£650 to spend on cyclescheme

zedzed

Hello,

Beginner MTB'er here, been out on a few XC trails with a friend on his spare bike (2009 Spec. Rockhopper I think), and loving it. Nothing too scary, but on proper cycle trails through woods/down hills etc.

I've got £650 to spend on a bike via "cyclescheme" (so no Halfords bikes), and having spent a week or 2 researching things, and it seems that the RR 8.1 has the best spec at my price point : http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-81-2012-mountain-bike-grey-id_8168918.html

It's got:
Rock Shox RECON Silver TK 100 mm fork Remote Lock-Out
SRAM X - 7 Front derailleur
SRAM X - 7 Rear derailleur
Push pull Sram X7 levers.
Shimano Deore bottom bracket M590 22x32x44
SRAM PG950 11x32 9-speed cassette
Avid ELIXIR 3 hydraulic disc brakes, 160 mm rotors[/list]

I can't find any well known brands that matches that spec. for my max. of £650 - which is actually £100 more than the RR @ £550!

I was wondering - is there any logic in getting something like the Cube Attention or Spec. Rockhopper instead? Perhaps they have a better frame but worse components (?) - but would be a better long term investment as I could upgrade the components as they wear out? (vs. running the RR for 3 years, selling it and buying a better bike again?).

I guess what I'm really asking is - if you had £650 to spend on a (non-Halfords) bike, what would you buy and why?!

Thanks for any advice,
Dez

cooldad

The frame on the RR is just as good as the other two you mentioned. I would stick with better bits.

The Rookie

+1, Not had a cube frame, but the Rockhopper frame of the same size I had was the same year as my Carrera frame and weighed the same, nothing better about it other than the logo on the side!

noiseboyfeetman

I'm more of a roadie myself but son's just bought himself a Cube Analog 29er from Hargroves, he loves it, it looks really good, rides really well and spec seems good compared to some others. He was somewhat limited to where he could get from though as he got it on 0% finance.

zedzed

Ok ... I've ditched cyclescheme (for various reasons).

Looking at the Boardman Team HT at the moment (http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 65499#tab2) it's got 15% off and I think another 10% off with british cycling (although £15 for membership).

I make it £722.50 * 0.9 = £650 + £15 = £675. That's £200 off RRP.

Is this worth it vs. Rockhopper 8.1 (which is just over £100 cheaper)??

Thanks in advance.

dmont

You'll not go wrong with either of them. I'd go boardman for the looks, but that's personal choice.

chrisw333

yep, I'd go Boardman too, they are great bikes. 120m travel is a bonus for more all round trail riding too.

ElliesDad

With that discount you can't beat the Boardman, they are great bikes for the money even at list price!

boyse7en

IS the Boardman better than this?

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/44935/For ... -Bike.html

Not heard of the brand, but the Frame is Kenisis, and the wheels look like a quality pair and are very light

EDIT: It's actually £799 if you buy it from Rutland's eBay site

passout

I'd stick to the Boardman because I know that the frame is pretty nice.

Crooksy

I haven't looked for your needs but have you checked the discounts that CRC are offering at the moment? Check the link out

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Sear ... scountDESC

The Rookie

The Forme is great value for Money, though a very XC bike.

I believe you get £50 off at checkout somehow as well....

boyse7en

The Beginner wrote:

The Forme is great value for Money, though a very XC bike.

I believe you get £50 off at checkout somehow as well....

10% off when you spend £500 or more

CODE: 10CYCLE

Offer ends 30/06/13

For a limited time we are giving you a massive 10% off your basket when you spend £500 or more. Just enter the code at checkout.

* Offer can’t be used in conjunction with interest free credit.
* Offer excludes gift vouchers and ex-hire goods.
* We reserve the right to end the offer early.

chrisw333

The Beginner wrote:

The Forme is great value for Money, though a very XC bike.

The OP is a beginner mountain biker. The Forme may be good value but both you and SS have commented on it being very XC - I presume steep head angle and maybe a bit twitchy.

Wouldn't a slightly more relaxed bike be better for a beginner, even if the parts bolted on arent quite as high spec? Can't help thinking the Boardman is still the best answer here.

zedzed

As the "op" I'm not really sure what the difference is with an "XC" bike?

I do some (what I'd call) "simple" trails like this: http://www.callendarestate.co.uk/things ... es/route-3
No jumps - just trail path up/down hill with some tight turns and the occasional bridge. No jumps per se. I've been using my friends bike for that (see OP).

I also cycle along Canal paths (50/50 dirt/gravel-paved). My last cycle was a 2 hour 40Km run from Glasgow to Falkirk. I was using my rockrider 5.1 for that (£100 bike from decathalon). Had it 1 year and it's OK - but I wouldn't take it on the trails - I don't like the twist shift gears much, no suspension etc. I'm going to keep that bike as the "out with the family" bike though!

So - based on the above is the Forme too "XC" for me? Boardman still best bet?

p.s. I can up my budget to £800. Just shhhh, don't tell the wife

ElliesDad

I started on the Boardman Comp last year as a beginner, it gave me loads of confidence. I would say its perfect for what you want!