Ok so pre kids I was a roadie. I joined this forum some time ago for the mainly non bike chat/info/entertainment but basically I have no clue about mountain biking (no understanding of lingo such as hard tail, 29er etc).
The eldest is now 4 so i'm about to try and get him of the balance bike and riding with pedals on 2 wheels. I also have a 20 month old who is yet to venture onto a bike set which i'm feeling guilty about. My carbon road bike and steel framed fixie are not really conducive to my cycling needs these days.
I was half debating getting a hybrid of some sort to use for family rides in the future but then got thinking....
I live in a hilly area (for east anglia) with loads of footpaths, bridleways and small country lanes accessible near home. As I don't have the time for multi hour rad rides any more maybe a mountain bike could be fun for shorter rides in the countryside around our home.
So I think i'm looking for something that can do the following:
1. Tootles round country parks following the 4 year old (on his bike) but with the 2 year old in a bike seat.
2. Some short off road solo rides round the local lanes/fields/footpaths/bridleways
3. The odd commute to the train station which is about 7-8 miles away, half of which might be on public footpath (off road)
So basically something that can do some road cyling but is usable off road and can take a child seat.
Don't want to spend a lot and thinking 2nd hand will get me something better. Thinking maybe 2-300?
Any suggestions on what i should be looking for?
At that price, I'd also second hand. I know you said you don't understand the lingo, so....
No rear suspension, (hardtail)
Wagon wheels, (29er)
Large wheels ride much nicer on the road rides you have planed. Hardtails more suitable for a bike seat, full suspension frames can be pretty strange shapes making attaching the bracket hard. Something from a brand name you recognise as a roadie, (Trek, Specialized etc.) you'll not go far wrong.
thanks thhew - souunds like i'm after a hard tail 29er then!
At that price point I'd be going to Halfords or, at a push, Decathlon. Warranty, free first service and so forth.
I have a Decathlon bike for doing exactly what you describe (long story) and it hasn't put a foot wrong. It's a Rockrider 5.2, several years old now. At the time it was the cheapest MTB they did that didn't have components made out of cheese, I can't remember exactly what I paid for it now but it was between £200 and £300 I'm pretty sure. I threw a pair of semi-slick tyres at it instead of the knobbly ones it came with (which were nasty anyway) and it's great for hopping between road and gentler trails.
More recently, a mate of mine decided to replace a decades-old Bike-Shaped Object, went and bought a pair of new bikes from Halfords for himself and his missus. My reaction when he told me was "WTF were you thinking?" but I was amazed when I saw them, they're shockingly good for the money. I think from memory his was about £4-500 and hers £300ish, which granted is more than I paid but they both batter my ageing RR.
souunds like i’m after a hard tail 29er then!
27.5 is the new 29, but really, I wouldn't lose any sleep over one or the other for what you're doing. It's probably 90% marketing anyway.
Hardtail though, 100% for definite. You can pick up a full-susser (bouncyback as well as bouncyfront) for not much over £300, but it will but utter shite. If your budget doesn't run to a couple of grand, avoid rear suspension bikes.
I'd go second hand, something like a Voodoo Bizango.
Thanks guys. I'm about 5'8"...roughly what sort of frame size would i be looking for?
I'll try and get into Halfords or somewhere to try a few out but be good to get an idea of sizing so i can have a poke about on t'ebay.
Size chart here for the new Bizango, I imagine the older ones are similar -
5ft8 puts you on the 16" (small) frame.
At 5ft8 you would generally be a small - medium frame.
halfords are doing carerra's for £360 ish I think instore and online. They are on sale now with the 30% discounted included. Look like decent bikes. just make sure you buy a smallish one, as sometimes the stock in store looks like medium and larges.
I'd probably go for a small.
bike
Any of the warehouse brands do cheaper bikes - really good hardtails start around £500:
Voodoo Bizango
Vitus Nucleus
Whatever Rockrider from Decathlon is around that price
Calibre (GoOutdoors) have andecent hardtail too.
If you really want to stick to £300 the. I’d probably look at Carrera from Halfords or Calibre.
Secondhand will get you a better species bike but you need to know what you’re looking at.
27.5” (also called 650b) or 29” wheels will be fine as long as you buy the right size frame. At the price you’re looking at I’d just go for best components and quality frame you can.
Something like this...
https://www.cyclerepublic.com/carrera-vengeance-27-5-mens-mountain-bike-2019.html
You can probably also get it in Halfords, but I think it's more expensive in there. Not sure if they do price match.
Have a look on eBay for the likes of a voodoo bizango as others have suggested. Or an old on one of some description. They were cheap and good in the first place and sell cheaply secondhand. I got a pretty decent on one pompetamine the other day for £200