So I want a smallish MTB for my lad. Essentially small adult size and I'd like to buy used and avoid a BSO.
However, that isn't easy. Looking at Ebay and FB market place there really isn't much about used in my area. (South Downs).
I'm sorely tempted to give up and buy the Decathlon Rockrider, one up from base spec. The one with mechanical disc brakes and 1:x gears for £350. (ST120, I think.)
Is there something else I should be considering? (The Halfords equivalent?)
Is there a source of used bikes I'm missing? (My LBS can't really help.)
Forum classifieds? Pinkbike classifieds?
Ebay had a nice small size Avalanche last time I looked.Or perhaps a small size Transeo.They are going cheap
Possibly the wrong time of year, but most bike hire places sell off their stock at the end of the season.
Keep looking at Ebay & Marketplace, more bikes will come up.
Maybe consider going further to collect.
go outdoors, calibre, bikes or voodoo at halfords all seem to have similar bikes around that price point , ime voodoo ones have been decent.
but just be patient on ebay/pinkbike and bargains do appear, vitus nucleus etc can often be had at a good price
Thanks all, some genuinely useful tips.
Scott Aspect at Lee's cycles looks good.Dont know much about the business though.
Gumtree is another place to look. Just keep checking because it changes all the time of course (on any marketplace). I recently got a Rockrider ST140 for my eldest off ebay, perfect condition for £110 👍
Patience on Gumtree or Facebook or Pinkbike is required. Now and again, in between the dross, a gem comes up and you can jump on it.
Be prepared to jump quickly - my last bike (Orange Stage Evo) was posted at 8pm one Friday evening, and at 9:30am Saturday I was knocking on a door 25 miles away.....Chap had two more people due to come that day if I did not buy.
Ghost Kato EQ from Paul's cycles would be much nicer bike than that rock rider IMO.Maybe take the rack of to fit in with the Yoof!
It's a bit more expensive but the Calibre Rake 29 is pretty fantastic at £400, it's a Real Mountain Bike tm.
(the forks still aren't brilliant, being literally The Worst Rockshox, but where they shine above the Suntour XCR, T and M that you generally get sub-£500 is durability. The Suntours actually work pretty well for what they are, when new but unless looked after impeccably they tend not to stay that way, a combination of not-brilliant seals and delicate internals. And they're not really viable to service, just because it makes no sense when a better fork can be so cheap these days)
I don't think Halfords quite cut it at this price point at the moment, they start to get good over £500 imo.
Fair point about the Suntours.Was going to suggest the Rail because it looks so nice
I’ve been looking for a mate - check out the Merida Big Trail - a few of those are coming in about £350-£400 local to here (South West).
Also keep an eye out for a Vitus Nucleus / Sentier (either wheelsize 27.5 or 29), Voodoo Bizango.
Some of the better Calibres like the Line10 are ok. You may find a cheap Bossnut if you’re lucky (although full suspension).
Patience is the key I think.
Ebay seems ver overpriced. FB Marketplace probably the place.
For reference, I sold a decent 2017 27.5 Orange Crush to my neigbour for £650, he sold his Clockwork 29 for similar on Marketplace.
At the moment I am helping someone to find the same thing you are after and a nice Orange Crush went on FB last week for £600 but was snapped up instantly.
Another neighbour is hopefully selling his Bird Zero TR to them instead if it fits for £400.
I think that lots of people are asking for money they are very unlikely to get.
Keep looking on FB and the like. I picked up a 14" turn-of-the-millenium Kona Fire Mountain for my eldest for £90. Swapped out wheels, tyres, finishing kit with stuff I had "in stock", stripped it back to 1x9 which dropped a total of circa 1.5kg off the weight.
Weight makes a massive difference when you are little!
My daughter loves it now, but unfortunately the second child now needs one too, and the first hasn't outgrown it yet! (Happened with 20" wheeled biked too).
If anyone has either a 13 specialised of 14" kona with 26er wheels for sale I'm interested!
Patience is the key I think.
Ebay seems ver overpriced. FB Marketplace probably the place.
For reference, I sold a decent 2017 27.5 Orange Crush to my neigbour for £650, he sold his Clockwork 29 for similar on Marketplace.
At the moment I am helping someone to find the same thing you are after and a nice Orange Crush went on FB last week for £600 but was snapped up instantly.
Another neighbour is hopefully selling his Bird Zero TR to them instead if it fits for £400.
I think that lots of people are asking for money they are very unlikely to get.
without knowing the spec, that sounds like you did amazingly well to get that money
For what it’s worth there’s quite a few decent bikes on Facebook marketplace in South West so imagine there’s a similar nationwide. On one scandal, nukeproof scouts, ragleys, Merida big trail, marins there’s lots to look out for
Quick FB Marketplace browse (gawd knows how the forum will cope with these links!)(it didn't)
.
https://www.facebook.com/share/15YB5c1WZF/
https://www.facebook.com/share/15PesPreu7/
It's definitely still for sale! maybe like this?!
I wouldn't touch cable discs, especially for a kid with small hands - they are just to hard to pull compared with hydro ones IMO.
We picked up a 2nd hand XS Trek Roscoe for our daughter for similar money. It's had a fair bit of use including down the Fort Bill WC track (very slowly, she was 9 at the time!).
It's not been without fault (new BB & tyres after a tubeless puncture), but we've been really pleased with it.
I wouldn't touch cable discs, especially for a kid with small hands - they are just to hard to pull compared with hydro ones IMO.
We picked up two bikes for the kids in the last year, a Cube Acid and Scott something or other. One has hydraulic, the other cable and tbh I can't tell the difference in power or ease of use between the two. That's from someone who wouldn't consider cable discs on my own bike.
