I want to go mountain biking

[Lagonda]

Hi there,

So I've decided that I need to do something about the sorry state my body is right now. My endurance is f'ed up and my overal physical state sucks. So it's time to do some sports again !
I think I want to some cycling. Both off and on road. Mostly off road.

But I would like is some info on the machinery itself. I want to buy myself a great bike. Heck building one myself would be nice as well. It would be another hobby.

Any pointers ?

[clutch-monkey]

um...find mountain. roll down side. hang on?
it's something i've had a passing interest in but never got around to doing
of course, the mountainous terrain i visit requires a different set of equipment alltogether but meh

[Cyco]

Do you just want to assemble it yourself, or really build the frame yourself? If the former then its nice, but WAY more expensive than an off the shelf machine.

Lots of MtBing opportunities in your area as a rule, but not super rocky. I'd still tend to lean towards a duel suspension frame, but 125mm of travel would be a max. Weight and quality of the components is purely a budget thing.

I'd recommend hydraulic discs - but not anything from Hayes. Also clipless pedals (Time ATACs will be the best for the mud) will be a massive advantage.

[drakkie]

I'd say buy a cheap bike to start with... Less damage when you wreck it..

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Certainly the cheap idea has merit - if you lose interest quickly you're not so out of pocket.

but if your serious then the high-spec gear might be worthwhile.

still, sounds pretty cool. i might investigate the idea myself. i just don't look good in lycra is all

[Lagonda]

Originally Posted by Cyco

Do you just want to assemble it yourself, or really build the frame yourself? If the former then its nice, but WAY more expensive than an off the shelf machine.

Lots of MtBing opportunities in your area as a rule, but not super rocky. I'd still tend to lean towards a duel suspension frame, but 125mm of travel would be a max. Weight and quality of the components is purely a budget thing.

I'd recommend hydraulic discs - but not anything from Hayes. Also clipless pedals (Time ATACs will be the best for the mud) will be a massive advantage.

It would be assembling it myself, yes. I don't think I have the know how and equipment to actually make a frame myself. Off the shelf it is !

There aren't too many rocky or mountainous off road places here. Mostly flat around here, mud a plenty.

I guess I could start off with a cheap bike and add/replace components as I go, no ? I guess that most bike components are somehow compatible with most bikes ? Installation-wise that is.

I have an old bike that I could somehow upgrade but the problem with that thing is the frame. It's rather heavy and more road-oriented.

[Lagonda]

Originally Posted by IBrake4Rainbows

still, sounds pretty cool. i might investigate the idea myself. i just don't look good in lycra is all

I wouldn't be wearing lycra that's for sure !

[Sauc3]

Originally Posted by Lagonda

It would be assembling it myself, yes. I don't think I have the know how and equipment to actually make a frame myself. Off the shelf it is !

There aren't too many rocky or mountainous off road places here. Mostly flat around here, mud a plenty.

I guess I could start off with a cheap bike and add/replace components as I go, no ? I guess that most bike components are somehow compatible with most bikes ? Installation-wise that is.

I'm assuming that by 'mountain biking' you mean cross-country. Up hills, down hills, and riding on the flat. Seeing as your area isn't all that mountainous you wouldn't be doing much downhilling.

In this case I recommend a relatively cheap setup, hardtail frame and basic 80mm-100mm fork. Most parts fit most bikes, you've just gotta watch out for sizing on some things. Seatpost sizes are usually bespoke to frame manufacturer, or several. Make sure the seatpost size matches the frame size. Any seat should fit there-on. If you're not spending too much, the wheels will be quick release, so make sure that the forks and wheels are compatible with each other. 20mm forks don't mix well with QR wheels. :P
Generally on a budget you shouldn't worry about the fork size, but make sure that the bar stem combo fits into each other. Oversized bars with normal sized stem don't mix well either.

For the rest you shouldn't have too many problems, from personal experience I recommend SRAM and Juicy gear. Rockshox should probably have a relatively budget fork, and the frame really depends on what you're interested in.

[Ferrer]

My recomendation is, get something strong. I always ended up breaking my mountain bikes because of too extreme off-roading...

[ripper46]

in fact the area where you live is great for MTB.
I did it myself a few years ago in Brecht, St job, Drieboomkesberg...
but I got fed up with it because I allways messed the bike up.
ive broken 2 chains, gears allways went wrong.
but on the other hand , I have this problem with all my bikes...
I guess the bikes can't handle my power seriously

[jediali]

Originally Posted by drakkie

I'd say buy a cheap bike to start with... Less damage when you wreck it..

building can be expensive, consider tool cost, plus cost savings are found at the higher end of the market. I would recomend a early to mid range trek or specialized.

however, remember:
- good full suspension starts at about 1250 euros, below that its heavy and innefective - think argos
- good front suspension starts at about 750 euros, below that you get a rubber in a pipe!
- good v-brakes > entry level disc brakes.

Hope your mtbing is fun most of all! its all about enjoyment as well as fitness.

[McReis]

I think a Honda CRF 450 will do.

[Pinin]

I have a standard Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc and it's perfect for riding on and off road, for the price anyway. Check them out. It copes with off road riding pretty well

[Cyco]

Any of you guys who break lots of stuff need to learn how to ride...

If you do stupid things and land hard then you can damage stuff, but if you are smooth and flow then even at 100+kgs (me) then drops (<2m) and jumps (5+m gap) can be dome without damaging anything.

[Waugh-terfall]

Steer well clear of JEEP's offroad bike range... I made the mistake of buying one and it just falls apart, the rear deraileur somehow snapped whilst riding along a flat road at around 30mph... At the momet it's being ok but I'm unable to use a fair few of my 21 gears, I'd reccomend a Scott if you're going to buy one or a Giant.