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Hi all

just stumbled apon this site while looking around online and trying to figer things out so thought it might be a good idea to join up and get involved.. and hopefully some tips

my name is james im 23 from dagenham and looking to get back into riding i used to ride a bike everywhere untill i learnt to drive and just got lazy so would like to get back into it so im a complete noobie at the moment and not even sure if what i want to get is possible or if im even on the right track..

I would like to get something i can beat around and wont break before i do from what i been reading are they called freerider?
quick relese wheels etc would be good to easily pack into car to transporting to rides or holidays etc.
aswell as this i have to start commuting on train so if it would be possible to lock suspention and have the option to swap out the chunky tyres for some slicker ones for road use would be very helpfull and make life easier...if slicker tyres are thinner would this even work i dont know?

anyhow i plan on trying to get down to a decent cycle store in the next few days or week to speak to someone and look about try get som more info and advise so ill keep you guys up to date my slow mountain bike story
if anyone knows of any good shops in or near my location they would recomend would be appreciated too

Hi james im called james im 24

you have described 2 bikes basically a freeride bike and a commuter/road bike

depending on what you will use more is the best way to make a decision if your looking to ride off road more i would say look into a AM bike as they go up as well as down really well and have plaenty enough travel to andle jumps etc

if it will be used more for going to work depending on distance and number of hills a commuter bike would be ideal as it has the slick thnner tires and will be nice and light opposed to eavy and wide off road tires
swapping tires around wont work as the rims will be different sizes
the best thing to do is think about what you will use it for and then go try a good few out to find the one that is for you

happy trails
james

Hi James thanks ill have a look at the AM bikes when I get home
I just thought if this was possible would be better to save room more than anything from storing 2 bikes
Wasn't sure if you could have another set of wheels and spacers or something as I'm sure A man I worked with had a specializes bike that looked like it could handle anything with buttons to lock front n back suspension and he put slicker tyres on it that's where I got the idea from...
Maybe this bike wasn't as suitable for what I hope ill be able to use it for off road

Are these AM a good bike then as I'd prefer to spend a bit more now than to buy one and later have to get a better one

All mountain bikes are pretty much the jack of all trades
often the forks and shocks can have lock outs retro fitted if they don't come with them as stock.
although i do think people put too much stock in having locked out shocks, you can just learn to ride with suspension and you'll suffer very little pedal bob.

i consider my Pitch all mountain with 160mm travel front n rear and i have no lock out, but i do have u-turn on the front which will allow me to lower the fork to 115mm which puts my weight further forward and makes it more comfortable for longer distances.

Try to buy the best you can get for the money you have but also try not to get too hung up on technical details as technology changes every flippijn week ! buy a bike you really like, like to ride, like the look of and are happy with the spec of the components (this can be tricky when you're new into the scene) but as long as you're comfortable with your purchase you can concentrate on enjoying it rather than comparing it to other peoples rides ! - a good bike doesn't make you a good rider and visa-versa.

over time you'll find out what you really want from your bike and you can make amendments as necessary

Same here - have a CUBE AMS125 Pro and although I don't have a button on the handlebars, I can easily lock the front forks at 100, 120 or 140.

When all is said and done you could have the best bike in the world, but it doesn't mean a thing if you don't know how to ride it so get the best bike that you like and can afford and learn how to ride it.

Eventally you'll either upgrade various parts or you'll know what you want and buy the bike that suits your riding style - we all had to start somewhere ... better to be an inconspicious dark horse than having all the gear and no idea!

Thanks for the advice guys i just wanted to try to save money and space and the hassle of buing one bike getting the hang of it and wanting to upgrade lol
so will the majority of them have the quick releases so i could pack the bie into the boot or are they extras you have to buy and put on?

how do the sizes work they seem to only come up on small medium and lage im asuming iid need large as im just short of 6tf

aswell if anyone if sellin or looing to sell something you think mite be good for me dont hesitate to try sell to me i can always say no

I have a vw golf and my rockhopper goes in with wheels on!
check pinkbike for good 2nd hand deals!

I think i might strugle with that tho i have a Alfa Romeo Mito and they have a bit of a smaller and od boot maybe with seats in back down but id prob need to do that and remove wheels to fit it in as they dont go down flat

thanks ill go have a look on there now.....im also learning about the cycle to work thing i could do to get it so that could same me some moneys too

Bike sizes s-m-l mean pretty much jack shit its the measurement in inches that's reality! sit on a few random bikes in shops the shop owner will advise on the correct size but you'll know if you're over stretched or to compressed, shorter bikes are more Chuckable, longer bikes are more stable

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