Help deciding on a mountain bike?

[sithlil]

Hi, I was hoping i could get some input regarding which of these bikes was the better option.

http://www.anacondastores.com/cycling/b ... BP90067183

and

https://www.reidcycles.com.au/x-trail-29er.html

I'm looking to do some trail riding on the weekend with my mates and have been searching for a good, cheap bike online for the past few weeks. Budget is around $400 AUD, preferably less.
Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks.

[AUbicycles]

I would go for the Reid based on the fact that they are a bike store rather than a general outdoor / adventure store like Anaconda. It simply means that they are bike dedicated and will generally provide you with a bike that is better assembled and generally provide better service for bikes whereas Anaconda will have general knowledge. Fluid is the 'in-house' brand of bike from Anaconda and not an independently established brand.

With Reid, I high recommend ensuring the bike is as it should be when you buy it - this means ride it immediately when you purchase (after they have set it up) and if there are any issues (fine-tune gears, brakes, etc), then you can get it sorted immediately.

I test rode Reid 29er called the Xenon which is a level above the X-line (and now has a better fork) and was pretty impressed with the value for money.

Christopher

[mitzikatzi]

Toss a coin. One is 27.5' and the other 29"
Buy from the one which seems too have the best shop/staff. The Bike section at the Anaconda near me seems ok and the mechanic seems helpful enough. The Reid shop is much the same.
Only ever buy at Anaconda when bikes are on sale they are over priced otherwise.

On paper both bikes are very similar in spec.