SC008Y_MAD

iTrader: (5)

For my birthday pressie i am thinking about getting a new MT Bike.

At the moment i have a Muddy Fox Alu Team Edition Tripple butted in maroon. Size 19". I have had the bike for 6+ years. Since i have owned the bike i have modifyed it with RST mozzo Pro front sus forks, Profile Fibre RS CF raiser bars, ODI YETI yellow grips, Muddy Fox saddle, Red pedals (not sure what Make/kind. Ill take some pics tomorrow of it as i need to clean it. (before and after shots)

Now as i am 6ft4" tall i will have to have a large frame (20" or 21").

Last Sat, my dad took me up to MK to the Evans Cycles store to look at some bikes...Kona. I asked one of the staff in the store to try a few out. These where the Kona Kikapu and Cinder Cone. Both of which where too small for me.

Before i went up i was thinking about getting the Cinder Cone in that green colour (05). This bike looked really good for the money and would be a perfict 'upgrade' from my Muddy Fox. Now as the '05 bikes are comming to an end? and are being replaced with the '06 bikes and the '06 Cinder comes is in blood red which i did not want to get another red bike as I kind of have one at the mo and also, how come the '06 bikes are cheaper than the '05 bikes??

The Type of Mountain bike riding that i do is Mixed on and off road and i would class my self as a Enthusisat/racer.
Buget £700-£900 MAX unless found ideal bike!
Advice please.

Darren
P.S. sorry for the essay and i hope you can understerdand what i am try to say?

SC008Y_MAD

iTrader: (5)

I have asked this question on Mountain Bike UK forum but did not get very far with advice... http://www.mbuk.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=119612
btw, im -Darren- on that forum.
From that thread i am now looking at Scott and Marin MTBikes.
Cheers

bigsinky

are both the konas HTs or full sus? £900 will get you a real nice HT, but a very basic full sus bike. I would recommend the kona only because i am biased as i have one and it is a great bike. i got my 2004 cheap because the new 2005 version of my bike was due to come out. shop around you may get yourself a bargain.

ScoobyDoo555

I've just spent £400 on a HT - MY06 Giant Terrago Disc with hyrdaulic brakes. Not the most expensive of bikes, but it's great for what I want/need. Use it for alot of off-road and on-road biking.

Bought it from CLIMBONBIKES

FWIW anyway

Dan

the moose

I'd suggest a Merlin Malt 2 - it's an exceptionally good mail-order bike, and will cost you around £700. You can upgrade the forks, brakes, finishing kit etc, but it's the frame that really makes it.

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/

OzzyWRX

I've had a Cinder Cone back in the late nineties and I loved it, I now have an 05 Caldera. The latest bikes are mostly Alu, which I'm not a huge fan of, I prefer steel bikes, they have a much better feel IMHO. Marin still make some good steel bikes, the Eldridge Grade and Pine Mountain come to mind.

Anyway, test some bikes from Kona, Marin, GT, Speialized etc and pick the one you like best.

SupaMiniCupa

I'm a recent Kona convert after moving away from Orange...

Was in the market for a £7-900 bike a few months ago. Was looking at Specialized and considered a Merlin after advice on here.

I was VERY wary of buying secondhand, but managed to stumble across a barely used £1700 Kona Kula Deluxe (2004) fro £850. I love it!!

Might be worth keeping an eye out for a secondhand bargain then too. There are some to be had!!

chiark

I've just bought a second hand Merlin bike, and would really recommend it wholeheartedly. I went for the Rock Lobster Tig Team SL, and got it for less than half price despite the fact it's only 10 months old...

Merlin are a fair way away from you I guess, but I think it would be worth the trip if you can't find anything that floats your boat.

Now is a good time to buy if you want a bargain, as the 2005 models are being cleared out to make way for the 2006 models that are already arriving.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I'd second the Merlin bike, their frames are very good.

I'd also suggest looking at Orange bikes.

My own experience of Kona is that theya re dear for what you get Good bike, yeah, but well dear. I wanted a Kona frame for my lad, it was £700 to buy. The same frame was $500 in the USA. That's theft. If they are doing it for every bike, it's time we stopped buying them in this country.

Have you thought of BUILDING your ideal bike?

My youngest has a lovely bike. It has the Guess Scandium frame as a base, (it weighed 1.3kg!!!!), bought from a local dealer and originally imported by Super Cycles in Nottingham, it came with a seat clamp, and the bike shop sold me a good headset to go with it at a discount.

I put his old LX spline drive cranks and front mech on it, bought a new XTR rear mech off e-bay for about £35, fitted the wheels I had on mine until I went disc, (Mavic 517, s/s spokes onto XT hubs), bought him a new chain, a new stem and seatpost off e-bay, fitted his LX V brakes, used his old shifters, a set of alloy forks, and sourced an amoeba bar from a local bike shop in a sale. Tyres were off e-bay too.

Great fun to do, and it came in at well under £700. The whole bike weighs around 20 lb, and is a dream to ride.

Here's a link to the frame:

http://www.supercycles.co.uk/images/..._1600x1200.jpg

Alcazar

the moose

Merlin post them to you for £15 - cheaper than driving there!

SC008Y_MAD

iTrader: (5)

I have come accross this Marin Rocky Ridge with looks to be a really nice bike.
http://www.marin.co.uk/marin-2006/bikedetail.php?ModNo=3673
Also whilst on the Marin.co.uk site i found this loverly bike, Marin Wolf Ridge which looks be to a really nice bike.
http://www.marin.co.uk/marin-2006/bikedetail.php?ModNo=3634
Decisions....decisions...decisions

SupaMiniCupa

Go ride a few, in the correct size, and I'm sure all will become clear

SC008Y_MAD

iTrader: (5)

Yes, but most stores i can probably gaurantee that they won't have the correct size for me (20" i think i will need) to try. It will be just like getting trainers in size 12.

Darren

SupaMiniCupa

Hmmmm good call

The joys of being a 5'9 short ****. Apart from I can't see at gigs