New MTB - £1k budget

Cliveyp

Hey guys, probably my first post in here as i've always been snooping around the Road/Commuting forums since i've been signed up.

I'm looking to use this years C2W scheme to purchase a new MTB (not using it for commuting though, thats for my roadie that i've already got). I've not hit anything off-road for a very long time due to only having the roadie and an old 2002-vintage Giant Boulder that, frankly, would fall apart if it met anything other than a gravelled towpath!

Our scheme doesnt let you start until April, but my decision on voucher value has to be submitted well before-hand so i'm currently looking around to see what is about within the £1k limit. I am not really sure just at the moment on where its going to get used but am looking to try and join some friends on the FoD trails, Wyre Forest, odd Cannock trips and then obviously the local hills and tracks. Its not likely to be getting a proper pasting, but in the same I might end up getting hooked and taking it further, who knows! I'm more than happy to get a bit more of a deal by looking at 2012 models too......so what should I consider?

As hardtails, which is what I always thought would be best in my budget, I like the look of:
- Cube Reaction Pro 2012
- Cube Ltd Pro 2012
- Cube Reaction GTC Pro 2012 (carbon)
- Scott Scale 40 2012
- Whyte 805 2013
and many many others!

But then, looking on PaulsCycles I noticed that there's significant discounts on some full suspension ones......namely the Cannondale RZ One Twenty 3 has stood out. To me, this is a lot of bike within the £1k budget that would outperform me for many years, but also be capable of anything that I wanted to do.....

Help!! Do I look at hardtails or full-suss? What do people think of what I've listed? Would I be wrong to look at full-suss at that sort of level?

ride_whenever

Check the discounted bikes carefully, often you can't get a discount on c2w

97th choice

Take a look at the 2012 giant anthem x3. You can get them for 999 or maybe less.

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b4s1p4431

Cliveyp

Cheers guys. It appears that Pauls Cycles will accept C2W on discounted bikes, although they add a 10% admin fee on the top, which (if you stay inside guidelines) only leaves a £900 limit on the bike itself......so it appears some of these full sussers might be out of reach (although they may allow overpayment).

So, what can you guys recommend otherwise? I really like the look of the Whyte 805 as a hardtail, plus many of the Cubes (Ltd Race looks to be well in budget at Pauls). Is there anything else i'm missing that worth looking at?

The Rookie

Cliveyp wrote:

which (if you stay inside guidelines) only leaves a £900 limit on the bike itself

Just to clarify, there is no £1K guideline, it's the limit a company without a consumer credit licence can fund, but C2W can be used to any value at all.

rockmonkeysc

There's a good reason why a lot of those older full sus bikes are hugely discounted, they can't shift them because no one wants them.

b_real

although they may allow overpayment

At my place the £1k limit is set by my company, and they won't allow overpayment. This is to do with the fact that technically the company owns the bike and leases it to you, so for insurance purposes the value of the bike has to be under £1k, and you can't co-own the thing.

Of course, my place could be entirely retarded and the workshy admin staff could just be scared of having to do anything remotely complicated.

Cliveyp

I've heard it's a co ownership thing too, but in case of you leaving the company and that causing issues........but I can't see that happening where I work as they automatically take the remaining payments from your final paycheck.

Although that's by the by, mentally I think I will struggle to justify more than the £1k, so that's the limit I'm setting myself......there's always next year!

mulley

Whyte 629. 2013 bike on the c2w limit and I love mine. My 140mm susser doesnt get used any more and thats a £2500 build. My friend has the cube ltd sl, he put £150ish towards it as it is just over the c2w limit, he seems happy with his to. Ifyou look at the spec the cube is good value even in the pro version but in the real world the whyte is as good and i think possibly better as I can keep up now where on our sussers he would always kick my butt.