped object , stay far away from any full suspension bikes under a grand is what id say (and ive a little experience in that area right lads) that one i linked you seems about the best your money can buy new from what ive seen, obviously a second hand bike for that money would be much better equipped but as you've no experience in mtb's you could end up buying a lemon without knowing it

can you check the other one i added?

I appreciate your opinion mate, very much appreciated...

Icyseanfitz

it wouldnt be great for anything other than light trails id say, cant tell what the fork is on it but it looks cheapo, problem with second hand bikes is you really dont know what kind of state there in until you see them,
this looks decent but again i cant really tell


my advice is to save up as much as you possibly can and then look for something, that gt is fairly nice and dont rule out halfords either, their carerra and boardman brands are pretty decent

Cecil Mor

The guys sell off their rental bikes on a regular basis.
I believe they are sold off after a reasonably short period of use and fully serviced.
Might be worth contacting them about it.
I'd also recommend heading down there for a day or two, well worth the experience.

Another option is to keep your eyes out for an older yet straight mtb without suspension.
Lighter, cheaper and less to go wrong.
If its a decently specced bike (eg. a mate picked up an original '94ish Team Marin, some nice Ti bits on it and top of range Shimano equipment for €150 last month), it'll perform as good as you will ever require and in most places/trails not suffer the absence of suspension.

Icyseanfitz

Cecil Mor wrote: »

The guys sell off their rental bikes on a regular basis.
I believe they are sold off after a reasonably short period of use and fully serviced.
Might be worth contacting them about it.
I'd also recommend heading down there for a day or two, well worth the experience.

Another option is to keep your eyes out for an older yet straight mtb without suspension.
Lighter, cheaper and less to go wrong.
If its a decently specced bike (eg. a mate picked up an original '94ish Team Marin, some nice Ti bits on it and top of range Shimano equipment for €150 last month), it'll perform as good as you will ever require and in most places/trails not suffer the absence of suspension.

if he is going to be doing more than light ride on some path through a wood he will want some sort of suspension though, good idea about buying a rental though, when you head down to ballyhourras ask the lads about it

also you could stick a wanted ad up here, place where i got my fist mtb

shaunie007

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

if he is going to be doing more than light ride on some path through a wood he will want some sort of suspension though, good idea about buying a rental though, when you head down to ballyhourras ask the lads about it

also you could stick a wanted ad up here, place where i got my fist mtb

Cheers dude.

gonna leave the wanted ad for now. I'm dying to get out but time is the big thing at the min.

Your help has been great.
Thanks:D

Icyseanfitz

no problem, definitely try and get to ballyhourras for a spin tis great craic

shaunie007

is it wrong that i just love looking at bikes???

man ive to get a life..

Icyseanfitz

nope its part of the obsession, it gets worse when you get a bike, you then start looking at what you can upgrade and when you can buy another bike its a slippery slope, im looking at buying my third bike this xmas just need to make a building to store them in.....that shouldnt be a problem though

thehangtenguy

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

if he is going to be doing more than light ride on some path through a wood he will want some sort of suspension though, good idea about buying a rental though, when you head down to ballyhourras ask the lads about it

also you could stick a wanted ad up here, place where i got my fist mtb

Not completely true, two of my vintage mtb's are fully rigid with lots of flex in their forks. I'd preferr to have this set-up to having a low grade suspension fork that come on cheaper mountainbikes. With a rigid fork you just need to plan ahead and pick your lines a bit better.

ednwireland

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

if he is going to be doing more than light ride on some path through a wood he will want some sort of suspension though, good idea about buying a rental though, when you head down to ballyhourras ask the lads about it

also you could stick a wanted ad up here, place where i got my fist mtb

you know we used to race without suspension you know

used to be great not being able to feel your arms after a race

Icyseanfitz

tbh mtbing without suspension these days is like buying a horse over a car because it used to be what was done , ive watched a lot of early xc/dh videos and my god it was messy, embrace the new stuff tis the only way

Icyseanfitz

thehangtenguy wrote: »

Not completely true, two of my vintage mtb's are fully rigid with lots of flex in their forks. I'd preferr to have this set-up to having a low grade suspension fork that come on cheaper mountainbikes. With a rigid fork you just need to plan ahead and pick your lines a bit better.

so this is another end of the hardtail vs suspension debate you learn more than enough skills starting on a hardtail, fully rigid would nearly turn you off mtbing, ive done a little on an old mtb my father used have, anything serious and youd want a new arse arms legs and set of teeth

C3PO

Worth noting that the 3rd place rider in this years Vets National Championships was riding a fully rigid bike! Micky Dardis from Epic has raced all year with rigid forks (he's obsessed by bike weight!) and has been consistently finishing on the podium in S2s as well as his great Nationals result! Doesn't seem to slow him down any!

Icyseanfitz

all personal choice at the end of the day, some people are used of riding rigids so they stick with them

shaunie007

In halfords in castlebar today. They seem quite reasonable and the bike guy seemed to have a decent amount of knowledge on the subject. He basically reiterated everything you've been saying icyseamfitz; something around 500-600, a nice carrera is what he recommended with hydraulic brakes as opposed to disc brakes. Obviously, he promoted a new bike compared to a second-hand bike, as you never know how it has been treated.

Lastly, it's sale time in there; they're selling off the 2010 stock fairly cheap.. I think the piggy bank is gonna take a hit..;)

C3PO

As long as you don't intend to do any proper off road riding! You will be far better off with a decent 2nd hand bike than a Carrera! End of story!

shaunie007

RPL1 wrote: »

As long as you don't intend to do any proper off road riding! You will be far better off with a decent 2nd hand bike than a Carrera! End of story!

Cen Fath??

Really that bad?

Outkast_IRE

shaunie007 wrote: »

In halfords in castlebar today. They seem quite reasonable and the bike guy seemed to have a decent amount of knowledge on the subject. He basically reiterated everything you've been saying icyseamfitz; something around 500-600, a nice carrera is what he recommended with hydraulic brakes as opposed to disc brakes. Obviously, he promoted a new bike compared to a second-hand bike, as you never know how it has been treated.

Lastly, it's sale time in there; they're selling off the 2010 stock fairly cheap.. I think the piggy bank is gonna take a hit..;)

Like when you say hydraulic brakes as opposed to disc brakes what do you mean , hydraulic brakes reffers to the method of transferring the energy from you pulling the lever to stop to the brake via hydraulic fluid or oil rather than a traditional cable or mechanical brake.
The disc reffers to where this stopping power is used , on a disc or on the wheel rim .
To be honest it sounds like you dont have a good knowledge of this stuff.

With regards to hydraulic disc brakes i dont know any decent bike maker that uses hydraulic brakes at that price range its nearly always a mechanical type break.
Best bet is to post a link to any bike you looking at and you will be told quickly if its a good price and suitable for riding on trails etc .

shaunie007

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Like when you say hydraulic brakes as opposed to disc brakes what do you mean , hydraulic brakes reffers to the method of transferring the energy from you pulling the lever to stop to the brake via hydraulic fluid or oil rather than a traditional cable or mechanical brake.
The disc reffers to where this stopping power is used , on a disc or on the wheel rim .
To be honest it sounds like you dont have a good knowledge of this stuff.

With regards to hydraulic disc brakes i dont know any decent bike maker that uses hydraulic brakes at that price range its nearly always a mechanical type break.
Best bet is to post a link to any bike you looking at and you will be told quickly if its a good price and suitable for riding on trails etc .

You're spot on, i haven't a clue..Trying to learn a bit here.

Outkast_IRE

shaunie007 wrote: »

You're spot on, i haven't a clue..Trying to learn a bit here.

Thats what the forums are here for , and the only way you learn is by asking , if i was you the first thing i would do is figure out how much you can afford to spend .
If you intend on using it for trails remember you should be buying a helmet , a spare tyre tube, a decent pump, chain lubricant and thats just the start .

If you find any bikes post a link to them here and people will leave ya know what they think.

shaunie007

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Thats what the forums are here for , and the only way you learn is by asking , if i was you the first thing i would do is figure out how much you can afford to spend .
If you intend on using it for trails remember you should be buying a helmet , a spare tyre tube, a decent pump, chain lubricant and thats just the start .

If you find any bikes post a link to them here and people will leave ya know what they think.

My budget seems to be creeping up all the time, that's what seems to be my biggest problem, apart from my total lack of knowledge.

Max budget...600e all in...

Outkast_IRE

shaunie007 wrote: »

My budget seems to be creeping up all the time, that's what seems to be my biggest problem, apart from my total lack of knowledge.

Max budget...600e all in...

Honestly you cant get a mountain bike that will last on the trails for 600 new, get a good second hander is the best bet, just keep a keen eye on adverts.ie you would often see second hand CUBE ltd comps and cube ltd pros on there for around the 600 mark, but obviously how they were treated is a big issue, i know a lot of people with bikes etc and they couldnt even clean a lubriacte a chain properly , always give the shocks a good test and looking over when buying second hand they are the most expensive component to replace usually if there is a problem.

C3PO

First bike that shows up on Adverts.ie would be worth a look!

http://touch.adverts.ie/bikes/mountain-bike-boardman-accessories/979203

Icyseanfitz

RPL1 wrote: »

As long as you don't intend to do any proper off road riding! You will be far better off with a decent 2nd hand bike than a Carrera! End of story!

a lot of carreras are grand for trail use, the fury gets rave reviews across the board

Icyseanfitz

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Like when you say hydraulic brakes as opposed to disc brakes what do you mean , hydraulic brakes reffers to the method of transferring the energy from you pulling the lever to stop to the brake via hydraulic fluid or oil rather than a traditional cable or mechanical brake.
The disc reffers to where this stopping power is used , on a disc or on the wheel rim .
To be honest it sounds like you dont have a good knowledge of this stuff.

With regards to hydraulic disc brakes i dont know any decent bike maker that uses hydraulic brakes at that price range its nearly always a mechanical type break.
Best bet is to post a link to any bike you looking at and you will be told quickly if its a good price and suitable for riding on trails etc .

shimano/gt clearly do

Icyseanfitz

shaunie007 wrote: »

My budget seems to be creeping up all the time, that's what seems to be my biggest problem, apart from my total lack of knowledge.

Max budget...600e all in...

my opinion is you should spend as much as you can/all your money on the bike and then slowly build up the gear from places like chainreactions

Outkast_IRE

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

shimano/gt clearly do

That bike has a normal list price of £700 sterling normally i dont know why theres so much off but i would expect a bike with list price of that to have hydraulics good spot for the price though .
seriously second hand is way to go

C3PO

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

a lot of carreras are grand for trail use, the fury gets rave reviews across the board

I ride 3 or 4 times a week all over Dublin/Wicklow mountains and meet literally hundreds of people from all over the country at events - I've yet to see a Carrera being ridden by anybody with any experience! Mountain biking is hard enough without making it more difficult with heavy, poorly equipped bikes!

Icyseanfitz

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

That bike has a normal list price of £700 sterling normally i dont know why theres so much off but i would expect a bike with list price of that to have hydraulics good spot for the price though .
seriously second hand is way to go

id also suggest second hand, the problem is he doesnt know much about bikes and what to look out for so he could very easily get burned, sure look at me and bioniCON tis great now but it surely wasnt when i bought it last year

Icyseanfitz

RPL1 wrote: »

I ride 3 or 4 times a week all over Dublin/Wicklow mountains and meet literally hundreds of people from all over the country at events - I've yet to see a Carrera being ridden by anybody with any experience! Mountain biking is hard enough without making it more difficult with heavy, poorly equipped bikes!

thats it im getting some money and buying one right now, i shall then proceed to win everything on that piece of carrera beautifullness :rolleyes: to show the world it can be done

but in all seriousness this looks like a fairly handy bike and its a carerra, granted its got a suntour fork but its one of their best

ednwireland

http://mountainbikeuk.org/carrera-fury

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/fury-10-35495/

but i know nothing a have an orange aluminium o (no. 99)

easygoing39

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

thats it im getting some money and buying one right now, i shall then proceed to win everything on that piece of carrera beautifullness :rolleyes: to show the world it can be done

but in all seriousness this looks like a fairly handy bike and its a carerra, granted its got a suntour fork but its one of their best

I spectate at 2 or 3 NPS's per year,look forward to seeing you in action in 2012!!And don't you be entering the goober class!! LOL In all serious,Robin Seymour would be the only man in Ireland who could win anything on that halfords yoke!!

Icyseanfitz

sure as they say its the rider not the bike have to knuckle down for some hard winter training now

jinghong

RPL1 wrote: »

First bike that shows up on Adverts.ie would be worth a look!

http://touch.adverts.ie/bikes/mountain-bike-boardman-accessories/979203

I have the next boardman up from that. There's a huge difference between that and my previous bike which was kitted out with shimano deores. The avid / sram components are so much better, much less maintenance

djfattony2000

jinghong wrote: »

I have the next boardman up from that. There's a huge difference between that and my previous bike which was kitted out with shimano deores. The avid / sram components are so much better, much less maintenance

I would say the opposite! My GF has a set of deore hydro brakes on her all mountain bike for the last 4 years and we havent had to bleed them once.

Having said that, I run Avid Elixirs and prefare the feel of them, they do need to be bleed often though.

(Maybe I need to ease off on my brakes though )