I need a bike!

It sounds like a hybrid would be better suited to your use than an mtb
 
I'd also go for a better bike second hand. A good site for that would be www.singletrackworld.com
Real friendly site, plenty of traffic and they could point you in the right direction. There may even be a bike suitable for you now in the for sale forum.
 
Don't buy a 'Mountain bike' - you needs are better served by a 'Crossover'...

A mountain bike will be harder to pedal (even a 'Hardtail' - no rear suspension) . That is because the fame shape is designed to allow for greater amounts of peddling just by standing on the pedals, the frame is ‘shorter’ – that’s the distance from handlebars to seat post and the tyres have a much greater rolling resistance.

Look at bikes similar to ‘Specialised Crosstrail’ ( https://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bikes/fitness/crosstrail) - has a wide range of gears, suspension forks that can be 'locked out', tyres that have some off-road capability and closer to road bike frame geometry. A much more comfortable and effective bike to ride. Disc brakes are worth the extra.


W
 
You do realise that the bike you suggested has a shorter top tube than the mountain bike equiv. :D

The avg. casual rider wont have any problem with an XC MTB on slicks. Whereas you'll never keep up with your mates on a crossover if you go off road.
 
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You'd never keep up with your off-road mates on Yamaha wr450s if you had a BMW F800gs, but if 99% of your riding was road and light trails (gravel driveways) you'd take the tool for the job?

Or better, use the phone call from your mates as the excuse to buy an additional.. :)

14 motorbikes in our family so far.. Fortunately even the missus is affected, having a trials, trail and two road bikes so I don't have to try too hard..
 
Friggin hate bmws - I had a brand new boxer cup go bang on me at "motorway" speeds, it was as much as I could do not to low side it as the back locked up in an instant.

but back on topic.. a hard tail XC bike with semi slicks will outperform a cross over in almost every scenario. A CX bike is better at everything a cross over is designed for.
 
My dad always used to say BMW riders ears stick out.. He never volunteered what physical attribute jap bike riders have that mimics their bikes.. Funny how some off the cuff comment from a parent to a child influences their preferences
 
This thread seems to have migrated onto motorbikes. When I was knee high to a grasshopper my Grans brother (ex-World War One infantryman, chain smoker and all round great bloke) had a big old pre-war Ariel Square Four in his shed. It was a non-runner and covered with a tarp. I loved climbing onto that thing surrounded by the pong of his shallots drying.
I wish I had it now. Bet it's worth a mint.
When he died in 1976 it went to the scrapman.
 
It's rumoured you could always spot a Panther owner (600cc single I think) because of the diameter of his right leg :ROFLMAO:
John :) ( R1200 RS rider)
 
My uncle had a Square 4.

He was quite a small man. When it fell over he had to wait for someone to come by, to help him lift it up again.
 
Kneel before HIM us mere mortals. Because Noseall, the Purchaser of ALL Things Ridiculously Expensive, had a Square Four that really was hand built by Balinese virgins. It was a special model specially built for pathological bullsh1tters.

The 'amateur modelling career' quote (see the thread about clothes being cheap) will keep me in after dinner anecdotes for years to come. Many thanks Noseall. You're a star...of sorts.
 
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