Advice on a couple of bike (cycles) I'm looking at:

Started by Lord Danoir the first, January 04, 2016, 10:26:32 AM

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Lord Danoir the first

I've delved in to this before with little success, so rather than do my usual and spend hundreds on a bike I'll never use, I thought I'd dip my toe with something a little less expensive.

Here are a couple of bikes on e-bay I'm watching.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141865482015?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321958872174?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

The Orange is a few minutes away so I can collect, the Kona will require couriering, so they're both sub £150.

Thoughts and advice welcomed as always.

MOzZereLLa

Both far too big for you I'd say. Remind me how tall you are again? I've got a 19" Trek that is too big for me for off roading and a stretch.

I'd say you are better off looking for a 17/18" mtb.
Significantly faster than you.....

Lord Danoir the first


Gilby104

Quote from: Lord Danoir the first on January 04, 2016, 10:46:01 AM
I'm 5'11 so 19-20" should be fine?

all advice I have had with regard to MTB is to go with as small a frame as you can get away with - I can only guess at the reasons behind it.

I've heard good things about the Kona and that was by a mate who had the Orange; both seem like a good shout for the money?

Green_Ninja

Neither of the above, both ar old and the forks will be shot and you'll hate riding them.

If you want to start off road look here  http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/best-mountain-bikes-under-500-29451/  for something that will be fun to ride, will work, have decent brakes and forks so will use it more than once.

Lord Danoir the first

Quote from: Green_Ninja on January 04, 2016, 11:16:00 AM
Neither of the above, both ar old and the forks will be shot and you'll hate riding them.

If you want to start off road look here  http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/best-mountain-bikes-under-500-29451/  for something that will be fun to ride, will work, have decent brakes and forks so will use it more than once.

It's a short term fix Iain, I've gone down the new bike route before. I won't bore you with the details but this kind of bike will suite me.

If I use it, I'll be punting it within weeks and getting something custom made (Ribble or similar).... if I don't, I'll probably keep it for sunny days and won't have spent much.

Gilby104

If everything goes well Dan, what sort of riding are you looking to do? on / off road? Commute? or just a bimble about on clear days for fitness?

Green_Ninja

Quote from: Lord Danoir the first on January 04, 2016, 11:46:07 AM
Quote from: Green_Ninja on January 04, 2016, 11:16:00 AM
Neither of the above, both ar old and the forks will be shot and you'll hate riding them.

If you want to start off road look here  http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/best-mountain-bikes-under-500-29451/  for something that will be fun to ride, will work, have decent brakes and forks so will use it more than once.

It's a short term fix Iain, I've gone down the new bike route before. I won't bore you with the details but this kind of bike will suite me.

If I use it, I'll be punting it within weeks and getting something custom made (Ribble or similar).... if I don't, I'll probably keep it for sunny days and won't have spent much.

in that case either one, buy the nearest one for convenience

Lord Danoir the first

Quote from: Gilby104 on January 04, 2016, 11:56:06 AM
If everything goes well Dan, what sort of riding are you looking to do? on / off road? Commute? or just a bimble about on clear days for fitness?

Commute is a none starter, my home office is across from the house and my work office is 65 miles away.

Bit of everything really. I bought a decent fully suspended MB, and decided I'd rather do more road riding, so I bought a decent road bike, but my belly gets in the way with drop bars and I can't take full breaths.

I had a Giant hard tail which I bought 20 years ago, which I used for riding alongside the canal, bit of rough terrain and road riding and I loved that bike..... then I lent it to someone who subsequently sold it!!!

These are as close to that bike as I can find.

Cycling and swimming is the answer to my fitness, as my knees don't suffer, so if I can get a bike which I can use on and off road, I'll be happier investing some decent money in one.

Jonesy

Also, Ebay tends to be overpriced and being the new year, people get excited with bidding because everyone and their dog want to get fit etc...

You might be better off trying somewhere like gumtree / sphock / singletrack / pinkbike etc. or your local bike shop.

Gilby104

Quote from: Lord Danoir the first on January 04, 2016, 12:10:55 PM
Quote from: Gilby104 on January 04, 2016, 11:56:06 AM
If everything goes well Dan, what sort of riding are you looking to do? on / off road? Commute? or just a bimble about on clear days for fitness?

Commute is a none starter, my home office is across from the house and my work office is 65 miles away.

Bit of everything really. I bought a decent fully suspended MB, and decided I'd rather do more road riding, so I bought a decent road bike, but my belly gets in the way with drop bars and I can't take full breaths.

I had a Giant hard tail which I bought 20 years ago, which I used for riding alongside the canal, bit of rough terrain and road riding and I loved that bike..... then I lent it to someone who subsequently sold it!!!

These are as close to that bike as I can find.

Cycling and swimming is the answer to my fitness, as my knees don't suffer, so if I can get a bike which I can use on and off road, I'll be happier investing some decent money in one.

Ah I see, other than the age, and likelihood of it being worn out, I'd say the bikes you are going for are the right option for what you want. Unfortunately, with the all-round nature of what you are looking at it makes it quite difficult to get something that is particularly good at any one thing?

I talked a workmate into getting a kind of cyclocross / commuter bike which he uses for roughly the same as you are looking at (fine on a tow path but wouldn't thank you for going over any rocks etc). it looks like a fat road bike / cyclocross bike and has disk brakes and 28-30mm treaded tires. It has drop bars but a much less hunched up style. He suffers very badly from astma so needs his airwaves open and he gets on very well with it.

I'll find some details of the sort of thing I am on about and see what you think. Might be worth a try if a bike shop will let you out on one.

Cycling and swimming are my choices too due to bad knees (which is a f'ing liberty considering my aforementioned weight of 55kg). I've started going to a circuits training in Didsbury in a park with a rugby player (sounds shady but I;ve not been touched inappropriately yet) and its really good fun and is good for fitness and core strength. worth a go I'd say.

Gilby104

Dan - this is the sort of thing he went for. I know it looks like a road bike bit I think it's a lot closer to an all rounder than you'd think due to the mods.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/norco/search-s3-2015-adventure-road-bike-ec072577

Green_Ninja

Quote from: Gilby104 on January 04, 2016, 02:16:24 PM
Dan - this is the sort of thing he went for. I know it looks like a road bike bit I think it's a lot closer to an all rounder than you'd think due to the mods.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/norco/search-s3-2015-adventure-road-bike-ec072577


excepy it has drop bars which Dan has already said he'd tried and didn't work for him a Hybrid is probably the one to go for as it has flat bars, I use one for road and canal path stuff saving the MTB for Llandegla etc

Lord Danoir the first

There's knee problems and then there's knee problems...... try full acl, pcl and lateral reconstruction....... in both knees....... 20 years ago

then add in a reconstruction to one of the already reconstructed ACL's and a few cartillage op's in the meantime and you're nearly there.

then add 5 stone to your fighting weight, and you arrive at fat, knackered old me.

I like the look of that bike, but it needs high bars due to the aforementioned fat belly issues.

Lord Danoir the first

This is the kind of thing I'll look at if it all works out:

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/toughroad.slr.2/25002/90531/

but for now...... cheap, decent brand, retro cool

fanks