Another newbie question – how do I know a bike is right for me? – Page 2 – Bike Forum

hertsnewb · 2016-07-28T05:44:46Z

Hi guys and gals, Firstly, I have a habit of rambling so bear with me. So, last year on a camping trip to Wales I went with a couple of mates and my boys to Coed-y-brenin, hired bikes for the day and had an absolute blast on The Minotaur track. So that got me interested in getting back on a bike but my older boys were not that interested. Sure they had a good day and would do it again, but at home their bikes just sat in the bike rack, outdoors, collecting rust. Couple that with the fact I live in mountainless Hertfordshire and have a 25mile commute around the M25 for work, I just couldn't see a bike getting used enough to justify buying one. Fast forward to a week ago, my 5yo was trundling around the back yard on his balance bike and I convinced him to have a go on the Ridgeback MX16 I'd bought for him a few months ago and he'd refused to use until then. 5 mins later he was cruising around on it and loving it. Since then he has only got off it to eat and sleep, and is now desperate for me to get a bike to I can follow him around the woodlands and trails and over the common on two wheels rather than on 2 legs. So, I've done my research, I'm ready to spend £500-600 on a mountain bike, I know what the limits of my budget are (a suntour fork!) and so yesterday I dropped into one of my two LBS (a small chain). The experience was underwhelming to say the least, but maybe I had got myself expecting something else. I walked in and spoke to the the sales person, explained what I was after (a 29er) and my budget, explained where I would be riding, woodland trails and paths, both with and without my son, and asked to see what they suggest. She suggested a Merida Big Nine. I said "OK, sounds good, can I get on it?' Her: "Oh, we don't have that in the size you'll need, this one is a 17" frame, you'll need a 19 or 20" Me: "OK, what do you have in that price range that I can look at for size?" Her: "This £1500 bike is almost your size,perhaps a bit small for you, but you can try that" So I got on that bike......and didn't know what to do. I felt like I was sat on a bike. I could have ridden it no problem, I've spent the last week chasing the 5yo around the back yard on my elder boys 24" bike with my knees up to my ears, so I know that bike is wrong for me, but how do I know whether the bike they are suggesting I buy, in a size they don't have for me to try, is the right bike? Maybe I am making things difficult for myself, but from everything I have read, I should try the bike out first. But how do I do that? Will my LBS stock, and have built, all their ranges of bike in all sizes so I can try one? And if they don't have a bike in my size? I don't see the point on sitting on a bike that is 3 times my budget that I'm just not going to buy. I'm going to go to the other LBS today, hopefully, and perhaps the experience will be different but in the back of my mind I'm thinking I should just go to Halfords and get a Voodoo Bizango, that everyone seems to say is great, at 20% off because if I'm buying blind I may as well get the best deal. I guess I'm just thoroughly confused and overwhelmed. There is so much choice out there and I can't really afford to make a mistake with this purchase. £500 is a lot of money to me and would have been inconceivable to me to spend that much on a bike before I did a serious amount of research. So there is my long ramble (I told you) and I think there are some questions in the somewhere. If you've managed to get this far I congratulate you. Now please help me understand how this process works!! TL;DR I have no idea how to choose a bike or to even know how it fits....what do I do?

s1255

Posts: 0

Free Member

Herts, more or less that's what I did, to be fair though always liked Giants though. Mind you where I ride, (Glenntress, Trail Centre) I have seen a fair few folks on Voodoo's, and hey you know what, they looked like they were having fun to me!

If I had to be brutally honest, take my Giant for example, there is areas it could certainly be improved, which is probably the same for all bike's at the lower price points. But the biggest limiting factor overall is myself!!!!!

Posted : 29/07/2016 9:40 am

br

Posts: 18125

Free Member

[I]So, any final advice much appreciated, otherwise I'll pull the trigger on one of these two today.[/I]

If you felt that you got a decent service from Mountain Mania, buy from them - otherwise you'll just be one of those folk who come in for advice, use folks time and then buy online.

So if you are happy to spend £600 with On One, then spend that with the LBS.

just my pennyworth...

Posted : 29/07/2016 10:02 am

hertsnewb

Posts: 0

Free Member

Topic starter

B r - I understand where you are coming from, and I would agree with you if I had gone there to test a specific bike, used their facilities to do so and then gone online and bought it cheaper.

But I walked in openly stating that they were the 4th shop I had been to. I told him what bikes I had looked at and what I thought of them and then I asked to see what they might offer. As a consumer I think I am allowed to shop around for what I think is the best deal for me. If I was set on buying the same bike I had seen there and had seen it online, I would be calling them back to see if they could either match the price or at least better the one they had.

The fact is that I settled on a bike that they didn't offer, that was better spec'd and cheaper than the one they offered me. I don't think I have done anything wrong.

Posted : 29/07/2016 11:11 am

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[Closed] Another newbie question - how do I know a bike is right for me?