# recommend me a bike please



## Philbaines (5 mo ago)

So at the age of 37 I have decided to get into mountain biking.

rode Bmx most of my life so now looking to switch it up.

looking for a hardtail no more the £1500.
I was looking at 27.5 inch wheels (just because of the Bmx 20 inch)

I think I’ll mostly be doing single tracks,downhill and maybe some dirt jumping once I’m use the the bike and the size diffrence.

so far I have looked at the Nukeproof scout 275 race,I like some of the marins and another called orbea which looks pretty cool.

I’m not really sure what I should be looking for really,and as I’ll be buying it on the cycle2work scheme I don’t want to cheap out and need to start replacing bits.

many thanks
Phil


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## looks easy from here (Apr 16, 2019)

What Bike to Buy


Bike purchasing advice




www.mtbr.com


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## Tiiiimmmmber (May 6, 2020)

Philbaines said:


> So at the age of 37 I have decided to get into mountain biking.
> 
> rode Bmx most of my life so now looking to switch it up.
> 
> ...


Check out hardtail party on YouTube. He's reviewed a ton of hartdails


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## zooky (Jan 24, 2021)

Tiiiimmmmber said:


> Check out hardtail party on YouTube. He's reviewed a ton of hartdails


YES Excellent content on there!


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## eri (Sep 4, 2012)

What sort of terrain are you riding? Share a trail map? How much elevation per unit distance? Forest? Rain? Chunk?

Around here the perfect hardtail is 120-140mm fork and 29” wheels.

Where I live the preferred off-road tires are $70 each and they wear fast on pavement so it’s expensive to commute on them. I’d think a cheap used road bike makes a more efficient commuter.

Best advice I can give is try as many bikes as you can, discover what you like. Is cheapest to buy after you know your own priorities.


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## Philbaines (5 mo ago)

eri said:


> What sort of terrain are you riding? Share a trail map? How much elevation per unit distance? Forest? Rain? Chunk?
> 
> Around here the perfect hardtail is 120-140mm fork and 29” wheels.
> 
> ...


It’s mainly going to be forest riding,and as I’m in the uk it’s mostly going to be wet too. I would say not extremes climbs or anything like that.

just some nice decents down forest tracks and single tracks


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## Steel-Onions (Sep 3, 2021)

Cant go far wrong with any hardtail from Nukeproof, Ragley, or Orange


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## Philbaines (5 mo ago)

Steel-Onions said:


> Cant go far wrong with any hardtail from Nukeproof, Ragley, or Orange


the more I look the more I like the Nukeproof scout 275…throw a dropper seat post on that and I think I would be happy.

I’m drawn to the 27.5 wheels as I think coming from Bmx I’ll be able to handle it a little better than 29. And it looks good vaule


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## eri (Sep 4, 2012)

Philbaines said:


> the more I look the more I like the Nukeproof scout 275…throw a dropper seat post on that and I think I would be happy.
> 
> I’m drawn to the 27.5 wheels as I think coming from Bmx I’ll be able to handle it a little better than 29. And it looks good vaule


It sort of seems like 27.5 are a lot less popular and are becoming obsolete. Certainly are a lot of good used bikes in 27.5.

If you’re riding smooth forest trails you might be happy on anything, including an old 26” bike. Why would you even need a dropper?

If you’ve ridden bmx you’ve got loads of bike feel. Trust yourself and go ride a bunch of bikes so you have an informed opinion. Modern 29ers are pretty great.


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## Steel-Onions (Sep 3, 2021)

eri said:


> If you’ve ridden bmx you’ve got loads of bike feel. Trust yourself and go ride a bunch of bikes so you have an informed opinion. Modern 29ers are pretty great.


Totally agree, Deffo try to test ride a 29er before making your decision  ....then post your new ride on here


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## GKelley (Sep 4, 2018)

The Nukeproof Scout is a great bike to start with. It'll cover everything from greens to black diamonds, and do a great job at it. Whether 27.5 or 29 wheels is all personal choice. You can't go wrong with either tire size.


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## dryk1t (7 mo ago)

TL;DR, jump on a few different bikes to find one who's geometry just works well for you and start comparing competitive brands for frames on 99spokes so you can find the best blend of spec / initial cost without limiting yourself to one particular brand / spec variant.

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I found it really hard to get any experience sitting on bikes at local stores simply due to availability/stock problems but here and there bike shops had some stock in my sizes to try out.

After sitting on pretty much all the bikes around me the one I liked a lot was a higher spec Kona Honzo DL, unfortunately I wasn't willing to spend so much at the time.

99spokes came to the rescue, it allowed me to do a bunch of geometry comparisons and I found what has been an identical experience for me in a Giant Fathom 1 for significantly cheaper and has allowed me to build it up as sales happened, whilst still enjoying the bike from day 1.

On the same principle, if you find a lower spec bike you like and as you said, you want to get something on a fully built / higher spec already, it can help you find different options in different specs from various makers etc if those higher end ones aren't readily available to sit on.


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## DieselSam (5 mo ago)

The Marin San Quentin 2 is a great bike in your price range. It has a 130mm fork boost spacing and through axles.


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## Rod (Oct 17, 2007)

Blake on the mountain bike channel gmbn rides a nukeproof scout. I've never owned one, but he's thrown everything at that bike. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one in either tire size.


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## rjrodney (Apr 17, 2008)

Think 5 years down the line too. Are you going to keep it forever? If yes then 29 for sure IMO. Think of your future body and thank yourself later.


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## NeedleBanger (8 mo ago)

I agree with the other guys who say look 5+ years into the future with the bike. I'd spend a bit more cash and get something full suspension, a lightweight XC/trail (downcountry) bike that'll be useful all around. I just find that they're the most versatile and they "WOW" me the most.


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## eri (Sep 4, 2012)

NeedleBanger said:


> I agree with the other guys who say look 5+ years into the future with the bike. I'd spend a bit more cash and get something full suspension, a lightweight XC/trail (downcountry) bike that'll be useful all around. I just find that they're the most versatile and they "WOW" me the most.


To me ‘five years in the future’ means he’s either willing to spend more and is in love with the sport, or he’s still happy with his well bought hardtail. Depending on the riding environment a fs bike can require significant money and skill to maintain. Remember he’s riding smooth forest trails?

I really think op would fall in love with a light xc hardtail, or maybe singlespeed, but good light (tubeless) versions of those bikes are rare to demo. Maybe visit a local race and trade beers for a minute of time on a finishers bike?


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## Philbaines (5 mo ago)

eri said:


> To me ‘five years in the future’ means he’s either willing to spend more and is in love with the sport, or he’s still happy with his well bought hardtail. Depending on the riding environment a fs bike can require significant money and skill to maintain. Remember he’s riding smooth forest trails?
> 
> I really think op would fall in love with a light xc hardtail, or maybe singlespeed, but good light (tubeless) versions of those bikes are rare to demo. Maybe visit a local race and trade beers for a minute of time on a finishers bike?


Yer think I’m deffo looking for a hard tail.I don’t need fully suspension. I used to ride dirt with no suspension so having the front forks is a massive improvement. 
been looking at the scout and the orbea..both look like they will suit what I want. 
question is now 27.5 or 29?


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## johnD (Mar 31, 2010)

Most ppl get the itch to buy another bike within 5 years ,so I wouldn't look at like you're gonna keep it forever. I've had full squish bikes and keep coming back to hardtails. Find the LBS with the best customer service, just about every brand makes a decent hardtail.


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## eri (Sep 4, 2012)

Philbaines said:


> Yer think I’m deffo looking for a hard tail.I don’t need fully suspension. I used to ride dirt with no suspension so having the front forks is a massive improvement.
> been looking at the scout and the orbea..both look like they will suit what I want.
> question is now 27.5 or 29?


I went from 26 to 29 and love it. The big wheels roll so well you can get away with less suspension. Im confused that some people like 27.5 but thats just me on the trails i ride. All is just my opinion, my preference.

Dont just read reviews or listen to us, go test bikes. Beg rides on strangers bikes. Ride cheap and expensive ones. Theres a bike out there that will click for you, make a huge smile. Thats the one you want.

Components dont matter so much. Focus on fit, frame, fork and wheels. Focus on how the bike feels under you.


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## Bingbingbing (5 mo ago)

I’d recommend a steel 27.5 based off your history with BMX and the rising your looking to do. Ragley makes some bomber steel bikes at a fair price. NS bikes also have some great hard tails if you can get your hands on one.
I agree with eri, don’t get hung up on components so much, which are dispensable and can be easily upgraded. 130-140 mm travel fork on a steel hardtail with a head tube angle at 65* and 2.6 in tires is primo.


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