Which bike to buy....help please

MonsterFIsh

Hi everyone,

You're probably sick of these threads but I am taking part in a charity cycle trail over the summer and I want to buy a bike with the intention of getting more in to the hobby.

Budget unfortunately doesn't stretch must past £300 and most of the advice I can find, says to spend more than this. Anyway from reading around, these are my two main options at the minute.

Any help or advise is greatly appreciated.

Option 1
http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/gt-i-drive-mountain-bike-300-ono/1012042478

Option 2
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_810709_langId_-1_categoryId_165499

Thanks

thelonegroover

Not sure where #1 came from but I've never seen one before. Also these are very different bikes, are sure a full sus is what you need. I'd go for the Halfords one.

MonsterFIsh

I was looking hard tail as for my price range I would get a better spec bike but the GT I-drive popped up locally and I thought it might have been a decent full suspension for the money. have had a hard time finding reviews of it though.

I want to take up downhill riding so if I got into it, a full suspension may be a good idea eventually but if the carrera is a decent hardtail option, I may go with it.

MonsterFIsh

Ok, leaving the i-drive aside as bad idea...could anyone help me decide between these two;

Carrera Vulcan
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_810709_langId_-1_categoryId_165499

Giant Revel 4
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/2013.giant.revel.4.disc/11861/56895/

Thanks again to anyone who can offer some advise. Fell like I'm in the deep end here. This is all very new to me.

cooldad

The Giant is horrible. Nasty undamped fork, steel bars, 7 speed.
The Carrera has damped forks, hydraulic discs and decent bits.
No contest.

chez_m356

MonsterFIsh wrote:

Ok, leaving the i-drive aside as bad idea...could anyone help me decide between these two;

Carrera Vulcan
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_810709_langId_-1_categoryId_165499

Giant Revel 4
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/2013.giant.revel.4.disc/11861/56895/

Thanks again to anyone who can offer some advise. Fell like I'm in the deep end here. This is all very new to me.

all you really need to know http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... n-12-45673 can't get a better recommendation than that

MonsterFIsh

]Yeah thats a positive review. How important is the weight issue though? Am i likely to give up cause its breaking my back returning to the start of downhill runs?

One other bike I am considering, it looks like this or the vulcan;

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-big-rr-53-mountain-bike-white-id_8202905.html

The Rookie

At that price you won't get a downhill bike, the Vulcan is a fairly decent XC bike at it's price point, as is the Voodoo Bantu or RR 5.3 although it's despecced to pay for the 29" wheels.

Of the 3 I'd take the Bantu, but nothing wrong with the Vulcan.

MonsterFIsh

Ok due to having no other good stores nearby, I am going to have to buy from Halfords.

I am leaning towards the Carrera Vulcan as I have read good reviews.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_810709_langId_-1_categoryId_165499#tab2

The only other bike I am now considering at this point is

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_912113_langId_-1_categoryId_165499#tab2

It might just be the limited edition thats tricking me here, can anyone weigh in with thoughts on this? Going to go this evening to have a look and perhaps purchase one.

junglist_matty

Get the carrera in your first post.... Not a bad bike.

The Rookie

The vulcan gets Hydraulic discs for only £30, no brainer.

Centos is never ever ever worth that claimed original price.

MonsterFIsh

Is it wise for me to have Halfords build it or should I pay whatever fee a local independent bike shop would charge to build it?

supersonic

No saying the local independent bike shop would be any better, or worse at building it!

The Rookie

If you ride an MTB, you need to learn to do your own fettling, check parktools or ask on here, when you pick it up, check it all over.

Note that many 'halfords complaints' are actually original build issues that could relate to any bike from the same factory and are not something that would be checked at any PDI.