Hi there,
I’m completely new to mountain biking, the last time I rode a bike I was about 18 so not in a fair few years. I’m currently in the market for a bike with a budget of £800 for the bike itself! I’m torn between three bikes, which I would like your opinions on which would be best specs etc

#1 CUBE Acid 29er Black – 2013 https://twelve50bikes.com/shop/MTB-Hardtail/489

#2 WHYTE 529 Hardtail 29er – 2013 http://www.cheshireoakscycles.co.uk/m8b0s337p2147/WHYTE-529-Hardtail-29er-Mountain-Bike-2013

#3 MARIN Alpine Trail 29er – 2013 http://www.cheshireoakscycles.co.uk/m8b0s337p2128/MARIN-Alpine-Trail-29er-2013

As I don’t know anything (at the moment) about the components etc your feed back would be very much appreciated

Have you looked at anything outrageous.. such as 26”

£800 is a decent budget for a first bike, don’t forget to allow some money for helmet / gloves

All good brands you’ve picked there. As per @cheez0 above why not consider some 26 bikes, try and demo ride a few (certainly 26 vs 29 to see which size you prefer) and then just buy the one you want the most and go riding.

Personally, I would buy a second hand XC bike for about £400, and actually see if i’ll get the bug for it. So many people buy a bike ride it 4 or 5 times and let it sit in the garage, and are then surprised when they only get 50% of it’s purchase price back after a year.

Buy second hand. Whatever you buy now you are going to want to sell in a few months. Either because you get hooked and realise that it isn’t the right bike or you don’t and it just sits in the shed being neglected. Either way you’ll lose around half the value of a new bike when you stick it back on ebay but a lot less (possibly nothing at all) if you buy it second hand.

EDIT: beaten to it 🙂 but it’s still good advice.

Demo a few as mentioned…

If you are tall 29ers might work better than a 26 and vice versa.

Thanks for the quick reply’s guys 🙂

I’m buying my bike new due to a cycle to work scheme through work and have got a voucher for £1000 to spend (unfortunately a used bike would be out of the question) so I’ve allocated £200 for helmet, gloves, tools etc.

I’m not going to cycle to work due to the nature of my job, but will be taking it easy at first then heading up to Delamere and further once I’ve gained confidence and learned the basics!

I’m 6’4″by the way

29er is now the answer, based upon the effort I’m having to put in to keep up with riding buddies who’ve now got them…

As with most bikes, get the one with the best frame/fork combo, that fits – what’s your inside leg, as you’ll need at least a 20″ frame.

Having looked at those three listed, I’d spend near the £1000 to get something with a better fork. Although I’m also surprised how little a £1000 gets now…

Of the 3 you mention I would rule out Whyte and the Marin as they have 28mm stanchion forks that are going to be pretty flexy and not work too well , especially as you are a big guy and are going to need an XL frame size . Trek Mamba would be worth a look £700 ,good frame , sorted geometry and a decent fork and reasonable spec that you would have to get really into MTBing to outgrow .

Check out Merida as well, Nick at Sixty Nine cycles in Hoole does them.

Also, Get out with the Monday night crew around Delamere, there’s no pressure to perform and there’s cake afterwards!

Any of the bikes you have chosen………….in 26″ flavour.

The last thing I would recommend to a new MTB’er is a 29’er.

I would buy one of these http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOOSC29X5/on_one_scandal_trail_29er_mountain_bike

Or the Inbred in 26″ flavour for £100 less.

As others have said – I would spunk more of the money on the bike itself. As it is a cycle to work scheme you will be paying it over the year so perhaps blow most / all of the money on the bike and buy the helmet and gloves etc separately. If you are stuck on a 29er then consider the Giant as well. I know they are a bit mainstream for some of the niche-ists but I have found them to be very good bikes. The Talon 29er 1 squeaks into your budget and that looks to have a reasonable spec of gear. But try the bikes out to make sure they feel right to you.

Any of the bikes you have chosen………….in 26″ flavour.

The last thing I would recommend to a new MTB’er is a 29’er.
Posted 10 minutes ago # Report-Post

Care to expand on that or just trolling ?

Try it first!!! Best advice anybody gave me. Go to a shop, and throw a leg over a couple. You will know what you like.

Care to expand on that or just trolling ?

Harder to manual, jump, pump and corner. i.e all of the main skills in mountain biking are more difficult on bigger wheels, hence recommending 26 inch wheels.

Depends on what the op’s priorities are, but I would always suggest riding smaller wheels as a beginner, so the skills can be picked up quicker.

At this stage it doesn’t really matter just buy the one you like the look of – you can get better bits for it later once you’ve decided whether you’re ‘in to’ mtb or not. That said the 32mm stachions on the cube would sway me – all other things being equal.

but ride it first even if it’s just round the carpark

Harder to manual, jump, pump and corner. i.e all of the main skills in mountain biking are more difficult on bigger wheels, hence recommending 26 inch wheels.

from speaking to people who can ride a bike, this isnt true. Its just different from a 26 so people THINK its harder cos they’re used to riding 26″ wheels. The timing is just different cos the wheels are bigger / angle to the ground isnt the same

If the OP is tall and hasnt really ridden for a long time, I’d suggest that actually a 29er is a good idea…they can still pump and corner perfectly well

all in my opinion though

What do you think you’re gonna do on it, and what do you want it to do well?
– Go fast from A to B?
– Get out and explore?
– Ride up hills (just about) so you can ride down them (fast, doing skids and popping off bumps)?
– Uplifts and DH?
– Race? If so XC? Enduro?
– All day rides or lung bursting 1 hr blasts?

(BTW – option 3 is the “right” answer. 😉 )

all in my opinion though

This is the problem, you don’t know what you are talking about.

Spend a few months on a bmx and then come back and tell everyone that riding a bigger wheeled bike is just as easy to jump, pump, manual and corner.

Either a 26er or a 29er could be great… But at the moment there’s still more good value options for 26er IMO.

Halfords an option? Their Boardman and Voodoo range is really excellent, they’re price-point specialists so they nail this market. can’t testride normally but you can sit on one for fit etc at least.

Spend a few months on a bmx and then come back and tell everyone that riding a bigger wheeled bike is just as easy to jump, pump, manual and corner.

Not easier – just different. As a big bloke, he’d be awfully cramped on a bmx and unable to do any of those things. I find a 29er that fits to be easier to ride than a bmx. I’m 6’7″ so you might not understand my reference point – but that’s fine.

OP – try bikes, and spend as much on the bike as possible. The ScandAL 29er is a great bike – had one for years.

I still think that the whole ‘tall riders should ride 29ers’ thing is a load of BS but…

I would actually recommend a 29er for a beginner – IME the fun from my 29er comes from the additional confidence that the bigger wheels provide and that would be particularly relevant to a newbie. Of course, I love my 26″ bikes for being that little bit twitchier but at the same time, that’s not going to be appreciated so much by a beginner.

YMMV of course…

Not easier – just different. As a big bloke, he’d be awfully cramped on a bmx and unable to do any of those things. I find a 29er that fits to be easier to ride than a bmx. I’m 6’7″ so you might not understand my reference point – but that’s fine.

I’m 6’3 and had no problem riding a bmx. Also no problems riding a 26’er.

If you do not understand that wheel size can have a big effect on bike geometry and handling then I cannot explain how skills are easier to learn on a bike with smaller wheels.

Riding a 29’er just because you are tall is daft.

If you do not understand that wheel size can have a big effect on bike geometry and handling then I cannot explain how skills are easier to learn on a bike with smaller wheels.

and here’s my point proven…if you’d never ridden a BMX and went straight to 29er you’d be starting from scratch and would pick it up. You may have difficulty going back to a BMX and trying to do it all the same and may have the opinion that its quite hard to ride a BMX

happy for you to have an opinion (they’re like ars*es – we all have one) but dont tell me mine is less worthy than yours because you can ride a BMX

Guys I really appreciate all the help and advice you’ve provided and I’m going to re-evaluate the options that I have! It sounds like I have a lot to learn other than jumping onto a bike and pedalling lol. So I’m gonna take all your advice and visit a few of the LBS in my area to see if I can have a test run on a few different makes etc… All your advise has been noted.

Cheers fellas

even though you are buying on cycle to work you might get a better ‘deal’ buying 2nd hand.

How much do you save on cycle to work? 20%? Buying on cycle to work means you normally have to pay RRP but buying 2nd hand you could easily get a £1000 bike for about £500-600, if not less.

But putting that aside – go try as many out as possible.

My wife has had a few years off from riding due to baby, when she returned I stuck her on my 29er FS (she’s quite tall for a woman, and not much shorter than me) and enjoyed it immensely.

All this crap about needing to ‘do your time’ 🙄

It used to be that you ‘had’ to do your time on a hardtail, now it’s 26″ it would seem. While I can appreciate the merits of learning the craft in the purest way (if you’re serious), most people just want to get out and have some fun. If a full suss or a 29er increases that enjoyment for them, I’m all for it.

(Says the guy who’s been riding 18 years, mostly on hardtails with small wheels).

I’m buying my bike new due to a cycle to work scheme through work…

I’m not going to cycle to work due to the nature of my job

er, is that not kind of defeating the point?

in all seriousness though, go to shops, try things out, fit and feel is way more important that minor spec differences.

It used to be that you ‘had’ to do your time on a hardtail, now it’s 26″ it would seem. While I can appreciate the merits of learning the craft in the purest way (if you’re serious), most people just want to get out and have some fun. If a full suss or a 29er increases that enjoyment for them, I’m all for it.

I’m definitely in the ‘people are better off learning on hardtails, flat pedals and small wheels’ camp. Simply because it makes riding bikes more fun in the long run.

That being said, I agree, whatever gets you out and enjoying yourself. If you only have a 29’er with clips and full suspension available, crack on. It wouldn’t be my first choice though.

Even given the points above about the CTW scheme, I’d still be inclined to buy second hand. 20% off RRP isn’t much really. Come September, all the shops will be flooded with 2013 models at 30+% off anyway.

Oh, and don’t worry too much about what size wheels etc you have. As you may have gathered, there is a bit of a divide in the mountain biking community about the value of different wheel sizes.

Just get out and ride. On a hardtail. With 26″ wheels. And one gear. Made of steel. And sold in Yorkshire.

Hope that helps!

It is all very nice to say try out the bikes first, but who would really know what a bike should feel right for fit, without experience of making mistakes and getting it wrong.

And same for second hand, without experience how would he know what to look for as to what is a good buy and what’s is an overpriced wreck, it takes a few years to understand the differences in equipment and condition of bikes.

It is all very nice to say try out the bikes first, but who would really know what a bike should feel right for fit, without experience of making mistakes and getting it wrong.

a good shop should be able to help you work out which bikes fit you better, and even with limited experience trying a few will help, if you just buy one based on online spec then sure, when you swing a leg over it you wont have any way to know how it compares, but trying bikes out can at least give you some reference points.

Not sure how tall you are, but I’m selling a 6 month old Whyte 529 in small:

My Whyte 529 for sale

Sorry in advance if anyone is offended by me posting this link! 🙂

I think you should buy a 27:5″ wheeled device or 650b ?
For those that can’t quite make up their minds, a bit like being bi sexual,

All this talk about different wheel sizes and being able to jump a BMX has no relevance to actually riding a bike, my son rides a BMX to school and I ride it back, it scares the Sh!t out of me despite the fact that I’ve been riding bikes for over 30 years, each to their own, personally if I were 6’4″ I’d have a 29er,

a good shop should be able to help you work out which bikes fit you better

Shops will try and sell you what they have in stock (there of course may be exceptions to the rule), again experience is the only way to filter the advice you get.

I’d get a 26″ for a first bike purely because you will get more bang for your buck. An £800 29″ bike will not have as good components as an £800 26er – in most cases.

I agree with the above
If you go into a bike shop asking which one your comming out with one they can’t get shut of !

I ride a BMX most days and although it definitely makes me better at riding a 26er I wouldn’t say it’s any easier to jump, pump, manual or corner. I prefer the increased stability and slower reactions of the bigger bike but the BMX is an amazing tool for helping you ride better. I think most beginners of average or greater height would be well served with a (good!) 29er.

a good shop