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Thank you Jo for such an extensive message. Ideally I would like a 29er but they appear to have gone out of fashion having been replaced by 27.5 wheels.
I have a vitus see 29 single speed bought a few years ago initially to get fit and absolutely love it, it's like a big bmx bit I've got used to the 29 inch wheels.
I now wish to make the next step up and do more trails and off road that I havent been able to do with the vitus.
I am based in northampton so will have a look around the local bike shops as you suggest bit I think that buying on line is probably my best option if I decide to go down the 29er route, however by looking at the local bikevsjops I may pe persuaded that a 27.5 bike is my better option in which case I have far greater choices.
My greater difficulty is knowing so little about bikes I dont understand good or bad components and also what I actually should be looking for.
Thank you so much
big bike confusion...
My guess: if you buy a "modern" geometry hardtail like the Nukeproof Scout you will be more than happy.
You need an "entry" into the mtb biking - you will be surprised how much fun such a bikes like the Scout really are.
Don't start with the old school XC racing hardtails. You don't plan to go racing - right?
And: winter sale is over soon.
Neat, new bikes like the 2017 Merida Big Trail 800 are sold out already...
Have fun!
😉
Thank you
I get what you say...Im really leaning towards the bird bikes, a nukeproof or a ragley piglet.
But having a look at local bike shops today
That's not a very short shortlist, you probably need to work out a bit more about your needs and preferences TBH.
On the basis that I want a 29inch wheel which I prefer Ive got it down to two bikes, case of elimination really
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/nukeproof-scout-290-comp-bike-2018/rp-prod159427
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/ragley-big-wig-hardtail-bike-2017/rp-prod145975?utm_source=awin&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=Skimlinks&awc=2698_1516445441_84b62c2bdd728dea8949840a65aa607a
What would your thoughts be on these two as Im not sure about the spec. I know that I can get a reduction in price as a British cycling member.
Many thanks...
If you can get to Swinley Forest near Bracknell you could test ride both a Whyte and a Bird there I think.
Just don't be tempted to go for the biggest / longest / most laid back hardtail you can find just because that's the fashion at the moment. Try to test ride a few bikes and see what feels good to you.
I've got a long / low / slack full suss bike and its great in the big stuff. Actually marginally slower on some of the tamer stuff that my old Boardman Pro FS was good on.
I've just built up a 2004 Kona Caldera hardtail wih retro Bomber z1's forks and old Mavic DH wheels etc - but 1 x 10 gears that I had lying around. So much fun in he local pump track and going to try some tamer trail riding on it soon and expect it'll be fun there.
29er isn't out of fashion btw - they're being pushed very heavily in the top end of FS bikes - don't rule out either 27.5 or 29 until you've tried a few bikes. You'll soon decide which feels better to you.
I have been to my local bike shop and love the Specialized chisel
https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/specialized-chisel-comp-2018-hardtail-mountain-bike-grey_379347
they have also recommended the Whyte 901 which I hope to look at an another store as they didn't have it in stock at the shop that I visited
https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/whyte-901-2018-27-5-hardtail-mountain-bike-green_379551
How would these two compare to the other two bikes from cars as with discount from crc they would be the same price
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/ragley-big-wig-hardtail-bike-2017/rp-prod145975?utm_source=awin&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=Skimlinks&awc=2698_1516445441_84b62c2bdd728dea8949840a65aa607a
I also looked at a trek full suspension which I love
https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/trek-fuel-ex-5-plus-2018-full-suspension-mountain-bike-grey_380912
but was wondering how this would compare to the Vitus
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/vitus-bikes-escarpe-29-vr-suspension-bike-slx-1x11-2018/rp-prod159738
Just to throw another into the mix if your looking at spending a bit more than the £1200 [url= https://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/mountain-bikes-c1/hardtail-c17/honzo-al-dl-mountain-bike-2017-p17078 ]This[/url] Kona looks really quite nice.
Thank you federalski for your message but I'm really looking at a comparison between 4 hardtail and 2 full suspension bikes
With the 10% off at crc they all work out at about the same price (apart from the trek as there will.ne no discount from Rutland cycles).
Thank you
hahah - all this beautiful bike buying pain...so many good bikes!
Some of the prvious posts: yes - don't overkill in travel...
full suspension trail bike: 140/130 or 140/140 ... in this range
hardtail: minimum 130 mm fork -better a bit more...
"fashion": too many bought "Enduro" without having the difficult trails. Some move back now to more plush and playful trail bikes.
many bike brands put their development efforts into new full suspension bikes and concentrated onto those - but still have (I say) boring, old hardtails in their program.
Only few constantly improved the hardtails all the time.
Recently: quite some companies move - what they learned from full suspension bikes - over to hardtails now. Great!
(also: new, wide rims and good tyres...)
And yes - there are still many which love their XC hardtail racing bikes. Nothing wrong with that.
Companies like Production Privee were spearheading the "modern hardtail" design. Great so!
In my opinion, for fun trail biking: slack and long is not a fashion...- it's so much more fun...(for me)!
@somtam:
As soon as you say "I love this bike" : buy it! With some bikes you said this. Maybe good to go on with this bike then?
There will be no perfect bike....
😉
note: above doesn't apply to XC racing hardtail. These guys have fun as well. But they race...
😯
Having looked at the specialized
I really like the colour scheme but believe that I could still get better from crc With the 10% discount both the Ragley and the nukeproof wouldn't cost much more
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/nukeproof-scout-290-comp-bike-2018/rp-prod159427
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/ragley-big-wig-hardtail-bike-2017/rp-prod145975
Can anyone please tell me what is the difference in spec between these two as in appearance they look very similar.
Many thanks
They're very similar spec, apart from one major difference... the ragley is steel and the Nukeproof is aluminium. Steel will be a bit heavier and if you're confused as to what the differences are between basic hardtail models I'd suggest that the nuances of a steel framed hardtail may be lost on you 
one has a yari and the other a revelation fork, the yari and revelation share the same damper but the yari is slightly stiffer (and heavier) as it's a cut down lyric Vs the Revelation which is a cut down pike.
Other that than you're looking at stuff like finishing kit, wheels etc.
Of them 2 I'd go for the Nukeproof, it'll be lighter and is not quite as extreme in geometry as the ragley.
The chisel is much more of an XC machine than these 2, and they're much much better specced than the chisel.
All bikes you picked: very good bikes.
The Specialized more XC. Bit conservative.
The two other bikes, Ragley & Nukeproof:
both great geo, great drive train, good fork
The Nukeproof would allow for tyres up to 2.8 inch.
Biggest difference: the Ragley is a steel frame hardtail, the Nukeproof an aluminium sled.
If I would decide here - and if the price tag would be similar (and I would be willing to pay around 1.6 k...):
I would pick the Ragley steel frame hardtail bike!
Steel frames ride different from alumium bikes - and steel frame mtbs are - normally - much more expensive than comparable aluminium sleds...
Maybe: search this forum for opinions about the Ragley.
Or quickly open a post where you ask the owners of this bike.
@ta11pau1:
haha. Didn't see your post in time...
The Nukeproof is a great bike (with potential for fatter tyres), the Ragley as well (bit unique with the steel frame).
@somtam: guess no chance of making a mistake here.
How is Nukeproof and how Ragley with service and warranty?
Don't know this.
Personally I'd rule out the specialised - it doesn't look like it has much standover height with the frame and the spec is no where near as good as the others.
Out of the other 2 the spec is quite similar but I think he Ragley is probably more aggressive in its geometry and spec. The Yari fork is a little heavier than the revelation but stiffer as a result. The internal damping is much the same as the revelation - both have motion control dampers which are ok.
I imagine the scout is lighter and stiffer in the frame.
I'd be torn between those two as they're both decent - is there any chance you can get a test ride of either?
Now that you're budget has crept up a bit, I would go full sus.
At £1200 there aren't any I would trust, but now you're getting close to a decent allrounder with that vitus.
I don't know where you ride, but any visit to a trail centre or mountainous area will be enhanced by having suspension.
Hardtails make great second bikes 🙂
Just be aware that the ride qualities of some of the bikes you've posted will vary massively. As others have mentioned - test rides will tell you everything you need to know. Although I personally don't like test rides at trail centres - they can be deceiving.
Hardtails make great second bikes
that's torture for somtam-bloke!
😯
But: 1.6 k is a lot of money...
10 more days, Halfords: Boardman FS Pro for 1.35 k ...
But, still, the Ragley and the Nukeproof are great, great bikes.
Thought about the 2.8 inch max tyres / Scout 290: they open maybe a path if somtam- bloke likes to go "more plush" without buying a full suss?
Don't remember the rim sizes so of the Nukeproof / no idea if the rims would match with 2.8 tyres...
But such a hardtail with 2.8 tyres: fun, fun ... if you find your perfect tyre pressure (not so easy with 2.8 inch tyres)
@AlexSimon-bloke:
https://www.yt-industries.com/uk/detail/index/sArticle/1929/sCategory/509
£2,099.00
29 inch tyres, fantastic trail full suspension bike
140/140 mm travel
XL in stock...
Now that you're budget has crept up a bit, I would go full sus.
2.1 k
Yes - this is already pretty close to the 1.6 k ... - and already much above original budget of 1.2 k ...
(Jeffsy: the 2018 price tag is a bit lower than 2017.)
The 29er full suss linked are nearly double the original budget!
The Jeffsy look great but 2k is out of my price range...you have to stop somewhere
Let's assume that I go for a full suspension which I might consider after trying one in the shop today but my budget would be £1750
Which one would you go for...would it be a vitus?
I like crc because of the discount with British cycling which can drop the price down a bit.
I'll put a post on the Bike forum for a full suspension for my price and see what comes up and I can then consider a full suspension.
Many thanks to everyone that has given me so much help
At that price I don't think you'll do better spec wise than either the Vitus VR in 29 or 27.5 variants, for £1665.
That is, other than the Boardman Pro FS which is currently £1350 (minus the halfords BC discount?) plus £150 or so for a dropper post.
I would look for either a 27.5 plus (2.6-3" tyre) or 29er hardtail for £1200 or so, or a FS for £1700 - and decide between the 2 based on whether you want a heavier, but more comfortable bike (FS) or a lighter, more responsive bike (HT). And whether you'll be doing smooth trail centre riding (HT) or more tricky trails or longer days in the saddle, i.e. 2-3 hours or more (FS).
Looking at both of these
1 hardtail and 1 full sus...
Both look amazing and with great discounts too
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Mondraker-Vantage-RR-27-5-Mountain-Bike-2017-Hardtail-MTB_98013.htm
The Cube stereo would be my choice out of those two bikes.
I bought this for £1200 a few months back. The size is advertised on the site as 15" but its actually a 16.5"
Ive told them the site is wrong but they do not listen
Somebody please buy it before it reduces anymore 🙁
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/nukeproof-scout-290-comp-bike-2016/rp-prod135672
Btw its an awesome bike for the £1200 let alone 1000. Presumably you can get 10 percent off that with chain reaction discount also
I wpuld like to say a big thank you to everyone that has helped me and all the advice that you have given me.
Decision time..quite a lot more than I wanted to spend but hey, I hardly ever treat myself always spending on my kids.
It's down to 3 bikes really
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Mondraker-Vantage-RR-27-5-Mountain-Bike-2017-Hardtail-MTB_98013.htm
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Orange-Crush-Pro-27-5-Mountain-Bike-2018-Hardtail-MTB_112472.htm
I know it's total overkill for my needs but it's my treat to myself
Thank you
It is quite difficult to advise you on which one to get, as it really depends on what you'll be using it for. Those are very different bikes. That said, based on what you've said you'll be doing with the bike, I'd say to go for the Giant. It's a more conventional frame design and will do it all. You additionally seem partial to 29ers, and there's nothing wrong with that, though they are slightly falling out of fashion for hardtails. Should you decide at some point to get a set of plus wheels, you'll have that option. The Giant's frame is lovely and I'm partial to the XT drivechain and in particular the brakes. Whichever one you choose you'll have a great bike, I think.
Probably not the best choice but I love the looks of the orange.
I think.its awesome
That Giant is a totally different bike to the other two. You would have to ride them to know which style you preferred.
The Giant is a light race bike, the Orange at the other end of the spectrum, the mondraker in the middle. Suggest you would be well advised to go ride some of the options before deciding, as they are quite different.
https://www.yt-industries.com/uk/detail/index/sArticle/1929/sCategory/509
This looks great too but how would parts be as they're in germany
Don't like the fact that they charge you for both the bike box and shipping
Other than that I'll arrange to visit the bike shops that have the giant and the orange is stock
Whichever one you you get I'm sure it'll be great.
But let me commend you on how quickly the budget has risen, the only way to do buy a new bike is to set a strict budget, forget it quickly, then buy something you like for far more than you though reasonable at the start of the process.
I do it all the time.
You keep switching ideas and budgets at the moment.
The giant is a basically a cross country race bike. It'll be light but less stable on the downhills Han the others, and dare I say it potentially less fun.
The Mondraker is probably quite long - I can't see the geometry on the Tredz website but to get the most out of it you'd probably need to ride quite aggressively with your weight as far forward over the front wheel as possible.
The Orange? You previously linked the model down from it which is quite a bit cheaper and would be more than good enough.
If you're up around the £2k Mark I'd probably be thinking about a trail type full suss bike - but not an xc / enduro full suss for what you plan to use it for.
I still think you couldn't go too wrong with a Voodoo bizango tonstart with and seenhow you like it. It has 29er wheels which you were after and decent spec for the money. If you find you don't use it as much as you thought / you find either 29 or a hardtail isn't for you, there won't be as much money lost when you sell it on.
https://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s155p6809/CUBE-REACTION-GTC-PRO-29-2016 looks decent for £1k
Not sure if I am missing something, but surely you cannot go wrong (vfm) with
https://www.merlincycles.com/diamondback-lumis-30-1x11-mountain-bike-2017-105285.html
or something more heavy duty
https://www.merlincycles.com/diamondback-myers-30-mountain-bike-2017-105265.html
PS I don´t work for Merlin or have any vested interests!!
At this price im foing to throw in Cotic Bfe or Soul
Aaaaand that makes every hardtail currently available in the thread now
OP, at the moment you're like a kid in a sweetie shop, 'ooh, that's nice, that one too, oh and that one!! Oh but if I spend a few pounds more I can get that one, that's reeeeally nice!!!'
Sit down, work out what type of riding you'll be doing (blue trails/red trails/enduro racing?) - if you tell us where you'll be riding no doubt other people will know it and will suggest a suitable style of bike for the local trails.
Then from that you'll be able to work out whether you need an XC hardtail, slack/aggressive hardtail or a full suspension. Then work out a budget and stick to it (within reason, £100 on top is reasonable). Then look to see what sort of spec you want, is a good fork more important than a light frame? Do you want a SRAM or Shimano groupset? Etc etc.
All this will narrow down the choice of bike with the spec, geo, and price you want/need, and the final decision will probably go down to what colour you prefer 🙂
To give you an idea, I've decided on a £1200 budget hardtail:
General trail centre and local natural trail riding, nothing majorly extreme. Swinley, bedgebury, Surrey hills, QECP.
Reba fork, 120-130mm travel minimum
2.6 tyres minimum on 27.5 wheels
Light alloy frame
Preferably SRAM groupset
Dropper
Boost spacing front and rear
Plus points for an 800mm bar as I'm 6ft 3in.
My final choice is the sentier VRS plus 2018.
Spec:
Reasonably slack and long
Reba RL 140mm
2.6 maxxis tyres
12.5kg
SLX Groupset
Brand X dropper
Boost
800mm Nukeproof bar.
And finally the colour scheme (orange and blue) matches the FS bike I'm looking at buying as a second bike later this year so it'll match when swapping wheels...
sentier VRS plus 2018.
Spec:
Reasonably slack and long
Reba RL 140mm
2.6 maxxis tyres
12.5kg
SLX Groupset
Brand X dropper
Boost
800mm Nukeproof bar.
sounds good!
.
Thank you so much for everyone that has given me advice over the last few days. There was a lot of toing and froing as I wasnt sure exactly what I wanted.
I have eventually settled upon the Giant and picked it up last night.
Many thanks to everyone for your help