£850 Budget Help Me Pick A Bike (Advise Needed)

winter_zombie

Hi All

im new to the forum so please bare with me

im here because i need your advise and views, i have a Budget of £850 max

i used to do a lot of biking about 10 years ago on my GT Zaskar LE, But after around 18 months it was stolen so i brought a marin mount vision. about 6 years ago i sold my bike because me and the girlfriend moved in together and needed the money (stupid me) well now im 37 and ive just started to get into biking again, my bike at the moment is a decathlon rockrider 5.1 that i brought about 9 weeks ago. the bike itself is fine for a cheap bike and im loving being back in the saddle, but the service and problms ive had with decathlon has just been a nightmare.

ive been looking in the WMB Mag,the forums,the web at what i can get for my money

their is so much to pick from and because ive been out of it for a long time i dont realy know what i should be looking at spec wise, when i had my GT 10 years ago XT/XTR was the best if you had the money and a pair of rockshox air sids were the best money could buy but it seems like things have changed.

i ride on loose gravel and hard pack soil, but the soil is 60% of the time heavy mud



i dont do any type of jumping or down hill rideing, im just into flat land.blue & red routes.

my only problem is that i carnt try any of the bikes, halfords wont let you try a bike (boardman team) and my local bike shop i can only have a test ride in a very small area as the shop is located in the woods (sherwood pines) and they only stock a couple of the bike brands that i have in my list, so me buying a bike is going to be based on reviews and advise :?
ive got a list of bikes but its a big list, could you all have a look and tell me what has the best spec for the price, it is a big list and im sorry in advance :oops:

CUBE LTD PRO 2012 £799
http://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/products.asp?category=Sale%20Bikes&product=LTD%20Pro%20Grey%202012%20Mountain%20Bike

BOARDMAN TEAM £850
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165499

KHS ALITE 2000 £499
http://www.khsbikes.co.uk/bikes/khs-alite-2000

KHS ALITE 2000SL £799
http://www.khsbikes.co.uk/bikes/12-khs-alite-2000sl

Merida Matts TFS 500D £799
http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/produ ... _2012_Bike

Merida Matts Trail 500-D £799
http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/produ ... _2012_Bike

Giant 2011 XtC 2 £695
http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/.Gian ... 127325.htm

Whyte 801 £699
http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/produ ... _2013_Bike

Whyte 901 £850

http://www.cyclesurgery.com/pws/UniqueP ... CWHY0081GK

ive seen and felt the boardman team at halfords and it did look great and not too heavy, so id like something around that weight or lighter (just so it makes climbing hills easer) so what do you think, what would you buy ???

97th choice

Spec on the giant looks good.

Long_Time_Lurker

I have a Cube, mate has a KHS SL - both well specced (and have the best forks of that group). Boardman will be good and are generally better specced than anything else at the same price point, but i have no experience of them.

mattzzzzzz

Have a look at On One, think they have a whippet for 999 with x9 components
For the extra 150 its leagues ahead, carbon too

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FBOOWHCAB/o ... _bike_2013

Those pics look familiar, its not just off an island is it near Mansfield by any chance?

On one are only at Rotherham and im sure the guys there will let you try one out

winter_zombie

hi, i was looking at the on one whippit carbon for 999 but i dident know if it was worth it !?

i know the frame is carbon and of course lighter, but what about the spec ? is the forks better than the boardman??
in WMB mag its second place to the boardman so i dident know if it was worth the extra

the pictures are of the back roads i use

benpinnick

Id have this: http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1830/ ... html?lg=en over any of those options myself. Its 899 Euro, so probably £780 delivered? Is 100mm fork travel though.

mattzzzzzz

Now thats a spec for 800 quid, ive used bike discount.de for purchases before if the op is worried about spending abroad

MonkFunk

If you fit a medium or large I'd take a look at the Vitus Blitz 1

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=85742

I bought one of these recently. Been so impressed for the money. The "cosmetic damage" on mine was a small paint chip on the underside of the down tube. Brand new otherwise.

winter_zombie

benpinnick wrote:

Id have this: http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1830/ ... html?lg=en over any of those options myself. Its 899 Euro, so probably £780 delivered? Is 100mm fork travel though.

im used to using 100 - 120mm travel. if the 100mm is plush then it should be fine

mattzzzzzz

The boardman is running a low spec recon TK, if I were you I would find something with an Airfork, the carbon whippet is running a Reba RL which is better specced and Air
The Bike from bike-discount.de is the one I would have running XT

winter_zombie

benpinnick wrote:

Id have this: http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1830/ ... html?lg=en over any of those options myself. Its 899 Euro, so probably £780 delivered? Is 100mm fork travel though.

well with it been overseas the main problems i can see is that (1) what happens if its damaged ? & (2) v.a.t inport tax i would have to pay would kill me and take me way over my budget. £746.93 + 20% vat £149.38 total = 896.31 and then i would have a courier charge on top of that.

i only know this because i won a Battlefield 3 life size wall sticker from walls360 from the u.s.a 2 months ago

the sticker retails at $299 but it was a prize, but i still had to pay v.a.t on the retail price and a parcel force charge of £15.

winter_zombie

MonkFunk wrote:

If you fit a medium or large I'd take a look at the Vitus Blitz 1

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=85742

I bought one of these recently. Been so impressed for the money. The "cosmetic damage" on mine was a small paint chip on the underside of the down tube. Brand new otherwise.

WOW this looks nice, and it has loads of money knocked off it. and full sus so what do you guys think about this one ????

passout

Vitus looks good.

Charge hardtails are quite heavily discounted at Wiggle at the moment as are Genesis bikes at Real Cycles. There's always On One bikes too - inbred?

benpinnick

winter zombie wrote:

benpinnick wrote:

Id have this: http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1830/ ... html?lg=en over any of those options myself. Its 899 Euro, so probably £780 delivered? Is 100mm fork travel though.

well with it been overseas the main problems i can see is that (1) what happens if its damaged ? & (2) v.a.t inport tax i would have to pay would kill me and take me way over my budget. £746.93 + 20% vat £149.38 total = 896.31 and then i would have a courier charge on top of that.

i only know this because i won a Battlefield 3 life size wall sticker from walls360 from the u.s.a 2 months ago

the sticker retails at $299 but it was a prize, but i still had to pay v.a.t on the retail price and a parcel force charge of £15.

Damage is obviously a question, but they sell these crazy boxes for £7 which are bullet proof. As its in the EU, you wont pay any more than the price - VAT is paid in Germany, and there's no import duty. That said the Blitz 1 is great value... hey, you're only gonna scratch it anyway.

winter_zombie

benpinnick wrote:

winter zombie wrote:

benpinnick wrote:

Id have this: http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1830/ ... html?lg=en over any of those options myself. Its 899 Euro, so probably £780 delivered? Is 100mm fork travel though.

well with it been overseas the main problems i can see is that (1) what happens if its damaged ? & (2) v.a.t inport tax i would have to pay would kill me and take me way over my budget. £746.93 + 20% vat £149.38 total = 896.31 and then i would have a courier charge on top of that.

i only know this because i won a Battlefield 3 life size wall sticker from walls360 from the u.s.a 2 months ago

the sticker retails at $299 but it was a prize, but i still had to pay v.a.t on the retail price and a parcel force charge of £15.

Damage is obviously a question, but they sell these crazy boxes for £7 which are bullet proof. As its in the EU, you wont pay any more than the price - VAT is paid in Germany, and there's no import duty. That said the Blitz 1 is great value... hey, you're only gonna scratch it anyway.

hey, you're only gonna scratch it anyway

what you mean i have to take off the bubble wrap and get it dirty ??

i dont know about the v.a.t as like i said befor i was made to pay the v.a.t on the prize i won a few months ago and a parcel force charge. so that puts me off big time.
BUT i like the look of the Vitus Blitz 1 and its a full sus, im just waiting for more views/options

winter_zombie

has any of you brought from or knnow any reviews of this company = netforcycle.com

is it a uk based company ??

after the Vitus Blitz 1 was pointed out to me i googled it for reviews and i come this

http://www.netforcycle.com/vitus-bikes- ... -6410.html

this is even cheaper than the chain craction cycles deal and its not damaged ! sounds too good to be true :?

mattzzzzzz

I though Vitus was CRCs own brand so with that i would steer clear of anyone else selling them

cooldad

winter zombie wrote:

has any of you brought from or knnow any reviews of this company = netforcycle.com

is it a uk based company ??

after the Vitus Blitz 1 was pointed out to me i googled it for reviews and i come this

http://www.netforcycle.com/vitus-bikes- ... -6410.html

this is even cheaper than the chain craction cycles deal and its not damaged ! sounds too good to be true :?

Apart from no contact details or anything else on the site (even the FB and Twitter links don't work) this would send me running:

"WHY CHOOES US?
Mountain biking originated in the United States, is to derive the models developed in the American youth looking for stimulation, bike tricks game driving in off-road motorcycle racing venue.The first cross-country mountain biking, a University of California students Scott, he is the first ordinary bike converted into a mountain bike style. After cross-country movement gradually popular in Europe and the United States, and the formation of the tournament. International Cycling Union to recognize the sport in 1990, held its first World Cup in 1991."

Seriously.

chez_m356

mattzzzzzz wrote:

I though Vitus was CRCs own brand so with that i would steer clear of anyone else selling them

this tells you all you need to know

SOLD EXCLUSIVELY

http://www.vitusbikes.com/dealers

winter_zombie

i gess the other company sounded too good to be true lol,

so are you all saying that the virus blitz 1 is the best so far for the money?? is it better than the boardman team bike ??

after ive brought my bike i wont have any cash to spend on it for upgrades ect untill the summer, unless i get something under my budget

cooldad

winter zombie wrote:

do you think chain reaction cycles would price match or anything ?? the more i can save the more i can spend on the bike

i gess the other company sounded too good to be true lol,

Why the hell would they price match to a non existent scam operation - they are the sole distributors.

chez_m356

winter zombie wrote:

i dont know about the v.a.t as like i said befor i was made to pay the v.a.t on the prize i won a few months ago and a parcel force charge. so that puts me off big time.

no vat or import fees for the Radon or Canyon bikes, what you pay is the price you see at check out, cost of bike plus shipping, there's plenty of us on here that have them

supersonic

The Whippet is about the best specced hardtail available for the money, and seems an ideal choice for the terrain you describe.

mattzzzzzz

I was just going to say from what your are describing a full suss is not what you are after, unless you want to do more knarr then thats going to be overkill( he says with a 140mm full suss for xc) especially at the lower price point , if you do want a full suss I would go second hand and get a newish Giant Anthem x3 or higher as they are renowned for having one of the better platforms/linkages(maestro)for xc and less pedal bob
For me at that money I would look for a decent 29er hardtail as it will be a good XC bike, fairly stable on a bit rougher stuff and also good for a bit of road work within reason ,
For a 26er the Radon or Whippet for me- believe me when I say i went on this same journey and Im still not happy fully with the bikes I have got ( blur LT and Giant Reign)Im still hankering after a 22lb XC machine for blasting round the local woods( thieves wood)

If money was not as tight I may have bought the whippet myself


Matt

mattzzzzzz

DP

Matt

benpinnick

http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1830/ ... e-6-0.html

Maybe?

The Rookie

You WILL NOT be charged vat adn import duty from Germany, it would be against EU law for the UK to try and they just don't! Don't be put off buying because of that non reason.

I gues the prize you paid duty on came from outised the EU?

97th choice

winter zombie wrote:

has any of you brought from or knnow any reviews of this company = netforcycle.com

is it a uk based company ??

after the Vitus Blitz 1 was pointed out to me i googled it for reviews and i come this

http://www.netforcycle.com/vitus-bikes- ... -6410.html

this is even cheaper than the chain craction cycles deal and its not damaged ! sounds too good to be true :?

Loving the reviews on that site!

These places crop up from time to time, the last one I saw was called trailhead bikes. Much more professional site but the western money gram payments started the alam bells ringing.

If the price is too good to be true, it is.

The Rookie

From whois that site is registered in China, no surprise there.

winter_zombie

Thanks Cooldad for the advise, i did try and chat to somebody at the Netforcycle.com http://www.netforcycle.com/vitus-bikes-blitz-1-suspension-bike-2012-p-6410.html



its a company in china and they wouldent talk to me after i asked about why they are selling the vitus blitz 1 as its a exclusive to chain reaction cycles. so i gess its probley a chinese copy of the bike or just a con.

anyway it was too good to be true. So thanks again for the advise Cooldad

winter_zombie

The Beginner wrote:

You WILL NOT be charged vat adn import duty from Germany, it would be against EU law for the UK to try and they just don't! Don't be put off buying because of that non reason.

I gues the prize you paid duty on came from outised the EU?

my prize was from the U.S.A