First Hardtail

Martincan

Hi all,

I've recently got back in to riding again after rather a long absence with uni, family etc. And would like some advice from you knowledgeable people on where to head. I used to do a bit of downhill bmxing (going back to school years now) but it was brilliant on my old Specialized Vegas.

Now I am looking at a hardtail bike (first one) and am slightly unsure on where to go. It would be used on a road surface to get me to and from work as well as doing a bit of off road etc in my free time. I've looked at the Specialized Hardrock Disk 2010, Cannondale Trail SL 6 2010 (always liked Cannondale, not sure why, never had one), the GT Avalanche 3.0 Disk Hydro 2010 and the Kona Shred 2009 (Always had a thing for Kona too).

I may not have viewed the best bikes to fit my purpose, but any help would be very much appreciated. I've not really helped my self with the fact that I haven't really decided on a budget, but I think it will just decide it self, though in the back of my mind, £450 seems the rough limit.

Anyway, thanks for reading,

Martin

peter413

If you can stretch to just over 500 quid then you can't go wrong with the Carrera Fury

Northwind

Spot on... Slightly over limit but then they're often discounted (they're "on sale" with £50 allegedly off just now but only because they ran the price artificially high). The 09 model is still available for £500 if you're a little 'un and that's still a great buy.

Rich Hcp

I don't know anyone who hasn't been happy with a Hardrock

Capt.Speedwobble

Hi Martin,

I have a '07 Hardrock Comp Disc and it has proven to be a good, sturdy bike. I use it mainly for commuting and some off road/XC riding.
Only down sides I find is that the Avid BB5 cable disc brakes need (constant) adjustment to keep them sharp and that the gearing also needs periodic adjusted over time. This might be down to the fact that they are not top of the range components?

I've owned it for 2½-3 years now and have resorted to some upgardes - not that they were needed, I just wanted to improve the bike a bit
- 185mm Front Brake (I like the extra stopping power that it gives.) and I experience less brake fade so less adjustment needed.
- Mavic 317 wheels (off Road) and Standard wheels with Big Apple tires (commuting)
The standard tyre which come with the bike are good for XC but a bit heavy on the road.

Can't say anything about the other bikes but Hardrocks have been around for ages which says a lot in itself. I am very happy with her so far.

tsenior

the adjustment on the bb5 takes but a minute tho:

loosen caliper bolts, (Clean!) business card in between disk and pads, tighten pad adjust, tighten caliper bolts, back off pad adjust enough to allow rotation.

i like my hardrock too, but the fork is very much "entry level"

Martincan

Thanks all for the advice. tsenior, do you have to be especially careful when riding off road because of the forks or are they ok to take a bit of a bashing when going xc?

The only thing that slightly put me off of the Hardrock (although a small thing) was the aesthetic of the frame looked rather week in comparison with say the Cannondale which looks much more meaty.

Specialized Hardrock Disc 2010:



I've posted a pic of the Cannondale Trail SL 6 2010, in case anyone is unfamiliar with it:

[deleted by mod due to malware from bikereviews . com. Please DO NOT embed images from or link to this site]

supersonic

Have a look at the Carrera Kraken - it blows the Hardrock away on spec.

rusty656

I was new to MTB when i got my Specialized Rockhopper last summer and i love it Specialized all the way !!!!

Dan Dare

My Hardrock was great for me when I first got it and the commute was fine but I soon realised the brakes and the forks weren't up to the job on the rough stuff ( xc trails and singletrack). As a result I've upgraded quite a few bits in the first 6 months but I'm now more confident taking it out on the trails.

specialeyes

Martincan wrote:

Thanks all for the advice. tsenior, do you have to be especially careful when riding off road because of the forks or are they ok to take a bit of a bashing when going xc?

They are poo and harsh on your hands/wrists but they take a bashing although you will be equally bashed! I replaced mine and use em to wield at burglars!

Martincan

specialeyes wrote:

Martincan wrote:

Thanks all for the advice. tsenior, do you have to be especially careful when riding off road because of the forks or are they ok to take a bit of a bashing when going xc?

They are poo and harsh on your hands/wrists but they take a bashing although you will be equally bashed! I replaced mine and use em to wield at burglars!

Cheers specialeyes, failing burglars, I could always use them for my croquet set

Does anyone have any experience/knowledge on the Cannondale Trail SL 6 2010?

tsenior

Martincan, Sorry for the delay

no: i took my HR out of the box * and rode it everywhere my mates on much better specced bikes did, including a couple of "black" rated trails in north wales

(*change the tyres and pedals for gods sake though)

as supersonic says there are bikes much better specced for the money but people do seem to be very fond of their hardrocks; i think they must be quite user freindly for beginners in terms of geometry etc but couldent tell you why.

Martincan

Cheers tsenior,

Hardrocks have seemed very popular bikes when reseaching on the web. A work mate of mine has one around 10 years old, and he says it's a very good bike. Specialized are obviously doing something right.

The Cannondale caught my attention with its looks. But I'm not too sure with the comparison in specs with the HR but like supersonic said, there are better speced bikes out there within the same price bracket.