VooDoo advice

martyn92

1st post!

I went on my first trail the other day and loved it! but pretty much ruined my old bike in the process (was cheap and pretty much dead anyway)
so Ive been looking at getting a new mountain bike for trails and I want something that is going to last and not snap/break/destroy itself.
It will mostly be used for red routes and a few black ones as I progress. I have mechanical sympathy so I wont be hammering it and throwing it off huge jumps

I was looking at around £700 for a hardtail. but at halfords this has caught my attention.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165499

at £950, but I have £80 in halfords vouchers making it £870.

Halfords arnt the best I know!

so does anybody know much about them? frames etc? at 870 it seems like a good option?

Any help is appreciated

phil_pompey

My mate raves about his Canzo and he has that same model. I rode the previous years model and loved it.

And as a former employee of said store, just choose your store wisely. Or opt to take it home in the box. You always have that option if you don't trust your local store. Talk to the staff and guage how knowledgeable they are.

1mancity2

A lot of bike for the money..

martyn92

So far so good :-) main thing that's bothering me is frame? Who makes them etc? As I hear the stories of carrera banshee snapping on the rear

Chunkers1980

Where do you hear these stories? Are you from the darker side given it's your second post?

phil_pompey

martyn92 wrote:

So far so good :-) main thing that's bothering me is frame? Who makes them etc? As I hear the stories of carrera banshee snapping on the rear

Only problem I ever came across while working there was a rear shock that wouldn't hold air but that was on the 09/10 Model. Oh and a friend managed to crack his frame at the head tube but that was cos he tried to go too big and failed!

cooldad

A factory in Asia somewhere. Like most frames. Do a search on frames breaking and you will find everything from Orange to Specialised through Lapierre. Carrera breakages don't come up often at all.

phil_pompey

The mate that has the current model (As original post) regularly goes to Fort William and North Wales on his with no trouble. If that helps.

martyn92

Thanks for the input :-) sorry for causing offence about the frames? I just read that they seem to break quite easily? I know all bikes will break if put past their limit, but as a general view people seem to like these which is good, any other alternatives around the same price?

andy46

For a little extra money, I'd be tempted with this.

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

The Rookie

Merida make Carrera frames, like they make about 50% of the ally frames currently being sold including many for Specialised (which they part own).

The Banshee is as tough as old boots, heavy as well mind, never heard of one breaking, not sure where the Voodoo frames are made but they are probably Merida as well.

The Canzo gets OK rather than good reviews, the Boardmans get better reviews but are more XC than trail biased.

Simon