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Living close to Swinley Forest my family (twin 10 year old boys, my wife and myself) had a go at the blue mountain biking route. It quickly became obvious that my two kids have outgrown their 20" wheel bikes and that my wife and my hybrids were not cut out for the tracks. Despite this we had fun and are all very keen to get more suitable bikes and start developing our skills.
Firstly, does anyone have any recommendations for good bikes to look at for each of us? I know we will need to check out sizes and make sure fits are good but ideas of brands/models/components we should look for would be appreciated.
Secondly, can anyone recommend a good resource for beginners getting into mountain biking to better understand the terms, skills etc?
Finally, what would be the one piece of often overlooked kit you would recommend we make sure we have?
Thanks for any thoughts.
Matt
Get yourself to Decathlon in Reading.. See what they have in there .. you won't go far wrong.
Hargroves cycles in Swindon have good deals on, I recently bought the wife a Specialized Myka from them.
Waterproof socks.
p.s. i'm sure I recognise the username...
1. decide on a price point tbh for each bike then you will get better advice on what bike at that price - it all depends on budget tbh
2. Not sure tbh
3. Sense of humour [ you may need this for this thread]- for me its a spare pair of gloves - hate cold hands. in general I think MTB ers take no safety equipment with them for the high mountains - bivvies , warm clothes etc
Don't rush in and buy all the gear straight away! Bikes can be hired from many places (someone here will know of somewhere near Swinley) I would suggest doing that a few times first, make sure it is really is something you will enjoy and want to keep doing before you splash the cash. It will also give you chance to find out what you like bike wise, so many different options, XC bikes, DH bikes, trail bikes FS/HT, 26/29 etc etc, Find out what kind of trails you like to ride and then choose a bike to suit later.
I know there's a few clubs down there, I'm sure they would be delighted to show you round, get you used to things.
It really depends what you want to do, mountain biking sis such a generic term , covering everything from cross country bimbling to down hill to enduros. The two main points to consider are the tyoe of riding you intend to do and as junkyard says your budget.You will need to allow for at the very least helmets gloves, suitable shoes and a waterproof .I think get an entry level hardtail and see where it takes you ,you may welol have a better idea of what you want to do after you have ridden for a bit .
There's a place in Crowthorne that hires/demos bikes I believe.
Welcome to cycling!
I would go the second-hand route and the Classifieds here is a very good place to start.
Bear in mind that women don't necessarily need women-specific bikes as geometry can vary considerably. In general though short top tubes can often be better for women.
As regards clothing, if you're only riding at Swinley then you're pretty much sheltered from the elements. Softshell clothing is good, ie jackets and gloves, as the windproof membrane will ensure that you stay toasty.
Feel free to ask for advice, we're all helpful and encouraging here. 🙂
For helpful advice I recommend:
www.mountain-trax.com located in Barkham, near Wokingham.
They have a huge range of bikes including kids so worth checking out.
One of us, One of us, One of us!
Gloves, helmet and some nice padded under crackers for you all. You don't want to have fun in the saddle then be walking like John Wayne for the next three days.
Enjoy!
This website is great for clothing etc:
www.startcycles.co.uk
yup I would get some 2nd hand hardtails (no suspension at the back) and see how you like it. Is your wife particularly sporty? if not, then get out on your own and get up to some proper speeds, cycling is so much more fun going as fast as you possibly can down hills (or on the flat) it is absolutely joyous and you won't get that joy just pootling along at a plodding pace.
A good helmet and some decent gloves is a good start.
It doesn't have to all be about mountain bike trails, get an OS map of your local areas and look for bridleways (large dashes) and go out and find them. I always enjoy trails through woods so look for what your area has to offer. Any canals or old railway tracks?
Sustrans is a charity which is dedicated to cycling throughout britain, they mark out cycle trails and are very easy to follow, have a look at the map on their website: [url= http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map ]http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map[/url] to see which of their trails are near you. The sustrans routes are generally flat so are very good for riding with the kids.
Feel free to come here for advice, there is lots of professional bike people on here who work in bike shops and lots on here very experienced in racing and all types of biking, it's a wealth of knowledge. Generally people are friendly to those genuinely asking questions.
most of all Have Fun. Cycling is ace.
Andy and Sarah at Purple Bike shed will be happy to give advice on training, guiding and pointers on where to go / what to look for re bikes. Farnborough based, I think they're the only ones officially allowed to do training courses in Swinley.
Website is just being rebuilt but give them a call
http://www.purplebikeshed.com/
Wow, staggeringly fast responses, thanks all. I'll have a look at all those suggestions and see where we go from there.
What dabble said, padded undercrackers!
Set yourself a budget, buy and just have fun!
As has been said, you wont go far wrong with decathlon to start off with.
A large supply of cake.
Rest is covered. Have fun! 😀
Padded shorts is a must and a helmet personally I would not leave home without any of them. If like me your not able to work on your bike I would stay clear of second-hand bike for now. All the best
Send Mattjg (of this parish) an email. He may be a (distant) relative and might be able to show you around.
I'd say buying this is a good start if you are at all serious in doing mountain biking as a propper hobby/sport (as opposed to just wobbling round on your bikes with the family occasionally)
[img] 
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[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mastering-Mountain-Skills-Brian-Lopes/dp/0736083715 ]Mastering Mountain Bike Skills[/url]
Dear Matt,
Don't spend too much on your first bike(s) as if you stick with riding and learn you'll almost certainly end up wanting something else anyway. Reasonable sized tyres and a bit of front suspension will get you going on Swinley red & blue, then expand your horizons from there.
"Finally, what would be the one piece of often overlooked kit you would recommend we make sure we have?"
Beginners often don't wear gloves, you'll notice everybody who rides regularly does. They're not really for making the handlebars more comfortable, they're so you don't skin your palms and knuckles if you fall off.
Have a good time.
Yours
- Matt
this time of year fit crud catchers or similar to all your bikes. it'll mean that even if it's raining a bit, you won't be getting a constant stream of cold, gritty water being directed at your ( or more importantly your partner's ) ar5e and be hacked off in the first 10 mins, and really uncomfortable after the first 3/4 of an hour.
learn how to properly remove and refit wheels, buy a pump ( topeak mountain morph is very good ) and tubes ( go for ones for 2.1 to 2.3 tyres, even if your tyres are 2.1, not tubes for 1.8 to 2.1 tyres ), tyre levers ( pedros ), and a generic patch kit in case you run out of tubes.
watch valve types on the tubes on all the bikes and tubes, and make them the same, or know how to switch the pump over quickly ( not hard ).
as the others have said, take a look around, see what's out there, and come back with some ideas on what you think you might buy, and you'll get lots of suggestions and comparisons i expect.
have fun!
Buy a bike that fits.
I rode a 21" Claud Butler for 8 years before realising it was for someone probably a foot taller than me. Probably spent more trying to get it riding "right" than what it cost.
Kit? Probably a decent track pump and tyre levers. Oh, and learn how to use them!
If you're looking to support a local bike designer then have a look at [url= http://birdmtb.co.uk/ ]Bird Cycles[/url]. They should be able to sort you out with a demo and are probably the best priced bikes you'll find.
Get this for you and the wife http://paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s2p3844/GT-ZASKAR-SPORT-2012
@ curiousyellow - just had a look at that website and, to be honest, the brand name is a bit naff. I've not ridden a 650B (firmly on 26") so nothing useful to say but wish them the best of luck. 🙂
I think the bike hire place in Swinley opens again next month so could be worth hiring some hartail MTBs for the family just to try them out and see how you all get on?
Rode the "blue red blue" route on Saturday morning and the best bit of kit I could probably have recommended would have involved a hull and oars!! Great fun ride though and we had the place to ourselves!
As said before, budget is key to bike advice.
Pete Poddy off here lives near there (Farnboro'?) and works in a bike shop doesn't he, might be a good place to start?
If the kids are shortish, IslaBikes are the general go to for scaled down decent kit.
I loved that an answer to this
...recommend a good resource for beginners getting into mountain biking to better understand the terms...
includes this
XC bikes, DH bikes, trail bikes FS/HT, 26/29
You may be able to find a glossary somewhere, but one thing that for some unknown reasons can confuse the beginner with the vocabulary is:
Clipless Pedals = Pedals that you need to clip in to.
Bike choices are bewildering ! The mainstream brands such as Specialised, Giant, Lapierre, Cube, Boardman etc will all have good introductory bikes.
For what it's worth I dabbled with a £350 Specialised Hardtail (= front suspension only) and V brakes before realising that disc brakes aren't just for posers and with bikes you get what you pay for. That being said that bike (now 8 years old) is still ridden by friends who come out occasionally and don't have their own bikes.
4 bikes for the family, you are probably looking at £2,000 - £2,500 in total as a starting point for new bikes.
The best value is second had bikes but the chicken and egg situation here is you need to know what you're buying, used bikes are 25%-50% of new cost.
As for skills/terms etc google is your friend, lot of videos online (Youtube and Vimeo) but to be honest getting out there is the most important thing.
The folk who built the Blue trail in Swinley will be delighted you where riding it, its exactly the sort of participation they where hoping for.
Good luck and it's a cool activity to do with the family.
Many people start with a basic bike with front suspension (a Hardtail). These can be had for a few hundred pounds - The more you spend the more durable and light the bike will be. Don't buy a cheap front and rear suspension bike (say under £750) it will be heavy and pointless. In terms of basic function it's all pretty much the same irrespective of price. £3-400 buys an OK bike, spend more and get more. Your boys are likely to be on 24 inch wheels for now, I'd look at Specialized or Trek bikes they are well packaged, competitive and have good resale values.
Regular outdoor wear will be fine for now (cotton gets hot and sweaty though) you will need helmets that fit and gloves. I like padded cycling shorts and would not be without them
Have a mini pump, spare tubes, basic multi-tool and learn to use them there are lots of videos on you tube. Fixing a puncture, repairing a snapped chain and adjusting your gears to function correctly are the absolute minimum that you should be able to do at the trail side.
As for skills again lots of good videos on you tube.
Still not sure if this is a little bit of mattjg&co having a bit of fun. However, if first impressions are wrong...
... try the voodoo HT stocked by halfords. Get v good reviews re VFM and come in different wheel sizes (try not to go there). All for around £500. Like most sports there is an awful lot of overpriced BS that people try to fool you with. So beware.......!!!
tubes ( go for ones for 2.1 to 2.3 tyres, even if your tyres are 2.1
Why?
When I got in to it I borrowed a friend's Orange 5 (full suspension bike) and loved it (mountain biking). So I bought a bike I felt I could grow in to rather than quickly grow out of. However, this isn't necessarily the cheapest option if you are buying four bikes!
BIKES
Have a look to see if there are some deals on 2013 bikes as there are lots of new 2014 bikes out now so the former are heavily discounted. As said above, unless you're technically minded when it comes to bikes I'd stay away from 2nd hand, buy new but discounted with warranty.
TERMS + SKILLS
Terms - read as much as you can on this forum and Google anything you don't understand.
Skills - ride your bike and push your boundaries.
'ONE' THING
Gloves, padded shorts and a hydration pack (a rucksack with a reservoir for water and a tube that comes over your shoulder from which to drink.)
Still not sure if this is a little bit of mattjg&co having a bit of fun. However, if first impressions are wrong...
it's not me guv, honest
Dont buy the GT. Those Radon forks are god awful. I borrowed a mates bike to ride in Leeds on a short wet ride and they had packed solid so they wouldnt move within an hour and a half.
Go for something with rockshock forks if you can. Forks seem to be the weakest bit ona budget bike.
I have found Edinborough Bike Cooperative very good for cheapish bikes
It's definitely a genuine post and I'm very grateful for all the responses and suggestions so far. I'm not currently at the stage where I'd feel comfortable picking out second hand bikes so will probably go for new (2013) bikes as suggested by a couple of people.
I can see I've got a fair amount of reading to do to understand some of the comments, but sounds like it'll be a lot of fun.
Nah it's rubbish. Save yourself!
😉
A tidal wave of info! So I'll add a few ripples. I started mountain biking four years ago when my kids rode with Palmer Velo. This Reading club go to Swinley on the first Sunday of the Month. I'm going to do the same with our club (Twickenham) from February. All will be welcome. Riding with a group who can coach will bring you on much faster.
As for bikes... If you have the bug, I'd carry on riding your own bikes for now and wait until you can hire from Swinley next month and try theirs. You may find your 10yo's can fit on 26" wheeled bikes rather than 24". Capable bikes start new at about £300. That, sadly includes bikes for older kids. When you have a budget and are ready to buy, ask again as everyone on here likes to spend other people's bike money 😉 (And Decethalon are excellent value).
As for essential kit: A small rucksack with a drinking bladder, as bottles get muddy. Fill it with two spare tubes, tools to remove tyres, a good pump and a small FIRST AID KIT. It will need to be big enough to carry the kids' coats too if your two are anything like mine!
Just enjoy it. Swinley is a great place to ride and easier now it has directions.
Hi Matt
I am planning a bit of a clear out and I have 3 good quality hardtails in various sizes that will be a bit of a bargain.
Whatever you decide you have found mountain biking, you will now be happier, fitter and poorer.... enjoy.
A lot of the advice above is good, but I'm going to differ of a few things.
- Don't buy used bikes. Look for last year's models on sale, but still new. New bikes have a warranty that will give you some peace of mind. Also, a service checkup or two usually comes with new bikes from a shop. Taking your bike(s) in for that service will allow them to make minor adjustments to brakes, shifters, and other things after the bike has been used a bit. They'll only spend minutes on the service, but its stuff that is easily done wrong by a beginner. A little turn of the adjuster on a shifter can get the gears shifting like new; turn it the wrong way and they go to crap!
- [url= http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Mountain-Bike-Skills-Training/dp/0974566039#reader_0974566039 ]NICA's Teaching Mountain Bike Skills[/url] is the best book for beginners. The Mastering MTB Skills (by the same authors) referenced earlier in this thread is an encyclopedia. The NICA book is the important fundamentals. I've been riding for many years and the NICA book is more than enough for me. 😳
- Get some padded shorts liners (like [url= http://www.rei.com/product/794383/novara-padded-cycle-boxers-mens ]these)[/url] to wear under regular shorts or trousers when riding. They're cheaper, and you'll be able to wear them with a variety of clothes to ride in.
- All things being equal, buy from the local/closest shop. You're a lot more likely to go in for that free service if it easy and convenient to do so.
- Lighter bikes cost more, but can make the ride a lot more enjoyable, especially for lighter riders. That's why the Islabikes that so many recommend for kids don't have suspension, it saves a lot of weight. A bit of math: for a 180 lb man, a 30 lb bike 1/6 of his weight. For a 120 lb woman, its 1/4. Put a 60 lb kid on a 30 lb bike, and... So, if you want to enjoy riding as a family, buy a really good bike for the wife! 😉
- As others said, gloves, helmet, and a backpack/camelbak. Often, a bike shop will give you a good discount on these if bought at the same time as a new bike.
- The one spare part that I'd suggest is a derailleur hanger. You may need a different one for each bike. There are a zillion of them, and they're brand and/or bike specific. [url= http://www.derailleurhanger.com/allderailleurhangers.htm ]www.derailleurhanger.com[/url] lists 344 different ones! 😯
- Eventually, you will learn that riding bikes isn't nearly as much fun as arguing about them on the internet is! 
@cinnamon_girl I think names like "Banshee", "Ibis", and all of the Cove range sound a little strange, but it doesn't mean they don't make good bikes!
I demoed one. I don't know how much of a difference 650B makes, but the bike rides well, and things like value for money (probably better than Canyon!), the opportunity to support a local business, local after-sales support, and transferable warranty make it a brand the budget conscious MTBer would be a fool to ignore!
I would add decent shoes and pedals to the good advice so far. Many bikes come with poor pedals on the assumption that people will change them - but especially with flats if you pair these bad pedals with the wrong shoes you will not have much fun. So go SPD and get comfy shoes, or get some decent large platform flats and some comfy and grippy shoes.
As to bikes, budget is key... if you can afford £500 for an adult bike then you have some decent choices in Halfords (Carrera or Voodoo) or Decathlon. Or look out for good deals on older stock - you can enjoy riding on just about anything, but a decent damped fork, hydraulic disc brakes and an all up weight close to or better than 30 lbs will help a lot.
Kids bikes are another matter - focus on light weight and a good fit above all else, and unless you are spending serious money think hard before getting anything with suspension forks. Islabikes are very light helped by having no suspension but all the kit is child friendly. They are excellent, but not cheap. My lad, now nearly 12 has only just moved from Islabikes (Beinn 24, then Beinn 26s) to a XS Rockhopper... and the one weak spot on the Rockhopper is the fork as he's just too light to get much travel out of it, even with a lightweight spring in it.
My other two bit of advice, which may be less useful if you are riding as a family, are:
(a) Find some like minded people to ride with. Mountain biking is a very sociable sport, so it is easy to fall in with 'the right crowd' who will help you learn and help you tackle things you did not think you could manage.
(b) Get some decent lights and try night riding... it's great fun; it expands your options for riding in winter; and for the kids (OK, for everyone) it's an adventure. If you go for '18650' torches rather than purpose MTB lights then all you need one £5 charger, a then a couple torches with mounts and cells for each one of you... and a 501b XM-L2 torch is under £10 these days.
Also local to Swinley and got back into biking 2.5 years ago
Joined Berks on Bikes - a great MTB club who have lots of different rides for all abilities throughout the week, meeting in Crowthorne
I've learnt a huge amount very quickly from other riders who had recently got into biking, covering the kit you need, the cheapest place to get it, advice on bikes and lots of encouragement to improve fitness and technique
www.bobmtb.com/
Theres also a huge Swinley based facebook community:
Having done a bit of reading and searching round I think we will mainly be doing trail riding (although not too big a climbs for some time). We are going to be looking round a large Halfords and Evans Cycles store tomorrow. Is there anything in particular worth looking out for? Otherwise we are largely going to be see what sort of sizes appear to give good fits.
Again I would have a chat with the chaps at mountain Trax in barkham they will give you excellent advice and demo bikes as well. I would also say give Bird cycle works a go. Hard tails designed well for trail riding and great value for money. The chaps running the company are so helpful and demo bikes available. Join swinley forest bikers on Facebook and join a few rides we are a nice bunch 🙂
If you are at all unsure about which wheel size to buy whatever you do don't ask the question on here it's like opening pandoras box and finding a can of worms inside.
[url= http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_823903_langId_-1_categoryId_165478 ]skills[/url]
@ halfords
just have fun.
1) This is a great forum for info and advice but
2) DON'T TURN INTO US!
I saw someone tell you to use SPD's - I wouldn't at first. Get some decent flat pedals and grippy trainers. I've found the Wellgo flats to be pretty good and reasonably priced in the past
Buy the same make and similar models of bikes , that way all the parts should
be interchangeable , if someone packs in cycling you have plenty of spares !