MTB Starter Bike

Budget is key to answering your question, but you could do a lot worse than looking at Vitus on Chain Reaction and picking the model in your price range. Was up to 30% off last time I looked too.

Yeah I know what you mean about budget. Well funny you mention vitus I was looking at them before and thought they look quite nice and not a bad spec considering.

I’m  a big fan of the decathlon Triban range. Had starter road and mtb bikes and all been great and decent spec for the money.

Without a budget or a decision on new or secondhand it’s hard to know what to suggest.

In the budget category around £500-700:

Voodoo Bizango
Vitus Nucleus

Next rung up:

Vitus Sentier
Nukeproof Scout
Canyon Stoic (bit more on the slightly hardcore end)
On One Scandal / Big Dog

After that there are loads of options really.

I’d concentrate on a decent air fork, 1x drivetrain - deore 11 or 12 speed wide range or higher. If sram GX or higher - avoid SX and NX as they aren’t that durable.

Try to find decent bolt through hub wheels with boost spacing and tubeless compatible wheels and tyres.

The very cheapest category I’ve highlighted can do the air fork but won’t have bolt through hubs at both ends - but if that’s your budget they’re decent enough bikes to get started on and worthy of a few upgrades.

Vitus from CRC ✌🏻

What are they like the vitus?

All the cool kids around my way are riding Trek Roscoe's.

I'd go with 27.5" wheels as you're under 5' 8"

New

https://www.jejamescycles.com/product/48145/trek-trek-roscoe-6-mtb-purple-black-2023/

Or used

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165763614324

Yeah I’ve considered the trek roscoe my next question was about wheel size.

When I got back into riding about ten years or so ago, I went Vitus from CRC. Great bike to test out whether you really like riding or not. I then started on the upgrade/frame swap journey til earlier this year when I finally sold what I'd ended up with a bought a whole new bike!

Richard which model did you go for ? How do you rate the vitus ?

What's wrong with your Stiffee?

I'd add the Sonder Frontier to the list

The stiffee I feel is to big I’m 5ft 6 and it’s a 17.5 frame. I’ve always felt abit stretched on it unfortunately other wise I’d ride it happily.

Voodoo Bizango Isn’t this the bikes the Halfords sell? What are they like ?

A second hand Calibre Line 29 would suit you well. They’re great bikes and the geometry is pretty modern (not extreme though). And they were about £850 new 2 years ago.

Bizango. Great bike.
Merida big trail.

I’ve read a few reviews and people seem to rate the bizango fairly well for the money etc.

Right so after much research for a decent bike I’ll spend 1k give or take. What would people recommend for that kinda money ? I did look at the giant xtc slr 1 29 which is just over budget but I was a little concerned about the giant own make forks any ideas what there like ?

Thanks
Tom

Also quite liking the look of the Marin san Quentin bikes.

Possibility to test ride some bikes?

Your Cove isn't too big for you. I'm the same height or so, and I've ridden similar enough

You're going to find the Giant feels a lot more like the bike you have now as the geometry is quite conservative/dated for a trail bike. So when you're first ride a bike with a more slack geometry it will feel big and decidedly odd initially, espc if you think the Cove is long. But I son't think that's a good reason to buy the Giant. I like the Vitus or Voodoo options more

Right so after much research for a decent bike I’ll spend 1k give or take.

The standard answer around the £1k mark is the OnOne Scandal

On-One Scandal SRAM SX Mountain Bike | Planet X

Down at £750 at the moment. Liking the new sand colour too

I wonder if I try a shorter stem on the cove. It currently has a 70mm. I’m 5ft 6. I’d rather keep the cove if I’m totally honest and then get out and then upgrade at a later date to something better. Yeah speaking to my local bike shop they say modern bikes are very long compared to older ones. They said sometimes there too long.

I'm in the same boat at the mo, looking for a decent MTB for my son, who's now taller than I am, and outgrown his current bike.

OnOne Scandal looks like the kind of thing he's after but I'm nervous at spending a stack of cash on something that comes through the post and may need tweaking.

What about Trek? I have a LBS that has them, what would the equivalent be to the OnOne Scandal?

Advice welcome!

What about Trek? I have a LBS that has them, what would the equivalent be to the OnOne Scandal?

Marlin 6 or 7 looks to fit the bill based on spec and price plus geometry isnt far off the Scandal...

Marlin 7 Gen 3 | Trek Bikes (GB)

You can get a great used HT for that budget if you are patient and have the time to wait. Something like a Stif Morf could be good if you can find one or a 27.5 Cotic Soul

Do people rate the Whyte hardtails. See loads of them on facebook marketplace. Just got an S150 full suss second hand and love it.

There are a few decent facebook groups that are reasonably local.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570569773262975/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/326934375411395/

It feels like a buyers market right now.

Thanks @Nuke -- it's a useful thread for me with interesting pointers, welcome advice.

cheers folks.

Off the topic question if I was to keep my cove which ideally to start with I’d like to. what length stem would people use ? I understand it’s a trial and error. I currently have a 70mm I’m thinking maybe try a 50mm.

Definitely play with shorter stem and bars. Not familiar with that bike but see if it will take a slacker headset, you could look at increasing the travel and slackening the head angle with a 50mm stem.