I’m wanting to spend about £1500 on a hardtail MTB, can’t decide what to buy. I’ve been looking at the Cube reaction gtc pro. Any other recommendations

I’d spec one myself and build it up or get a LBS to do it.

all depends what riding you do?

xc race machine, all round trail, long travel warrior???

Riding mainly single track and forest trails

Carbon 456 (I already did that) built with a carefully selected mix of components:

Mine has 2011 150mm Revelations, 15mm Maxle, tapered steerer.
DT Swiss 240s hubs handbuilt on Mavic 717 rims
X9/Deore mix groupset, XT cassette
Magura Louise Carbon BAT brakes
On One post, stem, headset
Truvative bars, ODI lock ons, SDG saddle

With Kenda Small Block 8s it weighs in at 25lb, and I’ve just added it all up at £1174

🙂

A scandal/inbred frame 26 or 29 £200ish
Rebas from Merlin 26 or 29 £300ish
Slx 10sp groupset from actionsports.de £200
Shimano brakes from Rose bikes £140ish
Hope hoops 26 or 29 £280ish
Bars-stem-seatpost-Tyres from on one and cables/grips from wherever with the change
Should just scrawp in at £1500….

Something like a 456 would be ideal. £1500 will get you a pre-built one but you may find it better to build your own up.

Sounds good peterpoddy. Where would u recommend buying the frame .

A second hand Ti frame and then go from there?

A scandal/inbred frame 26 or 29 £200ish
Rebas from Merlin 26 or 29 £300ish
Slx 10sp groupset from actionsports.de £200
Shimano brakes from Rose bikes £140ish
Hope hoops 26 or 29 £280ish

You’ll get a fully built Cube with a not dissimilar spec for about, if not less than, a grand.

This is outstanding value:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=72841

My little lady has the women’s version of this (the WLS), and it is an outstanding bike for the money.

The GTC is more of a head down arse up racey model, the LTD is more of an all-day riding around model (in a 456 stylee)

unless you find a steal in the sales somewhere, you’ll always get a better specced bike if you buy everything individually and get a shop to build it up for you.

for £1500 you’ll be able to build a VERY good bike.

if you go to Evan cycles for example you’ll get a big name frame with low to mid range kit on it.

I’d personally look on the Merlin cycles and on one website.

the above bike looks like good value tho 😉

I’d get a steel or aluminium frame that will be ok with 100 – 120mm fork up front.

reba forks and shimano XT groupset & brakes will be a good bet

hope this helps

A scandal/inbred frame 26 or 29 £200ish
Rebas from Merlin 26 or 29 £300ish
Slx 10sp groupset from actionsports.de £200
Shimano brakes from Rose bikes £140ish
Hope hoops 26 or 29 £280ish

+ Saddle £20
+ Seatpost £20
+ Seatpost QR £15
+ Bars £15
+ Grips £10
+ Cables £10
+ Wheel QRs £10
+ Tyres £40
+ Tubes £8

= + £148

+ Your £1120 = £1268
🙂

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=75087 £850
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=74462 £750
Or look here: http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/offers.php?cat=1 for loads of deals

Whatever you do, it will usually work out cheaper and less hassle to buy a complete bike.

unless you find a steal in the sales somewhere, you’ll always get a better specced bike if you buy everything individually and get a shop to build it up for you.

That’s what I thought when we were looking for a bike for the little lady, but I could just not touch the Cube for value for money. I mean, Rebas + XT/SLX group is easily about £600 on their own, never mind adding in the frame, wheels and all the finishing kit.

Nice bikes in the flesh too.

I’d spec one myself and build it up or get a LBS to do it.

THIS!! I’d start with an Orange P7 frame, and go from there to the Merlin site to spec it. £1500 will build you a NICE hardtail!

Speccing and building your own bike from the frame up is great fun too. In a ‘kid in a sweet shop’ fashion. I bet you end up getting carried away and spending more than the original budget 😀

Cube LTD SL Mens Cross Country Hardtail Specifications:
Frame: Alu Superlite AMF 6061 Double Butted, RFR-Geometry, Disc only
Forks: Rock Shox Reba RL 100mm, Motion Control, PopLoc
Headset: FSA No.10 semi-integrated
Stem: Easton EA30 Oversized
Handlebars: Easton EA30 Lowriser Oversized
Grips: Cube Performance Grip
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore XT RD-M780 Shadow 10-speed
Front Derailleur: Shimano Deore XT FD-M780 Top Swing, 34.9mm, 10-speed
Shifter: Shimano SLX SL-M660-10 Rapidfire-Plus, 10-speed
Brakes: Shimano Deore XT K-M7851 hydr. discbrake(180/160mm)
Cranks: Shimano FC-M552 2-Piece 42x32x24T, 175mm, integrated BB, 3×10 speed
Rims: Alex ZX 24
Hubs: Shimano Deore XT HB-M785 Disc, Shimano Deore XT FH-M785 Disc
Spokes: DT Industry
Tyres: Schwalbe Racing Ralph Kevlar Triple Compound 2.25
Tubes: Impac AV14
Pedals: Fasten Alu
Saddle: Selle Italia X1
Seat Post: Easton EA30 31,6mm
Seat Clamp: Scape Varioclose 34.9mm
Weight: 12.1 kg (grey metal green ), 11.9 kg (black anodized)

For less than £1200. Tell me that’s not value.

Obviously, there is something special about specing everything yourself.

Nice one PP 😀 ocdocdocdocd…. 😆

a nice 853 frame with sliding dropouts and build up the rest from the classifieds..

I can see the value of the cube as demonstrated above.. deffo not my cup of tea though.. too cold and clinical, like buying a washing machine..

I’m undertaking a similar project for my brother at the moment with a fifth of the OPs budget and am hitting a similar spec.. 8)

http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=2542

Nice spec for 1499 Euros.

binners – Member
Speccing and building your own bike from the frame up is great fun too. In a ‘kid in a sweet shop’ fashion. I bet you end up getting carried away and spending more than the original budget

So true, I did by about £1000 😯

It depends on what you’re looking for. I’ve built up a brand new Orange Pure 7 frame on Pikes with Pro 2/ Mavic 719 wheels for a heck of a lot less than your budget.

That sounds about right Scotty 😀

binners – Member

That sounds about right Scotty

That’s what I thought too, although I did have to slow down as it becomes too easy to think “it’s only another £40” and before you know it…..

‘2nd hand ti frame and go from there’ +1.

……….or for £1,5K you can get a decent 2010/11 Epic, Spark or similar quite high spec full sus short travel bike – or a pretty decent new Boardman or Canyon.

But I think the ti option is the most satisfying, and has best resale too if you ever want to sell a ti bike after buying one.

If you can stretch it a bit, I doubt you will be able to beat this for the money.

http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=2543

Thanks everybody for your advice . May go for getting my lbs to build one to my own spec.

buy the cube and sell the frame, then buy whichever frame you prefer?

Erm have you looked at yt industries

@lindsay, I’d say if you were spending £1,000 then an off the shelf complete bike makes a lot of sense. I think at £1,500 you can get a very nice bike built up to your spec which gives you that “unique” feeling.I’ve just switched back to riding a hardtail from FS and the difference between the steel BFe and my old Ali HT (first bike) is massive. Although i didnt do it it was suggested to me to buy amd off the shelft bike (a Cube) and put the bits on a steel frame and sell the Cube one, even for peanuts you are saving money. So I think job 1 for you is to pick a steel or even a Carbon frame and you have the 26/29 choice too, FWIW my research lead me to Cotic and Dialed Bikes (Prince Albert Classic). Have fun and let us know how it goes.

last years giant anthem for me, i know you said hard tail 8)

For my money it’d probably be one of the £250 C456 or Whippet frames as a base. XT group, SIDs or Revs, A2Z/Crest wheels and a smattering of finishing kit.

This http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-maybe-brodie-ti-holeshot-frame

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=75087

Buy this & swap all the bits onto whatever frame you want 🙂

@IHN,

bike for the little lady,

[quote]My little lady has the women’s version[/quote]
Is she about 5 foot tall, or are you a patronising tool?

tthew – Member

@IHN,

bike for the little lady,

My little lady has the women’s version

Is she about 5 foot tall, or are you a patronising tool?

Or maybe that’s what she likes to be called, pumpkin.

Pumpkin??!! 😀

tthew – Member

Pumpkin??!!

Sorry, petal

Not a HT, but a brilliant 5″ Trail bike

At £1429 from Pauls cycles, a steal.

AluxX SL aluminum, Fluid Formed TM, 5.0″/127mm Maestro Suspension
Fox Float R
Fox F125 RL-11, tapered steerer, QR15, 125mm travel
Shimano SLX drivechain
Shimano Integrated Press Fit BB
Giant Connect TR riserbar
Avid Elixir 3 Brakes
Giant S-XC2 DW aluminium rims
Shimano hubs
Kenda Nevegal 26×2.1″ Stick E/DTC
Fi’zi:k Gobi XM Manganese rails
Giant Connect seatpost

I would custom build in a mix of new and secondhand parts.

Is she about 5 foot tall, or are you a patronising tool?

Nope, she’s 5’6″, and has a sense of humour. In fact, she’s probably has some spare if you’d like to borrow some.