Midlife crisis number one involved an affair, leaving home, living in a cramped little room with an eventual rescue by an extremely tolerant mrs crikey…

This time round I’d quite like to get another mountain bike…

I’ve never got on with full sussers, and spent far more time road racing than anything else so I’d like a race-bred XC hardtail jobbie like a Scott Scale 760 or that Decathlon 720 Rafal thing.

After signing my pension over to said angel, I have the go ahead to buy something which will allow her to collect the death in service benefit too.

So any recommendations up to £800 or so, Shimano preferred, low front end and so on.

I have criticised ‘what coffee shall I buy?’ threads in the past, so do your worst…………

Cube ltd?

Nudging the upper limit of my budget by a wee bit, but thanks.

Nah….Go and nail another scrubber. Much more fun and twice as dirty.

I am a fully reformed character these days so it’s an XC bike for fun…

Canyon Grand Canyon AL SL 6.9, Reba, Shimano SLX/XT and Mavic wheels.

Nice, but by Christ that’s a tall front end…. on the short list.

I bought a Felt nine 30 second hand a couple of years back. It is has been a brilliant bike. They still sell them, £899 at Tredz currently.

I’ve done more riding on it than my other more expensive bikes.

Having admitted cheating once I’d have thought you’d be after an ebike this time 🙂

I think you might have the answer already, the Rafal at Decathlon is currently at £550 with SLX all round and reasonable forks. L and XL only mind you.

Thanks all, especially Mrs crikey, I shall ponder and purchase prudently.

I’ll sell you a nice spearfish for that

http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/radon-zr-team-27%2C5-8.0-463391/wg_id-6198

I know you said hardtail but you can pick up a 2010 anthem up for that money and i have to say that is the 1 bike that converted me from a hardtail as a racey bike that pedals like a hardtail but has the comfort for longer races and handles trail days well
im now on my 3rd anthem and wont be looking back

Nudging the upper limit of my budget by a wee bit, but thanks.

As long as the right size/colour are still in stock I can sort you one for £800 🙂

Not sure a cyclist buying a new bike qualifies as a mid life crisis 😀 For my 4th MLC I got this

Never done the affair one, Mrs Taxi wouldn’t be as understanding as Mrs crickey 🙁

Excellent STW approach, get an MX or a full suss!