Mountain Bikes

P_1

Seeing as Winter Is Coming, the windows for getting out for long spins on the road bike are diminishing. I've decided I may as well get into mountain biking during the winter. It looks like fun and my climbing skills need to improve. No BTW to use on this one so I'll have about €600 salted away for this.

I have my eye on these 2 , any pro's or con's towards either?

http://www.lombardobikes.com/italia/mountain-bike/item/184-albenga-3000
http://www.lombardobikes.com/italia/product.php?id=243

Lemming

What sort of riding/terrain do you see yourself cycling?

Edit: and how confident would you be with your skills handling off-road?

Cee-Jay-Cee

The second one you listed has a real low spec Tourney groupset and if you've never ridden a bike with Tourney then prepare to be disappointed. It's rubbish to put it mildly.

For your budget go second hand, that way with €600 you can effectively get a bike worth twice that. It may take a while to find something but keep an eye on the classifieds as it's coming to the time of year when people off load bikes to make way for a new 2017 bike or simply because they thought they'd use it over the summer but didn't and now want rid of it.

I picked up a 2015 Cube LTD Race 29er with next to no miles on it for €440...bargain of the century!!

P_1

Lemming wrote: »

What sort of riding/terrain do you see yourself cycling?

Edit: and how confident would you be with your skills handling off-road?

I'd like to work myself up to the Coillte MTB trails on Ticktock and Ballinastoe. Currently I have no idea as to my off road skills. I can handle a road bike quite well but that is a bit like comparing an apple with an orange.

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

The second one you listed has a real low spec Tourney groupset and if you've never ridden a bike with Tourney then prepare to be disappointed. It's rubbish to put it mildly.

For your budget go second hand, that way with €600 you can affective my get a bike worth twice that. It may take a while to find something but keep an eye on the classifieds as it's coming to the time of year when people off load bikes to make way for a new 2017 bike or simply because they thought they'd use it over the summer but didn't and now want rid of it.

I picked up a 2015 Cube LTD Race 29er with next to no miles on it for €440...bargain of the century!!

Thanks, such a shame you have to wait 5 years on the BTW eh :pac:

xxyyzz

I'd go for a 2nd hand hardtail. There are some great bargains to be had on https://m.facebook.com/groups/490954040982138?multi_permalinks=1067148480029355&notif_t=commerce_interesting_product&notif_id=1473691214248530&ref=m_notif

You wouldn't get much of a new mtb for 600e I'm afraid. I picked up a lovely cube hardtail recently for less than that. Only a year old with xt/slx groupset

Alternatively give trail riders in ballyhoura a ring, they regularly sell off the rental bikes for knock down prices.

iwillhtfu

If you're on Facebook check out the mtb buy & sell group you see some cracking bargains coming up on there. A fair few based in the North but some are worth the trip.

Mtb is great craic altogether and you won't be long getting the hand of tick nock prepare yourself for plenty of tumbles though. Confidence x 2 = potential disaster × 10


Good luck and enjoy.

Lemming

I'd also echo a hardtail, and second hand for the money you've got to play with.

You can pick up some good second hand buys on ebay (well, from looking here in the UK at any rate) for about £600, there is also adverts.ie to look on, and as some have mentioned a few facebook groups. I'd also recommend checking out pinkbike's for-sale forums. Prices seem quite agreeable although I'm not sure how much is on offer in Ireland. Bide your time and you'll pick up something good value for money.

pedro_colnago

If u were looking at new rather than second hand mountain bike, Chain reaction are doing a good sale on cube bikes at the moment. I picked up a hardtail cube acid during the week for 809 euro, it's well specced with an xt groupset and manitou forks, it's a good time to look for a 2016 bike with the new 2017 ones about to come on sale.

boomdocker

check out the Voodoo range in Halfords - a lot of bang for buck at 600-700e - very decent bikes
You'll find them further discounted in some stores as well