Mountain Bike

A mountain bike is characterised by 26 inch wheels, which are the american size, knobbly tyres which don't grip well on tarmac and are slow and noisy, straight flat handlebars which are uncomfortable on long rides and far too many gears. The brakes are often very good but require constant adjustment.

The maintainence costs of mountain bikes are very high, especially if it is 9 speed.

Cable operated disk brakes are a complete waste of time and we do not fix them.

Mountain bikes are great fun off road, but slow, noisy and uncomfortable on road. It is possible to fit a mountain bike with slick tyres to make it go a bit better, and mudguards, and even up the gearing, but by the time you have done all that you could get a bike more suited to riding on the road.

A mountain bike with slick tyres and better handlebars is good for fitting a childseat to. You won't be going all that fast with a baby on the back, and the low gears and powerful brakes are needed with the extra weight.

If you are actually going to go offroad, properly, through mud and not just along the canal towpath, we have some rigid steel bikes that can be fun.

Suspension forks are a waste of money at the cheaper endof the market as they can't be serviced, and the good ones have times between overhaul of 100 hours or less. The cheap forks get most of their effect from mass damping, so to replicate that effect wrap sheet lead round your fork blades.

We do sell them occasionally, the one in the picture above was £150. There are a few more of the same model and paint scheme in Bridgeton. If you want a plaything for the woods then a rigid steel MTB is fun.

Mountain bikes we have for sale currently include:

Various large steel tiawanese rigid bikes, including Marin.

Most of the MTBs we get are large.