Which brands would you say offered the best value bikes?

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  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    Boardman aren't "own brand" bikes, it is just that Halfords have exclusive distribution rights in uk.
  • Andy B
    Andy B Posts: 8,115
    alfablue wrote:
    Boardman aren't "own brand" bikes, it is just that Halfords have exclusive distribution rights in uk.
    Yes I know that, but having exclusive rights near enough makes them an own brand bike, same for Voodoo, exclusive rights to Halfords = own brand as near as dammit
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  • NatoED
    NatoED Posts: 480
    Although the Air range are sold in LBS and the full range is sold state side in LBS (they had to change the rear suspension design to get round the horst link)
  • NatoED
    NatoED Posts: 480
    for non "own brand range" i'd say best value would be ........... Viper . nice spec on their bikes.
  • tim_wand
    tim_wand Posts: 2,552
    Okay read page one now not just dropped into page two. Why set yourself such a narrow set of parameters, Your Post your rules. So your looking for brands which you can get in most LBS and compare price in each sector.

    Regretfully then you are looking at the big boys and that usually means

    Giant

    Specialized

    Trek

    Lower end hard tails and higher end full sussers then I d go for Giant (Actually got an Orange Five but Orange havent been value for a long long Time)

    High end Hard Tail then Trek or Specialized (Got and S works M5 )


    TBH nowadays I buy a frame off Fleabay and build from a stock of parts but that wasnt what your post was asking either.

    I supose scale of economies means that the big boys should be able to offer better spec and prices as long as they dont just trade on brand kudos
  • NatoED
    NatoED Posts: 480
    I've never bought a MTB off the peg . I've always built it up from parts I wanted/ needed at the time. Ok it cost me more but it was better value for money as i didn't have to compromise .
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Entry level hardtails: Mongoose. The Tyax range has always been excellent.
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  • Andy B
    Andy B Posts: 8,115
    supersonic wrote:
    Entry level hardtails: Mongoose. The Tyax range has always been excellent.
    Forgot about those, cheers.
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  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Thing is Andy, and I know you know this, names and bling sell. A £400 Mongoose beats a £400 Hardrock into submission, but when Mr Newbie walks in with his 'experienced' friend who owns a Stumpy and rides it once a month, I bet Newbie walks out with a Hardrock.

    Oh, Genesis for budget to mid level HTs.

    PS Merida make Specialized frames. Merida bought a 19% share in SPesh in 2001 - before that Giant made them.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

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  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    supersonic wrote:
    PS Merida make Specialized frames. Merida bought a 19% share in SPesh in 2001 - before that Giant made them.

    must be a typo 49%
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
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  • Andy B
    Andy B Posts: 8,115
    supersonic wrote:
    Thing is Andy, and I know you know this, names and bling sell. A £400 Mongoose beats a £400 Hardrock into submission, but when Mr Newbie walks in with his 'experienced' friend who owns a Stumpy and rides it once a month, I bet Newbie walks out with a Hardrock.

    Oh, Genesis for budget to mid level HTs.

    PS Merida make Specialized frames. Merida bought a 19% share in SPesh in 2001 - before that Giant made them.
    Yup, it's all about the name, so few potential customers actually know what to look for in a bike & you will struggle to sell them something that isn't what their mate has

    Genesis is one I'm looking into
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  • Andy B
    Andy B Posts: 8,115
    Bugger, just found out that we have a Genesis dealer within 2 miles aaarrgghhhh
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  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    That's a pity, as they are one of the none 'direct' or big chain brands that have really done well on spec and performance.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • Andy B
    Andy B Posts: 8,115
    supersonic wrote:
    That's a pity, as they are one of the none 'direct' or big chain brands that have really done well on spec and performance.
    yup

    I cannot find any brands that really stand out for 2012 which offer great VFM in terms of spec and quality
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  • voodooman
    voodooman Posts: 183
    Try a link up with this company from Poland (http://www.mbike-rowery.pl/)

    An amazing looking bike and had a quick spin while he held on to my Voodoo. Lightish, precise and pretty good spec. Big Polish community in Southampton and seen a fe wof these around.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Same here - people in th eknow are going to increasingly use online direct bikes, Halfords and Decathlon.

    Shimano prices have come down a bit - but RS have gone up. Shimano are going to have a killer year on after market parts.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • swelsbyuk
    swelsbyuk Posts: 421
    bike shop here in Dorchester stocks Orbea - quite impressed with them too.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Andy B wrote:
    Bugger, just found out that we have a Genesis dealer within 2 miles aaarrgghhhh
    Aren't Evans a big Genesis dealer?

    Think you need to be looking at the more obscure that has no deal with chains. As I've said though, the value for money element is likely to be limited compared to what a chain can offer. It's all about the deal with the supplier.

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