Getting back into MTB

melekalikimaka

After many years out of it I have decided with the bike to work scheme to get back into MTB, I had quite a knowledge back in the day, a Trek VRX300 and enjoyed it immensely.

Sadly XTR groupsets no longer exist and every is new and scary to me.

I was looking at a Kona Blast for my needs, happy with a hardtail and I was always a fan of them back in the day.

Any views on this as a bike?

Anything in similar price range and also locks, I am a little lost on them and dont wanna make a mistake on that.

C3PO

melekalikimaka wrote: »

Sadly XTR groupsets no longer exist and every is new and scary to me.

Oh yes they do ... still Shimano's top MTB groupset!

The fork on the Blast is not the best - what is your budget?

steamsey

Hi. Had a look at the Kona Blast - that's a very basic bike and frankly, would only suit the tamest of trails.

Usually, it's a good idea to start on a hardtail. Full suss's are too forgiving and you build up your ability better on a hardtail first.

There is a lot of new stuff alright and in the last 25 years or so, bikes have come along from rigid, steel frame beasts with cantilever brakes to full carbon race bikes with 200mm disk rotors, 170mm forks, adjustable geometry etc, etc.

My advice would be not to waste the BTW on that Kona. If you are serious about getting back in MTB, you will very quickly realise the limitations of that bike and the very basic components it has, especially the fork and the groupset.

The first thing you need to decide is whether you are going to do Cross Country (XC) or more Enduro / Trail stuff. A good Enduro bike can do everything, a good XC bike will struggle on the really technical bits, drops, rock gardens etc but fly uphill.

Think of it like this - if you are going to be on official trails / trail centres like Ticknock or Ballinastoe, get an XC bike. If you are going be heading "off piste" on unofficial trails where the more difficult stuff is, get more of a trail / enduro bike. Here is a guide - http://www.evo.com/how-to-choose-a-mountain-bike.aspx. (Honestly - trail and enduro are the same thing practically speaking - differences are so minor that I'd couple the two together).

Next big thing to consider is wheel size. 26" is dead for MTB. Everyone is riding 27.5" with some 29ers in there. For XC stuff, a nice 29er is probably the way to go. For trail / enduro - almost everyone is now riding a 27.5".

Assuming you're going down the XC route and just as an example - This is a nice bike - https://www.canyon.com/en/mtb/grand-canyon/2017/grand-canyon-al-6-9.html

Shimano XT rear mech, which is bulletproof, and Deore up front. Comes with decent tyres, hugely important. Forks are probably fine for what this bike is intended for. Nice looking bike too. (And I'd wager easier to sell on than the Kona).

Regarding locks - if you get a decent bike, don't lock it outside. If you have to - get a U lock that is Gold rated with Sold Secure. Something like this - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kryptonite-new-york-std-nyl-lock-with-flexframe-bracket/. And get a cable for the saddle and front wheel - remove all quick release or find way to secure them, learn how to lock a bike properly if you don't already know. Good vids on you tube of how to do it, not to do it.

If you want to plunge into it - the Biking Blitz (XC races) start probably next March - they are great fun, not intimidating at all but challenging and a really good way to dive in head first. Check biking.ie.

Happy to answer any other specific questions you have.

ednwireland

Jeez . And that's why still have my orange aluminium 'O'

C3PO

All good advice from Steamsey .... except this!

steamsey wrote: »

Everyone is riding 27.5"....

Tenzor07

The Kona will be grand for the local MTB trail centre stuff, i.e. Ticknock and Ballinastoe which are quite tame...
And if you decide to sell and upgrade in a years time it should still hold the value..

Tenzor07

C3PO wrote: »

All good advice from Steamsey .... except this!

Speak for yourself C3PO!

ec18

C3PO wrote: »

All good advice from Steamsey .... except this!

Just the cool people :P

I'd agree with Steamsey, i bought a hardtail on BTW earlier in the year and I'm looking to upgrade to an enduro next year.

Saying that I'm going to keep the hardtail as well as it's a really nice bike to pedal around. I looked at the kona earlier but in the end went with an orbea, tbh because it looked a little cooler

Lumen

The best reason to get a hardtail is that decent FS bikes cost €2.5k.

I drove myself demented going round in circles between wheel sizes, numbers of chainrings and quantities of suspension.

I ended up with a used carbon 26" hardtail. The only thing wrong with it is that I'm terrified of crashing it and doing some impact damage to the frame. I can now see the attraction of the steel-framed trail bikes that seem to popular in the UK press.

I'm sure a 29er would roll slightly better but TBH I'm so crap that it would probably make no difference.

saccades

I wouldn't get hung up on wheel size, or what kind of riding too much tbh.

Fast lads are fast on a dublin bike (almost).

The only thing I'd be looking for in bike selection as a deal breaker is a tapered headtube - means you have a good supply of forks for the foreseeable future, anything with a straight steerer headtube is banjaxed, especially if you're looking for over 120mm of travel.

I have an xc bike I do enduro trails on (slowlyish, but still grin inducing) and a LT Hardtail for winter mucking about. I'm not racing so the extra 10-60 seconds I gain/lose by not having a specialised niche-weapon doesn't really matter a toot. Get a hardtail with 120mm or so of travel and join someone like MAD to be shown some trails and how to use the bike. Don't get hung up on weight, if the bug bites you'll upgrade your current bike with better wheels, a dropper, maybe 1x, air forks etc etc which all drop weight (exzcept the dropper, but they are glorious), until you decide to get a completely new and more awesome bike, but keep the hardtail as just in case bike.


Because the magic formula for bike ownership is:

steamsey

C3PO wrote: »

All good advice from Steamsey .... except this!

Presume your on a 26 so! So am I. Can't bring myself to sell my old Trek Remedy but probably move over soon to 27.5.

C3PO

steamsey wrote: »

Presume your on a 26 so! So am I. Can't bring myself to sell my old Trek Remedy but probably move over soon to 27.5.

Certainly not ... 2 x 29er hardtails for me (and a 26" full suss that I almost never ride!)

melekalikimaka

Hummm, much food for thought, any good ezines or such to get up to speed about current models or dare i say it shop magazines ?

iwillhtfu

melekalikimaka wrote: »

Hummm, much food for thought, any good ezines or such to get up to speed about current models or dare i say it shop magazines ?

look up GMBN (an off shoot of GCN) on youtube they have a good selection clips.

ec18

iwillhtfu wrote: »

look up GMBN (an off shoot of GCN) on youtube they have a good selection clips.

Bike radar on youtube is good as well for reviews of bikes etc

melekalikimaka

Bit late replying but have done a bit of research, I didnt wanna spend over 800 lids on the bike.

I think I'm gonna go for a Cube Analog 2017



Am I going in the right direction?

xxyyzz

melekalikimaka wrote: »

Bit late replying but have done a bit of research, I didnt wanna spend over 800 lids on the bike.

I think I'm gonna go for a Cube Analog 2017



Am I going in the right direction?

2nd hand is also an option, there's regularly some good deals going on on the buy and sell mtb ireland group. Important thing is to get the right fit. With your budget, a hardtail is definitely the way to go

https://www.facebook.com/groups/490954040982138/

melekalikimaka

I'm going with Bike To Work scheme, so new is a no brainer. Going to drop down to shop to get sized up. I'm coming from a 1999 Trek VRX 300, hard tail will take some adjustment

saccades

melekalikimaka wrote: »

Bit late replying but have done a bit of research, I didnt wanna spend over 800 lids on the bike.

I think I'm gonna go for a Cube Analog 2017



Am I going in the right direction?

Yes, easy to upgrade with decent all round geometry.

Tyres might annoy you as you get to rougher trails, they have a continuous central ridge so will roll well on roads but not grip so great in mud.