Going to buy a Mountain bike

[binge]

Right guys,

Looking to buy a MTB.

I live very close to work again now, so ideal for the <1 mile trip each day.
But then I also want something to go out on of a weekend, bit of actual trail type riding, maybe hitting a few cheeky little jumps, but certainly not BMX mad-man style.


I really don't have a clue when it comes to these.

I want something that I can pop into my local Halfrauds / bike shop, and buy replacement brake pads etc.

I want something I can use and not be fixing constantly.

But I don't want something bank-breaking.


I had a figure in my head of around £250. Is this realistic?

I'm 5'10, average build, so imagine a 'normal' size bike will do me.


Where should I begin?



Ta


Ben

[Irn-Bru]

I can't offer advice on which bike but I would check out the cycle to work scheme and see if your employer is on it
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KTM 990 SMT & Suzuki DR-Z 400 SM

[Rogerborg]

Brewery, for all your piss-up needs.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Rigga]

£250 will get you a BSO (bicycle shaped object) but not a proper bike. Are you talking about 2nd hand? If so you might be able to get a half decent hard tail for that money if you check ebay, gumtree, pink bike etc.
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Current bike: Honda CBR 1100xx

[binge]

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[Nb]

I paid about 240 ish for an almost new voodoo hoodoo off of gumtree, spent 40 quid upgrading the brakes for shimano hydraulics and did take it to the local bike park a few times. 250 wont get you much new but there is lots of people who buy bikes with good intentions but get little or no use.....so used bargains are around.

I later spent 900 pounds on a scott voltage freeride bike when things got more serious but my voodoo can do riding to work and pissing about when it needs to.
https://i54.tinypic.com/2ij0xsn.jpg
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Cbr1100xx blackbird gone, mk4 golf gt tdi chav now
Colin1 wrote 'Im grateful for what i can get, which isnt all that much.'
Columbus travel insurance are crap!! Do not use!

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Still hitting Chicksands BP Nb?
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My Flickr

[Rigga]

Something like that voodoo above would be ideal for you, but yeah at that budget you definitely need to be looking at usedbuys off eBay etc and there are some real bargains out there.
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Current bike: Honda CBR 1100xx

[Nb]

Been going to woburn and aston hill more, but woburn has been flattened because they need to fell some trees. I fell off at aston hill on surface to air and cracked a rib last time i was there
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=544Q1HKwAGI
____________________
Cbr1100xx blackbird gone, mk4 golf gt tdi chav now
Colin1 wrote 'Im grateful for what i can get, which isnt all that much.'
Columbus travel insurance are crap!! Do not use!

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[Nb]

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[daemonoid]

[Marcg868]

For 250 a used Carrera Vulcan or voodoo bantu.

New you'll have to up the budget to 329 and the btwin rockrider 5.3 from decathlon is your best bet.

450 gets you a carrera kraken which is a cracking bike.
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JACK, MISS YOU LOADS YOU LEGEND.

[331X2]

[arry]

I have a mate up in Cambs who's selling a decent 2012 Hardrock with a few trick bits for £250

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v189/jerem_rsv_uk24/IMAG0147.jpg

Won't be the best for the commute - a hybrid would be better - but would be good on the weekends. You could always pick up some spare wheels for it and stick more road orientated tyres on them.

He's a detailer, so you can bet on it being properly immaculate and cared for.

[daemonoid]

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[Robster]

I got a GT Aggressor 2013 model from my local bike shop for £300 last November. I don't think GT are what they used to be, a bit more budget-oriented these days, but its quite lightweight, came with V Brakes and all that, have generally hammered it every day and it's held up reasonably well.

The tyres it came with are complete shit, sorta hybrid road/dirt tyres which are shit at both, would fit some Schwalbe road tyres and a decent set of Tioga off-road tyres for when the mood takes me.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/gt-aggressor-3-2014/

Mine's in Black/Blue combo, nice lookin bike

Edit: The front shocks are complete gash though, those SR Sintoaur things

[BenchWench]

The BF had a Carrera Banshee from Halfords and that was good on road for short journeys and great off road. Rear and Front suspension but then it got nicked, then he got the Halfords Vulcan which was good until the seat frame snapped when he was going on a trail.

Was only £350 and to be fair he did used to put it through its paces a lot.
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Yamaha YBR - 2009
125KG of bike is not comfortable as knee ware.

[arry]

[G]

I got a halfords special and just riding around Glastonbury festival I bent a rim and the chain snapped.

Not exactly the most 'extreme' terrain.

I wouldn't want to take it near a decent DH course with big drops and the like. OK for getting around town, though the tyre choice is hardly ideal.

I'd definitely go secondhand personally.

If it was longer than a mile commute I'd say go for different tyres or a different bike for that, but at that sorta distance you're only losing a couple of minutes and not putting TOO much wear on the tyres.

[daemonoid]

[stinkwheel]