carrera kraken or vulcan

kdt
kdt Posts: 3
edited December 2007 in MTB buying advice
Hi,

With the sales now on I thought I should pick myself up a bike for 2-300. The names that kept seeming to come up were the carrera kraken and vulcan for value for money.

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... n-07-20130
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... n-07-27707

With the vulcan winning an award for best budge bike. Its now 200 quid at halfords whereas the kraken is down to 260. I would like advice as to which bike I should go for, and if the kraken really is any better than the vulcan.

Cheers

Comments

  • chilledsandwich
    chilledsandwich Posts: 128
    They both share the same frame, they both have SRAM components, but the Kraken has 27 gears over the Vulcans 24, the Kraken also has lockout on the forks. Those are really the only differences. If you wanted to upgrade to 27 gears at a later date it would cost you far more than £60 and getting spares for a 9-speed set up is a bit more common and there is more choice. The extra 3 gears won't really make you any faster, it just means that the ratios between the gear changes will be slightly smoother.

    Personally, I would try and fork out the extra £60, you are getting quite a lot of bike for the money there, but you are the one with the wallet so you must decide obviously!! Get them both side by side and see which one feels better to sit on and if you can, ride one.

    Also, I think that the SX-4 shifter on the Vulcan is trigger-push whereas the X-7 on the Kraken is thumb push-push. Some people prefer the way the X-7 works because it allows them to keep fingers on the brakes whilst changing gear. Like I say though, sit on the bikes and see whcih way feels best for you. If it is slightly different to your current set-up you will soon get used to it!!
  • kdt
    kdt Posts: 3
    hi chilledsandwhich,

    thanks a lot for the good advice, I will take your suggestion and go down tomorrow.

    Cheers
  • Salsa
    Salsa Posts: 753
    Kraken also has double butted tubing whilst the Vulcan doesn't, SX4 might have the better 'push pull' than the X7's 'push push' but the X4's feel really flimsy in use.
    As said it's worth paying the extra for the Kraken, I especially don't like the fork top out that the Vulcans forks give whenever you lift the front.

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