Im looking to buy a new bike and I need some advice. Ive just started riding again and me and a few friends are riding in the local woods. Basically I want something that I can throw down hills and be able to jump off easily.

I have an old Marin hawkhill but the frames far too high and it scares the crap out of me when Im going down anything too steep.

This is top of my list at the moment I have found it for Ã,£370. My budget it a measily Ã,£500.
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/uk/030.000.000/030.010.000.asp?model=10379

No no no.

The giant frames are horrible.

For Ã,£500 probably the best all round bike you can get is this beast

http://www.bikecare.co.uk/claud_butler/cyclepages/capewrathdisc.html

Claud Butler Cape Wrath Disc.

Widely regarded as "The best" bike for the money.


http://www.falconcycles.co.uk/CORP/cb/capewrathDD.html

Giants are pretty much the best deals in cycling because of volume. Seems to be specced just fine, putting the cheese where it doesnt matter much, like the Alivio front mech vs LX rear.

Like all Taiwanese bikes, the weak spot is the wheels. Its not the parts really, but if you have a talented wheelbuilder tweak them, theyll hold up great. Basically its about pre-stressing and retruing. I use the handle of a wrench to pull the spoke heads into the hub flange and seat them properly, then true up.

With the lower end XTC frames, they are relying on the name "Giant"

In reality, they ride quite harsh and very unforgiving.  The giant I used to have shared the same frame and I hated every minute of riding.

I wish I had bought a cape wrath.

Now I have a Kona, and birds sing and the sun shines whenever I ride.

The only thing going for the Giant are the brakes.

MPH3s are pretty damn good.

Oh, yeah, frames certainly matter. My new Brodie city bike which is simply their cxcross bike with a few extra bits, has made me question my disdain for aluminum. Its my first alu bike in years, as Ive had some bad experience with brittle ball busters. The Brodie though, rides more like steel than any other alu bike Ive owned.

That said, if youre on a budget, you cant go wrong with Giant. Konas are brilliant, just insanely overpriced in the UK. Last check showed a 50%+ markup over American street pricing. Not worth it, imho.

A friend just got 40% off a Claude butler Olympus I better see if I can use his discount

Thanks for the advice. I can see my budget slowly creeping up all the time.

Im not one to normally suggest such bikes, but I really recommend that you have a test ride on a cape wrath, either with or without discs.

Its also worth considering what you can get from the lesser known brands, such as

Felt  Q800
Merlin Malt 1

If your serious about bombing through woods and a bike thats easy to get off if it all goes horribly wrong, consider a bike with a more aggresivly sloped head tube.  But dont buy too small.  You do want to be able to chuck the seat post down and go nuts, but still be comfortable when you put it back up.  But dont go out for a jump frame, as these arent great as anything else other than jumping/fast trail.

For the budget, Id personally only consider a Hardtail.

Theres also very good bikes from some of the big brand companys under the Ã,£500 budget.



GT Ruckus 2.0

Kona Blast


Its also worth remembering that you can haggle at your local bike shop, maybe not always on the price of the bike but to what you can get thrown in for free.  Things such as pump, helmet, gloves and lights.

Also make sure you set aside some of your budget to change your contact points should you wish.  Things like Tyres, Grips, Saddle, Bars and Stem to get the perfect fit.  These are things that can be changed at any point during your riding career.  All to get the bike riding just how you like.

The first thing you should buy if your riding like the above is the pedals.  You usually get some horrible plastic things.  My choice is to go for either some DMR V8s or some Wellgo sealed platform pedals.



DMR V8s (come in loads of colours)

Wellgo (DMR V12 copies)

Thanks soopahfly

I better go and try some bikes out now.

Probably a bit excessive, that last post of mine, but if you dont know what your after, dont buy it online.

Get down to your lbs, and start playing.

Yeah, only buy online if you absolutely know how to size yourself. I bought my last ride online and saved $300, but I also mocked up the cockpitof the new ride by using an existing bike and a broom handle for the virtual new bar position. Not recommended for most folks, though.

Wellgo pedals rock. Cheap and easy to rebuild. Their Shimano clone spd pedals are great as well.

That Kona looks great. The rear mech is only an Acera, but the plus side is that what itll lack in durability and finesse, it makes up for in being a inexpensive commodity to replace when you bash it. :mrgreen: