New MTB Hardtail Buying advice please

Justinl

Hi all,

I am going to get back cycling again, mainly for fitness, a small amount of commuting and fun of course! I'm 41 and reasonably fit. I will do about 60% road,path and the rest trails. The roads where I live are country lanes and in bad condition.

I was thinking at first to get a Hybrid, but after researching and reading these forums I am now more inclined to get a HT mountain bike.

I can afford upto £700, slightly more if it is highly recommended. I've popped to Cycle Surgery, they recommended the Giant Roam XR2, more Urban than MTB but similar.

http://www.cyclesurgery.com/giant-roam- ... roduct/113

The Boardman Comp: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165499

Specialized Rockhopper SL10:
http://www.cyclesurgery.com/specialized ... duct/10652

OR the Carerra Fury.

I'm quite happy if anyone has any other models they think are worth looking at. Thanks for any advice.

supersonic

The Giant I would discount unless you really like it - is heavier than the others, and less capable off road.

The Fury is a bit tougher than all and built for slightly harder riding.

Rockhopper a great XC bike, but the Boardman is just so good for the money it is hard not to recommend it. Great bike, I would try one out for size. Lightest bike here.

rockmonkeysc

Has to be the Boardman. Much better spec than the Specialized, especially the forks. Looks like a very good spec for the money.

Justinl

Thanks for the fast response, seems like the Boardman is the one to look at, would it be better going for the Comp rather than the cheaper Sport?

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

Do I need to worry about Halfords, I can't say I'm up to date with Bike maintenance and it seems they aren't well thought of?

rockmonkeysc

Yes. The fork is so much better on the comp & you will feel the difference. The brakes are also better. They seem to have upped the spec in the areas that really make the difference for the comp.

Pudseyp

This is also woth a shout
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b0s2p1494

As good a spec if not slightlt better and a ton cheaper

Justinl

Hmm the Mongoose is well within my budget, are they a good make and is the bike good, haven't heard too much about them tbh?

Also is the Cube Ltd worth looking at, though alot more than the Mongoose?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=44337

Justinl

Sorry one last one that I spotted, the Giant XTC2, looks like a good spec and good value?

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b4s2p2289

Radioactiveman

Have you considered buying a hardtail from wiggle? They have some heavily discounted focus bikes and they are on 30 day trial.

Never looked back from buying my focus road bike.

Bar Shaker

Hmmm the Mongoose is a 3 year old bike that has been sitting around gathering dust because no one wanted it. You could say its a brand new bike, but the minute it's turned a wheel it's a 3 year old bike. If I was buying a bike that old, I would expect it to be no more than 30-40% more than they go for on eBay.

The Boardman is top of the spec sheet.

Justinl

Well it seems the Boardman still seems to be highly recommended, even though some people slate it as it is only available through Halfords.

I'll pop to my local store tomorrow to have a look at it and measure up for size. Will let you know what I think.

Once again thanks for all the comments. It is a minefield with so many choices.

supersonic

The Boardman is better, but there is nothing wrong with that Diamond Back - many of the parts aren't updated every year, and that is certainly the case with Boardman.

Pudseyp

Justinl wrote:

Sorry one last one that I spotted, the Giant XTC2, looks like a good spec and good value?

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b4s2p2289

Both the Mongoose and Giant and nice bikes, I have an XTC myself from Pauls and love it...I have owned a Mongoose in the past...they have a great build and a decent spec for the Money....I would recommend it...the Boardman is a nice bike Bar Shaker loves them as that's all he recommends...Mongoose can't be that bad as they have been building bikes for 30 years..shame they don't get the recognition they deserve...even though I have an XTC I would have the Mongoose as it's a better spec...

Pudseyp

Bar Shaker wrote:

Hmmm the Mongoose is a 3 year old bike that has been sitting around gathering dust because no one wanted it. You could say its a brand new bike, but the minute it's turned a wheel it's a 3 year old bike. If I was buying a bike that old, I would expect it to be no more than 30-40% more than they go for on eBay.

The Boardman is top of the spec sheet.

Maybe three years old but still a great spec for £600...you get a warranty....even if you used it for a year you would get a decent price for it...as for saying the Boardman is the better spec...on what grounds ?? they are very much the same...maybe the goose a bit better..so although its two years old (just to point out it's still 2010) it is still great value for the money...perhaps one day you will take off your Boardman blinkers

rockmonkeysc

Although the Boardamn bikes are only available from Halfords they can only be assembled by mechanics trained & approved by Boardman so they should be put together as well as you would expect from any other bike shop.

Pudseyp

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Although the Boardamn bikes are only available from Halfords they can only be assembled by mechanics trained & approved by Boardman so they should be put together as well as you would expect from any other bike shop.

Rubbish...trained and approved ? I looked at a Boardman early in the year and the "bike hut" mechanic didn't have a clue about the Reba's...they will have some basic knowledge but they don't take any specifc Boardman training as you suggest

rockmonkeysc

I know a Halfords bike mechanic, he has to go on a training course before the store can sell Boardman bikes. The training is to ensure the bikes are correctly assembled, that doesnt include suspension set up, which to be fair is a personal thing. My bikes both left the shop with recomended suspension settings which are a long way off what I have them set at now.
A lot of the Mechanics who have worked in my local store have been students working part time who are also pretty serious mtb riders who really know how to set a bike up well, obviously they also have some useless to$$ers I'm sure it's the same in any large shop chain.

nickfrog

Went to Halfrauds last week to look at a Boardman road bike and the guy spent 15 minutes (no exaggeration) trying to unlock the bikes to no avail he could not find the right key. His mate came to the rescue to no avail. The keys were totally unlabelled.
By and large, Halfords are staffed by clowns. Not always but most of the time, based on various (non statistical) experiences with them.
Boardmans are great but badly let down by the exclusive retailer.

Justinl

I am new to purchasing bikes. Alot of people seem dead set against Boardman bikes and Halfords (because they are tied in!)

Are Halfords that bad or is it the typical situation of them being so big they employ both decent and crap staff? I have done some research on the Net and it seems all the big chain stores are complained about, a quick link below is about Evans, yet I don't see the same type of hatred as there is towards Halfords?
http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews168585.html

I'll look at the boardman bike today in St Albans and then decide what to do, whatever I get I want it to last for the next 5 years so I want it to be the correct choice, though I am happy to make upgrades on the bike as well.

butcher of bakersfield

Justinl wrote:

I am new to purchasing bikes. Alot of people seem dead set against Boardman bikes and Halfords (because they are tied in!)

Halfords aren't renowned for their great customer service, or their in depth knowledge on bikes. It varies though, some people do have good experiences with them.

Despite that, you rarely hear a bad word about the bikes. I have a Fury myself and love it. It's more of a heavy off-roader than you seem to be looking for (the Boardman's a faster bike and would fit the bill perfectly), but the bike's probably more capable than myself! You'll find they're usually the first recommended on the forum in this price range for their value. All of the components are what you'd find on other brands, often in higher price ranges.

You can always take it to your local bike shop for a service if you're not happy with Halfords.

rockmonkeysc

Some branches do have some real idiots in their cycle departments, others have bike mechanics who know their onions. Same as any big shop chain. I would definatly recomend my local (Frome, Somerset) branch, I know of three other local branches with good cycle mechanics.
I bought my bike from the Giant Concept store in Bristol & their customer service was crap, the bike was badly set up & I had to take it to a local shop to get it sorted.

Mi2terE

I bought a diamondback apex 2009 for £499 and a Kona Caledra from £550 at Paul's

Cant recommend the Apex enough, fantastic bike for the money.

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... b38s2p1886

I ride the caledra but you need to change the pedals to what you really want ie flats or spd's. Plus the brakes are rubbish and need bleeding I've found. But the Apex is just fantastic out of the box, lot of bike for the money ihmo :-)

Bar Shaker

Pudsey I am happy to recommend the best bike for money. For a £1k hardtail it's the Boardman Pro, for a £1.3k FS it's the Boardman Pro. That's irrespective of what Paul's Cycles (is it your shop?) are trying to dust the cobwebs off and flog.

I often recommend other bikes, but not in these price brackets as that would be misleading people.

2011 bikes are in the shops now. Buy a 2008 bike, not like it and see if you can get £250 for it.

Pudseyp

Bar Shaker wrote:

Pudsey I am happy to recommend the best bike for money. For a £1k hardtail it's the Boardman Pro, for a £1.3k FS it's the Boardman Pro. That's irrespective of what Paul's Cycles (is it your shop?) are trying to dust the cobwebs off and flog.

I often recommend other bikes, but not in these price brackets as that would be misleading people.

2011 bikes are in the shops now. Buy a 2008 bike, not like it and see if you can get £250 for it.

But it's allways a Boardman !! The Mongoose is a good a spec as the Boardman Comp as the first post suggests..I would say it's better actually..and like I have said before Mongoose have been around 30 years so if they weren't selling quality bikes they would not have lasted that long...no I don't work for Pauls but I do understand that they buy lots of stock from the likes of Giant/Mongoose and GT and sell them cheap...they have 2008 Giant's for sale..and like I have already posted before they are the worlds biggest big producer...just because they sell old stock doesn't mean it's rubbish...I'll say again..lets see if Boardman are around in 30 years time...

So if you saying the best hardtail at a grand and the best ever full suss at £1,300 is a Boardman I disagree...

Mi2terE

Ditto Pudseyp, I thought the pauls was aimed at me lol. I dont care how old a bike is only if its any good or not, yep double the money and of course we'd go for other stuff but where do you draw the line with that thinking?

I think Pauls does some awesome deals, it just so happened that I found mine there. I got to be honest why spend 700ish when you can get a great bike and better with last years deals? Wasn't the only place I looked though over my 3 months of shopping. All I know I'm so glad I bought mine and didn't pay a premium for the same bike a year on. In fact I've often jumped on an older bike and liked it more, and vice versa - your buying the bike not the date. Anyone got a £250 2009 Apex and I'll take it now

Justinl

Evening all,

I went to Halfords, St Albans, what a waste of time! There were 2 staff, no one was interested in helping, neither seemed overally keen in being at work either by the way they were interacting with the other customers.

I saw the Boardman, didn't get a chance for sizing, seemed nice in the flesh. However it has made me rethink if I really want to spend £700 with Halfords, at the moment it is a no! I'll pop to cycle surgery and Evans tomorrow to see what stock they have. I'll also check out the other bikes recommended in this thread. One question, would I be fine on a HT MTB for my road useage as well as I saw how much thicker the tyres were compared to say the Boardman Hybrid.

Bar Shaker

i guess its all subjective, you like Paul's Cycles and Giants, I like Boardies. I have looked back over a few weeks and can't find a single 'what bike?' thread where you have commented and haven't thrown up a Paul's Cycles link. If you don't own them, you should.

I haven't been in the position where I have had to buy old stock bikes or old stock cars or old stock anything, instead of the latest technology. If I was in such a position, perhaps I would, who knows?. If I did, I would have my eyes wide open as to what it was worth the moment after I used it though.

Whatever... none of this is helping the OP.

butcher of bakersfield

Justinl wrote:

One question, would I be fine on a HT MTB for my road useage as well as I saw how much thicker the tyres were compared to say the Boardman Hybrid.

All your choice, and what you honestly think you'll use it for.

If it's all on the road, a hybrid isn't a bad choice. If it's road, and occasionally light off-road, as in cycle paths, smooth forest trails, etc, a hybrid isn't a bad choice. Most MTBs are designed to take some serious abuse, but they're very versatile. If you want to have some fun, or some proper off-road, go for an MTB. You can always swap for some slick or semi-slick tyres if you find it too much for the road.

And since it looks like this thread may be getting derailed, I'll just say again, for your use, the Boardman is one of the better choices There may be equally as good out there, if not ever so slightly better, but it's a fast mountain bike.

Pudseyp

Bar Shaker wrote:

i guess its all subjective, you like Paul's Cycles and Giants, I like Boardies. I have looked back over a few weeks and can't find a single 'what bike?' thread where you have commented and haven't thrown up a Paul's Cycles link. If you don't own them, you should.

I haven't been in the position where I have had to buy old stock bikes or old stock cars or old stock anything, instead of the latest technology. If I was in such a position, perhaps I would, who knows?. If I did, I would have my eyes wide open as to what it was worth the moment after I used it though.

Whatever... none of this is helping the OP.

Yep I recomend Pauls a lot as they do fantastic deals, I was recomending the Be Ones from CRC until they sold out..., Wnstanleys, Lesuire Lakes, Wiggle and many more have been mentioned, yep I like Marins and Giants as I have them both..but here I am recomending a Mongoose as I have experienced them..as for latest technology....in the main it remains the same....bar changing the colour and pushing the price up...it just appears that eveytime I suggest a bike that fulfils the purpose of the post that offers a good deal you always dismiss it in favour of the Boardmans as it seems thats the be and end all...I have been riding for many years and have risden many a brand and the Mongoose is a great brand...unless you have had experience of them how can you dismiss them.....by the way is your first name Chris by any chance ??

Chivalry

Bar Shaker wrote:

i guess its all subjective, you like Paul's Cycles and Giants, I like Boardies. I have looked back over a few weeks and can't find a single 'what bike?' thread where you have commented and haven't thrown up a Paul's Cycles link. If you don't own them, you should.

I haven't been in the position where I have had to buy old stock bikes or old stock cars or old stock anything, instead of the latest technology. If I was in such a position, perhaps I would, who knows?. If I did, I would have my eyes wide open as to what it was worth the moment after I used it though.

Whatever... none of this is helping the OP.

lol... latest tech? im sorry mate but although the boardmans are good bikes for the money.. there are others out there that are as good if not better,, especialy if you can get a big discount on a last years model
I managed to get an 09 giant trance X3 for a couple of hundred quid less than the boardman pro.... and although im sure pauls cycles took ages having to "dust off" such an antique peice of kit... im pretty sure it would easily hold its own against your boardman (even with its antiquaited technology from way back in 2009.. )
the same frame as used on there £3500 trance X0 i believe.. as well as fox front and rear suspension.. among otherbits and bobs ... yeah .. id say it would hold its own...

Im suprised nobody has informed all the established bike manufacturers that they needent bother making any bikes anymore in the 1k to £1500 price point as boardman bikes have got it sewn up tight... as im sure they would welcome the info......

and anyway,,, variety is the spice of life!.. hehe

supersonic

It is true that the Baordmans do not use the latest parts. Many bikes don't - what does latest mean anyway? Shimano only update each groupset every 3 years or so, and as for stock parts, some haven't changed since the day they were conceived. Many headsets, stems, saddles and finish kit are years old.