hello all! i know i seem to be always asking these sort of questions like what car for 3 k (we found a car btw.. a 2010 mazda 2 with 40k 1 owner fsh for 3.5k!! its a beauty! will post pics later!) and what bike for 2.5k (thats on hold now) but please lend ya expertise to this one as i need to find the shed boy (my step son) a bike for crimbo.. could by a new one from a shop (please advise a good one) but was thinking maybe 2nd hand one might be better as in more bike for the doe.... got a budget of 250-350 max.. he loves his bmx... but at 18 he is now nearly 6 foot tall (doffo not my boy!) and i think a MB would be better for him.. i doubt it will be used off road but a rd bike with his manners probably wouldnt suit... what is the best for mainly rd use and robust enuf for a teenage dirtbag?
Buy used if you haven't got money to waste. People buy fancy cycles for statements and don't use em - like guitars and Ducatis etc. Crossover bikes are shit, too heavy for the road and too fragile for off. Best get a decent road bike and a decent off road bike. Doesn't have to be the latest shit. Any decent brand and series from the the last five to seven years will be just fine. Should be able to furnish both for around your budget unless either of you feel he needs the latest and greatest.
I bought a hybrid style one from Halford 2 years ago. It's one of their own brand a Crossfire 2. It's been very good. It's lighter than an mtb and stronger than a road bike. Should fit nicely in your budget.
@chizel My son is 6ft 3 and he has had a cube for 5 years He paid £400 for it and it has come through numerous crashes high sides and couple pairs of tyres It's had new sprockets etc It's used everyday and left out in all weathers It's as tough as old boots so highly recommended I think it's chucked up and down curbs too Well worth £400 His halfords bike didn't fare so well
Specialized and Giant are both good brands and you can pick up nice examples second-hand. If you spend more and buy new you just worry about leaving it anywhere in case it is nicked!
Specialized Rockhopper is a classic that you can easily upgrade over time if needed. Cube Reaction as an alternative maybe. He can put road biased tyres on if he wants. Two bikes is ideal but if he's already into it I'd guess he'd have one already. Cyclocross are great, Genesis vapour etc, much more road biased with softer geometry than out n out race bike. If he's been into BMX then I'm guessing he's probably going to fall nicely into MTB territory. I have a feeling if you get him new it won't be appreciated. If you get him a Halfords (sorry gilps) you might as well tell him he's got to kill a puppy on Christmas Day. Pinkbike is a good classified site too if eBay not performing as you want.
recently got one of these Norco hardtail mtb 18.5 inch frame | eBay has all decent components (this looks like it has a few upgraded components), rides well, and has survived a few offs while on the trails in Wales. use it for commuting, too and the gearing is fine for road use. If you can get one through work on a "cycle-to-work" scheme, you get to buy the bike brand new, spread over 12 months (interest free) and before tax. e.g. if you buy a £1000 bike and pay tax at 40%, you will effectively be paying £600 for the bike (usually, you have to pay your employer a "reasonable" fee to buy the bike off them at the end of the "rental period"). full suspension is too heavy, unless you are a downhill loon, with front suspension being a good compromise. just my 2p, for what it's worth. p.s. for security, make sure he gets a decent couple of chains to hold the quick release wheels to the frame and a fixed object, and if the seat post hasa quick release, change it for an allen screw (pref a torx or similar).
I recommend cube over any other brands for getting your moneys worth, they put higher spec components on than their competitors in any given price bracket. If you want something half decent you're going second hand for that money. Some people say you sacrifice frame quality over say specialized, who admittedly make top notch frames, but I've got a carbon road and ally mountain from them and done tens of thousands of miles and not had a complaint to make. They look good too which is a bonus.
If you're looking second hand I'd recommend getting familiar with the 'ranking' of different groupsets, it will help you know if something is a bargain or just cheap cos it's no good.
Cube seem good to me, good specs for the price. If it is not too far from you try visiting This week's top offers | Rutland Cycling They have stores at both Grafham and Rutland Water. They sell off the ex rental bikes, often have good offers and there are literally miles of track to test a bike on to make sure it is comfortable and does what you want. I have bought from there twice and been very happy. Avoid weekends if possible as they get very busy.
58cm in Cube 56cm in Specialized (Unless he's Michael Phelps in which case the princess bike above will be spot on..). It'll have the right size wheels on it, the term 29er means big ones. 26 is the old standard. 27.5 are the ones in teh middle and on trend.
Look for a 2ND hand voodoo bizango, they constantly top entry level mountain bike tests and are £500 new so you should easily get one in your budget. Otherwise as others have said, a specialized rockhopper is a cracking bike, cube, giant, whyte, cannondale etc. Any of the big brands will be decent.
