New bike advice for the coast to coast!!

le wookie

Hi all, just new to the forum and pretty impressed with the knowlege base, so hopefully you can help.
Haven't been on my bike for about 10 years and accepted the challenge of the coast to coast with some work colleagues last week!! So serious training and new bike needed.

The budget is £450 - £550 (maybe 650 if i buy some flowers for my girlfriend!)

The list has been narrowed down from this months MBR tests with a few additional i found on internet

Specialized Rockhopper (but would prefer discs)
Commencal combi disc
Kona Blast (or deluxe in sale)
Cannondale F4 Z (this has tora fork but i have not seen it from evans for £570)...would really like an view on this one)
Maybe Gary fisher marlin disc or Pirahna

I would really appreciate the help as my mind is a bit fried to say the least.
Any other option would also be welcome.

Cheers

zaynan

Are you planning to do the on-road C2C or the off road? Also what do you wish to use the bike for afterwards - answers to these 2 questions will help others in the advice they might supply!

le wookie

Good point! The C2C will be mainly off road.
Then afterwards it will be used for single track/off road to keep fit and occasionally for travel to work. Maybe more for for work if the petrol keeps rising

zaynan

I can't say I'm a fan of the Cannondale Headshock forks - I've got some on a hard tail and they are average. However, the rest of the bike is great and the frame has a lifetime warranty : )
When are you doing the ride? If you can wait a bit you could pick up bargain in the sales that must be imminent?.......(well I'm hoping they are to buy my new bike!)

le wookie

Doing it in September so could do with my legs and backside getting used to it now!
The cannondale mentioned has a the Tora fork not the headshox but the image was wrong on evans site. It was being sold for around the £570 mark.
Do like the look of the fisher pirhana in white as well.

Cheers

zaynan

The Fisher looks good - I'd ride that!

Are you having the luxury of the luggage carrying service or travelling light with a rucksac?

robmanic1

I did the C2C on a Cannondale F800SL with Headshock and, although I love the bike, the headshock was found lacking for some of the terrain we covered. The CAAD5 frame is ace though and would be a great choice for singletrack and commuting.

Larok

some sugestions here

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12540401

there's a review of the fury here;

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... /fury-9876

and add these

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/images/focus-no ... ite-08.jpg
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=produ ... goryId=100

or if your a small frame size this

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/produ ... _Bike_2008

zaynan

I'd second that Robmaniac - I did c2c on an F700 and the forks struggled with some bits. But you could replace them (le wookie) once you saved up a biit maybe?

le wookie

http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=86909

This is the link to the cannondale wth the Tora fork (even thought picture shows other wise)

The carrera looks like a crackig bike, but i couldn't see it on the halfords site.

zaynan

I think Cannondale make good bikes and you can't argue with the spec. on that one, especially now it's £100 cheaper!

andysol

Ref the fury
The fury shown in the review is a 2007 model (which i have and is cracking bike) apart from the dealings with halfrauds that is.

The 2008 model has a different frame now and doesnt get as good reviews. But still very good fork+bike for the money

The latest mbr mag has a review of the £500 hardtails which is worth a look, specialisted and commencal come up well

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_273227_langId_-1_CarSelectorCatalogId__CarSelectorGroupId__varient__categoryId_82394_crumb__parentcategoryrn_82394
Andy

BlackSpur

andysol wrote:

The 2008 model has a different frame now and doesnt get as good reviews. But still very good fork+bike for the money

Where has it been reviewed?

LordBanks

Get the Commencal, i done a C2C a month or so ago, Barrow on Solway to the toon, and it was boss. Fair enough you get Dart forks as oppossed to the Tora like on the Rockhopper, but the frame is way better in my opinion.

andysol

The 2008 fury is part of a large £500 group test in MBR magazine it came 8th out of 10 i think.
Regards
Andy

supersonic

The MBR test was rubbish lol.

le wookie

Just checked the MBR review, noticed they didn't rate the Fury very highly.

I popped in to the evans shop last night hoping to the see cannondale set up with tora fork but only had headshox. The guy mentioned to stay away from the headshox and the tora would be a better option looking at price it is starting to look like tha or the Combi disc or the fisher pirhana. Not sure why......quite like the idea of having something good but a little leftfield.

Of course it is down to how it feels but if you dont fancy the bike you ride you wont enjoy it (excuse the pun)!!!