Mate wants to get a bike – doesn’t know what to get

2nd hand 26″ Boardman Pro FS

650b HT from Paul’s Cycles

A.n. Other

Will be used for local Airedale / Calderdale / Peaks natural stuff and some limited trail centre stuff

Any suggestions?

Can he stretch to a grand?

http://shop.birdmtb.com/zero/zero-7.html

Cube Acid bang on budget, full Deore group set, decent air fork, nice and light. My son is out on his at the moment 😀

Cheers Iain – how is the fork on that?

Was looking for a review on that and saw you’d asked the same question – looks cracking value for money and AllTerrain is just up the road from me

I would get the ZR Team 27.5 from bikediscount http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/radon-zr-team-27.5-8.0-le-237431?currency=3&delivery_country=190. OR use this 10% off voucher for Halfords “B15BK08” and get one of their bikes

Not sure he can manage a grand really – especially when he’s got no kit yet.

Helmet, pedals etc will all add up as well but that Bird does look nice

2nd hand Trek Stache just like the one I have for sale?

He’ll need a helmet, shorts and shoes and possibly glasses. Throw in a backpack with bladder and tools and tubes etc and you are realistically looking at 750 max for the bike and 250 for accessories.

456 or a parkwood. simple pure vfm.

Do On One ever drop 456’s to that kind of price? The cheapest at the mo seems to be £999 but their pricing is pretty up n’ down. The german brands above are a bit XC but that Bird looks nice.

EDIT; great minds, blah blah blah

What ton said.

456 is too much at the min

Parkwood looks good – he might be ok with a 29er

The Cube looks nice too. Stache might work too but depends on price / location

Parkwood. Not just cheap ATM but good too.

I own a bike shop (repairs and custom wheel builds only) and I still go see Paul’s cycles if I’m in the market for a new bike bargains galore as long as he’s got your size and a brand/bike you want I had a giant anthem X1 2011 off him for peanuts compaired too the rrp

Specialised have 20% off rockhopers , pitches and most other thing under £1000

If he wants something that is actually fun rather than an XC machine then.

Parkwood
Genesis Core
Saracen Mantra

Something secondhand from pinkbike or here.

Spend the rest of the money or extra on a few tools and learning to fix his bike.

It will be actually his.

And for £800 you could easily get say a 1×10 on one c456 with revelations and XT level kit.

Bikes aren’t like cars – there’s pretty much nothing on them that can go that wrong that they become a financial writeoff. Forks are easy to service. Wheels are easy to service.

Some assorted examples:

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1754607/

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/12032021/

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1660548/

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1749150/ – 27.5 trance nearly new

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1713063/ – 27.5 anthem nearly new

The list goes on.

Or wait for a c456 in the sale.

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/12089873/ – c456 with slx for 600

Agreed on classifieds for a good used bike. you’ll get a serious machine for that rather than something budget, plus you’ll not lose much if it gets sold on in a year, unlike a cheap new bike where he’ll get £400 back if he’s lucky

e.g.:
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1754607/

tmb467 – Member
Cheers Iain – how is the fork on that?

Was looking for a review on that and saw you’d asked the same question – looks cracking value for money and AllTerrain is just up the road from me

Currently fork is dialled soft for my 12 yr old son, and he’s on a 16 inch frame. Today he did 20 odd miles round Rothiemurchus with me and only fell off twice 😀 . he got full compression and I have the rebound quite slow as he is so light. When I’ve ridden it with pressure up it feels pretty much same as my Reba’s, maybe a little top out notchy..

2014 Cube 29ers on Pauls cycles look very nice,

Its won hard tail of the year a few times that Voddoo Bizango,

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/voodoo-bizango-29er-mountain-bike-18

Review – http://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/hardtail/voodoo-bizango-29er-review-2013

According to certain magazines it puts some £1000 bikes to shame. Never ridden one myself but can’t help notice the reviews past two years

I see a chap every now and then ride around the peaks near to the cut gate on one he seems to fly around quite happily. The fork isn’t the best but it does fit the price bracket and if your friend really gets into mountain biking then the £200 he/she saved could be spent on maybe some better forks like RockShox Rebas etc further down the line.