what will a grand buy?

weejock

Popped down the local shop today for the first time as my current bike (GT Avalanche 3.0 - 2004) is feeling a little tired. They only had a couple of brands available (Specialized, Cannondale and Genesis) and I felt a little underwhelmed with the service to be honest. There are so many brands and models when you look on the net and for someone that doesn't have the first clue about what's good or bad it's all a bit daunting. I've done all my shopping on the net previously and really only know Evans and CRC, oh and had a bad experience with Rutland cycling.

To cut a long story short I've got a grand (or a little more for something really special) and I am turning to you guys who have helped in the past to provide some pointers or ideas. I realise this is lazy and all the rest of it but any advice would help.

Requirements:
- hard tail as I do a lot of riding on the road, maybe this is a wrong assumption and maybe shows my inexperience so tell me if I'm wrong
- do spend a bit of time in the local woods at Bedgebury and will be moving to the Argyll forest in a couple of months so need something that can handle very gravelly forest tracks
- not bothered if it's not a current model, sale items are good and as far as I can see you can get more for your money
- has to be available quickly as I am heading to north of Scotland at the end of next week and would like to get out and about on something shiny
- 17 or 18 inch frame as I am a bit of short arse

Thanks for taking the time to read and should you feel like offering some advice it is definitely appreciated.

supersonic

Have a look in Halfords at the GT Agressor Elite, top spec for the money.

ellsbells1973

you could also try paulscycles.co.uk, they have a lot of 08 and 09 models at massively reduced prices, but you need to be sure of the size unless you live near dereham in norfolk, or there is also merlincycles.co.uk that has a bike builder on its website,
a grand will buy you a lot of hardtail

weejock

Thanks I knew there was something I had missed out in my original post, it was the paulscycles sale. If I can see something with roughly the same dimensions as my avalanche surely I'll be fine?

Supersonic I can't see the Aggressor Elite on the Halfords site is it a different model, the XCR maybe at £799. There is a Zaskar Elite at Evans for £999 although they don't have my size.

I'll also take a look at the merlin site, thanks ellsbells.

larrythelathe

i would go for a carbon 456 and build it up so you love it. i have a ti one have not ridden anything since and i am a bike whore

The Rookie

Cheapest on-one 456 carbon build is £1200, you can get a 456 steel in at under the £1K though.

Simon

spongtastic

Get a merlin malt 2, with full 2009 SLX, MT 65's and Reba Race forks.

Comes in at under £1k with the 10% off.

bails87

Or a Boardman HT Pro. Doesn't sound like you really need the extra strength/weight of the GT Aggressor.

I'm sure there was a £1k HT test a few months ago in WMB, anyone got the results?

Stevo_666

bails87 wrote:

Or a Boardman HT Pro.

+1. Boardman Pro HT is great spec for the money. Bedgebury is mostly XC type stuff as you'll know - I do Bedgebury fairly regularly and 100mm (FS) is fine for me. If your new place is similar then same applies.

weejock

As always thanks for all the advice so far much appreciated.

I never really thought of Halfords as the staff at my local are crap everytime I go in.

Anyway I think I have narrowed the search to the following:

- boardman HT pro - excellent reviews all round but do I trust Halfords?
- merlin rock lobster tig team sl - they have changed the forks from yesterday - is it worth upgrading to the race ones or stick with the standard setup?
- merlin 4 - upgraded as spongtastic recommened on the malt 2

If it was on looks alone it might be the On One Carbon 456 but it's an extra couple of hundred quid. If I was to go up to that Pauls Cycles has a GT Zaskar Carbon Expert (2009) at £1200 reduced from £1900!

Anyone want to pick one of these or will it come down to colour and straws?!

bdigital

Personally, i would go for boardman.

But as with all of these suggestions, you gotta jump on it and make sure you like it when you spending that sort of money.

You would get to go down and actually see the bike before buying, plus there are plenty of good (and bad) Halfords - It took me 3 goes around local halfords before finding a really good one. Couldnt be happier with my Carrera.

Have a read of the boardman review, see if it sounds like the sort of bike you need - It certainly represents excellent value.

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... t-10-35827

pte1643

bails87 wrote:

I'm sure there was a £1k HT test a few months ago in WMB, anyone got the results?

Yep.

Without going into too much detail, results as follows...

1st. Gensis core 50 £1200
2nd. Marin White line £900
3rd. Gary Fisher X Caliber £1200

Special mentions to...

Orange P7S Recon... Best bike £1200 - £1300
GT Zaskar Elite... Best bike £1000 - £1100
Boardman HT Pro... Best bike £900 - £1000

The Boardman also gets a "Best Value" mention... Not least because of the Reba fork.
I'm guessing here, but probably the best fork available on ANY £1000 bike, most likely by a country mile.

butcher of bakersfield

If you get the chance, try out as many as you can. It's advice you'll hear over and over, but when I was looking I tried a couple of bikes I thought I'd love and I just didn't. Settled on a Fury from Halfords in the end, which I was sceptical about , but it's a cracking bike. It seems to improve every time I ride it.

weejock

Thanks to everyone that has offered advice here. Due to a drastic change in personal circumstances yesterday afternoon no new bike will be had

bails87

Oh dear, that's a shame. Hopefully you'll be back in bike buying mode soon.