Looking for a good MTB between 25-35K

[sunilabhilash]

Hi,

I am a newbie to the world of cycling and this happens to be my first post.

First of all, there is a wealth of information on this forum. Thanks everybody!

I am tagging along with a group of friends to Ladakh for a few days of cycling and am looking for a good MTB in the range of Rs 25-35K. I also plan to use it regularly after the trip. I am seeking a good quality and low maintenance bike at the entry level and hopefully last a few years. I have been looking at the following brands and am yet to make a decision:
1) KHS Alite 1000/ 500
2) Trek 3700/ 4300 Disc
3) Cannondale Trail SL 4/5
4) Giant Revel 1/2

Also, I have been through the advantages of a hydraulic brake over mechanical brakes, but is it preferable to have the hydraulic brakes for a Ladakh like terrain?

Also, do let me know if I should consider any other brands. Any thoughts on the matter would be extremely helpful.

[chethanram]

Trek 4300 is a proven bike. If you want to go for the one with disc breaks you will have to slightly stretch your budget. However you can look at Bergamont Vitox 7.2 which has very good reviews from BOTS and also fits your budget. If you are from Bangalore, you can take a test ride in BOTS.

[hitanshu]

KHS alite rahul13/shankarbn are the guys to ask.

i would add the mongoose tyax comp to your list. very damn competent for the price. 4300D is good but the price has become unreasonable of late

[deepakkini]

The Cannondale Trail SL frame is superb. Personally, I love the geometry, and it is the lightest of the lot (1.6 kg). It is also one of the most upgrade-worthy, if you are looking to do some serious off-roading in the future. The only drawback is that 1.5" parts (headset, stem, etc) are hard to find and when you come to upgrading the fork, you might have to go for a 1 1/8th to 1.5 conversion headset, which can be pretty expensive.

The Maddux DC 3.0s are light and roll really well too. The Kendas are sketchy but fast-rolling.

[deepakkini]

And as hitanshu said, the Treks are getting pretty unreasonable of late. The Trek 6000D with inferior kit comes at a 13k premium over the Trail SL 2.

Don't know about the Mongoose, but the Alite 1000 is a worthy buy too.

The Giant Revel 1 is a very good entry-level bike and its geometry is great for climbing, but it is getting ridiculously expensive these days. A friend bought the 2011 model in August for 18k. Now the price is well above 25k. Not worth.

My suggestion would be for you to go with either the Trail SL 4 or the KHS.

Also, the Trail SL frame feels solid at high speeds. I have reached 60 km/h+ on mine on a particular downhill and at that speed it's more stable and controllable than a few Indian motorcycles!

[sunil_r]

Sorry if I sound like a killjoy, but I think there are milder and safer places to re-start biking than Ladakh. Before you take that bike to Ladakh, you better use it for at least a week daily - Suppose you are doing a downhill ride in Ladakh - if so you need to log some hours doing rough road downhills before you head out - if you're doing more than just a downhill, you are setting yourself up for some grief since you will not have the conditioning to handle the terrain. Make sure you are signing up for stuff you can enjoy, not stuff that will push you beyond capacity.

End of lecture.

[sanjayc]

+1 to sunil.

The trek 4300 may not be so bad. I am not sure about the disk brakes on 4300d though in terms of quality. Try them all and see. I do know that disc brakes
are tricky and I had a nasty fall ( wheelie effect - unintentionally). some tours come with rental bikes. ride them and decide. I am not sure of the mongoose model though. +1 on the costs. The 2012 trek 4500 d is costlier than 2011 trek 6000 d and I see different derailleurs for 2012 version over 2011.

current govt is horrible. hate the fuel prices and new cycle prices. guess they need more money for scams.

[sunilabhilash]

@All: Thanks for your suggestions . Also, appreciate your concern Plan to do some serious practice for the next couple of months before the Ladakh trip.

The prices of the cycles are ridiculously expensive and will have to do some compromise somewhere on what I want to buy/ pay for!

So, here is the update I have on the above:
1) Trek 4300 Disc: Did not have a great feeling test riding it. May be the sizing or the fitting was wrong. Will give it another shot.
2) KHS Alite 1000: everybody seems to be out of stock and looks like the prices would be well in the range of 42K+ thanks to the budget hike
3) Mongoose Tyax Comp: Will sure check it out
4) Cannondale Trail 4 and 3: Price is the issue again!

Also, I have tried Giant Revel 0 Disc and found it to be very good. Any reviews on it? And I am getting the cycle at the price before the budget hike.

[sunilabhilash]

Not sure why my previous post was not published.

Any reviews on Giant Revel 0? The fork seems to have an issue, based on what I have read on the internet. And I am getting the bike at a pre budget price while KHS Alite 1000 and the likes will cost me more than Rs 40K.

[Grass Hopper]

I am in a similar boat as you. A novice to cycling, so I share my experience with you.

This Jan I got an opportunity to cycle in the Kangra Valley on a rented bike. I had not ridden a cycle in the last 8 years. I thought I was fit enough to cycle. Came to know that I was not. But I loved the experience so I decided to get a bike. After 5 months now, I have finally bought a bike, but I have not got it delivered as yet.

I had wanted to do Spiti. But canned the idea when I realized, that I am not really fit as yet. Even though I am cycling 35 kms almost daily. It takes me 1 hour 45 minutes to do the distance.

The question is will you be able to give biking enough time in these two months to be able to improve your fitness levels for a Ladakh ride?

[Maninder]

Hi,
apart from the bikes mentioned by Sunil, any feedback on Merida Matts 40V. I am considering between KHS Alite 500, merida batts 40v, and monggose tyax comp. Most of the specs are same. just that the font crank for KHS is 44' compared to 42 for the other two models. Which one has more life, stronger chassis, and cheaper and easily available spares,

Thanks & regards,
Maninder

[Endurance]

Any reviews on Giant Revel 0? The fork seems to have an issue, based on what I have read on the internet. And I am getting the bike at a pre budget price while KHS Alite 1000 and the likes will cost me more than Rs 40K.

The fork is XCM 100mm with HLO. It is rated for recreational trail riding and if used within limits it is good for that. Don't know what you read on internet but those posters may be having high expectations. I have another Giant bike with same fork and for normal trial riding it is good enough.

[sunilabhilash]

I went ahead with Giant Revel 0! It was probably the best bike available for the budget I had, considering the recent increase in prices. And I got it for a good price at Pedals and Wheels. Thanks everybody for your help

I guess it is time for me to shut up and do some cycling