New Mountain Bike Advice

in message <[email hidden]>, Vortex

(') said:

Hi,

I've been sporadically into/out of cycling for 35 years and it won't
be long before it's time to hang up the road bike for the Winter.

My mountain bike (Saracen, circa 1986) is knackered and I'm looking to
buy a
new one but am overwealmed with the options and choices. I'm out of
touch with the market.

Can anyone recommend a good, objective review site, or magazine I
should be looking at/buying?

Singtrack magazine and its related website,
<URL:http://www.singletrackworld.com/> are the best resources of their
kind in Britain for adult mountain bikers. For reviews,
<URL:http://www.mtbreview.com> is quite useful.

Quoted message said:

I'm prepared to spend £500 to £1000 and I want a machine to last.

I want a lightweight hardtail with high quality goup set and hydraulic
discs. Am attracted to TREK 6700/Saracen Zen 3. What other brands
should I consider? Marin? Scott?

Also consider:

UK made: Orange, Whyte <URL:http://www.whytebikes.com/>
German made: Nicolai <URL:http://www.nicolai.net/>
US made: Cannondale, Gary Fisher, Santa Cruz.

For a hardtail at this price band I'd recommend an F-series Cannondale
with a Lefty, probably the F800 which lists at £1300 but you'll
probably pick up for £1,000 in end-of-season sales.
<URL:http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/ce/model-4FS8.html>

My review of my own Cannondale is here:
<URL:http://www.jasmine.org.uk:8180/dogfood/story?article=10>

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Iraq war: it's time for regime change...
... go now, Tony, while you can still go with dignity.
[update 18 months after this .sig was written: it's still relevant]

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

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Vortex

(') said:

Hi,

I've been sporadically into/out of cycling for 35 years and it won't
be long before it's time to hang up the road bike for the Winter.

My mountain bike (Saracen, circa 1986) is knackered and I'm looking to
buy a
new one but am overwealmed with the options and choices. I'm out of
touch with the market.

Can anyone recommend a good, objective review site, or magazine I
should be looking at/buying?

Singtrack magazine and its related website,
<URL:http://www.singletrackworld.com/> are the best resources of their
kind in Britain for adult mountain bikers. For reviews,
<URL:http://www.mtbreview.com> is quite useful.

Quoted message said:

I'm prepared to spend £500 to £1000 and I want a machine to last.

I want a lightweight hardtail with high quality goup set and hydraulic
discs. Am attracted to TREK 6700/Saracen Zen 3. What other brands
should I consider? Marin? Scott?

Also consider:

UK made: Orange, Whyte <URL:http://www.whytebikes.com/>
German made: Nicolai <URL:http://www.nicolai.net/>
US made: Cannondale, Gary Fisher, Santa Cruz.

For a hardtail at this price band I'd recommend an F-series Cannondale
with a Lefty, probably the F800 which lists at £1300 but you'll
probably pick up for £1,000 in end-of-season sales.
<URL:http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/ce/model-4FS8.html>

My review of my own Cannondale is here:
<URL:http://www.jasmine.org.uk:8180/dogfood/story?article=10>

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Iraq war: it's time for regime change...
... go now, Tony, while you can still go with dignity.
[update 18 months after this .sig was written: it's still

relevant]

You sure like that Jekyll Simon!

I might be the proud owner of a 2004 Jekyll 900 at the end of this week,
the current discounts on '04 bikes are just too tempting! Took one for a
spin last weekend and I love the Lefty Max, so stiff and just takes the hits
with ease.

in message <[email hidden]>, Andy

(') said:

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

Quoted message said:

For a hardtail at this price band I'd recommend an F-series
Cannondale with a Lefty, probably the F800 which lists at £1300 but
you'll probably pick up for £1,000 in end-of-season sales.
<URL:http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/ce/model-4FS8.html>

My review of my own Cannondale is here:
<URL:http://www.jasmine.org.uk:8180/dogfood/story?article=10>

You sure like that Jekyll Simon!

I might be the proud owner of a 2004 Jekyll 900 at the end of this
week,
the current discounts on '04 bikes are just too tempting! Took one
for a spin last weekend and I love the Lefty Max, so stiff and just
takes the hits with ease.

They're lovely bikes, aren't they? I haven't found anything it won't do
well, and it just gives you so much confidence. I don't care what Lance
Armstrong says, it _is_ (at least partly) about the bike. I know I ride
better and have more fun on the Jekyll than on other mountain bikes,
and I know I ride better and have more fun on my good road bike than on
my old one.

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

;; Semper in faecibus sumus, sole profundum variat.

Just goes to show how personal the feel of a bike is.

I have a Cannondfale F1000 and love it to bits. I decided I wanted a full susser and tried a Jekyll and found it too plush and slow.

Then tried an Orange 5 - great but not a good looker.

Tried an extended ride on a Specialised Epic, then Stumpjumper and bought the Stumpjumper.

To come back to the hard tail, I am a great Cannondale fan, but would advise to also look at Specialized.

in message <[email hidden]>,

trembler50 (') said:

Just goes to show how personal the feel of a bike is.

I have a Cannondfale F1000 and love it to bits. I decided I wanted a
full susser and tried a Jekyll and found it too plush and slow.

It's an air shock, you know. You can pump it up to tune the suspension.
In fact the rear suspension on the Jekyll is almost infinitely tunable,
because you can also change the trunnion position to change the
bottom-bracket height and head angle. If you don't like anything about
the rear suspension on a Jekyll, it'll take under five minutes to
change it.

Mind you, I wouldn't mind an F1000 as well!

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

;; An enamorata is for life, not just for weekends.

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

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I've been sporadically into/out of cycling for 35 years and it won't be

long

Quoted message said:

before it's time to hang up the road bike for the Winter.

My mountain bike (Saracen, circa 1986) is knackered and I'm looking to buy

a

Quoted message said:

new one but am overwealmed with the options and choices. I'm out of

touch

Quoted message said:

with the market.

Can anyone recommend a good, objective review site, or magazine I should

be

Quoted message said:

looking at/buying?

I'm prepared to spend £500 to £1000 and I want a machine to last.

I want a lightweight hardtail with high quality goup set and hydraulic
discs. Am attracted to TREK 6700/Saracen Zen 3. What other brands should

I

Quoted message said:

consider? Marin? Scott?

TIA

David

Hi David,

I got a Trek 6700 about 12 weeks ago and I really like it, although I did
have to change the saddle as the Bontrager FS2000 supplied was just too
uncomfortable. I bought the disc brake version and have found it really
great in the mud, no more clogged up brake callipers!

Recommend you try before you buy as I had difficulty finding a frame size to
fit as I have a "long body". It was surprising the variation in geometry
across models. I'm 6'2" and was thinking I would need a 19" frame or there
abouts. Ended up with a 17.5" which was the best fit. My LBS, Priory Marina
Cycling, were great and I was able to try various models that were in their
hire fleet. Suggest you find a similar outfit in your neck of the woods.

If you want any more info about the Trek let me know.

--
Regards,
Dave (Take out THEDOG to email me.)

http://tinyurl.com/2ya9z | http://www.kidzkargo.co.uk/ |
http://www.in-and-about.co.uk/
http://www.lamanga-golf.com/ | http://www.russells-accountants.co.uk

Quoted message said:

Also consider:

UK made: Orange, Whyte <URL:http://www.whytebikes.com/>
German made: Nicolai <URL:http://www.nicolai.net/>
US made: Cannondale, Gary Fisher, Santa Cruz.

For a hardtail at this price band I'd recommend an F-series Cannondale
with a Lefty, probably the F800 which lists at £1300 but you'll
probably pick up for £1,000 in end-of-season sales.
<URL:http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/ce/model-4FS8.html>

My review of my own Cannondale is here:
<URL:http://www.jasmine.org.uk:8180/dogfood/story?article=10>

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Iraq war: it's time for regime change...
... go now, Tony, while you can still go with dignity.
[update 18 months after this .sig was written: it's still relevant]

Simon,

Thanks for the suggestions.

Tonight I'm off to Evans' Cycles large store near Gatwick to evaluate a few
options.

FYI they have F800 in stock at £999

David