Sub £500 but not the usual recommendations?

risky

So here's the deal, the Mrs and I are wanting to get back into cycling, which means we need 2 new bikes. We are both 6'1", 34 inseam and the same reach so I'm thinking she would need a mens bike and we're talking about 20" frame?

Being strapped for cash I am looking to finance the purchase, ideally interest free. The issue seems to be that the usually recommended bikes, sub £500 are:
Decathlon Rockrider, GoOutdoors Calibre TwoTwo, Halfords Voodoo/Carerra range

And none of these retailers offer credit.

All the stores I can find that do offer credit only seem to range the big name brands, which seems to mean less features for more money as you are paying for the brand name. Similar price range to the aforementioned bikes seems to be the Specialized Hardrock Disc, Cube Aim Disc, Trek X-Caliber 4, Kona Lanai.

Any ideas of what I'm best to do in this awkward situation?

rockmonkeysc

Get an interest free credit card. You will get a much better bike by avoiding the big brands.

risky

That was my other thinking.

There are rave reviews, (from Americans mainly) for the Diamondback Overdrive http://www.wheelies.co.uk/p59531/Diamon ... -Bike.aspx

Which comes in at half the price of some of the bikes I mentioned. Is it false economy though?

kajjal

If you have to go for the bigger brands to get credit then bikes like the Hardrock are much better than the £200 cheap mountain bikes you can get and unless you are planning to take them over very rough trails they will do very well for you. Its like you post you will just miss out on the best bikes for the price range, this does not mean you are buying poor bikes.

Being over 6ft6 I have less choice in bikes and have to go for the big brands which means it costs me more but the bikes are fine.

mcnultycop

risky wrote:

That was my other thinking.

There are rave reviews, (from Americans mainly) for the Diamondback Overdrive http://www.wheelies.co.uk/p59531/Diamon ... -Bike.aspx

Which comes in at half the price of some of the bikes I mentioned. Is it false economy though?

That is terrible. The usual recommendations are the usual recommendations for good reason.

rockmonkeysc

The Hardrock is particularly bad, there are bikes for £350 just as good.

IDave

Don't go buying a crappy bike just so you can get store credit, there are loads of 0% credit cards out there that anyone with a half decent credit rating can get with no hassle at all.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit ... edit-cards

Get yourself one of these (assuming you live in the UK) and then buy 2 of the bikes on the recommended list.

risky

Thanks for the advice.

I'm confused as to why the diamondback gets such good reviews when it seems to be such an inferior spec.

Anyway...the rockrider is now clearance and out of stock online and anywhere near me so the guide will probably need updated.

It seems to have been replaced with the 500 at £269 which has a Suntour XCT fork with 80mm travel. And a 500s full suspension at £369 which is using their own Rockrider brand fork with 120mm travel. I dont know if either of those have the desired hydro fork.

Which means its looking like the Voodoo Bantu.

IDave

The VooDoo Hoodoo scrapes in below £500 and is a fair jump up in spec

link

Although the blue frame of the Bantu looks nicer imho

risky

Hrm that muddys the waters then. I agree with you on the looks, I think it's the logo on the frame and the coloured text on the tyres which detract but I'm not daft enough to pick looks over spec.

I take it the Voodoo Aizen is not much cop? It's in the middle price wise. It's a 29er but that seems to come at the expense of the forks which have gone back a step?

risky

In other news I've just found out that my employer starts with cycle2work next week. Looking at the Voodoo Bizango now since it won awards left right and centre. Is this the best buy at that price (£600)?

kajjal

Yes it is the best at the moment for £600 pounds and has won a lot of awards, check online for reviews.

The Rookie

risky wrote:

Thanks for the advice.

I'm confused as to why the diamondback gets such good reviews when it seems to be such an inferior spec.

Probably because it's being bought by people who have no idea what a proper mountain bike should feel like to ride, it has very basic forks and being 7 speed is probably a poorly sealed freewheel, in fact I doubt the buyers have done anything but ride on the road with it.