Hardtails

Doki said:

Has anyone got any answers to my numerous questions, or pointers for other
bikes to look at around this price?

All forks are good at that price range.Unless you are a committed every
day/weekend off-road rider, then it is pointless paying more IMO.
If you post your queries on the forum at www.singletrackworld.com, you
will get loads of replies, and some good pointers if anything is better.

Quoted message said:

Another thing I've thought of is having
a bike built up, possibly around one of the Fort frames, though I've really
no idea if this would cost a fortune due to having to buy all the bits at
retail prices.

It can be done at just over the price of a new bike IME, especially if you
already have some bits to use.Scan the ads in MBR for all the bargains,
and add them all up - at this time of year there are some bargains about
(£250 forks for £150 etc), and of course, you can buy all the bits that
you want, not what Trek et al are forcing on you.I'm a real fan of SRAM
gearing, so I had to go custom, as there were no new bikes available with
their kit, though it may have changed now.
Alan.

--
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.
http://www.dvatc.co.uk - Off-road cycling in the North Midlands.

A.Lee said:

Doki said:

Has anyone got any answers to my numerous questions, or pointers for
other bikes to look at around this price?

All forks are good at that price range.Unless you are a committed
every day/weekend off-road rider, then it is pointless paying more
IMO.

You'd think that, but the Marzocchi forks on the Konas sound like absolutely
terrible contraptions, and the Manitous on the Specialized leave all of a
centimetre or so for mud clearance around the top of the tyre.

Quoted message said:

If you post your queries on the forum at www.singletrackworld.com, you
will get loads of replies, and some good pointers if anything is
better.

Done, done and done.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Another thing I've thought of is having
a bike built up, possibly around one of the Fort frames, though I've
really no idea if this would cost a fortune due to having to buy all
the bits at retail prices.

It can be done at just over the price of a new bike IME, especially
if you already have some bits to use.Scan the ads in MBR for all the
bargains, and add them all up - at this time of year there are some
bargains about (£250 forks for £150 etc), and of course, you can buy
all the bits that you want, not what Trek et al are forcing on
you.I'm a real fan of SRAM gearing, so I had to go custom, as there
were no new bikes available with their kit, though it may have
changed now.

Not really thought about the SRAM route. At the minute I've got some second
hand XTR shifters / brake levers on my bike, and very lovely they are too.
That said, the Alivio guff that came on the bike was pretty poor, and
smashed into little pieces after my first superman impersonation.

in message <[email hidden]>, Doki

(') said:

I've been round a couple of bike shops in my hunt for a new hardtail
MTB, and I'm currently looking at around £700 with hydraulic disks.

General comment: if you decide instead to spend £700 on a hardtail with
V brakes, you're more likely to get a decent fork. A good fork will
make far more difference to the overall usability of the bike than disk
brakes.

Quoted message said:

So far I've seen the Trek 6700, the Kona Cinder Cone and the
Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc. Apart from suspecting that
Specialized are trying to beat Kona in the longest bike name record,
the forks on it look a bit naff (mud clearance, lack of), and I wonder
if the cables going down the bottom tube is a particularly brilliant
idea (muck on the cables / where does my crud catcher go?).

Not a good idea under British conditions, I agree. But try an SKS
Shockboard instead of a crud catcher.

Quoted message said:

The Trek looks pretty good, and I can get it from a bike shop that's
nice and nearby at a good price (£720), though I'd prefer Marzocchi
forks. Has anyone got any ideas on how good / bad the RockShox Pilot
SL on this bike is?

I don't know the Pilot models but I have been terribly unimpressed with
the RockShox forks I have stripped.

Quoted message said:

The Kona at first seemed to be fantastic, loads of decent clobber on
the bike, and Marzocchi forks. However, google quickly revealed that
the Marzocchi forks are just rebranded Suntour elastomer forks, and
thusly smell of poo. Upgrading to an MX comp doesn't look especially
possible as I can't think where I could sell the naff MZ fork fitted
to the bike. Does anyone know if it's possible to order the bike
without forks?

Your LBS may be willing to swap on a different pair of forks as they
build the bike up for you - ask them. They will probably charge you the
difference in retail price between the two forks.

Quoted message said:

Has anyone got any answers to my numerous questions, or pointers for
other bikes to look at around this price?

Cannondale F400. Doesn't have a lefty at that sort of price, of course,
but it's a real Cannondale with a real Cannondale frame, and the fork
is by no means [censored].

Quoted message said:

Another thing I've thought
of is having a bike built up, possibly around one of the Fort frames,
though I've really no idea if this would cost a fortune due to having
to buy all the bits at retail prices.

It does tend to cost more, unfortunately, although if you go to an LBS
and specify what you want they may give you a substantial discount.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; MS Windows: A thirty-two bit extension ... to a sixteen bit
;; patch to an eight bit operating system originally coded for a
;; four bit microprocessor and sold by a two-bit company that
;; can't stand one bit of competition -- anonymous

Doki said:

I've been round a couple of bike shops in my hunt for a new hardtail
MTB, and I'm currently looking at around £700 with hydraulic disks.

So far I've seen the Trek 6700, the Kona Cinder Cone and the
Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc. Apart from suspecting that
Specialized are trying to beat Kona in the longest bike name record,
the forks on it look a bit naff (mud clearance, lack of), and I
wonder if the cables going down the bottom tube is a particularly
brilliant idea (muck on the cables / where does my crud catcher go?).

The Trek looks pretty good, and I can get it from a bike shop that's
nice and nearby at a good price (£720), though I'd prefer Marzocchi
forks. Has anyone got any ideas on how good / bad the RockShox Pilot
SL on this bike is?

The Kona at first seemed to be fantastic, loads of decent clobber on
the bike, and Marzocchi forks. However, google quickly revealed that
the Marzocchi forks are just rebranded Suntour elastomer forks, and
thusly smell of poo. Upgrading to an MX comp doesn't look especially
possible as I can't think where I could sell the naff MZ fork fitted
to the bike. Does anyone know if it's possible to order the bike
without forks?

Has anyone got any answers to my numerous questions, or pointers for
other bikes to look at around this price? Another thing I've thought
of is having a bike built up, possibly around one of the Fort frames,
though I've really no idea if this would cost a fortune due to having
to buy all the bits at retail prices.

Merlin Cycles do great bikes with custom frames at great prices.

--

Burning_Ranger

To email: [email hidden]

in message <[email hidden]>, A.Lee

('alan@darkroom.+.com') said:

Doki said:

Another thing I've thought of is having
a bike built up, possibly around one of the Fort frames, though I've
really no idea if this would cost a fortune due to having to buy all
the bits at retail prices.

I'm
a real fan of SRAM gearing, so I had to go custom, as there were no
new bikes available with their kit, though it may have changed now.

Seconded. My Cannondale now has an all SRAM drivetrain (except for the
front deraileur, which is still Shimano), with X.9 rear deraileur, and
9.0 gripshifts. It's improved the bike no end.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; IE 3 is dead, but Netscape 4 still shambles about the earth,
;; wreaking a horrific vengeance upon the living
;; anonymous

"Doki" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I've been round a couple of bike shops in my hunt for a new hardtail MTB,
and I'm currently looking at around £700 with hydraulic disks.

I would seriously look at a Merlin Malt 2 for that price, there
selling the same spec that they gave the What Mountain Bike test (it
won) for £699

For you get the Frame (reasonably good), MX comp with ETA and Deore
556 hydraulic disc brakes ... see here :
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/acatalog/Sale_Bikes.html

I myself am not that rich and have the Merlin LTD edition Malt 1, with
rim brakes and MX Comp coil fork .. which I'm most happy with ..

Good thing about ordering from Merlin is that they can build it up to
your spec, and based on what I've improved on my bike I would ask for:
XTR cables (much better than deore, improves shifting no end and
doesnt seem to get effected by mud (so far) and a riser handlebar, I
got the Titec Hellbent XC and am much happier than the straight bar my
bike came with

Andy