Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2015 22:16:10 GMT
Hi all!! Haven't been on here for a while and I have no idea why!! Used to lurk quiet a bit!!
Was wondering if anyone could give me any advice regarding mountain bikes as I am looking at getting one
I'm looking for something with good suspension, disk breaks and really sturdy with nice big tyres. I'm looking to spend around Β£700 and must be purchased from a cycle scheme supplier.
Thanks for looking.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2015 5:49:26 GMT
From quite a few folks on this forum; I've heard that the majority of works schemes seem to be linked to Halfords. If that's the case your choice is down to what they stock. You may want to double check this with your employer.
|
|
snork
Peloton Rider
Posts: 98
|
Post by snork on Apr 10, 2015 6:49:14 GMT
The Voodoo Hoodoo from Halfords seems to get good reviews, maybe worth looking at.
|
|
|
Post by erictherat on Apr 10, 2015 8:05:08 GMT
I know nothing about MTB, but did notice that richc just got a Voodoo on the what have you bought thread. maybe he can give some advice.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2015 8:37:42 GMT
Thanks for the replies!
Halfords is not listed on the cycle scheme site, and neither is decathlon which I find strange as this is where I got my tribam 3 from a couple of years ago.
From a local search on the Manchester area it seems the best stocked retailers with the most brands is Evans cycles and Edinburgh bike co-op.
|
|
|
Post by chas on Apr 10, 2015 8:53:24 GMT
Cyclescheme is still available at Decathlon, there are some decent mtb's for Β£700 were you after a hardtail or full suss?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2015 9:00:58 GMT
Ah well that's good! Just must be on there site.
I was looking for full suspension but will obviously pay the price for that so I'm open to whatever is recommended.
|
|
|
Post by chas on Apr 10, 2015 9:18:44 GMT
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2015 9:43:43 GMT
Firstly, what sort of riding do you want to do? If it's just a bit of not too challenging off-road, a FS would be over-egging the pudding, besides which you will be hard pushed to get something with full suspension for Β£700. You can get a good hardtail at that price point, though. If it's just for commuting with maybe a bit of canal towpath type riding, you might even be better off with a hybrid which might have suspension forks and disc brakes or perhaps even a CX (well, no suspension, but a lot of them are coming with discs these days).
I'd look at the small print of the scheme your employer is using though, they may allow you to use Halfords and/or Deca. The Deca Rock Rider range is well regarded as are the Halfords Voodoo, Carrera and Boardman ranges. They seem to offer most bang for the buck. Planet X/On One would be worth looking into as well and they are just a short hop over the Pennines from Manchester to Sheffield. They seem to offer some good deals on some well specced bikes aimed at Cyclescheme buyers. If you are stuck with Evans, think about their house brand (Pinnacle, I think) which will almost certainly be better specced than one of the "big" brands like Specialized or Trek.
Bear in mind though that you're not likely to be able to get any sale bikes on Cyclescheme though as I understand it costs shops taking on Cyclescheme buyers so they are loath to take another hit on a bike they are already knocking out cheap to clear stock.
Best thing though, is go to a few shops and try bikes out.
On the other hand, my newer Rockhopper was an insurance replacement for a Cyclescheme bike that got nicked (the original bike was a Cannondale)which was essentially an equal value replacement sent by the supplier the insurance company deals with. It arrived by courer and I'd not tried it out but I absolutely love it!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2015 10:42:06 GMT
Thanks for the replies chaps. I currently have a triban 5 and use that to commute to work which is in the city centre which is purely roads.
I live in tameside which is slap bang in the middle of being just outside the city and just outside the greenery. I'd like to explore the green aspect and would like to get on the off road tracks that my local parks have on offer. I'd like something agile and can tackle the hard terrain and won't break my back when doing so.
Bit like k said I'm not overly sure what will be best for me so I'm open to listening to advice!!
Thanks.
|
|
|
Post by chas on Apr 10, 2015 21:00:16 GMT
I think you'd do well to beat the 700s at this price, you might find a lighter hardtail that'd be quicker in a race but the rear suspension allows you to relax more and you'd probably cover more miles in a day. You can also lock off front and rear if need be, but with damping adjustment at the rear I doubt you'd need to.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2015 13:51:24 GMT
Went to decathlon to have a look at the 700. Very tempting indeed!! Currently clearing out the shed to make room for it!!
Thanks to everyone for your help and advice!
|
|