XC / FS bike £2-2.5 K

biff55
biff55 Posts: 1,404
edited July 2010 in MTB buying advice
after forthcoming sale of house will have fair wad of cash spare and am considering buying a light-weight FS just for trail-centres mainly.
already have a felt HT which i will keep for general purpose riding.
Sooo .... i saw the new cannondale rush 2010 in last weeks new kit review on the bikeradar site.
and i likey alot and have a few questions.
is £2 K good value for a carbon bike of this ilk ? i'm guessing it is.
i'm visiting the U.S. later this year could it be cheaper to buy there and ship back rather than buy in U.K. ? are U.S. prices that much cheaper to make it worthwhile ?
am i correct in my understanding that cannondale offer a lifetime guarrantee on the frames in this range of bikes ?
and finally , wots it like ? pro's / con's ? any reason i shouldn't buy it ?
alternatives ?
cheers peeps.

Comments

  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Couple of points, importing the bike you'll need to add 17.5% VAT and whatever the import tax is on bikes (somewhere between 6 and 10% most likely) which will erode a chunk of the saving.

    You'll need to find out if a US based waranty will be honoured in the UK.

    Simon
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Pudseyp
    Pudseyp Posts: 3,514
    A Marin Mount Vision for £2k ?
    http://www.bikescene.co.uk/Marin-Mount- ... 1-0-0.html
    Or a 2009 for £1,800....
    http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/p ... ts_id=7468 it has a great spec for the money, only mediums left...same platform that won bike of the year in 2008 and 2009

    A brillaint trail tool ! I love mine to bits...
    Tomac Synper 140 Giant XTC Alliance 1
    If the world was flat, I wouldn't be riding !
  • biff55
    biff55 Posts: 1,404
    cheers for the replies men.
    yes that marin is very nice , a good second choice
    but will be heavier than the carbon cannondale rush yes ?
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    Scott Spark? Not as fragile and racey as you might think. There's a couple of reviews on here.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • pte1643
    pte1643 Posts: 518
    Personally, if I had 2 and a half large to spend on a FS XC bike then it'd go on a Kona Hei-Hei.

    Some will argue against Konas, but I love 'em.
  • Andy B
    Andy B Posts: 8,115
    Cube AMS Pro R1 Mag...

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=44309

    100mm travel, very high spec, great price £2249

    It's as fast as it looks & pretty light @ 25.5lbs

    Climbs very well, it just digs in & keeps going upwards

    Fast as fook on singletrack, it's a proper speed machine

    The best brakes I've ever had, the Formula R1's are phenomenal stoppers with great modulation, plus they look blingtastic

    I've not ridden my Orange 5 since I bought the AMS, it's that good!
    2385861000_d125abe796_m.jpg
  • biff55
    biff55 Posts: 1,404
    again thanks
    but the cannondale still remains first choice with carbon frame for £2 K despite good alternatives being thrown in.
    any more input on the rush , good or otherwise ? :D
  • Mawdz19
    Mawdz19 Posts: 22
    Meta 5.5 Carbon going in the sale at Evans now £2599 reduced from £3499. Testing mine out tomorrow :-)
    The hills have eyes.
  • rrice
    rrice Posts: 23
    I have a 2008 Cannondale Rush 2 in my fleet. It's a great piece of kit in my view:

    Really comfortable over longer rides through the forest;
    Feels completely sure-footed on all that I throw at it;
    Superb climbing and a good turn of speed when pointing down the hills.

    As with all bikes you should try before you buy if you can but I would be hard pushed to say anything against this.

    If you do buy then watch out for cable rub where the gear cable crosses the bottom tube - get a decent patch on that area straight away as it is a really vulnerable spot.

    Good luck
    S-Works Enduro
    Cannondale Scalpel 3000
    Cannondale Rush 2
    Kona Explosif
    Mythic Morphine
    Giant Defy Advanced
    Carrera TDF
  • Pudseyp
    Pudseyp Posts: 3,514
    biff55 wrote:
    cheers for the replies men.
    yes that marin is very nice , a good second choice
    but will be heavier than the carbon cannondale rush yes ?

    I would not say 27lbs is not heavy for this kind of bike especially for this money..the 2010 is a tad lighter still. If you can get away with the medium it's an absolue bargain.....like I said bike of the year 2008/2009 and a 4 and a half stars from this very site !!!
    http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... 8-09-32586

    The rush is only three quarters of a pound lighter...and does not fair as well in the review...
    http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... 2-10-35860
    Tomac Synper 140 Giant XTC Alliance 1
    If the world was flat, I wouldn't be riding !
  • surreyxc
    surreyxc Posts: 293
    I reckon whatever you buy at 2.5k will be sweet. It is boring but stick to the big brands Cannondale, Spec, Trek, Giant. You get much better value than the boutique brands. I test rode a Gaint Anthem have to say it was one of the quickest machines I have been on. .Though the BB height was a little low for me, maybe they have addressed that. As for the US purchase I think you could grab a bargain.

    People are right about paying import tax, however I know one guy who got it shipped over in seperate parts all marked as warranty to avoid tax. But if you have the cash why not have a great holiday and pick one up there. The trick is to go out with a bike, a crap one then get your new one, ride get it all muddy and bring that one back instead. You could be unlucky and have a biker at customs but very unlikely and even if you do then you would not end up any worse than buying here just not save anything. The only issue could be the warranty if you did not buy here, but most companies seem pretty good especially if you kick up a fuss, they really want to keep up carbons reputation.
  • biff55
    biff55 Posts: 1,404
    Pudseyp wrote:

    I would not say 27lbs is not heavy for this kind of bike especially for this money..the 2010 is a tad lighter still. If you can get away with the medium it's an absolue bargain.....like I said bike of the year 2008/2009 and a 4 and a half stars from this very site !!!
    http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... 8-09-32586

    that is making a decision very hard lol.
    marin fanboys sell me that bike :D
    what about the lapierre control X 410 , looked at it on evans site , stunning to look at , even lighter , top kit and within budget.
    worthy of shortlisting ?
  • Pudseyp
    Pudseyp Posts: 3,514
    Think the Lappys are nice but my peronal view is that the X control's are more akin to XC racing/marathons etc...the Zesty is more in the trail center cateogory.....

    Marin......Marin......Marin......you won't be disapointed belive me
    Tomac Synper 140 Giant XTC Alliance 1
    If the world was flat, I wouldn't be riding !
  • biff55
    biff55 Posts: 1,404
    Pudseyp wrote:
    Marin......Marin......Marin......you won't be disapointed belive me

    prove it ! and lend me yours for a week :D
    i'll leave you my appollo as a deposit :twisted:
  • Pudseyp
    Pudseyp Posts: 3,514
    lol..sorry I ain't got enough room in my garden for a space rocket
    Tomac Synper 140 Giant XTC Alliance 1
    If the world was flat, I wouldn't be riding !
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    Stumpy Expert Carbon?

    Trek Fuel EX 9?

    I tried an X-Control and really didn't like it, it didn't seem much 'squishier' at the back than my HT when going over bumps, but I could feel the bounce when pedalling. The worst of both worlds :wink: in my humble opinion of course.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    Or a Cube Sting

    44297.jpg
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."

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