Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: Looking for good suggestions for mountain bikes and parts for my irish adventure

« on: July 17, 2016, 09:18:15 pm »

For a first time mountain bike I would look to spend a minimum of £500 and go for one of the big brand names like Trek, Giant, or Scott.

Look for a minimum of Shimano Deore components.

Many bikes have 29 or 27.5 wheels which can help for a smoother ride.

Avoid the cheapest forks as they generally don't work that well.

You can find many second hand bikes on eBay - just check that they don't look too harshly treated.

Good luck.

Thanks! ah GIANT ! my friend over the weekend mentioned GIANT. I did some research yesterday and actually found a GIANT Anthem second hand bike to buy that has from further research (as doesn't list any major specs) but seems to fit the bill. And as its second-hand is actually 350... below my budget but new could be a lot more ! What do folks reckon? be good to get some other links on the GIANT bikes..thanks!

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General Discussion / Re: Looking for good suggestions for mountain bikes and parts for my irish adventure

« on: July 17, 2016, 09:03:20 pm »

Hi Sal. You asked comments about Viking Valkyrie bike, but you didn't mention the price. This is all important! If price doesn't matter, there are surely hundreds of nicer bikes for the purpose you stated. Probably price is important. So why the restraint of mentioning an affordable price range or a qualitative indication, like: budget, standard, high-end.  All commerical goods have a value-for-money aspect.

It looks very much like this : http://www.discovercycling.com/bikes/Hardtail-Mountain-Bikes/Viking-Valkyrie-Ladies-26-Hardtail-Mountain-Bike.html . If so, it is a super-budget bike. Nothing wrong with that, as long as you don't expect  the quality or features of a standard bike.

Just some general indications that may help you decide:
1. If I google 'Viking Valkyrie' the first page is dominated by 'lady MTB'. Are you a lady (sorry, I am dutch and don't recognize instantly the gender of given names). It so, the bike has at least some frame size features that serve you well, if you have the 'average' female' characteristics.
2.  Generally, the geometry looks more for relaxed touring than sporting MTB rides. Is this what you want?
3.  The Suntour front shox is more suited for touring on bad pavement or off-road on gravel roads and smooth double tracks than for MTB trails. It certainly isn't bad or soon-to-fail. Rather it is more robust than finesse:  more Lada than BMW!
4.  From the pictures it looks like the bike has eyelets for screwing a rear rack to the seat stay. I am not sure about eyelets for screwing the rack near the rear axis. This is important if you want to carry gear for a multi-day  ride.
5.  The 36-spoke wheels are probably robust for carrying big loads and won't fail easily. I didn't see the bike's weight, but it won't be lightweight. That fits in the profile of a touring bike rather than a sporting bike.
6.  The 21-speed (3x7) transmission is more in the starter range than in the standard range (3x9 or 3x10).
5.  I favor disc brakes over rim brakes, so I won't criticise this, except that it is a miracle that they feature in a super-budget priced bike.

I won't say that this bike doesn't last, but it probably doesn't satisfy in the long term. In my opinion, as long as you are not clear about the long-term purpose of the bike (say: one-day rides vs multi-day rides ; easy trails vs demanding trails ; budget, standard or high-end) this is a nice and inexpensive way to learn about your preferences. It will probably satisfy you for 1-2 years. After that you will be much better informed about what to look for.

Thanks for your response! yes I am a lady! I think a Touring bike could be good...although I wouldnt turn my nose at a sporting bike either. I dont want something too light! a medium weight would be good. Some of the specs on that bike are:


Frame Material:   Aluminium   Brand:   
Frame Size:   18"   
Wheel Size:   26"
Number of Gears:   21
Brake Type:   Disc Brakes - Mechanical
Suspension:   Front

And is around 179£ so now I am thinking thats quite cheap and I would like to spend more ... to be fair I was thinking around 400-500 mark to last.

Thanks for your info ! will check more out based on some things you suggested for sure!

  and I definately want something that is good for multi day rides so extra bag would help! My budget is decent as I would prefer to pay out for a decent bike that will last. Admittedly I did see this particular bike for the look of the frame ....it seemed comfy to me.  Ill check out some of your suggestions and thanks for the extra tips, some of which I didnt consider!

3

GPS & Digital Data Discussion / Re: Best GPS device for cycling

« on: July 17, 2016, 08:34:04 pm »

What do you want to do with a GPS?  Track heart rate, power, routes, get directions, look at maps, play with buttons and flashing lights?  The answer to this "simple" question will certainly reduce your options (except for buttons and lights!).

Yeah ... power...routes, directions and maps for sure...

4

GPS & Digital Data Discussion / Best GPS device for cycling

« on: July 15, 2016, 09:41:56 am »

Hey folks

I am soon to go on a big big ride around of northern Ireland. Along side trying to find a decent mountain bike I am also considering buying a GPS device for my bike, never had one before and I like the idea of it. I have done light research and already I am over whelmed by all the devices on the market!! there are lots! It's seems obv that different devices have different features... like tracking speed, and distances, has bluetooth and some have touchscreens like smart phones....some even can tell you if you have an incoming call/txt from your smart phone...  which seem handy...thats just to name a few... I see there are brands such as Garmin, Wahoo , polar and Magellan , sure there are doezen more! I am happy to pay a good price if it means I can keep it for a while. I want something not too big...

I found a pic out of 100's! but this for me seems like an ideal size... could go abit bigger...no smaller...



any suggestions would be much appreciated!

thanks in advance

5

Food Talk / Re: Eating well on tour.

« on: July 12, 2016, 05:39:17 am »

There's only so much you can take away.... but i recommend in times of hardship and not been able to find a store....

Peanut butter : plastic containers are light... OR make your own at home... bigger pot...
Cereal bars... are VERY light and stuff them in your socks if you need to :-)
Honey/butter/coconut oil : butter can difficult to take as Obv it melts BUT ..conut oil in a small bottle is GREAT as combined with honey it boosts your metabolism which can be a real life saver man when out and about

SEEDS!!! are great for travelling/cycling.... flax/sunflower/chia ... to name a few are great for energy renewal...it might not be very filling but combined with some fruit you can pick along the way is! and NUTRITIOUS!

The idea im really getting at his take things you can combine well with if you happen to find a hald decent source for food in remoter areas.... so honey... combined with fruit! you can easily pack some light weight untensils!

Ginger ale is also great ! home made is even better using the live organisms... and is very rich in protein... and anti bacterial properties - better than yoghurt and you can bottle up and take 2/3

depends how much storage you have... i suggest you take a a medium bag and a travel/food box for the front and back of bike... smaller one for front... depends how much you wanna take obv...

6

Food Talk / Re: Best Foods for Training

« on: July 12, 2016, 05:30:13 am »

PROTEIN !!! and also things like a good organic (no crap in) peanut butter and a natural healthier sugar such as molasses/palm sugar is great with peanut butter... also ....honey + butter regulates your metabolism so great whilst training
It's important to have lighter foods/snacks whilst training.... makes sense really... rather than heavy stodgy food.

Again molasses drinks can be good... just add some to hot water and can take it hot or let it go cold..

light salads with seeds are great for out and about too...

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General Discussion / Re: Looking for good suggestions for mountain bikes and parts for my irish adventure

« on: July 12, 2016, 05:13:31 am »

also budget is fairly decent ... so I would rather pay out for a good one that will last!

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General Discussion / Looking for good suggestions for mountain bikes and parts for my irish adventure

« on: July 11, 2016, 04:53:15 am »

Hello folks

I am new to the forum and I joined as I would like buy a mountain and it is my first one. So I would like to get suggestions from people that are experienced mountain bikers.

I live in Ireland so there is alot of country side and why not take advantage of it! To give you an idea of the kinds of routes I am interested in ... some road and some off beaten track, for those not familiar with ireland ...feel free to copy and paste the places I will mention to get a good idea of my needs for reliable suggestions

a) Connemara's national park - 29.57 km² which boasts scenic mountains, expanses of bogs, heaths, grasslands and woodlands

b)The Kingfisher trail- county fermanagh... the Kingfisher Trail loops around lakes and islands, winds by rivers and streams, and passes through woods and forest and country parks.

c) The Derroura mountain bike trail -  is circular and includes miles of singletrack trails with big climbs and big descents over a wide variety of sometimes difficult terrain that is only suitable for mountain bikes. Parts of the trail are technical, steep and rocky and include exposed rock slabs, boulders, mud, roots, loose gravel and elevated timber boardwalks.

d) Mourne mountains - 27km red trail also a 19km black trail and also The 'Mega Mission' downhill trail :-)

Now i do cycle alot anyways so I have some training but i will pick out easier trails to start with however I am looking for a bike that can handle easy and hard routes.

found this... could be worth it?...

So... what kind of mountain bikes are there... suspension... break systems... tyres and wheels robust enough for the trails.

look forward to your suggestions!

thanks in advance! Sal