Best Hardtail for Around £900 (Max)

JoeW1968

I'm looking for some guidance/advice from people who know much more than me.

After roughly 20 years away from a bike, I have decided to get a new MTB. It's being bought under the C2W scheme, so in line with hundreds of other people I'm making some crazy savings.

A hardtail is my preference. It will be used for part of the journey to work and for cross country stuff (i.e. local forests, coastline tracks etc). Also, Glentress is only 40 miles away and I fancy trying some of the less tricky stuff there to get back into things.

I have a small shortlist of bikes as follows:

Kona Kula 2008, Genesis Core 40 2008, Orange P7S, Specialised Rock Hopper Pro Disc 2008, Giant XTC 2.5, Focus Killer Bee Disc 2008, Trek 6700

Unfortunately, I have to source the bike through Halfords. I really liked the look of the Cube LTD Race, but Halfords won't source that for me. Whatever bike I get, a couple of local cycling shops have agreed to set the bike up correctly for me for a small cost.

Please folks, if you had up to £900 to spend - which of the above bikes would you choose? My leaning is towards the Killer Bee. If however, there is something just as good out there which I haven't listed please let this novice know.

I liked the look of the Specialised untill I seen the colour scheme - but if it's the best bike I couldn't care about the colour. Also, the Trek 6700 seems to get some good reviews apart from issues with the handling. However, it is suggested changing the stem would overcome any perceived problems

I will consider any £900 bike which Halfords can source.

Thanks

supersonic

Not all Halfords are devil spawn! Some are staffed by very experienced people.

Trying the bike first is preferable, so why not take a look at the Carrera and Boardman range at Halfords? Both are very good value, and the top end Baordman well received and reviewed.

JoeW1968

Supersonic,

Thanks for the reply. I have nothing against Halfords or anybody they employ. It was my employers choice to use them for the C2W scheme, as opposed to a dedicated bike shop.

I can get any bike that Halfords can source up to my budget limit of £900. Hopefully I will get something that fits my needs.

Thanks again.

dunker

i do like the look of the rockhopper but the boardman pro got a 10/10 but it's £100 over budget, haggle? can halfords source merlin bikes?

JoeW1968

Dunker,

Thanks for the post. I had the opportunity to set the budget at £1,000 but chose to set it at £900 (although I can't remember why now)!

I had looked at a Merlin Malt 4. I see from the Merlin website that the basic Malt 4 has been reduced by £100 with the possibility of a small further on-line discount.

I will call the Halfords C2W people tomorrow to determine exactly what they can and cannot source. I might try my luck again with the Cube LTD Race, but I fully expect them to use the "computer says no" approach again!

Thanks

Alexonnavitch

I have the focus killer bee through the halfords C2W scheme and i cannot rate it highly enough. Also the setup service i got through halfords was excellent 8)

JoeW1968

Alexonnavitch,

Thanks for your post. That's exactly the kind of post I was hoping to see.

I have read a few magazine website reviews of the Killer Bee and they all sounded good. It's reassuring to see an owner's review which says the same thing.

Many Thanks

Alexonnavitch

JoeW1968 wrote:

Alexonnavitch,

Thanks for your post. That's exactly the kind of post I was hoping to see.

I have read a few magazine website reviews of the Killer Bee and they all sounded good. It's reassuring to see an owner's review which says the same thing.

Many Thanks

Glad i could be of help. Out of interest the only bad thing i would say about the bike is that the pedals it comes with are total rubbish :?

Surf-Matt

They must be better than the Rockhopper pedals though?
Literally Fisher Price joke items!

Bleedproof

JoeW1968 wrote:

Dunker,

I had looked at a Merlin Malt 4. I see from the Merlin website that the basic Malt 4 has been reduced by £100 with the possibility of a small further on-line discount.

I'd be surprised if Merlin would let you have any sort of discount using the C2W scheme. A colleague at work picked up a reduced Commencal Super Normal last week but Merlin wanted 10% extra that the advertised price........ hmmm and they wouldn't reserve the bike...... Not to mention the hassle I've had with them last week over some pedals.

Splasher

I know this is not a brand you listed, and I know it's slightly over your max budget but it's such a good trail bike for Glentress and the like I thought I'd post it anyway. http://www.marin.co.uk/2008/bikedetail.php?ModNo=3873

Alexonnavitch

Surf-Matt wrote:

They must be better than the Rockhopper pedals though?
Literally Fisher Price joke items!

Oh i dunno, they are proper cack LOL check em out, reflectors :x

Surf-Matt

Alex - I think they might actually be the very same pedals!

Father Faff

No one uses the pedals bikes come with anyway do they? You either get some decent flatties or clipless pedals.

papasmurf.

Don't they just chuck on the cheapest possible type, cos they don't come with pedals from the manufactures.

as for the bikes, Genesis Core 40 and Orange P7S would get my vote.

Though the Killer bee is a very nice bit of kit.

Alexonnavitch

Surf-Matt wrote:

Alex - I think they might actually be the very same pedals!

LOL really its a bit ridiculous that you spend god knows how much money on lightweight aluminium this and XT that and then they supply you with some pedals that at most cost about 7 quid :?

Splasher

They can't win though because with pedals, one man's meat is another man's murder and people would feel even more peaved if they had to spend £40 more to get a bike with pedals that they then had to swap to their prefered V12s/50:50s/DX/eggbeaters/XTRs*

*delete as appropriate.

supersonic

Most bikes come from the manufacturer with no pedals at all - but the importer/distributor chucks a set in.

Surf-Matt

Mine (Stumpy) came with decent Shimano SPDs but I swapped them for V8s for no extra cost.

We sort of forgot to swap the Rockhoppers ones and took it for a burn - pedals simply had NO grip - so more V8s were fitted.

Father Faff

And I have an Orange P7 so I am bound to say they are good. You can certainly feel the steel - it's real!