Buying 1st MTB - £350-£400 - 4 to choose from (updated)

mistryr3

Hi guys,

So i'm looking to buy my first MTB! I've done some research and have come up with the MTB's below. I'm struggling to choose one from them so would appreciate any advice. Hopefully this post will help others in the same boat too. I've read the post by supersonic on buying a new MTB with a budget of £300-£500, but this was posted in 2012 and my budget is slightly lower, so i thought i'd post something myself.

Carrera Vengeance - £300
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... -bike-2015

VooDoo Bantu - £320
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... 14-18#tab1

B'Twin Rockrider 520 - £330
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-52 ... 93188.html

Carrera Vulcan - £360
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... -bike-2015

Thanks,
Ricky

bikes`n`guns

Calibre point 22 from Go Outdoors

Better specced than any listed above, and wins every review you can find on it.

sirmol

Loads of nice bikes on here
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s2p0/M ... on-26-inch
I have used them and highly recommend them.

For example
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s2p555 ... T-650-2014

rockmonkeysc

That Scott is good value compared to its original price but still not as good as the Voodoo or Rockrider which both have better forks and brakes.
I would have the Voodoo myself. Good bike.

penguin_of_death

The voodoo is a better bike than either of the carreras

mistryr3

Thanks guys, i'm going to have a look at the VooDoo Bantu and B'Twin Rockrider this weekend. Hopefully i can decide by the end of the month!

Thanks,
Ricky

PXR5

Me and all the kids have had several Decathlon bikes, they all seem to be pretty much indestructible and the overall choice of components seems good, sure maybe one other bike may have better forks than the Decat but it will have poorer group set or brakes etc, Decat have enormous purchasing power which might make them a pain in the ar$e to their suppliers but you do get good value for money.
Only thing you dont get is a fancy brand name, and sometimes their colour choices are a bit bizarre !
Anyway good luck and enjoy whatever you get.

mistryr3

Thanks PXR5!

I've done a bit more research and increased my budget and am now deciding between the 4 below. Any advice would would be great. I'm slowly getting there!

Carrera Vulcan - £360
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... -2015#tab2
Frame: Alloy
Fork: SUNTOUR XCM HLO 27.5 - 1.1/8 Steerer, lock-out, 120mm travel
Gears: 24 speed Shimano gears
Brakes: CLARKES EXO HYDRAULIC DISC BRAKE 180mm Rotor (160mm rear)
Tyres: Kenda K1027 tyres, 27.5"

Calibre Two.Two - £385 (with discount card price inc)
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/calibre-two ... ke-p275612
Frame: 6061 aircraft grade hydroformed alloy frame with one piece wishbone seat
Fork: Rock Shox XC28 with 100mm of travel and Turn Key lockout
Gears: 27, Shimano Deore 9 speed
Brakes: Shimano M395 hydraulic brakes with 160mm rotors
Tyres: WTB Vigilante 2.3” front, WTB Bronson 2.1” rear, 26"

VooDoo Hoodoo - £400
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... in-bike-18
Frame: Alloy
Fork: Suntour Raidon X3 coil suspension fork with 120mm travel with lockout
Gears: Shimano Alivio 27 speed gearing
Brakes: Tektro Gemini Hydraulic disc 180mm rotor (180mm rear)
Tyres: Maxxis Ardent 26" x 2.25

B'TWIN ROCKRIDER 540 - £400
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-54 ... 93149.html
Frame: 6061 T4 & T6 aluminium frame.
Fork: B'TWIN hydraulic fork with lockout by Suntour, 100mm travel, lockout
Gears: 27
Brakes: Tektro Auriga Comp 160 mm hydraulic disc brakes
Tyres: Kenda Nevegal, 26"

Thanks,
Ricky

bikes`n`guns

That calibre wins hands down.

Even just for the forks, which are better than any of the Suntours.

Easy choice really.

Antm81

Bikes`n`guns wrote:

That calibre wins hands down.

Even just for the forks, which are better than any of the Suntours.

Easy choice really.

I agree the fork is better than the likes of the XCM but the raidon is a vast improvement over those and the xc28 isn't exactly great to start with

bikes`n`guns

It`s still the better bike. And remember we`re talking about 350 quid bikes here,, I would say the Xc 28 is pretty damn good at that money

The Rookie

The Raidon is better than the XC28.

rockmonkeysc

The Rookie wrote:

The Raidon is better than the XC28.

I agree. The XC28 is extremely flexible with very poor damping, not really any better than the Suntour XCM. The Raidon isn't a bad for, it's basic but reliable and functional.

The Rookie

The XC28 is the old dart which in 1,2,3 trim was pretty much identical to the XCT/M/R, the Raidon is equivalent to the XC32 (Recon Silver) and the Epicon somewhere between the old gold and Reba.

mistryr3

Thanks guys!

So 1st choice VooDoo Hoodoo and 2nd choice Calibre Two.Two?

Thanks,
Ricky

Antm81

mistryr3 wrote:

Thanks guys!

So 1st choice VooDoo Hoodoo and 2nd choice Calibre Two.Two?

Thanks,
Ricky

Personally for me yes, I may be a little biased as I own a hoodoo but I bought that after owning much more expensive bikes. In my opinion the fork will have a bigger effect on how it rides and your enjoyment than the drivetrain etc.

mistryr3

Hi guys,

Thanks for all your advice, i finally decided on the VooDoo Hoodoo. I've been out on it a few times (including 4 x 8 mile laps of Carsington Water in Derbyshire) and really enjoyed it. The guys at the Halfords store in Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire did a good job at putting it together - definitely recommend them.

Managed to get it for £362 instead of £400 as Halford's Spend and Save offer was on and i bought British Cycling membership (wouldn't have had a clue about this if it wasn't for this forum!).

In terms of issues, there seems to be a problem with the lockout. Sometimes it locks out and other times it doesn't. I took it back to Halfords for them to look at and it worked fine when they tested it, so i'll have to see how i get on with it and take it back if necessary. Also, i find the bike is quite heavy, which i understand is expected of a bike at this price range. It's fine for now but down the line i'll change some of the parts to make it a bit lighter.

Thanks,
Ricky

The Rookie

Never known an issue like that with the lockouts do know the fork will still move a bit?

leeo666

the rockrider 560 is £400 now have a look at that good bike got mine the weekend

The Rookie

Shame you missed the bit where he said he'd already bought a Hoodoo....