You have £1000, which bike would you choose from this list?

Venture2099

I have exactly £1000 to spend on a new bike which I plan to use for the following purposes

Cycling 4KM to work and back Downhill trails (Beginner/Intermediate) Forested Free Riding

I am 182CM, 100KG male and have basic downhill biking skills (Chicksands and Sherwood, UK) although I have not been for a few years due to a punishing career. I have some time now and want to get back into it

The list is

Boardman Mountain Bike Team Hardtail Whistle Miwok 1481D Kona Fire Mountain Whistle Huron 1482D Boardman Mountain Bike Team HT 650B Kona NuNu Mongoose Salvo Sport Mongoose Tyax Comp Whistle Huron 1481D Whistle Patwin 1489D Carrera Kraken Whistle Patwin 1480D VooDoo Bizango <<< Kind of favouring the Bizango due to the amazing price £599 Boardman Mountain Bike Comp HT 650B

Unfortunately, I am restricted to only these choices, although I am not fussed at all about styling.

I simply wondered which choice you would recommend and why if you had £1000 to spend on any of them.

supersonic

If you can supply links then will be easier for people to compare specs.

Long_Time_Lurker

I would dump the Whistles and Mongooses (Mongeese?) from that list. They're not very good.
Personally I would err towards the Boardman Team and the Bizango.

Venture2099

Long Time Lurker wrote:

I would dump the Whistles and Mongooses (Mongeese?) from that list. They're not very good.
Personally I would err towards the Boardman Team and the Bizango.

Mongeese haha!

OK, that is a great start.

Boardman Mountain Bike Team Hardtail
Kona Fire Mountain
Boardman Mountain Bike Team HT 650B
Kona NuNu
Carrera Kraken
VooDoo Bizango <<< Kind of favouring the Bizango due to the amazing price £599
Boardman Mountain Bike Comp HT 650B

7 remain...

CitizenLee

Here's the links for those too lazy to select the text and then right-click > search Google For...

Boardman Mountain Bike Team Hardtail
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... -29er-2014

Kona Fire Mountain
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... -bike-2015

Boardman Mountain Bike Team HT 650B
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... -650b-2014

Kona NuNu
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... -bike-2015

Carrera Kraken
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... -bike-2015

VooDoo Bizango
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... in-bike-18

Boardman Mountain Bike Comp HT 650B
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... -650b-2014

It's a shame you appear to be limited to Halfords are you could buy a Bird Zero 3 for £995 or a Zero 2 for £1200.

As it stands, I'd go for one of the 650B Boardmans or the Bizango.

Briggo

What do you mean by forested free riding and beginner downhill tracks.

cooldad

Briggo wrote:

What do you mean by forested free riding and beginner downhill tracks.

Mountain biking?

cooldad

CitizenLee wrote:

Here's the links for those too lazy to select the text and then right-click > search Google For...

Kona NuNu

So would that be a 1998 model or 2015?

Always easier if the OP posts the links they are actually looking at.

Although I wouldn't disagree with your choice even as a Kona fan.

Briggo

cooldad wrote:

Briggo wrote:

What do you mean by forested free riding and beginner downhill tracks.

Mountain biking?

What's that

CitizenLee

cooldad wrote:

CitizenLee wrote:

Here's the links for those too lazy to select the text and then right-click > search Google For...

Kona NuNu

So would that be a 1998 model or 2015?

Always easier if the OP posts the links they are actually looking at.

Although I wouldn't disagree with your choice even as a Kona fan.

Haha, well I thought it was perhaps safe to assume he wasn't looking at 1 90s bike vs 13 new ones

You've got me all nostalgic now, I lusted after the Cinder Cone as a teen in the mid 90s :P

TowerRider

Not sure if any help but the Kraken old model is £399 at Halfords plus you can get a further 20% off - presume you all know how to do that at Halfords.

stubs

Voodoo Bizango. Everyone who buys one seems to be very happy with it, very tempted to buy one myself for commuting and general mucking about on.