Hi guys,

Im new to the muddy world, as I am more at home on the tarmac and skinny tires!!

But, getting a bike on cyclescheme to have a mess around with friends at the weekend who already have mtb’s.

Seen a few options and I need your views. Not wanting to race, just something for a bit of fun.

Options I have seen so far are:

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s1p2161

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s1p3618

http://www.stif.co.uk/mtb/product/cube-ltd-race-bike-2012/9162

No sure what travel I need, but want a bike I can do trail centers and much about in local forest on.

Thanks

The Mongoose is pretty chunky, probably a bit too chunky. Cube is a bit racy & may feel ‘ nervous’. Giants are good, 100mm for ‘just riding’ for a roady is about right.

All of them will handle trail centers – but at different speeds and different styles.

The Mongoose will probably be the slowest, and the furthest in style from a road bike. Could be the most ‘fun’ in a jumping around style.
The Giant will be faster/lighter, but it comes with poorer components, so may need a bit of upgrade love soonest.
The Cube will feel fastest, probably be the lightest, and the nicest components will make it feel great, but I suspect it’s more of a race bike and not as suited to mucking about in the local forest.

Other than the fork, not a huge difference in specification on the Giant / Cube. Mongoose is a completetly diffent bike – great if you want to launch yourself off stuff and go fast(er) downhill and not worried about how long it will take to ride back up.

Of the 2 I’d probably opt for the Giant and get my upgrade purse ready, as within about 6 months / 12 months of riding most of the drivetrain / wheels stuff will be done for if you ride 2 times a week or more.

Dont forget also that once you obviously get the MTB bug, decide to sell all your road bikes, kit, gear, book, mag subs and cancel your club membership, you might have a little upgrade pot to play with 😀

No a chance ill be doing that!

Want to get a bike to upgrade as little as possible really, as most of my money gets sunk into my road bikes!

hence looking at spending so little on the mtb.

Will I be limited with the 100mm travel at all?

Want to get a bike to upgrade as little as possible really, as most of my money gets sunk into my road bikes!

That’s what they all say 🙂

100mm travel is fine. Limited? Unlikely.

Are you limited to only the bikes you’ve listed?

I dunno lucien – I’d call Alivio/Deore 9 speed vs SLX/XT 10 speed a fairly big difference in spec., and the finishing kit on the Cube is better (ok – more ‘branded’)

Easy win for the Giant.

No, I have £1k to spend voucher, and will be happy to top it up by, say another £100/150 (I know shops that allow this)

Please, suggest away. I just picked ones I liked the looks of!

And i thought that millitant. Plus the Fox fork, which I thought were the dogs danglys?

Don’t get blinded by the branding and quality of the bits that hang off the bike! (ie Cube race)
It’s all nice kit but its a hell of a harsh ride. Recently swapped bikes for a day (my rockhopper for mate’s cube race). Long story short… he’s now looking for a rockhopper frame to transplant all his nice cube kit onto.

From that list I’d be leaning towards the Giant, but try some mainstream hardtails, like the rockhopper, too.

Charge Duster?

Just found out I can top up via pauls, which opens up a few options for me:

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s1p3493

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s1p3762

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s1p2445

Again, not sure, but like the look of the giant!

Maybe check out Issue 70s “best full suss for a grand” article?

For up to £1000 I’d just get a up range hardtail.

What have your mates got?

eg have they got light hard tails, heavy full sus ?

(id pick that second Anthem, really nice bike you are unlikly to have any issues doing almost everything with!)

the two guys ill be riding with have both hard tails and full sus bikes.

And portly, for a grand, i would only buy hard tail, but as these are £1500+ full sus bikes in sale, im happy too look at these options.

I’d go for that Anthem X4 from your second selection too.

i had a 2010 anthem x2.really great bikes. 🙂

Great, think ill go for that one then!

Spoke to them, and dont allow deposit to hold bikes, so looks like ill have to wait until I get my voucher (2 weeks into jan) and hope they still have stock in my size!

What an odd name!

Sorry, got nothing useful to add apart from riding as many as you can. Oh and I like my Fox forks.