spec comparison advice please

satnavsteve

I know they aren't MTB's, but I'm assuming the componentry has something in common, and my knowledge is limited purely to road bikes so would appreciate some help in evaluating these:

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/trek-84- ... 84566.html
or
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/h ... -bike-2014

both retail at £600. I think the Trek is much better looking, but interested in best value for money.

Cheers

cooldad

Personally I think the Trek is ugly, but that aside I think the Boardman has a better spec, but no idea about the forks on either. Both seem a bit expensive for what you get.

mcnultycop

The forks seem pointless to me; if I wanted a hybrid I'd not want 63mm of travel on the front, i'd just want a rigid fork.

satnavsteve

I think my concern is, the rigid hybrids I've seen are fairly road orientated. I'd be more than happy with a rigid as long as there's clearance for some reaonably knobbly tyres.

It must also have rack mounts.

Any suggestions most welcome.

The Rookie

How knobbly do you want the tyres? Or rather how big? Or in other words what surfaces will you be riding on?

Have you considered a cyclocross bike for example?

satnavsteve

Cyclocross would be ideal, but I have an injury to my neck that is forcing me away from that road bike position (I used to ride a lot on road until very recently). I do like the idea of doing some light trails though, so a flat bar CX conversion would be good, a 29'er hardtail with an option to fit 32ish slicks wouldn't be too bad. Basically, a more upright position is essential.

benpinnick

Both are pretty crap imho. I would get one of these : http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... in-bike-20

And buy some CX type tyres for it. That would likely only set you back another £30 - £40.

EDIT: Not sure if it will take a rack. Check out the Cube SL Cross range if they still do it. They are like flat bar CX bikes. I used to have one and it was very fast and nicely built. No Suspension, but I would avoid anything thats not high end fork wise (the cheapest I would consider is on that Voodoo Bizango).

satnavsteve

I can see rack mount points on the frame of the Bizango. So just a case of heel clearance which presumably is not a problem with 29er geometry and making sure rim width is ok for cx tyres.

Then a respray to take care of the vile colours......

The Rookie

Could have kept it all to one thread!

viewtopic.php?f=20005&t=12979113&p=19005374#p19005374

satnavsteve

The actual question above was a different request - I am actually, in this thread, asking advice on two specs.

Angus Young

Which would have slotted naturally into your other thread.

satnavsteve

but not necessarily got noticed by people who can answer it. Jeez - it's this kind of forum is it? Or are the last two attitudes only representative of a couple?

Been using it for years on the road side with fantastic advice and support, and get pointless reactions like this to two completely different specific enquiries. What a shame.

I wasn't aware that there was a negative impact on people by starting a new thread with a specific question that may not have been answered on another thread with a different question. Does everyone have to pay?

Angus Young

Just telling you for your own good. People get sick of bouncing back and forth between two threads dealing with exactly the same enquiry and might become less inclined to help. But if you're too touchy to listen when someone's trying to help, then...

The Rookie

I'm out..... One buying decision, one thread, simple.....

satnavsteve

Mmmm, speaks volumes. The point was it isn't the same enquiry. As I tried to explain, I would appreciate specific thoughts on two specific bikes - constructive ones.

To get back to the original question, could someone in the know give me advice as to which of the two specs is the better given the almost identical price. Speaking in terms of wheels, groupset and finishing kit etc.

Antm81

To be honest, your question may be better in the commuting section, a lot of the components aren't mtb components so not much we know about them, however they are heavy, a bike like the voodoo bizango mentioned in both threads would be more far more capable, probably lighter too.

satnavsteve

Thanks for that - I know my way around the progression of road groupsets, but not a clue with deore/acera/Altus etc.

Is there such a thing as an off the peg rigid 29er?

cooldad

Yep, it's called a road bike.
Not my field but I believe you get flat bar road bikes.

satnavsteve

But then we are back to the clearance issue tyre wise.
Maybe the way to go is a 29er then I'll replace the front sus fork.

Antm81

You could lock the front fork when not off road, wouldn't be quite rigid as it'll allow a small amount of travel still but will be fairly solid.

The Rookie

The Rookie wrote:

Have a look at the Voodoo Marasa at Halfords, marketed as a hybrid but it will work on local off road trails no problem (my nephew uses one for that) he uses 32mm tyres on road but 28's will fit no problem.

From your other thread, will take 1.95" MTB tyres, may take a bit wider.

satnavsteve

I know it seems like I'm after the impossible, but giving up a titanium with ultegra spec road bike so want this to be a move where I'm not going to get too frustrated with componentry. At the same time, it would be good to keep the budget around the 6-700 mark, and I realise there's a limit to what I can get for that.

The thing that appeals with the Trek 8.4 I linked to above is that ability to handle light trails without being perhaps as heavy as a Voodoo Bizango (with CX tyres) - although by all accounts the Bizango is pretty light - it's just the graphics that put me off. They didn't have one on display at my local branch so hard to tell really.

I also need to find out what clearance the rigid Boardman hybrid sport has for trail work and put that in the mix.