Any Suggestions On What To Buy As A First Bike?

[rjmackay]

Hey guys,
I just joined the Auckland Uni MTB Club and I'm looking to buy myself a bike.
Any suggestions on what bike to buy as a fairly beginner rider?
Also how do I figure out what size I need? I'm around 6' and 68kgs
Cheers,
Robbie

[radical_edward]

What is your budget? What sort of riding do you intend to do?

In the under $1000 class the Specialized Hardrock Disc is hard to top at $850 or so. A tidy all round mountain bike that will take the knocks (Within reason: may not withstand the excesses of dirt jumping and general grom drops to flat).

Bikes sub $2000 are usually not economic to upgrade much.

If you don't know what sort of riding appeals to you, pick up a cheap one (new or second hand) then ride it until you know what you like then get an expensive bike that does exactly what you want.

[radical_edward]

Oh yeah, whatever bike you get, spend 30-50 on a proper u-lock if you intend to park it anywhere on campus. Leave it locked to the stand if it is too heavy.

You won't need as serious a lock most places in Auckland but you will get your bike stolen if you use a cable lock at Uni.

[mtbengineer]

will get your bike stolen if you use a cable lock at Uni.

id say it more depends on how bling youir bike is.....

on the bike buying side, work out a budget and what kind of riding you want it for, go round some of the shops in auckland and try out what bikes they have, find one that fits and feels nice. remember you can get 15% off bikes at planet cycles with your club membership card which you will get shortly, when i print them

[radical_edward]

id say it more depends on how bling youir bike is.....

Nope.

They will take any bike, no matter how crappy.

Recent thefts from outside the science centre building include a 1980s morrison 10 speed and a warehouse full suspension mtb. Both had substantial 6-8 mm cable locks chopped.

A mountain bike with thomson kit and titanium bars was on the stands when these bikes were stolen, but it was secured with a motorcycle grade cable lock

Friend got a no brand flat bar 700c hybrid from the early 90s stolen from the stand by the steps from the quad to the library between 12 and 1pm last year, cable lock again.

I have never had my bikes touched, even though they are worth many times more than the crappy bikes next to them because I run a d-lock. The thieves round UoA have one trick, and that is busting cable locks.

[keeweenz]

Its twats like the theives that put me off riding to uni, more money spent on buses i guess. I rode a few days but sat in class worrying too much! About time they got a decent bike cage and unlocked it on the hour, but might be a bit of a tricky one to organize.

As far as a bike goes pop into a few local bike shops and see whats around.

Anything around that budget from Avanti/Giant/Specialized should be pretty good value.

Get the one that feels right and you'll be set

[radical_edward]

About time they got a decent bike cage and unlocked it on the hour, but might be a bit of a tricky one to organize.

I have been involved in trying to get a bike cage built for 4 years, but the project is at least 6 years old.

First attempt they got the architects to design it and it was 10 times what anybody expected it to cost. Then they designed some cheaper cages but we discovered that they were in incredibly stupid places, like only being accessable by climbing 20 stairs. Next, we almost got a cage built at Tamaki, but they realised that they might have to build cages at the other campuses too as a result so they killed the project.

Your bike is quite secure on campus if you use a real lock, allen seat clamp and bolt on axles or locking skewers on the front wheel (or remove the wheel and lock it in the d lock). And park in a heavily trafficed space, not in the rec centre tunnel.

As I said, the thieves love the cable locks. $40 on a d-lock as a proportion of cost of a decent bike is nothing.

I have never had any bike theiving trouble anywhere else in the central city. The uni is like St Lukes for thieves, I suppose.

[rjmackay]

Cheers for all the advice guys!
Probably going with something like radical_edward's first suggestion - Specialized Hardrock Disc.
I really don't know what kind of riding I'm into yet so I'll just have to try something and find out I guess.