AndrewEH1 Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 Well that's a very good deal! Glad you are enjoying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Booth Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Nice one Paul, looks great. Where are you riding?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted October 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Cheers guys Just fitted some Sunline V1 2" bars (£15 new!) and a new RH Deore shifter (£8 new!), just got to get my finger to actually bend enough to hold the bars now... Next jobs are to bleed the brakes (front one is spongey as hell) and then get hunting down some lighter weight wheels I have only been riding Sherwood Pines and Bestwood so far, I want to go further afield and more technical once my fitness improves to make those kinds of trips more worthwhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corkyglen Posted January 5, 2013 Report Share Posted January 5, 2013 Yes i know...its a budget full susser at £350 but i went and took a peek at one today and it actually seemed really nice, especially for the money. I have a friend who works at Decathlon, so i can get it for £280 with his staff discount which makes it even more of a bargain and the idea of getting it even more tempting. The frame was far stiffer than mbr reviews made out, and although the forks were a little too soft, the rear shock was near enough spot on in terms of damping and spring weight. The bike felt just right position wise, I have never quite found anything that felt quite so right out of the box. Weight is high, but thats mainly out back, seemingly the back wheel and cranks that are responsible (I took the back wheel off to find out). I have upgrade air forks, air shock,cranks and brakes sitting ready for it if i do go ahead which should make for a fairly capable setup with a bit of a friendlier weight, the frame seems good enough to do a few choice upgrades around. Selling off the parts removed should see me back a few quid too which helps. Frame has a 5 year warranty, bearings at the pivot, and is still covered even if i change the components. I really want a bike now i'm in Nottingham, theres virtually nothing on ebay/gumtree for that kind of price secondhand that is the correct size/equivalent or better spec/not ragged the crap out of Most bikes are <2004 era and go beyond my £300 budget. Realistically after having a blast on a bike recently, I think all im going to do now is XC, and with my PGCE now starting I cannot afford to be doing any silly stuff anyway, just trying to keep fit and get covered in mud. I NEED some sort of suspension out back due to my back being rather sensitive to impacts, I have never tried a decent sus seatpost but I fear they will be a bit of a let down compared to having rear sus? I know i can get a better hardtail for the equivalent money but again, i havent found much secondhand that appeals. and evidence that it can look pretty good! So any thoughts? Please consider my budget, my back, and the fact i have some stuff to put on it. I'm not expecting something amazing, just some cheap fun Some people critisise other peoples bikes it cant be helped' these are useualy the people who live in there big mansions with £6000 bikes who go to downhilling meetings with polished glowing bikes just to show off ther bikes; I used to own a santa cruz the same bike layout of the rockrider 63 this is the reason i went out and bought one; The first thing i did was replace the rear shock with a fox float rp23; then came off the front forks and replaced with rock shocks air forks with a pop lock, a set of new wheels handlebars and so on.when riding the rockrider now its awesome stability in cornering is behond reconition; its as good as any bike i have ever ridden; as for 8 foot jumps i would not even think of doing on a bike under £3000 but for offroading and trecking its unbeatable, You dont have to spend a fortune on a bike just to keep up with the jones,as to say'And dont buy ferrari if u live in 30 mph limit zone; i will post a picture of my rockrider 63 in the next few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted January 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2013 Mine has improved significantly since the upgrades, it is a totally different feeling bike! Others have ridden it and not realised its a budget bouncer. The frame flex isn't evident (I notice far more from my Rebas) and the stability on the back wheel is good, quite happy doing manuals on it now. What wheels have you gone for? I'm pondering over buying some Superstar AM ones, although I may just buy hubs as these rims seem pretty alright, certainly taken some nasty hits already. Have you seen the new version of the 6.3? Looks really good for the money, and for a bit more theres a model with air forks and shock which looks like great value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash-Kennard Posted January 5, 2013 Report Share Posted January 5, 2013 i must admit, you bike does look really very good for the money. impressed. well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali C Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 for 8 foot jumps i would not even think of doing on a bike under £3000 ? Hoping that's a typo for £300 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corkyglen Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 CRCs cheapest FS bike is over double my budget, and far too nice for the occasional rider that I am, it would just be wasted. Looked on Pinkbike, but it appears to be full of chavs selling stolen stuff? Or people asking way over the odds for bikes that are making less on ebay. Not looking at travelling 100s of miles to pick a bike up either, I don't have the time and I would like to see a bike before I buy it so I can find any faults. What exactly do you guys see wrong with the frame? 5 year warranty and proper bearings suggest they must have some faith in it? The rockrider 63 did trials over in the alps with 11 downhill riders who are all great riders and ther was only one snagg out of all the 11 riders in which was the performance of the suspention on the rear; the rockrider 63 stress test over in brussels on the frames was allmost as good as bikes well over £3000 ; people who slagg these bikes off are downhillers,BUT THE ROCKRIDER 63 IS A MOUNTAIN BIKE AND NOT A DOWNHILLING BIKE; you cant make a renault cleo do what a f1 car can do; and thers no point in trying. but what you can do is ride a bike on trails what are designed for trails and not downhilling and are a great bike when modified and do a reasonable job unmodified for a great price. Allso take into consideration that thers allways going to be someone better and have something better. these are useualy some snob with loads of cash and no respect for people far less off than therselfs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corkyglen Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 ? Hoping that's a typo for £300 Im afraid not mate;I dont do many jumps these days < my stunt days are behind me but when i used to downhill I used to ride a cannondale downhilling bike in which used to take some hammer,,,,but that went pear shaped and snaped , not becouse the bike wouldnt take it; but the rider was bad;;;;thats me;;; but you do have more confidence on a downhill bike than a standard mountain bike;i wouldnt knock anyone for trying it but myself,,,,no... it hurts when you fall off much more as you get a few years on ur back; I do know people younger than me who;s allmost flown on bikes cheaper than £300 and are still here to tell there tails but im a little wiser these days , plus my bottles gone as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadManMike Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 So when a bike costs more than £3000 it's automatically really safe? I had a DMR that cost me about £1000 and if I'd had the balls and skill, I wouldn't have doubted it on large jumps. To be honest, the DMR I have now is about £500 and I'd still trust it on big jumps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corkyglen Posted January 6, 2013 Report Share Posted January 6, 2013 So when a bike costs more than £3000 it's automatically really safe? I had a DMR that cost me about £1000 and if I'd had the balls and skill, I wouldn't have doubted it on large jumps. To be honest, the DMR I have now is about £500 and I'd still trust it on big jumps. Im not saying its automaticly safe when you jump on a bike over £3000, what im saying is that i wouldnt jump on any bike at any price these days. Bikes what are priced at £3000 plus are designed for jumps and have a much better chance of staying intact than cheaper bikes; I wouldnt have as much confidence on a cheap bike going at Fort William for instance. Im not saying for one second it cant be done; i just wouldnt do it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted January 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 So I have had this a few months now and it is treating me well! The upgrades I have made have improved it considerably with the bonus being that it just keeps losing weight! Others who have ridden it have thought it was a far more expensive bike than it was, nobody has noticed the 'flex' that the bikeradar review suggested it had. I have rebuilt the wheels with new hubs, which has been a blessing as the original wheel builds weren't too great (poor spoke tensioning). Front end feels more positive with the 9mm hub, and both wheels roll so much more smoothly over the old Formula units. Changes: Sunline V1 bars (£15 new) SLX 36ep rear hub (£15 new) Specialised front hub (£1.20, 4 rides old) Superstar 9mm skewer SLX 11-34 cassette (£4, few rides old) SLX 36t ring (£4, looked like new) Deore RH shifter (otherone was smashed) XT front mech (£4) Got to love cheap upgrades...Sunline 65mm stem should be coming through the post soon, as I feel the 80 is just a smidge too long+ I wanted a lower stack stem due to my steerer being a touch short (it only just meets the top bolt on my current stem) Rebas have had thier first service ever (And they were perfect inside), I just need to pull out the damper unit as it has the common gate leak, which I totally forgot I needed to sort...luckily it appears to be an easy fix. I also modified my budget roof racks to forks mount with 9mm QR axles+ I modified the arms so that they also secured the bike and offered a locking option. This was done because the original clamp arm setup would not reach my downtube unless the bike was really far forward and the bike moved too much. Rack works great now, the fork mount is so stiff! Hopefully tomorrow I will get some photos of it muddy, I always forget my camera! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted January 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 Forks now fixed, the O-ring responsible was TINY! All groovy now, I can leave the bike upside down withour the oil flooding out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted January 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2013 Had a good ride this morning at Bestwood, nice and slippery with plenty of puddles around. Bike stayed remarkably clean, regardless of the muddy sections: And my modified roof bike rack works superbly, very happy with it: Shame I had to come home to do coursework this afternoon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Booth Posted January 29, 2013 Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 You should've text me Paul, I only live 20mins or so from bestwood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted January 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 I will next time! I didn't realise you were so close PM me your number as I got a new phone so lost many numbers. Might be up for doing a morning this coming weekend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomturd Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 *bump* (this is one of those weird times I'm googling for stuff and TF comes up in the results) Looking at this at the moment: http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-500-s-mountain-bike-black-id_8208677.html Anyone got one or know someone who does? Got any thoughts CurtisRider? I'm not too fussed about the components as long as the frame is up to the job, I'm not going to be doing anything crazy on it Eventually to convert to electric I think (I'm hopefully moving house to somewhere about 1.5 miles from the pub, all uphill on the way back, but there's an off road route I can take). The other option seems to be this: http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-520-s-mountain-bike--id_8208678.html. But to be honest I prefer the look of the cheaper one :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted June 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 They are amazingly good value for money, obviously the parts aren't as good as the equivalent price hard tails but they aren't far off! The frames are sound, I had the previous one and really liked it apart from I wanted a smaller frame and my giant came along cheap so I grabbed that. I checked out the new version last time I went to decathlon, looks better made/designed so I'd assume it feels even better than the one I had. I'm going near there today so could test ride one potentially and let you know? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncy H Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 I work in decathlon a workshop so get to see what is and isn't good by what gets brought in for repair. We don't often hear of any or get any in so I guess that's a good thing! Decathlon bikes best selling point is value for money. They have some nice features at this price point like oversized bars, disc brakes, deore mech I believe ect ect. Only think I would say is its good to have an idea with this bike how mechanical disc brakes function. Set up right they can be awesome but they do need a bit of attention every now and then to keep then that way. But if you know what you're doing which I'm guessing you will it wouldn't be a problem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomturd Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 They are amazingly good value for money, obviously the parts aren't as good as the equivalent price hard tails but they aren't far off! The frames are sound, I had the previous one and really liked it apart from I wanted a smaller frame and my giant came along cheap so I grabbed that. I checked out the new version last time I went to decathlon, looks better made/designed so I'd assume it feels even better than the one I had. I'm going near there today so could test ride one potentially and let you know? If you're going past that would be cool but don't go out of your way on my account, I think what you've already said is enough for me, I'm on the edge of buying it anyway £360 doesn't seem to get you much in terms of branded bikes nowadays, even second hand so it seems like it's worth a punt. Size wise I think I might get a medium, I should probably grow up and get a bike that fits me properly (I'm 6 2) but large frames look a bit weird to me, fashion over function.. Duncy, I was a bit surprised the brakes are even branded, was expecting something unbranded for the price. I have a couple of avid bb7's so I'll probably put those on (no idea if they're still regarded as being any good ) if they're not up to scratch. And maybe some new forks (I guess the unbranded ones weigh a bit).... and maybe a shorter stem.. and an electric bike kit... this could end up costing me but it's been a few years since I blew a load of money on bike bits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomturd Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 I work in decathlon a workshop so get to see what is and isn't good by what gets brought in for repair. We don't often hear of any or get any in so I guess that's a good thing! Decathlon bikes best selling point is value for money. They have some nice features at this price point like oversized bars, disc brakes, deore mech I believe ect ect. Only think I would say is its good to have an idea with this bike how mechanical disc brakes function. Set up right they can be awesome but they do need a bit of attention every now and then to keep then that way. But if you know what you're doing which I'm guessing you will it wouldn't be a problem. Duncy, what are the sizes like? These have gone down to £350 so I'm hovering over the buy button. Trying to decide whether to get medium or large. Are the large ones like... ridiculous "tesco bike" large? Tempted to go for medium because I prefer the look of smaller bikes but I'm 6'2. What size do you reckon the one in the photo is here? http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-500-s-mountain-bike-black-id_8208677.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomturd Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 Screw it, they seem to have made delivery free at the moment too. I just bought a medium.. next up will be an electric bike conversion kit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isitafox Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 You going for the legal 250w version or something with a bit of oomph?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Booth Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 My missus is 6ft and rides a medium 8.1 from a few years ago, it fits her well but she does struggle to hoof it around so you might just pass as a medium Tom. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomturd Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 You going for the legal 250w version or something with a bit of oomph?? Good question! Do you know much about them? There's so much stuff on the net I can't decide. At the moment I'm thinking 36v 500w. I also like the sound of the mid drive systems because you can use your gears go give the motor an easier time (but the chainsets look crap and they're more expensive). The main reasoning behind this is to get me home from the pub, mostly off road, about 1.5 miles gradual uphill. Any idea if a 250w hub motor would even make a dent on a trip like that? From what I've read it sounds unlikely so I think it'll have to be something a bit more powerful? My missus is 6ft and rides a medium 8.1 from a few years ago, it fits her well but she does struggle to hoof it around so you might just pass as a medium Tom. cool, thats reassuring! there's not much close by in terms of proper off road bike routes (no dedicated DH or XC courses or anything), but I do want something at least a little hoofable if I ever get the chance to ride somewhere decent again. Should find out on Friday if medium was the right choice, as long as it's not too cramped it should be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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