Mountain bike up to £1000

Guest2 · 8 Mar 2015 at 13:22

I have recently started mountain biking again and the hire cost is around £30 a day. When I hired one last time the gears were awful and didn't change properly, taking a chunk of skin off my ankle.

On a bike to work scheme I can pay £60 a month and have it paid off in a year. This to me makes more sense than paying £30 a month if I just go once a month or £60 a month to hire twice a month.

I am looking at bikes in the £500 - £1000 but ideally would be about £800 leaving some money for a helmet, shoes and clips (I have read and been told riding clipped in makes a massive difference)

I can only use the voucher (via cycle to work scheme) at Evans but I believe they will price match.

Am I better off going for something like a Specialized Rockhopper Pro or Trek X-Caliber that are recommended in reviews or getting a 'home brand' make which is Pinnacle. Looking at the Ramin Five. These appear to have better parts such as shocks but are obviously not a big brand - £350 forks on a Ramin five compared to £150 on the Rockhopper

Just after general information really as I have only started looking into mountain bike information recently

Thanks

Illusion · 8 Mar 2015 at 21:53

Make sure you read into the cycle to work scheme properly as after the initial 12 months you don't own the bike and have to either pay a settlement fee to own it or pay a further small charge to keep using it for another few years.

If you are just using the scheme as an interest free loan it doesn't make much difference but if you're restricting your buying choices to save money through the scheme you might find you aren't saving as much as you think overall and might prefer the freedom to buy from anywhere.

Specialized seem to have some poorly specced yet fairly highly priced bikes at the lower end of the scale which is probably down to the name brand tax as you suggest.

I have no real world experience of these but Canyon bikes are looking really tempting to me at the moment but they wouldn't be accessible with cycle to work scheme as they seem to be sold online only.

Guest2 · 8 Mar 2015 at 23:20

I am going to ask HR tomorrow about the transfer and fair market value (FMV) cost after 12 months

FMV for a bike over £500 and one year old is 25% If this means you have to pay £250 to take ownership of the bike then you hardly end up saving any money at all

I was actually just looking at this - https://www.canyon.com/en/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=3645 Slightly over budget but the forks alone are £479

booyaka · 8 Mar 2015 at 23:22

Canyon don't do cycle to work scheme - have a look at on-one/local shops etc

Vonhelmet · 9 Mar 2015 at 00:46

Guest2 said:
I am going to ask HR tomorrow about the transfer and fair market value (FMV) cost after 12 months

FMV for a bike over £500 and one year old is 25% If this means you have to pay £250 to take ownership of the bike then you hardly end up saving any money at all

Usually your employer will give the bike to you at that point and you pay tax at your marginal rate on it as a benefit in kind.

The cycle scheme is always worth it from a financial point of view, assuming you can find a bike you're happy with.

Begbie · 9 Mar 2015 at 07:19

If you're not intrested in the scheme then these are worth a look;

http://shop.birdmtb.com/zero.html - within budget too.

Also I'm sure on-one are part of the scheme?

hooj · 9 Mar 2015 at 09:56

Tbh

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CBOO456CEVOX9/on-one-456-evo-carbon-sram-x9-mountain-bike

is unbeatable for the price. Full X9, Revelation forks.

One-one do B2W aswell.

Begbie · 9 Mar 2015 at 10:00

I'd spend an extra £100 and get the pikes on it. That is a bargain!

FrenchTart · 9 Mar 2015 at 10:01

10% fee for C2W for On-One and/or PX though.

Guest2 · 9 Mar 2015 at 20:47

Thanks guys. I was actually looking at the Bird Zero 3 today and the On-One 456 Evo Carbon Sram X9 Mountain Bike.

Is the On-One Parkwood SRAM X9 Mountain Bike a better bike? - http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBOOPWX9/on-one-parkwood-sram-x9-mountain-bike

Comparing the bird to the On-One I have been reading X9 is better than Deore. True?

Also 27.5" on the Bird and 29" on the Parkwood / 26" wheels on the 456

Soooo much to learn!

Tart - Yes, My housemate used PX and said they took 10% for some reason. This is another point if getting the On-one from PX. I would have to stump up an extra £250 at least. (Pedals ~£55, Helmet ~£40 and Shoes ~£??)

Begbie · 9 Mar 2015 at 20:56

pretty much the same, the Revs will probably be better forks though the x-fusions will be able to get put up to 140mm if you want them to eventually. X9 V Deore, I doubt it'd make much of a difference. I'd choose Shimano over SRAM though.

Guest2 · 9 Mar 2015 at 21:15

Thanks. Also what are pikes?

Reverb dropper post? Fancy name for 'bouncy expensive seat'

Are bird not part of the Scheme either?

Supercow · 9 Mar 2015 at 21:20

Guest2 said:
Thanks. Also what are pikes?

Reverb dropper post? Fancy name for 'bouncy expensive seat'

Are bird not part of the Scheme either?

BIrd are a part of the scheme - just call up and speak to Ben Pinnick about it.

Reverb: Shut up and get one
Pike: Shut up and get one

Guest2 · 9 Mar 2015 at 21:38

Good
I probably will
I probably will

What are they?

booyaka · 9 Mar 2015 at 21:55

Guest2 said:
Good
I probably will
I probably will

What are they?

Pikes - forks
Reverb - up and downy seatpost

Guest2 · 9 Mar 2015 at 22:05

You can't change the forks on the Bird Zero 3 from what I can see :confused:

Guest2 · 9 Mar 2015 at 22:57

Begbie said:
I'd spend an extra £100 and get the pikes on it. That is a bargain!

Do you mean on the Bird or One-one?

Edit - I see the Pike is a type of RockShox fork. On the bird 3 you can only upgrade to the revelation and its £255 more! :eek:

The reverb is also £200 mroe on te Bird instead of £150 with the On-one

Supercow · 10 Mar 2015 at 11:44

Guest2 said:
You can't change the forks on the Bird Zero 3 from what I can see

Anything on the Bird can be changed. Might not be able to do that on the site, but call Ben - he will configure it for you.

thewanted · 10 Mar 2015 at 11:46

You sure you don't want a Bird Zero.1 with a RockShox Revelation fork?

Begbie · 10 Mar 2015 at 12:08

Guest2 said:
Do you mean on the Bird or One-one?

Edit - I see the Pike is a type of RockShox fork. On the bird 3 you can only upgrade to the revelation and its £255 more! The reverb is also £200 mroe on te Bird instead of £150 with the On-one

The on one has pike options.

The fork that comes with the bird @ £1000 can be internally changed to 140mm but aren't as good as pikes at all. As much as I love my bird, that on one is a bargain. Not sure I like the frames though.

Thewanted - selling already??