Mtb thread

[Tangledfeet]

I found a Felt BMX frame in the back of the shed...

That's a bike I forgot! Never had a BMX when I should've, back in the late 70's and 80's, so bought one (checks back through emails...) a Felt Fuse in 2008 but it soon became blatantly obvious that I was utterly hopeless attempting anything more than rolling off kerbs without falling. Interestingly, the guy that bought it from me was actually buying it for his sister; Anna Glowinski - bicycle TV programme presenter from that era.

 

[Munkul]

Can anyone recommend a playful hardtail for under £1000?
My cousin wants one.
My requirements for him would be a decent fork with a half decent damper (so that's anything with rockshox TK completely out of the question)
dropper post (or cheap enough to put one on inc budget)
and 11sp rear, ideally XT

Basically like a Ragley Marley.

 

[stuvy]

Can anyone recommend a playful hardtail for under £1000?
My cousin wants one.
My requirements for him would be a decent fork with a half decent damper (so that's anything with rockshox TK completely out of the question)
dropper post (or cheap enough to put one on inc budget)
and 11sp rear, ideally XT

Basically like a Ragley Marley.

anything from specialized in that price range?

 

[stuvy]

I watched loads of sams videos yesterday and have been out on my bmx this morning was great fun but god I’m unfit

 

[Munkul]

anything from specialized in that price range?

It would be, but the spec is wrong on the fork for the Rockhopper range.
The expert spec is pretty decent all round except i refuse to buy a Judy TK fork. I despise the turnkey damper with a passion.
If they'd only specced it with the RL motion control damper, it would be a pretty perfect looking package

 

[Munkul]

Actually... this isn't the worst spec...

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ragley-marley-2-0-hardtail-bike-2020/rp-prod188261

The fork at least has MC damper and could probably get away with the 1x10 gearing being wide range. Could easily upgrade to 11spd down the line, too.

 

[stuvy]

Actually... this isn't the worst spec...

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ragley-marley-2-0-hardtail-bike-2020/rp-prod188261

The fork at least has MC damper and could probably get away with the 1x10 gearing being wide range. Could easily upgrade to 11spd down the line, too.

https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/best-mountain-bikes-under-1000-2/

I will be honest I’m not sold on any of these for £1k

 

[pondy]

The Mk1 and Mk2 Souls were special, eh. IIRC The Mk3 had to pass the CEN testing and became burlier as a result so lost that zing the former two had.

I'ver never had a Whyte but I did have a Marin that was largely identical to the earlier Whyte bikes... now seems as good a time as any to try and recall all the MTB's I've had!

1993 Orange Clockwork; kept that in various guises, all rigid, incl. SS, until 2010 or so
2003 Kona Calderas, sold on for the Marin
2004 Marin Wolf Ridge... a bike so tall and gangly that it was like a giraffe... rode a friend's Mk1 Soul and was smitten, so couldn't wait to get shot if it for
2005 Cotic Soul Mk2 with Pace RC35 Carbon forks - loved that bike! Alas, it failed in spectacular fashion in January 2007 and I got one of the very first BFe's as a replacement
2007 Dialled Bikes Prince Albert as an interim measure as I was without a bike for a few months until the BFe's arrived in the UK
2008 Titus Motolite - you wouldn't believe how many of and how small the multitide of bearings were...
2009 Rock Lobster TIG Team SL - superlight alloy bike and had almost the same zing as the Mk2 Soul
2010 Circa 2010 anyway... another Cotic Soul for a while but didn't have that magic
2012 Gasventinove Stambek; an Italian 29er but when it arrived the disk mount had been welded on at an angle and I got a refund
2012 Giant Trance - very impressed with the Maestro suspension especially for climbing
2012 Salsa Mukluk fat bike - still have it
2013 Salsa Mariachi
2013 On-One Lurcher
2014 Haibike Noon RX - a carbon CX bike; I'd had a Giant TCX on order for months at the LBS but as it got delayed so much they sold me this at trade price. Carbon, Ultegra disc and ultralight but too small for me and had an odd 130mm rear hub width so stronger wheels (I was over the weight limit...) would've been hidiously expensive and niche so sold it on for what I paid for it
2015 Merida 120 FS 27.5" - still have it. Got it an open day at a bike shop for a bargain price, got a bonus Merida team softshell jacket too!
2016 Specialized Sequoia - still have it, bought on cyclescheme
2020 Trek Pro Caliber 6

Had a Giant road bike in 2005 but never got road riding at the time so soon sold it on. Did have a few road bikes in from 2015 until a few years ago; a carbon Scott then a Ritchey Pro Logic.

That took longer than I thought to compile! Have a feeling there's a bike I'm missing somewhere, somewhen...

the mk1 I had was definitely the Nicer bike compaired to the duck egg mk3 the wife uses. A fair bit heavier too.

Impressive list, mine not so much but if I can remember it should be
Gt aggressor
Marin rocky ridge
Marin b17
Cotic hemlock
Mk1 cotic soul
2018 Whyte t130
2019 Whyte t130
Voodoo bizango
Mk3 cotic soul

 

[Munkul]

https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/best-mountain-bikes-under-1000-2/

I will be honest I’m not sold on any of these for £1k

Me neither...
The Calibre Line 29 looks the best of the bunch, really wanted 27.5 but nothing really against 29ers. But still doesn't inspire.

Actually now that I see the fork specs properly, I think it might have to be a custom build... 32mm stanchions are too small IMO so would have to be either a Pike, Yari, Revelation or fox 34 fork.
Having said that, I'm maybe overspeccing without good reason...

I built my Marley for under £1000 but it was a discounted frame and second hand Pike forks, dropper and brakes.

 

[stuvy]

Me neither...
The Calibre Line 29 looks the best of the bunch, really wanted 27.5 but nothing really against 29ers. But still doesn't inspire.

Actually now that I see the fork specs properly, I think it might have to be a custom build... 32mm stanchions are too small IMO so would have to be either a Pike, Yari, Revelation or fox 34 fork.
Having said that, I'm maybe overspeccing without good reason...

I built my Marley for under £1000 but it was a discounted frame and second hand Pike forks, dropper and brakes.

what wheelset has the Marley got? Like @Ashley Burton iv got hope pro 2’s and the difference to my 8 year old never serviced wheels and my gf’s year old specialized is like night and day. I’m looking at a set for her bike now

 

[Maker]

Can anyone recommend a playful hardtail for under £1000?
My cousin wants one.
My requirements for him would be a decent fork with a half decent damper (so that's anything with rockshox TK completely out of the question)
dropper post (or cheap enough to put one on inc budget)
and 11sp rear, ideally XT

Basically like a Ragley Marley.

Vitus Sentier is well within the budget, I think it's only 10 speed and I'm not sure if the Rockshox Recon counts as half decent (its nothing special) but you could get any dropper you like and still have change.

I can't really recommend it having never owned one but the Trek Roscoe looks very good to my eye, I think there's a model under a grand.

What's wrong with the Ragley?

 

[Ashley Burton]

Cube Reaction & Saracen Mantra had reasonably spec parts when I last looked

 

[Paulbarrett]

built this over lockdown Marin mount vision XM7 2015 new old stock frame, rides real nice

 

[Tangledfeet]

Can't believe that not a single person has done this yet. So I will...

 

[bigegg]

Can't believe that not a single person has done this yet. So I will...

See my comment earlier re. "Nutcracker Waltz".

Funniest one i ever saw was a mate of mine going over a ramp.
Pulled up on handlebars to land back wheel first - and they came off in his hands.

 

[Munkul]

dug out a couple of pics of my two bikes

 

[matt1978]

What’s the difference with the forks you mentioned then?

I know from the little time I spent researching that the Suntour seem to be the entry level and appear on most of the lower end cheap bikes, Rock Shox next step up but with a huge difference price wise froM their entry level stuff to the higher priced stuff and the very high end stuff like Hope etc

why is air better than springs? What’s about regulating the “bounce back”

 

[Munkul]

what wheelset has the Marley got?

Nukeproof hubs, DT swiss spokes, WTB rims The hubs were on discount so took a chance, they're actually fantastic, really good freewheel engagement.

Vitus Sentier is well within the budget, I think it's only 10 speed and I'm not sure if the Rockshox Recon counts as half decent (its nothing special) but you could get any dropper you like and still have change.
I can't really recommend it having never owned one but the Trek Roscoe looks very good to my eye, I think there's a model under a grand.
What's wrong with the Ragley?

I do like the look of the Sentier and also the Roscoe, neither is a bad bike by any means but just want "better" if you know what I mean. The full-built Ragley has a good spec but don't like their forks either.
It doesn't help that i last bought bike stuff 3 years ago or more, when things were a little cheaper!

What’s the difference with the forks you mentioned then?

I know from the little time I spent researching that the Suntour seem to be the entry level and appear on most of the lower end cheap bikes, Rock Shox next step up but with a huge difference price wise froM their entry level stuff to the higher priced stuff and the very high end stuff like Hope etc

why is air better than springs? What’s about regulating the “bounce back”

Suntour make a couple of ok forks I'm spoiled by "better" suspension that's all.
Spring is ok, but doesn't account for rider weight. You can set an air spring pressure very quickly for any rider weight and riding style, changing the ride height and the spring rate completely. Better forks will adjust the volume as well, which adjusts the ramp-up (or how linear/progressive the rate is).
At lower end you get basic coil and air springs, and basic dampers... some better than others... I have a hatred for the rockshox TK damper because it has a stupid rebound adjuster that moves itself as you ride! I'd take a Suntour fork over a Recon TK, as you get more for the same money in every way.
Rebound adjustment is the important but simple one, you want the forks to adsorb a bump but not bounce you into orbit on the return stroke. You also want it to be fast enough to get back up in the travel to adsorb the next hit.
As you go up, the dampers get more elaborate. The motion control damper is basic but (IME) works very very well - very sensitive over small bumps, takes the big hits well, etc.
The mid to high end dampers - Fox fit4, rockshox charger - are closed dampers with more adjustability, and the top end options allow adjustable everything.
Personally, I'm no expert so i just need something with adjustable rebound, and a couple of preset low/high speed compression settings. Leave the compression in middle for climbing, turn it soft for descending.

The golden standard is to combine a perfect air spring with a perfect damper to give you buttery smooth ride with no arm pump or vibration, but without diving through the travel at every bump.
The other thing to consider is stanchion size and fork stiffness - with generally a bigger diameter giving a more accurately tracking fork. I know there are a few good 32mm forks out there, but after having 34/35mm forks I wouldn't go back.
Now that everyone is on 15mm screw-though axles, that's probably made the biggest difference to stiffness. The old QR skewer wheels/forks were dire, in comparison!

Hence, to me the benchmark fork is the Rockshox Pike, it's more than enough fork for the average Joe like me, and will work on every bike.
The fork makes the difference between frustration, and perfection.

Sorry for the ramblings

 

[Tangledfeet]

the benchmark fork is the Rockshox Pike

I had the original coil Pikes circa 15yrs ago - classic forks! So smooth - and you can/could, to a limited degree, compensate for rider weight with a heavier spring - but nowhere near as flexible as air.

Funny though, once you get past a certain rider weight some suspension manufacturers recommend you use air; chap I've met a few times (@Munkul were you ever on Singletrackworld forum?) wanted coil suspension but had to use air! This was a few years ago so things may well have changed.

 

[Maker]

I do like the look of the Sentier and also the Roscoe, neither is a bad bike by any means but just want "better" if you know what I mean

I know exactly what you mean. I always start with a budget of, say, £400, stretch that to £600 because I don't like the cheaper groupsets, then start looking at used bikes because I can't afford anything I like the look of new, and even then I have to persuade myself to stick to that budget; I don't really need a GRIP2 damper and Di2 shifting, and I do really need to eat and pay rent.