While we all like checking out the latest top-of-the-range mountain bikes and parts, the reality is that most of us will be riding around on much more wallet-friendly MTBs. While there’s a big difference in price, is there a big difference in performance to match? Rich decided to find out by pitting a budget second-hand bike against his no-expense-spared cross country race bike in some XC-themed challenges.
⏱ Timestamps ⏱
0:00 – Intro
1:07 – The bikes
3:52 – Some considerations
6:07 – Ride comparisons
8:44 – Rich Rich’s thoughts
9:54 – Budget Rich’s thoughts
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A spade and a Mini digger are worlds apart , bad analogy .
Look I love the contrast between extremes, but I would really love to see you guys build value bikes. And I don't mean the cheapest bikes you can build, I mean the most capable bike you can build with out breaking the bank
A better comparison would have been a budget 29" aluminum hardtail, which can be had on sale from the likes of Canyon for about the price of the 26" Scott ridden in this comparison.
You can get a fairly decent full suspension at Decathlon for less than 1000$.
I'm going to argue that cheaper bikes are better. Take a Vitus Nucleus (£550). You've got £16450 to invest into that bike. You can invest into exactly what you want to suit you. Hope brakes? £400. Intend forks? £2200. Tyres? Nah, a WTB Trail Boss out back and a Vigilante on the nose (both TCS) come as standard. Peatys valves and a drop of sealant? Under £50. That's £3200 so far. SRAM XX1 AXS? With the cranks and a chain it's just £1500. So, £4700 in and you've already got a monster capable of XC and trail. Maybe you want new wheels. A Hope wheelset is only £500. Might as well chuck another £100 on Hope discs. Still only £5300. That's still £11700 left to use for whatever you want.
If you've got a decent budget you can build a killer bike by starting with a cheaper one. Best of all you've got a bike. Like a working riding bike. You're never stuck waiting for parts to finish the build, you're only upgrading, you can ride while parts are on order.
Start budget and ride the bike you've got whilst saving up,until it won't do something you want then upgrade parts or replace it for the bike that will do that thing. Rinse, repeat.
No amateur NEEDS a 10k bike build especially from the outset of the hobby, but if you want one crack on.
Hahahaha never worth over 10k 😂😂😂
You should compare more similar bike lets say scott spark expert 2012. First scott carbon 29er full suspension bike. Excelent bike for maybe 1500 euro. I have 2012 scott scale expert. I bought it for 700 euro. 10,5kg xc machine, full XT build.
I had the exact scott scale. its a real diamond in the rough you know, its a way better bike than it has any business being for 200euro used, people give them away cause they look very old (and are very old tbh) but they ride like 10 years newer, underrated bike
Super bikes are not worth it for anyone except professionals. An amateur will likely perform the same on a good 3-5K bike, and anything above that price is frankly useless. It’s more about show up with a +10K bike to impress others than anything else. Plus, maintenance of super bikes is super expensive. I can afford several super bikes, but they won’t make a difference on my PBs. Better keep my bikes using Ultegra, XT and use the money elsewhere. Plus if I trash a 3K-5K bike I can easily buy it again and have the same fun as a +10K super bike.
I love those Clark's m2 brakes man. On a budget i cannot recommend anything more
I through when rich Rich we to get the teas. He was outside the café. He was having kittens about leaving his expensive bike outside.
I mostly road cycle, however the big takeaway is cost. I was cycling on expensive bikes and stopped, yes they were slightly faster, but I always feared them being targeted. I now keep everything sub £1k
My bike is a downhill bike but I love it but cost u a arm and leg and its shit up hill but I wouldn't get rid 😂
does anybody know what rich rich's 1000£ brakes are?
Unless you're racing, you don't need to go as fast as possible. Get the cheapest bike you're not going to break, get out there and enjoy. Spend the money you saved on something better than a bicycle.
As long as it's in a good shape, has 27.5" or 29" wheels, hydraulic breaks, dropper seatpost, and front suspension, you are all set for fun and fitness.
I ride a hardtail that I love everywhere, I ride the trails in Orange County with people that all have full sus or ebikes. Best thing is no worries to much about the bike I concentrate on my riding. Plus people don’t hold value to their bike they just get a new one and thinks it makes a difference when they haven’t progressed on what they have already.
Apples to oranges for sure. The biggest reason why the orbea is better is the wheel size.
Theres a guy in my class who smokes everebody on an old 26 with 9×3 drivetrain. We all have modern 29ers, he still pulverizes. Bike is important but strength is more importante. The engine.
Top end bikes are nice to have, but they offer no additional performance over mid-range. These comparison are always careful to compare something old or crappy to a super bike, rather than a good bike to the super bike… the difference is minimal. That doesn't mean you shouldn't buy a super bike, but don't think you need it. Pros use the bikes they do because they are free.
No matter the price difference between the cheap and super bike, I notice that you spent the same amount on the stands for each bike.
Budget and priority, right? But can manufacturers really justify pricing? And how high can it climb? And it does so when somebody is willing to pay it. But then it's a comparatively smaller market segment… Sport bikes have done similarly over 30 years. A ZX-10 is 17K in the states, I'm willing to pay that price for many miles/smiles. And it's a better commuter in that respect, to me. I've commuted much on a hardtail. But yes, the right Santa Cruz or Intense Cycles 29er is my COT, at 2/3rds less $$$.
Any bike below $8k is pointless.
Specialized stumpjumper alloy or Norco Fluid FS A4, Ive always been a kona, specialized guy and always wanted a stumpjumper but ive been reading while pedaling the rear suspension sags and is soft. I could just buy a stiffer one if that is a problem. But the Norco fluid is on a good price right now.
Anyone got any thoughts aswell?
Budget all the way, I’m not trying to win races, just enjoy riding. All the gear and no idea springs to mind when I meet weekend warrior bike snobs.
i would like see this same video whit but with a high end xc hardtail that is smilar in price to the oiz
Even the cheapest off-road bike needs proper off-road wheels that start from £300 a pair. Anything else goes out of true as soon as you hit the first tree root
If I had millions, I would never pay $15k for a bicycle… that is just an insane price that makes no sense whatsoever.
Been racing a 100$ Trek 930 for a couple years now. Pretty sure I have at least as much fun as anyone else out there. Swapped from the stock 540mm bars to 720mm with a shorter stem; super fun bike.
This scot is not worth 200 quit is better the get brand new moder bike for over 500 like vitus or treck marlin, s grashoper even specialize do 500+ bikes these days
I ride an expensive Buget mountain bike can i leave it outside a shop? no
is it going cost a lot to maintain? yes
Do i enjoy it
Yes 👍
I learned the true value and appreciation of a higher end bike by riding a cheaper budget bike (base 2020 Rockhopper) and slowly upgrading the parts for years. Honestly the only thing I think is necessary for mtb is a good set of brakes (preferably hydraulic). Everything else after that is really just icing on the cake.
Of you are miserable on a cheap bike you would still be miserable on an expensive one. Enjoy riding if it puts smile on your face!
I love my Giant Talon, its care-free fun and cheap maintenance even though I upgraded everything but the frame. Still, I'd love to add one of those cool loking Scott Spark with the integrated fork to the stable haha.
I have two bikes, one entry level hardtail (1.500€) to train, and a hig-end full-suspension to compete (6.000€) Usually I do more klms with the hardtail because the mainteance cost is significantly lower.
Hey dude i got the same with your 2004 SCOTT mtb still running till now…🤘🤘🤘
Why do the budget bikes not get a dropper.. ever.
Rich.. there are plenty of 26" tires.. especially ones that are XC ready.
Any chnce you give us more specific details of the specs on the hardtail: chainring size, cassette, etc. Thanks
Cross country is dead
Stop saying "absolute" where it makes no sense.
I just don't want people to think they can get a Wal-Mart MTB for $700 and ride it on actual trails. Many of those cheap bikes are weak AF and literally just fall apart on real mountain bike trails. And then with older used bikes, you can end up with a really crappy old 2×10 or, horrors!, a 3×9 drivetrain, plus a front geometry that is awful/tricky to ride and a bottom bracket so low as to be mostly unusable on technical trails.
My XC bike is a hardtail Giant ATX 875 from 1995. Over the years I've upgraded it with a Rockshox XC30 fork (2012), wider bars/shorter stem, and a dropper post (2018). The trails in my area are mostly singletrack and not too technical, so I think I have more fun being "under-biked" than the folks riding their full-sus trail and XC rigs. The V-brakes, 26" wheels, and old-school geometry cost me some speed, but I still have a ton of fun… and it does a decent job on gravel as well when my buddies want to do a gravel ride.
Best is the bike you have. Second is having an expensive "ish" bike for fun times, and a cheap one to beat the hell out of. Plus not worrying about it being stolen is so much nicer for popping to the cafe and shops.