Newbie bike advice.....help appreciated.

BigD1980

I am just about to purchase a new bike through Halfords cycle 2 work scheme.

I am looking at 4 bikes at the moment Carerra Vulcan and Kraken and the Voodoo Bantu and hoodoo.

The bike will be used for a wide variety of things. From towing my girls around town in a trailer, commuting along flat roads to work, gravel cycle paths and some fairly simple trails (for now!!!)

One of my big concerns is my weight. At over 22st I worry about the durability of components. I have been riding on a Viking mtb and it has been pretty good considering i only paid £20 . In fact I have had 2 years trouble free until the rear derailleur chewed itself up recently.

These bikes all seem to get good reviews and I like the look of them all. Are the Hoodoo/Kraken worth the extra over their cheaper counterparts? If so which is the best Hoodoo or Kraken? Would either suit my weight better?

Hello to everyone and thanks for your precious time. All help/advice is very much appreciated.

The Rookie

Any of those 4 will do the job, yes the 2 more expensive ones are worth the extra if you use he extra capability.

The Voodoo's use a slightly burlier frame and a better fork than the Carrera's which may be a consideration.

Given what you say I'd be inclined towards the Bantu, they are pretty tuff and have a fairly decent fork but costs less than the Hoodoo which only really reduces weight over the Bantu.

BigD1980

Thanks for the advice. Just been and collected my bantu.

Only had a quick test ride round the block. Bike feels great. My only gripe would be the front brake lever is virtually touching the grip before it actually does anything. Also the front disc is "chirping". I guess I'll take it back to Halfords for them to tweak it.

thelonegroover

Sounds like the brake needs bleeding. What do mean by 'chirping'?

BigD1980

Sorry for the poor description. It sounds like the disc and pad are coming into contact with each other. They are making an annoying noise.

I'm popping it back to halfords tomorrow. Since the previous post I've been for a longer test ride and discovered that some of the gears aren't engaging smoothly.

I think I will love the bike once halfords do their jobs and set everything up properly.

Thanks for the replies.

cooldad

Read 'Read this first' below and DIY. It's routine maintenance and you might as well start now.

The Rookie

If the pads don't come into contact with the disc they don't work!

The lever coming back to the bars can just be bedding in, probably doesn't need a bleed at all.

BigD1980

The pads are coming into contact with the discs once per revolution which is why it makes the annoying noise.

As for the brake lever touching the bars. The front brake doesn't start to work until the lever is almost at the bars. Even when fully on (ie touching the bars) the brake is still not able to stop the bike even on the flat let alone on a downhill. I can't lock up the front brake at all.

I may be new to mountain bikes but I am still handy with tools. I was servicing cars and doing minor repairs, brake pads/shoes, exhausts etc at the age of 14. I had also built my first kit car by the age of 16. My uncle is a mechanic, my father a stainless steel fabricator/CAD designer/Conveyor belt expert, my grandfather a HGV mechanic.

I am happy to undertake most work but feel Halfords should set the bike up properly in the first instance. If people don't take their bikes back,Halfords will never know what a poor job they are doing of setting up the bikes they sell.

Since my last post I have noticed some of the gears aren't changing smoothly so they can sort that as well whilst they have the bike back.

Thanks for help/advice.