Newbie - upto £450 to spend
ptben
Posts: 4
My girlfriend and I have recently moved to North Wales and would like to take advantage of the great cycling there is to be found around here. I've been a road cyclist previously and so know very little about mountain bikes. Advice in the local area is to have a bike with front suspension (with lockout?) and disc brakes. Apart from that I'm open to suggestions with a budget up to £450. I'll need a bike that is available in a larger frame size as I'm 6'2". Thanks in advance.
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kona lavadome or cindercone0
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Thanks, I'll have a search.
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Carrera Kraken?0
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claud butler cape wrath d27 08 model 22" frame0
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Carrera Fury on sale now at £440 (amazing spec, 27speed, Tora 318 U-Turn rebound+ adjustable fork, SRAM X5/X7, Tektro Hydraulic Brakes)
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_273227_langId_-1_categoryId_208956
Or if you travel to Stockport to Decathlon.
The Rockrider 8.1 (£499) (similar spec to the Fury although the Fork - is not quite as good, but has clipless pedals - you may or may not want these)
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/rockrider-8-1-66759353/0 -
Just purchased fury £440 online, really chuffed great spec bike for that price cant wait to get out and ride it!!!0
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Lemme guess, you're one of those guys "who just gets s**t done"
I shall call you Chuck 0 -
Lemme guess, you're one of those guys "who just gets s**t done"
I shall call you Chuck 0 -
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+1 for the Carrera Fury at the reduced price.Why has my sig been removed by the admins???0
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Thanks for all the advice, I'll get myself down to Halfords and Decathlon. Not the first places I thought of as I thought I would be advised to go to a specialist store but if their bikes are the recommended ones, that's where I'll go
Which bike out of those suggested would be lightest or at this price bracket is there very little difference?0 -
I would think that the Carrera Fury would be slightly heavier. Has quite a chunky frame, but I'm sure that, in this price range, any differences would be negligible.
The quality components fitted to the Fury (good drivetrain, good fork etc) are probably more important.
It's when you start spending more on a bike that light weight starts coming into the picture imho.
As for where to buy bikes from...Just head wherever the good deals are, be it at halfords, a dedicated bike shop or a LBS.
Most importantly, sit on the bikes and get a feel for them.
Some you may need a large frame, others you may get away with a medium.
All depends on the geometry.
I'm 6'1" and found that my medium sized Boardman fits me better for example.Why has my sig been removed by the admins???0 -
The Fury is 13.3kg (not sure which size frame this weight is referring to 16"/18"/20"?)
review here
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/fury-9876
The Decathlon is 12.6kg for the Large.0 -
quentin_miller wrote:The Fury is 13.3kg (not sure which size frame this weight is referring to 16"/18"/20"?)
review here
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/fury-9876
The Decathlon is 12.6kg for the Large.
Not that much in it really then...
If you ride the Decathlon on a full stomach, then have a dump and ride the Fury there wouldn't be much difference in total weight of bike/rider lol Why has my sig been removed by the admins???0 -
unfortunate that you bought a halfords own brand bike (which is what carrera is). hope you enjoy the corners that have been cut (spokes, bb, headset) when they have to be replaced and well done for supporting a local business and not another faceless coporation!0
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edmiddleton1988 wrote:unfortunate that you bought a halfords own brand bike (which is what carrera is). hope you enjoy the corners that have been cut (spokes, bb, headset) when they have to be replaced and well done for supporting a local business and not another faceless coporation!
You keep spreading this ignorant crap about, the Fury 08 is one of the best balanced specs with the best fork at the price point on the market. With 20% off there's bugger all to touch it.0 -
edmiddleton1988 wrote:unfortunate that you bought a halfords own brand bike (which is what carrera is). hope you enjoy the corners that have been cut (spokes, bb, headset) when they have to be replaced and well done for supporting a local business and not another faceless coporation!
hmmmm....ok.
You are obviously either clinically insane, or just plain daft.
Plenty of gash local bike shops around too mate.
Carrera Fury is quite a highly rated bike. Uses a lot of the same components that a lot of more expensive bikes use.Why has my sig been removed by the admins???0 -
rated by who? a magazine that has been paid to rate it highly? i realise that not alll lbs's are created equal, but there are very few that are worse for customer service, knowledge and looking after their customers than halfords. the own brand bikes may have a good spec but the frame will not be as good as the one on a respected brand and by buying from a huge national chain you are helping bring about the demise of small independent shops.
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Highly rated by members of this forum. People who actually own and ride the bike.
Yes, Halfords can be gash. But I fail to see why people should have to pay over-the-odds just to support an independent shop. They are not charities.
For servicing or repairs I would prefer to go to a local bike shop, but unfortunately a lot of them around here are crap and expensive.
I prefer to come on here. Ask advice and then sort the problem myself.
Do not make people feel guilty for trying to search out the best deal on a bike.Why has my sig been removed by the admins???0 -
i'm not trying to make people feel guilty, but i fail to see how a deal on a bike is good when that involves having to hand money over to halfords.0
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Oh, and most lower priced frames are made in Taiwan. Even Specialized, who are 49% owned by Merida Bikes of Taiwan.Why has my sig been removed by the admins???0
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most higher priced ones as well. it is not a bad thing!0
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Why has my sig been removed by the admins???0
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edmiddleton1988 wrote:the own brand bikes may have a good spec but the frame will not be as good as the one on a respected brand and by buying from a huge national chain you are helping bring about the demise of small independent shops.
ed
Recently bought a Fury from Halfords and am very happy with it. Local shops didnt have the stuff that I could afford in stock so it was Halfords of mail order. Most bikes they had were well out of my price range.
I have heard a few bad things about Halfords but I have also heard that getting replacements seems quite straight forward compared to some stories about smaller retailers.
The obvious question that springs to mind is where do you do your every day shopping ? Tesco's, Sainsburys. Ever bought a TV from Currys or Dixons ? Do you shop for things online (DVD's, CD, MP3s or bike spares) ?
In a perfect world I'd go to my local town and buy everything from the local retailers but thats just not going to happen for a number of reasons.
I looked at a few bike shops around me for similar specced bikes and simply couldnt afford the extra £100+ the bikes would have cost. If you're willing to pay 25% more to a local shop then good on you but dont have a go at people who cant afford or dont want to.0 -
I couldnt give a rats a55 who I buy stuff off as long as Im getting it at best avail price. Credit crunch on at the moment so every pound saved adds up.
Theres a lot of people on here whose opinions I respect and many of these people rate the Fury for the price bracket. Not everyone can blow 1k on a bike.Boardman Hybrid Pro
Planet X XLS0 -
edmiddleton1988 wrote:unfortunate that you bought a halfords own brand bike (which is what carrera is). hope you enjoy the corners that have been cut (spokes, bb, headset) when they have to be replaced and well done for supporting a local business and not another faceless coporation!
How would you rate Evans (I assume the same as Halfords)? I emailed a local shop to get their best price and test ride a Genesis Core 20 and they never came back with a price and never offered a test ride (they did email me) - very unhelpful. Evans on the other hand have invited to test ride (after they assemble the bike) in the carpark - that's service.
I like supporting local business but I expect good service in return.
Rich
Ps I bought my sons first two bikes in an independent shop in Sevenoaks.0 -
Carrera bikes are as well or better specced than equivalently priced big name brands. The components cut no more corners than any other brand at a given price point. Their frames are made to the same quality as major brands, and in the same factories. Carrera bikes do have the issue of variable Halfords service, but if you are prepared to fettle your own bike then you will most probably get more bike for your money. I understand your dislike of Halfords, but your criticisms of the Carrera brand are just ill;-informed prejudice.edmiddleton1988 wrote:unfortunate that you bought a halfords own brand bike (which is what carrera is). hope you enjoy the corners that have been cut (spokes, bb, headset) when they have to be replaced and well done for supporting a local business and not another faceless coporation!0 -
alfablue wrote:
Carrera bikes are as well or better specced than equivalently priced big name brands. The components cut no more corners than any other brand at a given price point. Their frames are made to the same quality as major brands, and in the same factories. Carrera bikes do have the issue of variable Halfords service, but if you are prepared to fettle your own bike then you will most probably get more bike for your money. I understand your dislike of Halfords, but your criticisms of the Carrera brand are just ill;-informed prejudice.edmiddleton1988 wrote:unfortunate that you bought a halfords own brand bike (which is what carrera is). hope you enjoy the corners that have been cut (spokes, bb, headset) when they have to be replaced and well done for supporting a local business and not another faceless coporation!
I agree. Both the Carrera, Boardman and GT bikes are very good for the money at Halfords. I think it's worth remembering that you ARE supporting your local community by buying from Halfords. The guys and girls that work there will be local people so support them as much as you can. I'd like to give a big thank you to Halfords at Ashton Bristol, who were very helpful when I first got back into riding a few years back. I didn't fancy the idea of going to LBS at the time as I mistakenly thought only 'experienced' cyclists used them. This is where Halfords win out because many inexperienced/beginner cyclists will go the Halfords route to get started.
Needless to say, these days, I use all the bike shops depending on what I need. In Bristol, we have a great selection of outlets for every type of cyclist - and yes I still use Halfords for bits and bobs.
Ed0
