Is this a decent spec'd hardtail

voodoo254

Hi folks,

Please give me your input re the below specs on a bike i'm looking at. I'd rather not name the brand so as to get an unbiased opinion. Suffice it to say its not a mainstream mountain bike brand (i think!) but they seem to do some decent bikes nonetheless at the mid to high end range. This is one of their mid/higher end hardtail 650b models.

Frame: Alloy Frame 6061 TB
Headtube Headtube: Branded 1 1/8 - 1.5 Tapered
Fork: Suntour SF14 Raidon XC RL-R 27.5, 100-T (Air) , Air Spring, Hydraulic Speedlock, 100mm, Tapered, Remote Lever
Headset: Branded B303AM drop / in Tapered, +10
Stem: Branded AS-021 -7°
Bars: Branded HB-FB21L X2-Flat, 700
Brakes-Rotors: Shimano M395 Hydraulic Disc and Shimano RT54 180/180 rotors
Shifters: Shimano Deore M610 3/10
Rear Derailleur Shimano Deore XT M781 Shadow
Front Derailleur Shimano Deore M611
Crankset: Shimano Deore M612 40-30-22
Bottom Bracket: Shimano BB51-Unit BSA
Cassette Shimano: HG62-10 11-36T
Pedals: VP-195-E
Wheels: 27.5" Mavic/Deore
Rims: Mavic XM319 27.5"
Front Hub Shimano Deore M615-CL
Rear Hub Shimano Deore M615-CL
Tyres Schwalbe Rapid Rob 27.5 x 2.1" 54-622 Evo Folding
Saddle Branded VL-1489
Seatpost Branded Sp-612 350/27.2

Is this a good buy at £720?

cooldad

Spoiler alert. KTM?

Looks ok. I would prefer better brakes but the rest is serviceable.

voodoo254

Hahahaha......thanks cooldad!!!

voodoo254

Cooldad - what exactly is the issue with these brakes and what would you suggest to change them to?

cooldad

They work but I would prefer Deore - M615 at least.

But overall a Voodoo Bizango is similar spec for less money.

CitizenLee

I have the M395 brakes on my Cube and they do lack both power and modulation, although they work.

I'd also recommend at least M615 if upgrading, although personally I'm going to treat myself to a set of XT brakes on my Mega which will mean my SLX brakes get passed down to the Cube.

Saying that, the M395s are infinitely better than any rim brake or mechanical disc brake and if you've never used anything better then I think they'd probably be good enough to start with.

voodoo254

Thanks for the input citizenlee. Yes this is a beginner bike for me so havent really ridden on hydraulic or just plain disc brakes before. How do they compare to the Avid Elixir 3? On par? Better?

voodoo254

cooldad wrote:

They work but I would prefer Deore - M615 at least.

But overall a Voodoo Bizango is similar spec for less money.

Yes i suppose the spec is pretty close to that of the bizango (mainly just the brakes and fork).... the drivetrain on this is xt/deore whereas the bizango is deore/alivio i believe. However, as a chap of 5'8" i'd rather go for a 650b as i find them easier to handle than the bigger bikes...if that makes sense.

CitizenLee

Voodoo254 wrote:

Thanks for the input citizenlee. Yes this is a beginner bike for me so havent really ridden on hydraulic or just plain disc brakes before. How do they compare to the Avid Elixir 3? On par? Better?

No probs mate.

Shimano brakes tend to be better than anything from Avid, especially at the lower end of the market.

I'd suggest sticking with the M395s for now and just see how you get on with them

rvicary

Voodoo254 wrote:

Hi folks,

Please give me your input re the below specs on a bike i'm looking at. I'd rather not name the brand so as to get an unbiased opinion. Suffice it to say its not a mainstream mountain bike brand (i think!) but they seem to do some decent bikes nonetheless at the mid to high end range. This is one of their mid/higher end hardtail 650b models.

Frame: Alloy Frame 6061 TB
Headtube Headtube: Branded 1 1/8 - 1.5 Tapered
Fork: Suntour SF14 Raidon XC RL-R 27.5, 100-T (Air) , Air Spring, Hydraulic Speedlock, 100mm, Tapered, Remote Lever
Headset: Branded B303AM drop / in Tapered, +10
Stem: Branded AS-021 -7°
Bars: Branded HB-FB21L X2-Flat, 700
Brakes-Rotors: Shimano M395 Hydraulic Disc and Shimano RT54 180/180 rotors
Shifters: Shimano Deore M610 3/10
Rear Derailleur Shimano Deore XT M781 Shadow
Front Derailleur Shimano Deore M611
Crankset: Shimano Deore M612 40-30-22
Bottom Bracket: Shimano BB51-Unit BSA
Cassette Shimano: HG62-10 11-36T
Pedals: VP-195-E
Wheels: 27.5" Mavic/Deore
Rims: Mavic XM319 27.5"
Front Hub Shimano Deore M615-CL
Rear Hub Shimano Deore M615-CL
Tyres Schwalbe Rapid Rob 27.5 x 2.1" 54-622 Evo Folding
Saddle Branded VL-1489
Seatpost Branded Sp-612 350/27.2

Is this a good buy at £720?

Don't be shy, whats the model/make?

Looking for one around this price and spec myself but really struggling to find something that grabs me!

arthur_scrimshaw

Have you read the previous posts?

CitizenLee

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

Have you read the previous posts?

KTM is all that has been established, although that would be more than enough for Columbo

rvicary

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

Have you read the previous posts?

Yeah I had...just like to be sure!

cooldad

rvicary wrote:

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

Have you read the previous posts?

Yeah I had...just like to be sure!

You doubt me?

I'm saddened.

rvicary

cooldad wrote:

rvicary wrote:

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

Have you read the previous posts?

Yeah I had...just like to be sure!

You doubt me?

I'm saddened.

Na, not doubting you...myself as to exact model. Which I'm pretty sure I'm still wrong with!

I come out with Ultra Sport but unable to find it at the price.

lappymatt

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KTM-Ultra-Spo ... 4d27136909

voodoo254

Hi guys,

Yes it is the KTM ultra sport - just wanted to get an honest opinion on it without people being put off by the brand. Anyway, ive decided to bite the bullet and go for it.... yes the exact one in that link...lol!

Hopefully i'll be riding it sometime within the next couple of weeks in sunny Kenya!

stuisnew

Specs aren't everything, I'd be looking at the geometry as well. A XC bike with that spec is going to be very different to a more aggressive slacker angled bike. Spec only tells half the story. Might be too late for you though by the looks of the above post

The Rookie

Voodoo254 wrote:

just wanted to get an honest opinion on it without people being put off by the brand.

Most on here are far to sensible to let a brand name influence a buying decision, in fact sort of the opposite, the big brands low end 'cynical marketing ploy' bikes are usually roundly slated in favour of the better value brands such as Voodoo, Boardman, Carrera, Calibre and Rockrider......

cooldad

For Kenya, he should have found one of these. A Daktari painted GT. (For those old enough to remember Clarence the cross eyed lion.)

The Rookie

Clarence, used to love that!

cooldad

The Rookie wrote:

Clarence, used to love that!

Clarence


And his stunt double Leo. Seriously, he was scared of cars and trucks.

CitizenLee

Oh the things I would have done for a 90s triple triangle GT :P

voodoo254

cooldad wrote:

For Kenya, he should have found one of these. A Daktari painted GT. (For those old enough to remember Clarence the cross eyed lion.)

HAHAHAHA.........Cooldad, believe it or not, i was actually looking at a couple of GTs a couple of weeks ago and seriously thinking of getting one but decided to carry on looking a bit more...... didnt see anything sporting the Daktari safari vehicle colour scheme though Also, i actually live just 10 mins from the orphanage and national park where Clarence was found and cared for! Way before my time but i do remember watching a couple of shows as a kid!

voodoo254

Anyway... from what i'm gathering here, according to most this KTM is not exactly a good value buy? Can anyone suggest something else to me in 650b form or even 29er for that price that has better kit and geometry? Are KTM mountain bikes not that great in quality and build?

I thought it would be a nice simple bike for here as shimano, suntour, rockshox is more readily available than the higher end stuff like fox, manitou and the like. Ofc course as mentioned before, i can always import parts from the UK when required.... just gets a little bit expensive.