scoobyboy

i've got a budget of about £1700-£1800 for a new bike so what makes do people recommend? i quite like the scott ransom ltd but it's a bit out of my price range! the ransom 40 is ok but i don't like the chrome look.

also what is the difference between an aluminium bike and a cr1 bike? is cr1 better?

the plan was to ride it to work everyday about 20 round trip and then get something like a hilux where me and a couple of mates can sling them in the back and go off and find some mtb trails at the weekends.

r32

Go for a Yeti, ARC. Handmade, an icon of mountain bikes, will not depreciate like some mass produced makes.
See Yetifan.com
Or go to Bromley bikes web site.

scoobyboy

not bad but im not worried about depreciation any one got any other ideas

DYK

Ive Been riding Kona's for some years now and would say they are great bikes to Ride..wouldn't change for any other,but the Yeti are good too..ive still got my old 97 kona in the shed,with yeti riser bars,and it still performs just as good..obviously ive moved on from then.but it was my first Kona,so decided to keep it...

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I am not to up on high end stuff and suspension lock outs etc but I in my limited experience would say a full susser for a 20 mile commute is not the right choice unless it involves some serious off road.

I have just ordered one of these for my commute as my MTB is hard work on the road, my old one has crap brakes and my Road bike cant do anything other than smooth tarmac.

ChrisB

CR-1 is a composite (carbon fibre etc) so offers weight/strength benefits over alu.

I can't imagine any of the Ransom range (all 30lb+) making for a nice 20 mile work trip, though hauling that much weight will soon get you fit!

Where are you planning to ride? I'd argue the Ransom is OTT (over-biked) for the vast majority of UK riding.

scoobyboy

bugger i thought they were light! it will be all road on the way to work and as yet i haven't found any off road tracks but i've not been trying to hard yet.
i don't want a racer i can't stand them and i do like full suspension and a nice frame, the scotts seemed good because you can lock out the rear shock so it's like a hardtail and then unlock to get the benefits of the suspension.
so many choices i don't know what to go for!

PG

I tried a Bionicon Golden Willow at a recent demo day at Laggan.
I was hugely impressed with how it worked!
There are limitations re. upgrades but in my opinion it works so very well there's so little need to change bits.
I tried some other very nice kit that day but the Bionicon was by far the fastest and most comfortable.
I am considering one as my next bike however as yet there are no dealerships in Scotland. Check out their site and if you have a dealer near you get out there and try one or indeed contact Roger and he'll organise one for you.
I didn't hear anyone say they didn't like the Bionicon system that day but people fear change and seem reluctant to commit to new inovations. As far as I see it the system works well, is easily servicable and the waranty is good.
All in all, I'm willing to give it a try

Paul.

scoobyboy

just found the kona stabs they ain't bad either! and i do like that golden willow

PG

It is very much a case of test riding plenty bikes. Some you'll like and some you won't.
I for instance would rather walk the trails than go round them on any of the Kona's. I tried the Dawg, Four and Hei hei and couldn't grow to like them...ever.

RB5_245

I ride a specialized stumpjumper, and though the rear shock doesn't lock out with the '08 and brain fade you loose very little on the road, I certainly wouldn't ride a hard tail instead. I dunno if your budget would go to a basic model though?

ChrisB

Kona Stab's now? Christ, that's a full on downhill bike. Even more OTT than the Ransom (unless you're trying to be the next Steve Peat).

Brain Fade on the Stumpy FSR comes in on the Elite, so that's around £2000 (without shopping around).

P1Fanatic

Not trying to be funny but if I had that budget for a bike Id like to think Id already know what is good and what is not and then confirming that with some some test rides - no one can expect you to part that kinda cash without being happy your spending it on something that suites you.

Simon

jono_pryor11

Id buy something light if your wanting to use it for commuting as any hills and stop/starting will have you knackered before you get to work. The last thing you'll feel like doing is slogging across town in poor weather with a heavy bike after work. Ive been there and its no fun.

Freeride and Downhill bikes arent good for commuting as the linkages sap loads of energy out of you on a flat or hill. Saying that i was riding an Orange Patriot the other day and that cycled decently enough and was fairly light.

Unless your intending to do some proper DH runs with big drops and jumps then i wouldnt get a DH or Freeride bike. I ride a hardtail (a fairly cheap one too) and it will easily do most things on a trail, the only things i wont do is big drop offs (bigger than about 5 ft) as id kill the bike. Apart from that its survived 2 years of jumps with only a few burst tyres.

For my money id buy a Santacruz Nomad (Which is a bit above your limit but you could get 2nd hand possibly) or Blur 4x. Or something like a specialized Enduro SL etc. Id get an aluminium framed one as i think your likely to get better specked kit on the bike compared to a carbon frame for the same money.

Id also buy a 2nd set of wheels and brakes with commuter tires on. That way you can swap the wheels for weekend rides without the faf of swapping tyres etc over.

Jamie

You can have this
for £100

NeilT

ride a kona explosif, great bike for almost any off road terrain, if all konas are as good I'd definately recommend the brand. But the kona frames are supposed to be quite tight, so suit shorter riders, fine for me at 5'10.

For road use a different set of wheels with road tyres will save u bags of wasted energy.

I'd recommend going to a good dealer and testing a few out see what suits you

Neil

kersh

never heard of yeti before but had a search and am interested, how do they compare with scott.
How do these two builds compare, which would you have?

Yeti ARC Pro - Bromley Bike Company

Scott Scale 10 Carbon Mountain Bike

ChrisB

Are you an Elite racer? That's the sort of rider both of them are aimed it. Both lush bikes but, IMHO, firmly aimed at XC racing.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I know its not "cool" but probably the best bike for a 20 mile commute would be a tourer ?

dome

For that kind of money I'd look at building a rat like *Jamie* for a couple of hundred quid, leaving you 1500 for a nice full susser you won't have to worry about lying outside your work all day.

You've got a fair wad to spend so I'd be in my local bike shops looking at what they've got and trying to get a demo bike or two for a weekend to try some of them out. It's a lot of money to spend without an off-road test ride and you'd be surprised how different a lot of bikes in this price range ride...