Topic Title

Hello

Im an as level student at york college and im doing sport, i have to a sport at a competitive level, so have choosen mountain biking.

But i need some new kit:
Bike About £500 to spend, I was thinking http://www.evanscycles.com/products/iro ... e-ec014814

or

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... e-ec016014

Helmet £(might save my life so no budget)
Giro Xen, E2 or Hex

Warm Clothes
No idea what to have

Water bag backpack thing (Camelpack?)
Whatever is the best for value in black

Anything else apart from lights

I would say try before you buy if possible. If you do go for disk brakes then I would suggest you get ones with hydraulic brakes as the cable ones I have tried do not have a very good feel (i.e tried to throw me over the handlebars). You might want to look at Merlin cycles at the £500 pound price point as they have bikes with decent forks in this price range. You could get a Merlin Malt 1 for just over this £525 with a Rockshox Recon fork, decent Hayes brakes, Deore groupset and Mavic Rims.

As for clothes on a budget its best to look out for Aldi and Lidl cycling clothes. Every few months they have a three day sale of them and most of the stuff is decent for the money. Sign up to their newsletters to get some warning as everything goes rather quickly.

Get the cheapest helmet that fits as they all are tested to the same level. You usually pay more for greater ventilation, styling and saving a few grams.

Main thing is if you get a decent bike keep it safe. Get at least a Gold secure lock and cable (for holding the front wheel) www.cycleexpress.co.uk do a good deal on these. Don't leave it out at night. Best to get a second hand non MTB bike when you need transport at night. Six bikes a day are stolen in York and new looking MTB's are a favourite!

The mountain bike would only be used for mountain biking, i have another bike that i use for road riding (commuting) and there lock in our garage to a ground ancor.

And i need a helmet with great ventilation becuase i have long hair so head get quite hot.

David,

Assume you're the same as sent me a mail?

From your mail and this thread it seems you're just taking up MTBing as a student with the aim of racing/competing as part of your studies, and on a tight budget.

My initial advice would be;

1. Get your hair cut - it's cheaper than an expensive helmet
2. I'd strongly suggest you get out and have a go on a MTB before you take the plunge in buying a bike. You don't say what sort of competition your interested in but there are several areas you can get into from Cross Country, Trailquest, 4X and Downhilling each requiring a slightly different focus on what bike you choose. Dalby Forest has some good hire bikes.
3. £500 should be plenty to get something decent but shop around, try a few out and haggle hard - never pay the full asking price. Take a look at our front page and the local dealers that Clifton members get discount at and go and get some advise from them. Better to pay a little more for the right size/type of bike than click on a nice picture on the internet and get something delivered you weren't expecting.
4. Your basic equipment list sounds good, but you don't list a waterproof which is essential. If you're intending doing some hard rides I'd consider making sure your bike can carry a waterbottle. Carry energy drink in your waterbottle and water in your camelback. Add to your list 2 spare tubes, a multitool, a descent pump and some gloves. Don't be afraid to hunt through bargain bins. Your kit soon loses its shine on a MTB anyway.
5. If you're unsure about what you're buying or dealing/haggling with a bikeshop don't be afraid to ask for help.
6. http://www.ashcycles.com/power/ are another good source for knock down prices on decent bikes, they're also a proper shop rather than just a warehouse. Someone in the club has just bought a Kona from them reduced from £1700 to <£750 and it's perfect, just last year's colour. They seem to have a constant changing stock so maybe worth giving them a ring to see what they have in.
7. Like road riding most of your success in competition will be down to experience, skill and your fitness, not your bike. You're coming into it at the right time as the racing season doesn't really start again until Spring which will give you several months to work on all 3. Your road bike will prove invaluable through winter for improving your fitness and riding with a club will help with motivation.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Nah i just had a choice between , MTB, road cycling, basketball and badminton

basketball ive lost my enjoyment of the sport
badminton i have yorkshires number 1 player in my class, but i only like playing for the fun of it
road cycling not really my thing
MTB ive been before loved every second of it,

1. No Way shall that happen - it not like down to my shoulders but im not a skin head Just in the middle but nearer a skinhead

2. Been to dalby before rent the kona extreames (£25 ones), i want to do cross county mainly, light jumps like at the beginning of blue route at dalby,not hard core jumping

3. Apart from the Merlin Malt any other bikes suggested, how can you define which are good parts and which aren't, (well where does it says x compnent is better than y componet?

4. I have a waterproof (kag in a bag sort of thing), multitool, can get the rest

5. Can do

6. Can do

7. Is a disused mountain bike with broken front shocks, not really a road bike just one i have lying around

ill finish later, have to get off shared pc at college

David,

I've sent you a mail.

Well im might be ordering some stuff soon (as im off to dalby on sunday i believe) maybe tonight or tomorrow, they shall be off wiggle

Im going to rent a bike for now, and will get a helmet with that, and a mulitool and so on

So all i shall be ordering will be

A camelbak Mule £53.99: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Camel ... 360021908/

A base layer £19.43: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/dhb_C ... 360031549/

Going to evans cycles to get some seemless undershorts £19.99

And as i get really hot to easily i may just wear a baggy shirt over the base layer for now

The gloves I want aren't in stock

Anything else nessacary

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/alt ... s-ec002013

I shall go to my local evans tomorrow to get some undershorts, but to they need to be skin tight?

David

If you're serious about racing you'll be much better off getting some proper Lycra shorts now instead of liners. You can then wear the shorts under baggies if you wish and wear them under longs in the winter.

any suggestions nothing to expernsive

It's largely down to personal choice and fit I'm afraid. I've always found Enduro fit quite well. Don't be tempted by buying colours. Anything other than black isn't a good look on a bloke.

What was wrong with the undershorts?

And what is the difference between liners and lycra shorts?

I think undershorts can have cotton or wool as well as polyester in the fabric and look more like pants (label namd on elastic waist band etc.). I would just have black lycra shorts(other colours tend to highlight bulges if you know what I mean). If its to cold then get some full length lycra trousers to go over them. Endura do some good ones. If it in between then you can get knee warmers which are also light to carry. Only minus is no pockets.

The advantage of the lycra shorts is that you are much more aerodynamic than baggy shorts (flapping fabric is particulary bad for aerodynamics). Not much of an issue in normal MTBing but if you are racing worth going for. As for which make of shorts then I personally have £70 and £10 shorts and I don't find a lot of difference in comfort compared with getting the position and saddle right.

Well in all honestly i will never never never wear skin tight shorts by them self, i was going to wear a semi baggy pair over them.

The ones i posted are they like underwear shorts were you are ment to something over them

Where as lycra ones are like shorts that can be wore by themself i.e nothing underneith them, but can have stuff over them

Mail sent paul please read