cycle2 work scheme £600 to spend what bike? HELP plz

gareth82

Hi I am in the need of some advice. I have signed up to the cycle2 work scheme but I am unsure what bike to go for. I am wanting the best spec I can get for the money without getting my eye wiped.

I was thinking something like the Carrera Fury or the specialized hardrock pro disc. Can anyone advice me on the better option or perhaps a better choice than them.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... PDPz1#dtab

http://www.mcconveycycles.com/store/pro ... lver-2010/

I am 6 foot 1 so I guess I am looking a 20" frame

All help and advice greatly appreciated.

Andy B

Which cyclesheme are you signed up to? some vouchers are not redeemable at some shops, which may limit which bikes you can get

You would need to try some bikes out to see which is the right size for you, 20" would be a good starting point, depends on more than just your height though

gareth82

The cycle scheme is in association with Halfords but I have been told they can be accepted in a few other stores

booldawg

I've done something similiar via work. From what I know there are various cycle schemes out there. You have to ensure that the retailer supports that particular scheme. Bike2work is another popular one.

For example, our company signed up to the cyclescheme. Halford have their own scheme set up with the government so my vouchers weren't redeemable their.

Usually the cycle scheme will have a website whereby you pump in your postcode and it gives you a list of local retailers. Also worth remembering you can buy online as long as the online company have subscribed to your particular cycle scheme

gareth82

Can anyone advice me on a bike to try out for up to £600, then I will source locally a supplier that accepts the vouchers I have

Many thanks

booldawg

Plenty to choose from. I'd check out the usual range of Trek, Gary Fisher, Felt, Specialized , Scott, Kona etc. There are so many arguments for and against it will come down to personal choice.

If you're scheme is compatable with Halfords I've heard the Boardman range (exclusive to Halfords) are very well specced out for the money.

The range I looked at was 600-700 and the choice was Trek 4900, Kona Blast Deluxe and Orange G2. I went for the Orange based on personal choice, component wise it wasnt 'all that'. You can upgrade parts as time goes on

Daz555

gareth82 wrote:

The cycle scheme is in association with Halfords but I have been told they can be accepted in a few other stores

Halfords can order you just about any bike on the market so the use of other stores should not be important. Give the C2W guys a call rather than deal with the store.

gareth82

Thanks guys for the replys, still not 100% sure what to go for, went to my local halfords store but they only had older models on display and couldn't allow me to try any out (not much help).

With reading reviews and the budget of £600 I was thinking the Carrera Fury might be the better option

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... one=PDPz1#

also like the GT XC2 from halfords

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 09e0e199f8

these are also a option

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165499

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... zone=PDPz1

http://www.mcconveycycles.com/store/pro ... lver-2010/

Any recommendations on the above or what would you buy for £600, ( I know people say you need to try each out but that's not always possible due to the cycle 2 work scheme and being limited on where I can buy from).

I greatly appreciate any help and advice as I really want the best bike for my £600 budget.

Thanks

paulbox

Firstly, find a local shop that accept the vouchers and let you try the bikes, forget Halfords, especially if they won't let you try anything out!

It really is down to how the bike feels to you, I was dead set on getting a Specialized Epic until I tried a Giant Anthem, my mate was trying out an Anthem at the same time and didn't particularly like it... He preferred the Trek's which I didn't like much... :idea:

Try before you buy.

beski

Surely they will at least let you sit on for size, you can't be expected to part with the cash if your not sure that the fits right. My local Halfords will let you sit on & ride up and down the showroom, when push comes to shove they will have let you have a go round the carpark.
The Fury is an excellent bike for the money, you'd be hard pushed to better it at that price point

BigShot

I have a quick question... have you considered that the price paid for the bike comes out of pre-tax earnings?

If you would have had a £600 budget buying without a cycle scheme you've got the choice of spending less (out of your after-tax pay) on the same bike or getting a more expensive bike but still spending £600 out of your after-tax money.

I just ask because I'm the sort who'd pay the same and get a better bike if I had the option.

gareth82

I went to a different Halfords store today, asked the kid behind the counter what he would recommend for under £600, he said the Boardman sport was the one to go for over the fury as its higher spec, he never had any furys, boardman sports or voodoo Bantu on display to look at.

Still unsure to go for

Carrera Fury
Boardman sport
Voodoo Bantu

or should I pay the extra and go for

GT XC1 (extra £50)
Boardman comp (extra £100, have already applied for £600 voucher)

Store had both of the above on display and they both looked fantastic bikes

Its hard to select a bike from a picture without advice

paulbox

Try the other bike shops that accept your vouchers.

Before I bought my bike I borrowed a Stumpjumper & an Epic for a weekend each.

Sitting on one in a store simply isn't good enough, you need to know that you like the way it rides.

I also attended one of the Demo series events (http://www.britishxc.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=41), they had a 3.3 mile loop set up and the manufacturers in attendance set up whichever of their bikes you wanted to try and off you went. The only problem with this is that the bikes tended to be high-end stuff, I think one of the Treks that I rode was £5.5k... But there were hardtails available which, even though they might be higher specced than your budget, will give you an idea of how different bikes perform. All the guys on the stand were great, really helpful and couldn't do enough to help you out. This is where I first tried the Anthem which I ended up buying.

gareth82

just ordered a boardman sport ready to collect on sunday thanks all for your help