Boardman MX Race / Carrera Crossfire 2

nathanb

Firstly, I am not much of a cyclist. I have dabbled on and off with bikes for years but mostly for child related antics. In the last 4 years I have had 2 bikes, both Mongoose Crossway 350s of different years both for commuting purposes and purely road work.

I am now looking at something to cross the commuting / light trail riding boundaries and first looked at the Carrera. It's a name I've heard of before but after some delving have found some reviews questioning build quality and breakages. I then happens to chance across someone who recommended Boardman.and found the MX Race which seem to fit the bill the Crossfire had laid out, albeit for £200 more.

I'm aiming to buy from Halfords, just because its more convenient for myself.

Would anyone in the actual know be able to advise me on this choice? I'm personally leaning towards the Boardman. I don't need anything Pro, but would like a decent bike that lasts.

On a side note, I was also after some decent and reasonably prices LED lights. Could you recommend any?

Thanks in advance :-)

Keith47

I just got an MX Race on the CTW scheme as I didn't want to use my road bike for cycling to work, as part of the ride involves cutting across the local park and some of the dirt tracks are a bit rough for skinny tyres. It's not an out and out MTB but I think it's all the better for it.
It gets a bit of a slating in the reviews I've read but I really like it. The disc brakes, although only cable operated, are infinitely better than rim brakes, the riding position is more comfortable, and I find myself wanting to use it more than the road bike now!
Only downside is Halfords. They couldn't set up a deckchair, had to set up the gears, headset and handlebars myself, (just as I did on the roadbike 4 years ago when I got that from Halfords too :roll: )
Can't comment on the crossfire as I've never even looked at one, but would happily reccomend the MX

folsom1

My housemate bought a Crossfire and got Halfords to assemble it a few months back. Seems pretty decent in terms of build quality, no obvious cut corners apart from the thin walled tyres. It's not too heavy either, considering the suspension forks an price.

It's been used to commute to work 20 miles a day plus light trails at the weekend, and so far nothing's fallen off and it all works fine. Bargain.

montyburns56

While there's nothing wrong with the Crossfire, the MX is a much better bike and you won't regret spending the extra £200, which you might do if you buy the cheaper one.