Chris Walters said:I have a friend at work, alas no internet access, who's looking for a new hardtail MTB. He's
looked at a Marin Rocky Ridge (around £950) which he seems to like, but doesn't know much about
alternatives. Usage will be trails, up to 30 miles, he's around 10 stones and not a spring
chicken, and will not be using it to jump off walls etc.
There are a huge range of bikes out there...
A key issue with an off-road bike, no matter what you do with it, is weight. Lighter is generally
better and there have to be important reasons for choosing a heavier bike. A ten stone rider who is
not doing nasty downhills should not have worries about breaking things so from his point of view
there should be no particular reason to worry about strength.
Another key issue, particularly if you are doing distances, is comfort. A full suspension bike will
weigh more than an equivalent hardtail by about 4 pounds; it will also cost more by several hundred
pounds. But a good one will be a lot more comfortable to ride and will also, as an added bonus,
handle difficult surfaces better so you will be able to go faster for the same skill level. While
we're on comfort, whatever bike you get, expect to throw away the saddle that comes on it and
replace it with one that really fits you. And (obviously) size matters. It doesn't matter how good a
bike is, if it doesn't fit it won't be comfortable.
Finally, there is an important tradeoff between maintenance and adjustability. Air suspension
units are much more easy to tune for your weight and riding style but on the whole take somewhat
more maintenance than spring ones. Don't buy elastomer-only suspension units, they tend not to
work well for long.
Do not buy a hardtail until you have ridden a reasonable distance on a good full suspension bike and
got the feel of it (hire one for a day). It's a different compromise and not necessarily the right
one but one you ought to evaluate.
Cantilever and V brakes stop off-road bikes perfectly adequately in all but very wet conditions.
Disk brakes really are more powerful, and less affected by wet and mud. But they weigh more and are
much more expensive.
Makes I would recommend looking at include Orange, Whyte (why is it that high profile British MTB
companies seem to have colour names), Cannondale, Santa Cruz. In a slightly higher price bracket,
the german Nicolai bikes are about the nicest around.
--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗
I'm fed up with Life 1.0. I never liked it much and now it's getting me down. I think I'll
upgrade to MSLife 97 -- you know, the one that comes in a flash new box and within weeks you're
crawling with bugs.
