Need help choosing between Trek 4700 or Voodoo Hoodoo

KaRsKiN

As the title says I'm looking at choosing a new bike but I'm getting a bit stuck.

My budget is £500 but I'm happy to go a bit over if it means getting a much better deal.

Now at the moment I'm stuck between two bikes.

The Trek 4700

The Voodoo Hoodoo

The Trek is on sale and my local bike shop (Evans Cycles) have recommended it as a very good deal for the price, based on the components I'd get on it. However I haven't been able to find any serious reviews for it online, only those little customer reviews you see on the store websites.

The Voodoo on the other hand has an amazing write up on Bike Radar. They say for £500 you'd struggle to find a better bike.

Now I'm not up to speed yet on MTB components so I want to make sure I'm getting the best bang for my buck with my first bike. At the minute I'm leaning towards the Trek, both because of the recommendation of the bike shop and because I know people who have owned Trek's and they swear by them.

The Voodoo on the other hand is a Hallfords own brand bike and I know people say to avoid them. But the Hoodoo seems to have glowing reviews everywhere. And at only £500 it would leave me with a bit more to spend on accessories.

What do you guys think? I'd like the opinions' of people who know their stuff. Assuming both bikes fit and feel right, which one would you go for? Or better yet, can you recommend a better bike for that price range? I'm not averse to buying used but again I'm not really sure what I'd go for.

Thanks in advance for any help.

EDIT: Woops, forgot to mention the kind of riding I'd be doing. I'm mainly going to be doing XC stuff but I do intend on taking it to my local park and doing some blue/red runs too as I get more confident.

The Rookie

Voodoo has better Fork, the Trek has better pretty much everything else.

Personally I'd get the Trek and once you are learning to push yourself and the bike that bit harder, upgrade the fork, the XCR isn't a bad fork but the damping on the Raidon is better.

KaRsKiN

Thanks for you're reply, I am leaning towards the Trek.

Do you think the Trek is worth the extra £75? Considering my budget isn't fantastic and I could be spending that on other accessories.

FishFish

Don't wish to be uninteresting but don't forget to budget for a pump, small set of tools, hat and kit. If you are getting the Voodoo dont fall in to the trap of the Halfords free maintenance / servicing - learn it yourself.

swod1

KaRsKiN wrote:

Thanks for you're reply, I am leaning towards the Trek.

Do you think the Trek is worth the extra £75? Considering my budget isn't fantastic and I could be spending that on other accessories.

Yes it would be worth spending the extra on the trek if you can with it having deore/slx gear components and it is also 10 speed gears.

I would be slightly biased as i have one myself the previous year 2012 model

KaRsKiN

Yes it would be worth spending the extra on the trek if you can with it having deore/slx gear components and it is also 10 speed gears.

I would be slightly biased as i have one myself the previous year 2012 model

Just the man I wanted to speak to then!

As I said there's no reviews of it online.

How do you find it? How does it stand up on the trails? Is it durable enough to take it out on some blue/red trails at a park?

Like I said in the OP I'm mainly going to be doing XC stuff but I also want something I can throw about a bit too.

swod1

It has been fine on some rough trails local to me, not sure on bike park stuff i haven't tried it out on any of them yet

You might want to go for the voodoo for the extra 20mm travel on the forks though and better damper in the raidon forks.

I ended up changing the front fork on mine to a rockshox reba after a year of owning the bike, which has improved the bike further.

Jomox

I'd take the Trek easily personally, defo worth the extra cash, better bike. But would replace the forks on either of them after.