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if you had a budget of £500, would you buy a low end full build 29er or would you buy a half good frame, and build it up slowly from stuff you had and some new bits.
bike is to be used for longer distance non tech riding/commuting/offroad touring.
all idea's greatly appreciated.
I'd start by giving the the Pinnacle Ramin* series a good hard look, and then use that as a comparison point for everything else.
*assuming we're talking 29er HT's
I would buy a parkwood, build it up cheap with either a new deore set and second hand finishing bits or vice versa, upgrade over time and then swap the frame to a stanton or something similar. Or they do a parkwood build with low end sram for £599 (or did)
Upgrading over time is ok, but unless you dont ride much, the cycle of replacements makes it hard to get everything where you want it to be to swap it onto a decent frame. On that basis, buying complete will usually be better - buy a donor 26er or something for drivetrain and buy a decent frame first.
Also depends what you have in your spares, if you have a lot of parts I would go with the frame first and go from there. Get some rigid forks on to start with.
Secondhand full bike (or frame and key bits if £500 doesn't get you something posh enough).
Haven't you owned them all by now though?
😉
Ridgeback X1? Full bike for £499. Fully rigid. Excellent frame and forks, heavy chainset, average wheels. The only real downside is clearance for a rear tyre. Max is 2.1. After a year, I've gradually upgraded mine into quite a versatile bike.
I did the latter, lots of great 29er frames around.. I sold my old 5 frame and built a Salsa El Mariachi. Ended up costing about £600 all in though.
I'd choose from the Surly range if I were you.
Buy frame, build up with what ever you've got laying around, share wheels with your enduro to save money.
I have found good 29ers set up SS go quite cheaply on eBay. You get a good frame, sometimes even a very good fork as I did, and a good spec of bits. Can be worth far more than the whole bike costs. Ride it SS, see how you like it and add gears if you want, upgrade the wheels as the sales turn up with great offers. It worked for me.
I agree with Zippy. Check out the Pinnacle Ramin 1, under £500 and a great upgradeable bike.
Largely ignored by the MTB press, yet raved about by the mtb'ing community. There's a great thread on here somewhere, with riders pictures and reviews.
I bought the frame (Surly Ogre), built it up in the same way, mix of stuff from the garage and some new stuff. Went touring on it. Happy days.
If I were you, I'd buy my Scott scale from the classifieds...
a bloke I know is selling a mint carbon Ridley for 900. Too much?
Someone on here is selling a 29er Scandal for 450 IIRC.
Ive just bought a second hand inbred, just picked up yesterday from powdercoaters. Have bars, stem, cranks and saddle from spares, have bought deore kit for brakes and drivetrain as and when on special. Should build up in the next couple of weeks, think it will come in at around £400-£450, including pace rigid forks at a cost of £85.
BUt if i were doing it again, or in a hurry, I'd pick the Ramin or parkwood full build, as all the little bits add up. Depends if you have spares which will allow better spec in other areas up to your £500 budget. Second hand is always an option but quality is so variable.
I bought a shop soiled Charge Cooker for £420.... Brilliant for exactly what it needs to be.
I have an Evans gift card that i'd sell you with some money off to bring the price of that Pinnacle down even further. Email in profile if interested.