Advice needed for a new bike - £600 limit with caveats...

gwowders
gwowders Posts: 19
edited April 2012 in MTB buying advice
Hi all,

I kinda jumped in on an older thread a while ago (apologies for that) so I'm starting a new one to get your collective advice.

I have about £500 / £600 to spend through work / CycleScheme (http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk) and am looking to get back into some fun cross country, trail riding etc.

Ideally I'd like to get something from my local shop (http://www.freeborn.co.uk) who seem like good guys.

They recommended the 2012 Hardrock Sport Disc (http://www.freeborn.co.uk/specialized-2 ... sport-disc) which is currently £450 and I was almost ready to hit the go button until I read the (almost) unanimous negative comments on here. Apparently the fork is pretty poor???? :wink:

So, my question is... is it worth looking at something like The 2011 Rockhopper (http://www.freeborn.co.uk/specialized-2011-rockhopper) instead? Is the extra £150 ish massively worth it? Are the forks an improvement (Rockhopper - Fork SR Suntour SF11-XCR-DS-26-LO-SP, 80mm, 1pc. alloy lower, 30mm steel stanchions, hyd. damping w/ mic-tuned spike valve & LO Vs. Sport Disc FORK SR Suntour XCM (SF11-XCM-V3-26-DS-MLO), 1pc. alloy lower, 30mm Hi-Ten stanchions, mechanical LO, custom women’s coil/mcu spring w/ preload adj., spring assisted seals, 80mm travel)??

Now for the caveats.

1) The CycleScheme doesn't seem to include Halfords (otherwise I think I'd be all over the Voodoo Hoodoo, if only for the name!)
2) I won't get the chance to travel to South London / Reading to check out the excellently specced RockRider models. I'm sure they're lovely but without testing one I won't be buying one.
3) The above criteria applies for anything else on line (http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/ etc.) - if I can't test it locally I won't get it.

So essentially I am slightly limiting myself, but that's where I am!

At a stretch I could go to a local Evans, is there anything worth looking at from there that would fall into my price range?

The bike I have at the moment is VERY old and VERY poor, but it did the job. Ultimately I suspect anything will feel like a breath of fresh air in comparison.

Many thanks in advance!

Comments

  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Yep, the fork on the Hardrock ruins an otherwise decent bike.

    The Hopper is a better bike, and the fork is superior - not £150 more superior though.

    I'd take a look at this too:

    http://www.freeborn.co.uk/saracen-2011-mantra-x-bike

    A bit heavier, but will take to harder riding with more aplomb. Great fork.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • gwowders
    gwowders Posts: 19
    Cheers, I'll take a look at that next time I'm in there.

    Is the 2012 Rockhopper any better than the 2011 (http://www.freeborn.co.uk/specialized-2012-rockhopper)?
  • Plyphon
    Plyphon Posts: 433
    I love my hardrock - even though the fork is dire, for £450 - it was a hard deal for me to pass up. To keep going up to get a bike with a fork worth keeping you have to spend over the price of a new fork alone - so I figured I'll just buy a aftermarket fork.

    all the bikes you've listed yes do have "Better" forks that the Hardrock - but they're still (in the grand scheme of things) not great and you'll end up swapping it out anyway.

    Theres some bargains to be had on some of last years models Rock Shox and stuff - so it may be worth considering a upgrade route later down the line, rather than spend more for a bike with a slightly better, but still not great, Sun Tour fork.

    (this only applies if the fork is your only concern, obviously there are other things better on the more expensive RockHoppers over the HardRock :) )
  • gwowders
    gwowders Posts: 19
    Cheers Plyphon, and its nice to find someone who likes the Hardrock!!! :lol:

    Now, in principle I'm all for upgrading bits and pieces on bikes however I am completely useless with a spanner! If I do get one of the aftermarket forks, are they a) simple to fit or failing that b) pricey to get my local shop to sort it for me?

    I know I should learn how to do this stuff myself, and I'd love to - I'd just worry about borking it completely!

    In a sense it's nice getting the bike through the CycleScheme as it means I'm not really paying a large sum in one hit for the bike, which makes it a little easier to swallow spending a chunk in a few months on a fork...
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    After market forks are easy to fit - see Park Tools.

    But a few months riding that fork could put you off the sport for life! Buy a good bike to start, or upgrade the fork straight away.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • Fingz999
    Fingz999 Posts: 69
    My mate has just got a 2012 rockhopper and I had a ride on it the other day lovely bike and he loves it nice and light etc but the pedals are plastic so be ready to change them when you get it as he's had a load of stick so far. The Saracen mantra is ment to be a good bike a lbs near me stocks them and had one cOmpany running the c2w scheme and the one bloke had one and in the end 8 others had a mantra to just in different formats (mantra trail etc)
  • gwowders
    gwowders Posts: 19
    supersonic wrote:
    After market forks are easy to fit - see Park Tools.

    But a few months riding that fork could put you off the sport for life! Buy a good bike to start, or upgrade the fork straight away.

    Hmmm I might not have the cash for that straight away... Given what I'm riding at the moment I can't see it putting me off too badly just yet.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    I'd test one then. I'd rather ride a rigid fork than the clanking, heavy, non damped pogo stick that is an excuse for a fork on that bike.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • gwowders
    gwowders Posts: 19
    supersonic wrote:
    I'd test one then. I'd rather ride a rigid fork than the clanking, heavy, non damped pogo stick that is an excuse for a fork on that bike.

    "That bike" being the Hardrock (as opposed to the Rockhopper)?

    Just want to confirm... :wink:
  • Plyphon
    Plyphon Posts: 433
    gwowders wrote:
    supersonic wrote:
    I'd test one then. I'd rather ride a rigid fork than the clanking, heavy, non damped pogo stick that is an excuse for a fork on that bike.

    "That bike" being the Hardrock (as opposed to the Rockhopper)?

    Just want to confirm... :wink:


    Probably both tbh, the one on the rock hopper isnt leaps and bounds better than the hardrocks!

    edit: might have to eat my words there the rockhopper's does have dampening.
  • gwowders
    gwowders Posts: 19
    looks like both the 2011 and 2012 rockhoppers have dampening.

    BTW this is a good video for new folks like me that need help with suspension fork jargon - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV5b8Z9rlQs
  • Wardy7
    Wardy7 Posts: 22
    Just to add, I don't think you'll find the 2011 Rockhopper available. I spent weeks ringing round so many companies that showed it on their websites and none had it in stock!
  • gwowders
    gwowders Posts: 19
    Wardy7 wrote:
    Just to add, I don't think you'll find the 2011 Rockhopper available. I spent weeks ringing round so many companies that showed it on their websites and none had it in stock!

    Ah cheers Wardy, I'll pop in and ask tomorrow hopefully.

Categories