Mountain Bike on a budget

[Dupont]

Can anyone recommend a half decent mountain bike in the sub £500 bracket? I am 59 so not going tearing down mountains but would like to use it on my local unsurfaced canal towpath and across some local flattish trails.

[Nearholmer]

This website may be your friend https://www.bikebargains.co.uk/search-m ... e=hardtail

Halfords (Carrera), and Evan’s (Pinnacle) have good reputations at this sort of price level.

But now the standard question: do you really need suspension?

Why ask? Because at this price level it tends to add cost and weigh out of all proportion to its quality, so unless your towpaths and trails are truly, truly rough, you’re likely to get a better bike for £500 by buying a hybrid. In fact, at £500, you begin to be able to find hybrids with very decent components.

[Dupont]

This website may be your friend https://www.bikebargains.co.uk/search-m ... e=hardtail

Halfords (Carrera), and Evan’s (Pinnacle) have good reputations at this sort of price level.

But now the standard question: do you really need suspension?

Why ask? Because at this price level it tends to add cost and weigh out of all proportion to its quality, so unless your towpaths and trails are truly, truly rough, you’re likely to get a better bike for £500 buy buying a hybrid. In fact, at £500, you begin to be able to find hybrids with very decent components.

Thanks. I have a Raleigh Royal 2012 touring bike that is superb and an ebike that I occasionally use for my 16 mile round trip commute if I feel knackered or the wife wants the car. It does cope with the rough canal path easily but is very heavy. I just feel I am missing a bike in my life.

[Nearholmer]

I’ve ridden off road, trails, towpaths, bridleways etc for decades, always on rigid bikes, until I bought an MTB for my son. I tried that a few times, and found it tediously slow, and needlessly heavy …… IMO, they’re really only needed for mega rough stuff, and all that terrifying downhill business with chasms to jump.

The bike you are missing is your tourer, but with fatter tyres.

[Dupont]

I’ve ridden off road, trails, towpaths, bridleways etc for decades, always on rigid bikes, until I bought an MTB for my son. I tried that a few times, and found it tediously slow, and needlessly heavy …… IMO, there really only needed for mega rough stuff, and all that terrifying downhill business with chasms to jump.

Yes, I am the same. Thousands of miles on towpaths on none mountain bikes. I cycled the Grand Union on a Dawes hybrid and some parts of that were dire. Will a hybrid be massively different from my Raleigh Royal though?

[Nearholmer]

Is the Royal drop bar?

What width tyres does it take? A lot of hybrids are fit for 40mm tyres, which is what I use for this sort of stuff, and a few will go up to 50mm. If you are used to 32mm, that will make a big difference.

If the Royal will take fattish tyres, and especially if you get it set up tubeless, I reckon you’d be good to go.

[Dupont]

Is the Royal drop bar?

What width tyres does it take? A lot of hybrids are fit for 40mm tyres, which is what I use for this sort of stuff, and a few will go up to 50mm. If you are used to 32mm, that will make a big difference.

If the Royal will take fattish tyres, and especially if you get it set up tubeless, I reckon you’d be good to go.

The Royal has semi flared drop bars. I have Schwalbe Mondial 35mm on it and to be honest it won't take any wider with the mudguards I have on it.

[rjb]

Lots of good Carrera subway bikes on FB marketplace. Just turn the forks around to point the right way.

[Nearholmer]

Sounds to me as if you’ve got the bike for the job already, although I’d whip the mudguards off if that allowed slightly bigger tyres.

Here’s what I use, and honestly it is good for anything that doesn’t truly necessitate an MTB (and anything that does is too terrifying for me anyway!). I’ve done goodly bits of the South Downs Way on it, for instance, although I ran out of gears and had to push up some of the steepest climbs.

But, it’s your call, not mine. If you want an MTB, don’t let me put you off.

[Dupont]

Sounds to me as if you’ve got the bike for the job already, although I’d whip the mudguards off if that allowed slightly bigger tyres.

Here’s what I use, and honestly it is good for anything that doesn’t truly necessitate an MTB (and anything that does is too terrifying for me anyway!). I’ve done goodly bits of the South Downs Way on it, for instance, although I ran out of gears and had to push up some of the steepest climbs.


IMG_2675.jpeg


But, it’s your call, not mine. If you want an MTB, don’t let me put you off.

I use the RR for work and don't really want to keep taking mudguards off.

That looks like it might work, what is It?

[Nearholmer]

Genesis Croix de Fer. Rather a lot more than £500 for a new one, although you might find one for that secondhand (although tyre clearance on older ones is tighter).

Worth keeping an eye open for a secondhand tourer that will accept fatter tyres. I struck really lucky recently and got a Ridgeback Panorama about 15yo for a ridiculously low price, and that will take 40mm+ tyres easily. At the moment I’ve rigged it as a utility bike for me to use to the shops, but I could turn it into an off-road focused (gravel) bike very easily. Another good, cheap source of bikes for this sort of thing is outdated cyclocross bikes with cantilever brakes, although again watch tyre clearances.

[Cadence]

You seem to be in the same predicament that I was in a couple of years ago. My beloved 90's Claud Butler Regent is great on the roads, but I found it a bit uncomfortable on tow paths and trails even with 35mm tyres - the maximum it would take with mudguards. I bought a "bankrupt stock" Forme hybrid that fitted the bill, but even with 40mm tyres (with mudguards) I struggled a bit on some tow paths. That gave me an excuse to buy a "winter bike" and found a 90's Giant rigid MTB locally for a bargain £35.00.
I've probably spent around £250.00 on new chain set, chain, freewheel, mudguards, v-brakes, rack, tubes etc. - all good second hand or new old stock. It's no lightweight, but with recently fitted 26" x 2.00" Schwalbe Big Apple tyres it is by far the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden.
Last year I fitted a Yosepower rear hub electric kit and it is always first choice to ride, whatever the weather or terrain. So much so that I didn't ride the Claud at all last year, or so far this year. If you like tinkering (I do!) it is a cheap and satisfying way of tailoring a bike to suit your needs..

[Dupont]

You seem to be in the same predicament that I was in a couple of years ago. My beloved 90's Claud Butler Regent is great on the roads, but I found it a bit uncomfortable on tow paths and trails even with 35mm tyres - the maximum it would take with mudguards. I bought a "bankrupt stock" Forme hybrid that fitted the bill, but even with 40mm tyres (with mudguards) I struggled a bit on some tow paths. That gave me an excuse to buy a "winter bike" and found a 90's Giant rigid MTB locally for a bargain £35.00.
I've probably spent around £250.00 on new chain set, chain, freewheel, mudguards, v-brakes, rack, tubes etc. - all good second hand or new old stock. It's no lightweight, but with recently fitted 26" x 2.00" Schwalbe Big Apple tyres it is by far the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden.
Last year I fitted a Yosepower rear hub electric kit and it is always first choice to ride, whatever the weather or terrain. So much so that I didn't ride the Claud at all last year, or so far this year. If you like tinkering (I do!) it is a cheap and satisfying way of tailoring a bike to suit your needs..
WP_20230625_18_36_07_Pro_LI.jpg

100% that is the boat I am in.

Usually very happy with the Royal. I love it! I do not love my ebike but it fits the bill when I am tired or wife has the car. I need something to cope with an unpaved canal towpath yet is usable on the road too. The towpath takes about 4 miles off my round trip to work.

[Nearholmer]

Cadence’s suggested solution is a good one, and you might find it easier to get hold of a 90’s MTB than a secondhand touring bike with wide tyre clearances. The objective would be roughly the same though: a rigid bike with tyres 40-50mm. I tend to go for bikes at the thinner end of the 40-50mm tyre range because I like their slightly nippier character, that’s all.

The quick route to having a rigid bike with tyres in that size range, if you don’t enjoy, or don’t have time, for scouring secondhand sources and then tinkering, would be a new hybrid of the right sort, of which there are definitely a few in your price range. I always recommend the Pinnacle Lithium 3, and I think the Carrera Subway Allweather is one that others here have recommended.

[Dupont]

If I take this on a cycle to work scheme through the NHS it is coming out at less than £300.

Is this too good to be true or am I missing something? Rock solid reviews.

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/hybrid-b ... 52894.html