which entry level HT frame for upgrades.

Saladin

Hi there , this is my first post on here so apologies in advance for coming off like the newb I am .

After a more than 20 year lay off from bike riding ( old school BMX rider ) last year I bought a carrera vengeance from halfords - started buying better parts to upgrade the bike like 120mm Raidon forks and a shimano deore chainset along with some anodised bling - then the bike got nicked from outside Tesco but it still had the stock parts on it ( totally my fault - I forgot my bike lock and made do with a one from the poundshop I had in my backpack )

so now ive saved up enough money for another hardtail - my budget is around £ 500 , what i want to know though is what hardtails within my budget have the best frames that would be worth upgrading with the parts I have along with what I plan to buy in the future ( better drive train , shorter stem etc )

Ive thought about buying just a frame and building my own bike - but the overall cost would be a lot more than my budget allows and I am desperate to get another bike asap as opposed to saving up more cash for a few more months .

thanks for reading this and any advice or tips will be greatly appreciated.

supersonic

Frames at this price point are all good, nothing is below par. Infact the frames are usually the best part, often the fork and wheels suffer.

What type of bike are you after, and for what riding? XC?

The Rookie

I would suggest your best bang for buck would be looking for a used bike with an excellent condition frame, you could pick up some real steals at that price point.

Simon

Saladin

I was looking for something more robust and aggresive than an out and out XC bike - theres miles of rugged coast line where I live and some disused quarries that the local dj riders and moto x lads use .

at our LBS the choice is limited to overpriced diamondbacks and Corratec XC bikes - we also have a branch of Halfords that is blessed with a couple of guys who know thier stuff but bike wise its the usual carrera's and Voodoo lines.

at the minute the only bikes here ive thought of are the carrera kraken or the voodoo hoodoo ( has the same forks ive already got ) I can maybe push the budget up to £600 but thats my upper limit and that would only be if I live on pot noodles for a month

Has anyone any experience of the voodoo hardtail frames ? Ive read online that the paint finish chips easily but I would like to here from an owner if theres any on here .

cheers .

supersonic

Voodoo frames are good, though the Hoodoo is a little basic. That said is solid enough, and has good parts.

But it sounds like the Carrera Fury ticks your boxes. Great spec, reasonably light and built for more than just xc.

Saladin

supersonic wrote:

Voodoo frames are good, though the Hoodoo is a little basic. That said is solid enough, and has good parts.

But it sounds like the Carrera Fury ticks your boxes. Great spec, reasonably light and built for more than just xc.

Thanks for the reply , I was going over the Fury in Halfords at the weekend and was impressed by the beefy chainstays and the way they are cut out to take more than the 2.2 stock tyres - nice finishing kit on the latest version as well , if I have to shop at halfords its definitely the front runner .

Just wish I had the funds now or indeed the patience to save up the cash for something a little higher end because this time around I want to get it right , I dont think after this I will be changing bikes any time soon as I tend to stick with the same thing for many years , ( as a kid I rode the same Torker bmx for years and ive been using the same air rifle like forever ) thats why I came here - to get the best advice that'll help me get the right bike.

Cheers

The Rookie

Given the good bits you have, I'd stand by looking for a good used one, only 1-2 years old with good (quality and condition) frame, if your bits are better, swap them in, whatever, sell off what you don't want, you could have a great bike for another £300-400, leaving you £200 in the pot for the future!

Here you go as an example
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CARRERA-FURY- ... 3a6ff5274e

Simon

Saladin

Thanks for that reply begginner , it may seem odd but I didnt even consider ebay till you posted that link - ive spent a good two hours this evening pouring over the bikes on there - some great bargains too .

There was an 09 Fury outside Tesco today - cracking bike that compared to the 2011 model, epicon forks , mavic wheels etc - verytempted .

I noticed in your sig it says your hardtail is built around a Kraken frame , well the 09 Kraken is also another bike I would seriously consider - maybe even a new one but i'd have to pull the cash out for a respray/powder coat job straight away as I dont like the ice white finish on the new krakens.

so I am gonna sit down and work out what I can afford to add to the budget against how much longer I am prepared to wait for a bike - whatever I buy i'll be posting pics of it here on BR .

Thanks to everyone who replied

Mick

welsh_14

Where abouts in the North East are you based? There are a couple of decent bike shops in Newcastle if you can get there?
Have you thought about looking on pauls cycles for last seasons bikes or other online sites?

kammybear

I would say the Cube Analog or Aim Disc.

Hydrolic discs and a great frame which is the same as on the more expensive Acid and Attention models. Looks much better than every other budget frame!

Mental Mickey

Don't know if your budget will stretch to - on or near 700 quid, and your legs to a 19 inch frame, but this looks a nice deal.

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1015454/

oodboo

If you want a good frame suitable for upgrades then I'd be looking more at that than the rest of the spec.