Hi everyone
I am looking for some advice on getting a new MTB for road and also gravel / basic trails for under $650
I dont need anything fancy but I do want Hydraulic disc brakes to save on maintenance.
I have done a bit of research and I've seen the bike below but looking for more ideas
https://www.bicyclesonline.com.au/2021-polygon-cascade-4-27.…
Reid cycles are pretty popular on here for around your budget.
Thanks for the info mate, very helpful.
Everything actually gravitates towards 27.5 now.
29er is good if you're huge and you want the best rolling resistance. But this is for mtb only, road bikes aren't doing this.
Road bikes are already 29” - except it’s called 700c
the majority of 20 & 21 bikes are 29"
I would be wary of bicyclesonline. They have some mixed reviews, although they do seem to be proactive in their responses.
I've ordered from them in the past and it does seem to be true that they never have the claimed stock. I had to wait 2 months for a bike rack… I only had the thought to check their site reviews after I had experienced the delay.
Some customers seem to have had a good experience with them though, so up to you…
I would go with a local bike shop. I've heard good things about Reid, but I haven't got any personal experience with them. The Aldi bike seems more like hype, as they are ALWAYS low on stock (like most other Aldi special buys).
Yeah, i dont think id waste my time on queueing up at Aldi….. sounds like it would be similar to the black friday videos in Wallmart in USA haha
I imagine you are right. This year due to COVID, bike sales have been through the roof all around the world and the industry has struggled to meet demand. There's already been an Aldi bike deal this year and I don't think there will be another for quite a while.
In previous years there were reports of Aldi bike being available in some stores for weeks afterwards.
The Aldi bikes were built by Polygon (but not branded as such) and were considered a good deal because they were much cheaper than a similarly equipped Polygon bike at bicyclesonline.
For $650 you can get a decent entry level bike … meaning all the componentry on it is fine, but lacking any of the trimmings you get as you move up the price points.
I can't speak directly to the bike you've referenced (or the retailer), but it looks like a decent package based on the specs. If genuinely looking for a basic, entry level package, this would likely fit the bill.
Anaconda half price specials are pretty good too. $500 for a hydraulic brake model.
Anaconda discount price tends to be a more realistic value. Their RRP prices seem to be high compared to what you are getting.
AVANTI BIKES are good
Similar to Trek, Giant, Merida, Specialized etc. good quality and with a model to suit many budgets.
Polygon rend to be slightly better value than the big brands with good quality gear. Downside is buying online so you can’t get ride first.
Most brands will have something in your price range, they’ll be quite similar, but have pros and cons when comparing against another brand.
Most important thing is size.
Why does it have to be new? some real bargain on used bikes out there.
Not at the moment, unless you are very lucky. Used prices are mostly stupid high because new stock is hard to come by.
I recently got a Trek Marlin 6, looking at Trek website the Marlin 5 also has hydraulic disc and is $699 so worth considering.
I'll also say Reid is worth looking. Like for like I feel they have slightly higher end components versus the big brands.
Bikes online offer some of the best value. It would be worth comparing it to Giant, Trek, Specialized, etc. offerings. An Aldi moutain bike would be the dream, they're made by polygon too I'm pretty sure. But I don't think they'll be a special anytime soon. Depending on your size, I would go for a 29 inch bike as everything seems to be gravitating towards that these days. Canyon make some real nice bikes for the money, but you'd need to spend $1.5k to get your foot in the door.