which mountain bike ? (1 Viewer)

greyman1

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i am looking to get my first mountain bike for sticking on the back of the van . there is a decathlon store locally and their basic bikes start at £99 (5.0 rigid frame) and £149 (5.1 with front susp).they look ok ! any one bought one? or any other recomendations ? i am fed up with looking on ebay for second hand ones that are either the wrong size or miles away ! cheers garry
 

froggy59

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Jul 12, 2011
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i got the rigid frame rockrider for the the van and swmbo got the ladies one.
we take them with us when we go away in the van. in 12 months not used a great deal but they do the job and had some good fun on them in france.
at 100kg i look a right sight on it but who cares.:ROFLMAO:
 

scotjimland

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i am looking to get my first mountain bike for sticking on the back of the van . there is a decathlon store locally and their basic bikes start at £99 (5.0 rigid frame) and £149 (5.1 with front susp).they look ok ! any one bought one? or any other recomendations ? i am fed up with looking on ebay for second hand ones that are either the wrong size or miles away ! cheers garry

if it's just for shopping and cycle path riding any cheap bike will do the job.. in fact a cheap bike is preferable as it's less likely to be nicked .. I say that from having my expensive one nicked..
also, on the back of a van they get into a hell of a mess.. don't want that happening to a £500+ bike

if it's for more serious mountain biking you would need to spend quiet a lot more.. several hundred more.

if for causal riding, it may be worth considering folding bikes that can be kept safe and secure in a locker..

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Jan 19, 2012
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What do you want to use it for? I ask as so many 'mountain bikes' rarely have anything other than tarmac or the occasional towpath under their podgy tyres! If it's for getting into town etc from a campsite, then I'd go for something more road-friendly. And certainly without suspension, which really is overkill unless you're taking to the trails. Decathlon have some interesting machines in stock, but possibly little by way of advice or after-sales support. Your local bike shop, if it still exists, might suit you better. As ever, try to match what you buy to suit your needs, as well as your budget!
 

brynric

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I agree with Ericonabike. I've recently got my old bike out again, one of the first things I did was to change the tyres to be more of a hybrid as I plan to spend much less time in mud and more on pathways. I have also looked into mudguards and panniers. If I was buying new I would have been tempted by Decathalon's original 3. Deciding how you'll use it is paramount.

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Xan

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I echo much of what has been said already. The B'Twin bikes sold by Decathlon are good value for money in general and due to a favourable exchange rate you'll be saving a bit on these French bikes.

If you're going to stay on tarmac, get a hybrid with skinny tyres and rigid forks.
If you're going to be riding on dirt, mud or gravel but not rocky or uneven a low end "leisure" mtb like the rockrider 5.0 will suffice.
If you're ever going to ride a dried-hard previously muddy rutted or rocky surface then go for front suspension. The 5.1 looks okay, don't bother with rear suspension at this price point.

Don't have high expectations, at this price point you're not going to get a capable cross-country machine, or anything that is going to enjoy being in the rain on the back of a MH. But if you ACF-50 the fixings from new and keep the moving parts clean and oiled you'll get a few years of service out of them.
 

wivvy's dad

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:thumb:I can highly recommend Brookes Cycles on the A57 Church Street/Liverpool Road, Eccles. :thumb:

He recently replaced my broken gear changer - did a great job and charged far too little.

Support your local one man band, and get the service the big dealers only dream of.



I have no connection with this shop at all, and am a very satisfied customer. :thumb:
 
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greyman1

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thanks guys . your replies are much appreciated and i will certainly have a look in at BROOKES.. eccles is only 15 mins up the road from me . cheers garry

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Minxy

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Aug 22, 2007
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I would suggest going for one that is first and foremost comfortable to sit on and ride, some mountain bikes are horrendous! When we bought our first mountain bikes (in France for the equivalent of £65!!!) with the traditional type of front and rear suspension they actually rode well except were a little bit 'bouncy' but as we didn't use them for a large distances it didn't matter.

Our last full sized bikes (from France again :thumb: ) came with normal front suspension but seat-post rear suspension, this we found to be preferable to the 'traditional' type of rear suspension as the don't have the 'bouncy' issue and are therefore easier to ride. It also means that we could fit standard type rear carriers and panniers on them - you are very limited with a "traditional" type mountain bike to racks that usually clamp on the seat post and can't carry much and panniers can be a problem too - if you want to fit a rear carrier, panniers, or even a child seat etc, do NOT go for a traditional type mountain bike.
 

rainbow chasers

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Buy something cheap - I'll tell you why.....you put them on the van, and they often end up staying there for the best part of any holiday!

Also, I have one that cost £260 - the other half was happy with a macro bargain she saw and she paid £80.

Out of the two, the £80 one has weathered very well indeed. This being tested when I inadvertently left them on the van when I stored it up for winter. My one was rusted up like you will never belive. To reinstate it, it needed new cables, brake levers, chain and gears - and the forks and bars were rusted beyond recovery.

Her one needed one brake cable, a new chain and the chrome polished up fine!

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