mountain bike people

[ferny]

So, I'm thinking of getting a new bike. The one I have is around eight years old I think. It's not falling apart, just not like new. I've only ever come off of it twice. I cracked the gears at the peddles on the first crash and they had to be replaced (a big bang...). It's never been right since. Both wheels are far from straight and the front bearing has gone. Just a couple of things gone wrong and I feel like a change.

Anyhoo... I know what I want it to have except for the brakes. What's the view on disc brakes? Are they actually better and how long do they last? The disc and the pad. I assume they're good in the wet. The blocks I've got on my bike have never really been replaced. Erm, part of that is down to not using it for five years though....

 

[MDowdey]

fern what type of bike are you looking for? i might be able to help you save some money


also, you might want to ask graigdavis, but i dont think disc brakes are a needed item, although they are cool.

md

 

[ferny]

They've come in handy, if they work in the wet. I've had "issues" with brakes, shall we say. :shock:

At the moment I've got one of the first bikes to have suspension on the front and back but the rear system is a bit outdated. It's very good for tarmac though. I've got into riding over heavy tree roots, over and off natural jumps etc, so I'm going for something with suspension again. The sort that cost about £350+. I think I'm able to get one for under £100, new. We'll see. I'm just collecting info on the brakes right now. Oh, and it must have 24+ gears. I run out of resistance with the 18 I have at the moment.

 

[MDowdey]

well then good luck with that. that sounds cheap for all the components that you want, unless you are going to get a bike that weighs more than you do.

 

[Xmetal]

Duallie's are good if you do a fair bit of messing around in the bush, if you are going to buy another Duallie and stick to the road i'd suggest you try and get one with lockable shocks for when you come to a large hill - you'll think they're the best thing since sliced bread when you come to a large hillclimb.

Cable Disc brakes are good but you'l find yourself frequently maintaining them.

Hydraulic Disc Brakes are for people who are nuts about the sport and go faster than the posted speedlimit, read: Downhill riders, i'm told they're good on maintainence but bleeding them can be difficult for the inexperienced rider.

 

[Meysha]

They've come in handy, if they work in the wet. I've had "issues" with brakes, shall we say. :shock:

No pete, I think you've got it the wrong way around... You may have 'issues' with speed.

 

[Scurra]

Ferny, Disc brakes are worth it, I have V-brakes on one of my bikes and discs on the other and i'd like to convert both to discs if I had the mounts. The key to disc brakes is they work just as well if not better than v's in the wet as well as the dry.

DO NOT but cable discs... pile of **** things that they are, hydraulic discs just work better. I have magura Julies which are XC spec and I picked up for just over 100 pounds for front and rear levers, calipers, pads and rotors. The pads they supply will wear out pretty rapidly in the crappy UK conditions though so it's worth getting wet weather specific pads as soon as the stock ones are dead.

So yeah I'd get discs, Magura do quite a nice range of budget hydraulics, but if you have money to burn i'd check out Hope, my friend has a six pot on his full sus GT and it puts all other discs to shame. Just don't grab a handful of brake or you'll be scraping your face off of the road.

As for bikes. I'd say check out ebay. I have two GT's neither new, I bought a hardtail frame from a friend of mine and custom built a 9 speed dirt jump bike, and then I bought a GT I drive full suspension off of ebay for 400 quid, with a beautiful Fox float rear shock. The only things I changed on that were the handle bars and stem because it rode like a shopping bike and recently I put some Marzzochi MX Comp air forks on the front to lighten it up a bit. They have lockout which is a very nice feature indeed when riding up steep hills.

If you wan't any further help/advice I know a fair bit about all things bike related.. give me a multitool and a pile of parts and I can build one, so drop me a PM or something and i'd be happy to help out.

 

[molested_cow]

First of all, what kind of riding do you do? Trail, downhill, city, etc?

Secondly, how much are you willing to spend?

These 2 questions will help you narrow down the choices pretty quickly.
I have a hardtail with Avid mechanical disc brakes. It's awesome, minimum maintenance needed.

From your description you don't seem to take care of your bike at all. Well, you got to start getting used to spending time and money when you get your new one, or else it will be junked in no time.

 

[ferny]

Ferny, Disc brakes are worth it, I have V-brakes on one of my bikes and discs on the other and i'd like to convert both to discs if I had the mounts. The key to disc brakes is they work just as well if not better than v's in the wet as well as the dry.

DO NOT but cable discs... pile of **** things that they are, hydraulic discs just work better. I have magura Julies which are XC spec and I picked up for just over 100 pounds for front and rear levers, calipers, pads and rotors. The pads they supply will wear out pretty rapidly in the crappy UK conditions though so it's worth getting wet weather specific pads as soon as the stock ones are dead.

So yeah I'd get discs, Magura do quite a nice range of budget hydraulics, but if you have money to burn i'd check out Hope, my friend has a six pot on his full sus GT and it puts all other discs to shame. Just don't grab a handful of brake or you'll be scraping your face off of the road.

As for bikes. I'd say check out ebay. I have two GT's neither new, I bought a hardtail frame from a friend of mine and custom built a 9 speed dirt jump bike, and then I bought a GT I drive full suspension off of ebay for 400 quid, with a beautiful Fox float rear shock. The only things I changed on that were the handle bars and stem because it rode like a shopping bike and recently I put some Marzzochi MX Comp air forks on the front to lighten it up a bit. They have lockout which is a very nice feature indeed when riding up steep hills.

If you wan't any further help/advice I know a fair bit about all things bike related.. give me a multitool and a pile of parts and I can build one, so drop me a PM or something and i'd be happy to help out.

I didn't understanda word of that really. Other than, hydro-discs, good. :mrgreen:

First of all, what kind of riding do you do? Trail, downhill, city, etc?

Secondly, how much are you willing to spend?

These 2 questions will help you narrow down the choices pretty quickly.
I have a hardtail with Avid mechanical disc brakes. It's awesome, minimum maintenance needed.

From your description you don't seem to take care of your bike at all. Well, you got to start getting used to spending time and money when you get your new one, or else it will be junked in no time.

I take good care of it. It just gets a bit abused by my riding style.
I do a mixture of "styles". It's only for exercise and I go where the mood takes me. Could be a tarmac cycle path, could be a narrow bridal way with huge lumps missing and bricks sticking up.


Thanks for the info.

 

[molested_cow]

Well you got to be more specific on your use.

Eg. I commute on my bike on road to work on daily basis, but I do trail riding about once a week or 2, so I will focus my need on trail riding since it's more demanding. I will then focus my search for trail riding and my riding style. Hardtail or full suspension, weight specifications, component specifications etc. Then I can either buy parts and put it together, or find a pre-assembled bike that suits my needs. You will of course need to research into what kind of parts you will need.

All-in-all, you have to know what you will be doing with it and get something that suits the use. Without knowing what you need, you will regret your purchase pretty quick.

There are other more technical things. People compare geometry of the frames and they can feel the difference when riding them. some feel more nimble, some feel faster. I've only had 2 serious bikes before so I can't really say much. My second bike does feel a lot different from the first one, and took me a while to get adjusted to.

So, it's important for you to get a frame that you feel familar with. Be sure to try the bike personally to get the right size as well.

 

[molested_cow]

BTW I ride a GT. It's a 2001 model just before they got bought out. Their reputation has gone down since, but I don't know how their quality has been affected.

Giant is a good starting point. You should ask your question here: http://www.bikeforums.net/

There are some threads regarding getting new bikes that you should search for before you post. I remembered there was this "best $500 bike" thread or something, very informative.

Or, go down to a local bike shop and see what they have, get some specs and post it here. we should be able to tell you what the bikes are good for.

 

[ferny]

Ahhh... looks like you're into this much more than me. Frankly, the frame style honestly won't bother me. If I was serious about it, then yeah, I'd delve into it a lot more. But I only want a bike which won't break my back when I go over rough terrain when I choose to. So if at first the bike feels strange, I'd get used to it and live with it. That's why I only really needed to know about the disc brakes. I wanted to know if they'd actually make a difference.

 

[Scurra]

in that case yes...

discs work like v brakes only a bit stronger in the dry and a hell of a lot better than v brakes in the wet...

And in general I wouldn't buy cable discs, but i guess it depends on your budget. If i could only afford cable discs i'd rather go for a top end set of V brakes. I quite like avid's speed dial and single digit ranges.

 

[molested_cow]

And in general I wouldn't buy cable discs, but i guess it depends on your budget. If i could only afford cable discs i'd rather go for a top end set of V brakes. I quite like avid's speed dial and single digit ranges.

Did mechanical disc brake stole your girlfriend or something? Why do you hate it so much? Mine work perfectly fine! I never had to tune it after the installation, just occasional pad adjustment as it wears, which happens to every disc brake mechanical or hydraulic.

It seems that this guy doesn't need a disc brake at all. It's not that you are going to do some rough riding. V-brake will be fine. Disc brake invites thief too just because they look more expensive.

Breaking your back? How? Your butt shouldn't be on the seat in those situations!

I suggest a simple hardtail bike for light weight and cost. It seems that you don't do anything that rough, so something in the range of $300~$400 will be more than enough. I don't know what you can get with that money in England, but here it will be a pretty damn good commuter bike with off road capability. Just don't jump off a 3' drop or something.

 

[molested_cow]

BTW, there is a difference between getting used to a new bike and getting used to a wrong size!

Too big will make it hard for you to ride, cutting your efficiency. Too small risk your legs getting caught in the handle bars and upset your CG making you more prompt to flying forward, usually head first.