I'm a newbie to Bike magic and interested to know what sort of bike i should invest in? I'm looking to spend only a couple of hundred pounds as don't want to shell out huge amounts of money for something that i may not initially devote a lot of time to. For now it will be a case of getting back in the sadle and seeing how it goes. If all goes well and i get the bug i'll invest in something a little more expensive.
I live in Devon so am fortunate enough to make full use of the beautiful countryside and Tarka trails.
There are just so many bikes out there and it's hard to know what to go for.
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 Hi katie, welcome to BM I would go to a bike shop - there are other SW based folk on here, so will let them recommend specific ones - and try a few on for size/feel. I would always physically try one out rather than go thro' the net - despite the cost savings. The cheaper they are, the heavier they are generally which does act as a deterrent to riding them a bit. Other option, is to get a good 2nd hand one if you have any clued up bike wise friends. Same cash, far better bike, although finding a women's specific model may be hard at that price. Here, at the risk of sending you away from BM may be able to recommend more model types.
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 Tough question to answer as it can have a direct impact on whether you get the bug or not. A cheap(er) bike is likely to be heavy and not too well equipped so may detract from the riding experience and put you off altogether. An aquaintance of mine bought a £180 Apollo from Halfrauds, rode it twice, hated it & stuck it straight on Friday Ads for half what he paid to get rid of it. Some time later someone lent him a decent hardtail and he came out with a few of us for a social ride. By the following weekend he'd dropped £600 on a new bike & 6 months later £2k on a new full susser. In view of where you live, perhaps there may be some hire centres where you could at least try a few half decent bikes? You could even get a couple of test rides from local shops to see whether it's your kinda thing and what sort of bike you like. If you try that then feel there's a real point in spending cash at least you'll have a better idea & can even go looking for bargains at places like www.paulscycles.co.uk which retail older models with good discounts on them. Edit: must learn to type quicker 
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| Edited: 26/05/09 16:20 |
Shows great minds think alike Nobby.
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hmm this is interesting. I was in actual fact going to just check out what i liked on the internet and purchase one that way as thought this would less hassle, but now that you mention about the different weights it's definately worth going to a bike shop and perhaps test riding a few. I don't mind paying a little bit extra if it's going to make the difference of a good or bad ride. Thanks for your help guys, much appreciated.
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 Hot persuit Cycles of Totness were very friendly and helpfull a couple of years ago when i had a problem when on holiday a few years ago...
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 At that price I would go second hand as: 1. You will get something much better for the money. 2. If you don't like it you will loose far less selling it on. Go for something from one of the larger manufactures like Giant, Trek, Specialized, Marin, Kona as you will at least get proven geometry and reasonable kit levels.
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| Edited: 26/05/09 23:14 |
 I came back into MTBing a couple of years ago, originally I had a lovely full sus Kona which got nicked. Didnt have much money at the time so bought a 2nd hand Specialized HardRock pro 17inch off Ebay. I gradually did it up, thinking the reason for it not being an enjoyable ride was due to the heavy wheels etc...until the only original thing on it was the frame & forks....it was still awful! So I went out and got a Rockhopper frame, 15.5inch (I am 5'6'') had all the stuff transferred over by Halfords for £35..bargain. Went out on it last week and it was brill, I smoked my partner and have got the bug again. So as the other guys have said it is worth getting a bike which has the scope for you to upgrade as your interest grows. Getting a cheap heavy bike may just put you off, like it almost did me. 2nd hand is a good option but dont get sucked into buying a 'bargain' which could just end up being a totally unsuitable bike. Depending on how tall you are generally end of season sales have lots of smaller bikes going very cheap so you could pick up a nice 2007/2008 bike from JE James, etc. Anyway happy hunting!
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