MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Hi All.
First post and something of a basic one. I'm in the market for a new mtb. Now the shops have started to stock up again, am wondering where I'll get more bang for my buck. New or used?
I have maximum £1000 to spend. I ride a mixture of single track, trails and roads in between. This will be my first decent mtb, but I've owned/ridden bikes most of my life, just not thrown them down narly tracks or over jumps. Have been using a mate's old Genesis Altitude for the summer but want something a bit more stable for the downhill bits and jumps. I want to buy a complete bike, but happy to upgrade bits if necessary, e.g.dropper post.
So, am I better off looking for new or used?
You'll always get better value second hand, but the trade off is older geometry/components.
I've got a very, very capable all-mountain/trail bike I could be persuaded to sell, and it would be less than £1000. 2010 Pronghorn PR6 LT, 160mm Fox Floats up front, 150mm rear, American Classic wheels, etc. Ugly as sin but it's a phenomenal bike.
Value for money On One are hard to beat.
Their big dog is a modern capable hard tail with all the latest trimmings.
The £999.00 version with Eagle SX 12 speed is a little minter
Definitely used, just need to look around for a bit to work out what you can get for your money. On ebay, high starting price collection only is going to get the least interest. Turn the collection into an opportunity to go somewhere new. Remember you can make offers. And we're going into winter soon meanin prices are dropping.
Thanks for your replies. The more I search, the more I work out what I want. And the more second hand ads I look at, the more I realise I can get for my money.
@theflyingox that bike certainly wasn't blessed in the looks dept.
@montylikesbeer ... not sure about the steel frame on the On One. Why are they still persisting with steel when most of what I see is alloy or carbon?
@richpenny... like your attitude. Almost persuaded myself into a day out in Burnley the other day 😂 (I live south of Reading)
Oh... and yes... hoping to see price drops as the lockdown buys start coming back onto the market into winter
People still like steel handrails.they are very popular on here for hard tails.they offer great value and give a good ride.sure they are heavier than carbon but that's not always bad and they can track better downhill without getting bounced offline like a lightweight hard tail.most steel ht bikes are burley and over built and steel offers strength where weight doesn't really matter on this type of bike.id just get a steel on one hard tail although I like ht bikes.if theres lots of roots or rocks on your rides a second hand fs bike will be more comfortable and affordable.look on pinkbike and here for second hand bikes.look for something Hardly used that the owner has changed their mind about.thus way you will not need to change the drive train and have an almost new although older model bike.id say a hardcore trail hard tail new or sh would be great for for dh trails fun and jumps as well as climbing.you may also venture further away later too on trips to trail centres and the like.
Steel gives a degree of flex to the frame and is forgiving
If I was in the market for uk trails it would be a steel hard tail
Carbon and aluminium are great mediums but steel is where it’s at
On one and Cotic are fantastic uk focused companies with geometry and materials perfect for our trails and environment
It’s only my opinion of course and I am sure others will hold their own views
Try and get a try ride perhaps and see if steel gives you that tingle
Steel gives a degree of flex to the frame and is forgiving
Not for a heavy steel frame. It really isn't simple as one material is better than others.
Good tip about travelling to get a bike!
You’ll always get better value second hand, but the trade off is older geometry/components.
Not necessarily. For example there's a few rides old GT FS on ebay currently for about half the list price. Comes in under the OP's budget too 🙂
If aluminium is your thing the Sonder Transmitter is a cracker again with very modern geometry and a tidy 1 x 12 drive
You’ll always get better value second hand,
See I don't totally disagree with this statement I don't believe you alway get a the best deal with 2nd hand bikes. You'd need to have a decent idea about bikes to check the drive train isn't on it's last legs and that the suspension is serviced/working as expected. I'm of the opinion 2nd had is great if you know what your looking at, as a new-ish rider I'd tell you to go and buy new, to avoid the pitfalls of dishonest sellers/traders.
Where I'd start..unfortunately a bit more than your budget
On one scandal
2.7 kg for the on one big dog frame is not too giddy at all.
Thinks to myself I should have got that Cotic Soul all those years ago......
I would personally go brand new over second hand unless you can easily see the bike beforehand. A top end worn group set will shift rubbish compared to a budget brand new set/bike. Also if a simple worn chain might require a new cassette as well. Worth going to see the second hand bike with chain wear tool and walk away if too worn.
Either this or buy second hand frame and build up with mix of new and old parts (did this with misses bike and built up a tranny scout for £1500ish)
Second hand if you can go check it out. 4 most used bikes in my garage (2 mine, 2 my son’s) - 3 are second hand: 1 from STW classified; 1 from Pinkbike classifieds; 1 from a Gumtree trade seller. All are superb quality with decent parts, well looked after. Funnily enough the one that’s had the most parts upgraded or changed is my full-sus - the only one bought new. Just gotta hunt around and be picky.
The new Boardman full susser is a grand, 140/150mm 29er, 1x, modern geometry,etc. Its hard to recommend a ten year old used bike over that.
Chain is a tenner, cassette is £50, savings over new could be £1k when buying a 1-2 year old bike. I do take your point though, worth looking closely over the pics at things like cassette wear which can be a good indication of use, also things like crank arm rub if user is claiming bike barely used. What you really want is something like this:
So a £1700 bike with some accessories that looks like it's never been off road.
One thing that's caught me out before is stuck seatpost - but I wasn't that bothered as it fitted and I can break the bike and make over £1k on the parts even if I binned the frame.
The new Boardman full susser is a grand, 140/150mm 29er, 1x, modern geometry,etc. Its hard to recommend a ten year old used bike over that.
Don't think I'd recommend the £1k one, but the spec on the £1.3k one is pretty good. But as posted above, you can get a pretty good option used on the bay:
That's not likely to sell for £1200 when a new one is £1600 with a better spec. Over the next few months, maybe even more so than in other years, a ton of barely used bikes are going to appear on ebay for big discounts.
Or this one, £800.
ten year old used bike over that
Why would it be 10 years old??
Second hand would probably be my plan, but have enough in reserve for a decent service, chain, cassette etc. A new bike shouldn't cost you a penny more for 1000km or so, whereas chances are some parts on a used bike will be knackered.
Thanks all for your replies - great to get some different opinions.
My instinct is telling me to go second hand, don't rush as there are going to be unwanted bargains on their way once: 1. people realise they aren't using their expensively bought lockdown treats, 2. winter arrives and people use their bikes even less.
I am going to be budget conscious, knowing that I don't want to spend more than 1k, so looking for significantly under that to allow for a service straight away.
Thought I wanted a hard tail all the way, then looking at second hand prices it seems like full sus is an option on a bike a few years old. Biggest issue is that I don't really know what to look for ... am going to have to read up on that.
My missus is probably going to get her wish and be 'giving' me the bike as my Christmas present at this rate! 😀