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.
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.
I'm 5'11 so 19-20" should be fine?
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?
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.
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.
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?
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
Quote from: Lord Danoir the first on January 04, 2016, 02:49:19 PM
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.
yeah, mine just hurt a bit when I run or it's cold!!
Sorry, I wasn't ignoring the comment about the drop bars but just suggesting that they are not all the same - the one my mate got doesn't crunch you up the same so doesn't come with the same breathing (and perhaps belly probs) as a proper roady..... just thought it might be worth a try before you settled on a style.
The main obstacle is finding something which engages me.
I'm old and wise enough now to realise that if I don't enjoy it, I won't drag myself out on it, so I'm toe dipping.
If all goes well, I'll get some expert advice and maybe get something custom made for me.
Quote from: Lord Danoir the first on January 04, 2016, 02:54:08 PM
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
that is exactly the type of bike I was thinking of Dan :azn:
Quote from: Green_Ninja on January 04, 2016, 03:08:57 PM
Quote from: Lord Danoir the first on January 04, 2016, 02:54:08 PM
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
that is exactly the type of bike I was thinking of Dan :azn:
(https://media3.giphy.com/media/vMnuZGHJfFSTe/200.gif)
Have you considered a Unicycle?
19" is as big as you want to go.
Try a 17" or 18" first if you can.
20" will be too big for you.
There's loads of good bike shops in your neck of the woods Danno. With your knee history it might be a good idea to get someone to sort out the seat height, for/aft adjustment, etc.
Dan
I have a 2012 Kona L'anai Delux 19inch that is sat in my house doing nothing and has been ridden approximately 2 miles!
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kona/lanai-deluxe-2011-mountain-bike-ec026529#features
(http://s29.postimg.org/fdloehn9j/kona_lanai_deluxe_2011_mountain_bike.jpg) (http://postimage.org/)
image hosting free (http://postimage.org/)
If its something of interest let me know and I will have a think on price
Yep, deffo of interest.
In the interest of fair play, I intend to appoint M6rk as my official haggler...... so you may wish to take that in to consideration.
in that case, its of complete use to me and is no longer for sale!
:rofl: