Help me choose a bike? (£500-550 max budget)

supersonic

The frames are usually manipulated for clearance ie curved (or more curvature) in the seat tube. But with shorter top tubes as well, if the head angle is the same you can run into 'toe overlap' problems. You do eventually hit a wall with how small you can go.

If they have any Carrera Fury's in stock, have a sit on one of those. 27.5 wheels, nice spec.

LeeTheBee

Ye but Fury vs Bizango? What would I be sacrificing?

I'm just gonna go there, get a refund, sit on my phone and look up some good Halfords 27.5 wheelers. This stuff is doing my nut in lol.

LeeTheBee

Looking at the Saracen Mantra Pro. I'm losing kit because of all this bullshit. I was basically getting free spec jumps with the offers I had. I was more or less paying £500 for a £600 bike, but those wheels are ridiculous. I can see a tiny frame being an issue on that Bizango... it already looks like the 18" is clinging to it like shrink wrap.

supersonic

LeeTheBee wrote:

Ye but Fury vs Bizango? What would I be sacrificing?

I'm just gonna go there, get a refund, sit on my phone and look up some good Halfords 27.5 wheelers. This stuff is doing my nut in lol.

They are very similarly specced - same model fork, both get 2x10 drivetrains (though the Fury gets better GXP crankset, but I personally prefer the Shimano Deore to X5) similar level brakes.

Certainly not an inferior bike, and cheaper too.

LeeTheBee

I might just get this tbh: http://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m15b0s864p1 ... _Bike_2016

LeeTheBee

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

Haha "Why not upgrade to the VooDoo Bizango 29er" - yeah an get an awkward frame where the wheels barely fit and the seat tube doesn't allow you to drop the seat any adequate amount. Why are they suggesting this as an upgrade, when they're having £149 off the Carrera Fury? Tbh, I'm reluctant to spend money at Halford's after the shitty handling of this delivery/return business. And they used "DX" as a courier, which I've never heard of so I imagine it's just any old chump with a van running errands for a pittance.

FYI, I'm going to Halford's tomorrow to return the Bizango 29er, so I'm kinda in a rush to pick. Maybe I'll just get the Carrera Fury 2015 model and show them the offer?

core00

LeeTheBee wrote:

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/carrera-fury-mountain-bike-2015

Haha "Why not upgrade to the VooDoo Bizango 29er" - yeah an get an awkward frame where the wheels barely fit and the seat tube doesn't allow you to drop the seat any adequate amount. Why are they suggesting this as an upgrade, when they're having £149 off the Carrera Fury? Tbh, I'm reluctant to spend money at Halford's after the sh!tty handling of this delivery/return business. And they used "DX" as a courier, which I've never heard of so I imagine it's just any old chump with a van running errands for a pittance.

FYI, I'm going to Halford's tomorrow to return the Bizango 29er, so I'm kinda in a rush to pick. Maybe I'll just get the Carrera Fury 2015 model and show them the offer?

why are you going to return the voodoo? do you not like it?

LeeTheBee

core00 wrote:

LeeTheBee wrote:

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/carrera-fury-mountain-bike-2015

Haha "Why not upgrade to the VooDoo Bizango 29er" - yeah an get an awkward frame where the wheels barely fit and the seat tube doesn't allow you to drop the seat any adequate amount. Why are they suggesting this as an upgrade, when they're having £149 off the Carrera Fury? Tbh, I'm reluctant to spend money at Halford's after the sh!tty handling of this delivery/return business. And they used "DX" as a courier, which I've never heard of so I imagine it's just any old chump with a van running errands for a pittance.

FYI, I'm going to Halford's tomorrow to return the Bizango 29er, so I'm kinda in a rush to pick. Maybe I'll just get the Carrera Fury 2015 model and show them the offer?

why are you going to return the voodoo? do you not like it?

The problem is is that the 18" frame is too small given that the downward bar that holds the seat post curves at the bottom meaning the seat post cannot be lowered. The bigger problem is that the top horizontal bar is so high up it's practically digging into me nuts. Now if I get a smaller frame (16" only one lower than 18), it's going to be very small for the wheels which has crazy poor clearance already. I'll try sit on a 16 at halfords tomorrow and see if it's okay, but if it isn't then I'll go with the Carrera Fury... well, I might just go with the Carrera Fury anyway - I quite like the look of it and gears/shifters. Even if I have sacrifice on suspension. Although the Carrera supposedly has no adjustable dampening... Choices choices.

Carrera Fury vs Bizango now, but again if the Bizango 16" isn't to my liking tomorrow, regardless of compromise I'll get a Carrera Fury. Maybe if neither are an option I'll opt for a bigger compromise and get the Saracen Mantra Pro.

Opinions?

supersonic

The Raidon-XC LO R does have an adjustable rebound damper - I think there is an error in the spec list.

LeeTheBee

supersonic wrote:

The Raidon-XC LO R does have an adjustable rebound damper - I think there is an error in the spec list.

Thanks. It says here that it doesn't, http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... -bike-2015 so I figured it was an error. Thanks for clearing that up.

Carrera Fury or Bizango? lol I'm leaning towards Carrera. Are these all quite a jump from the Mantra Pro?

LeeTheBee

Okay I'm going to order this online - http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... -bike-2015 - the 18" frame. I'll order this separately online to save an extra £40 (offer ends by the end of today - I'll be saving, supposedly, £210 in total). As for the Bizango 29er, I'll take that the to the Halford's shop this morning and get that refund sent through.

I'd rather order it than make an exchange as I've got to order a bunch of other stuff for it as well. I'll be sure to refuse delivery if there is no box.

LeeTheBee

I won't be buying anything from Halford's again. Just missed out on a £440 Carrera Fury because. All built in store but the Carrera Fury seems to be banished from delivery and pick up locations are all unavailable or too far. Of course the 2015 model has been discontinued, so they're disappearing and the Carrera Fury 2016 is soon to be around.

Max budget is £625. Since I'm gonna have to up my budget and pay for another brand that gives you less for your money just because of the name, although at this point I've had enough of Halford's for one lifetime.

If anyone has any other suggestions. Air fork and SRAM would be nice. No 29ers.

Banging my head off of walls...

supersonic

They must not have any in the warehouse, just certain stores - though they used to shop store to store when I worked there.

Have a look at this:

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/calibre-gau ... ke-p343871

SRAM 2x10 gearing, Rockshox air fork, 650b wheels, good geometry for general trail riding, decent weight.

LeeTheBee

supersonic wrote:

They must not have any in the warehouse, just certain stores - though they used to shop store to store when I worked there.

Have a look at this:

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/calibre-gau ... ke-p343871

SRAM 2x10 gearing, Rockshox air fork, 650b wheels, good geometry for general trail riding, decent weight.

Looks nice. How's the fork compare to the Raidon?

FYI, I'm not in a rush anymore since missing the Fury and having to return the Bizango, but as I've said I'd rather avoid Halfords (although I am aware that this bike comes from a different lot).

Oh and thank you btw, appreciating the help!

supersonic

The XC32 is a little heavier, but stiffer and more reliable. Performance wise much the same. Good on a bike of this price.

LeeTheBee

supersonic wrote:

The XC32 is a little heavier, but stiffer and more reliable. Performance wise much the same. Good on a bike of this price.

Think the 18" frame would be the safest option for my height? I'm 5ft 10. I'd rather be comfortable and somewhat flat footed on the ground. My Tufftrax 2013 was a 19" an my feet weren't flat, which was okay, sort of my toes a bit but it was comfortable... The Bizango, of course, though 18" was miles too big, in part because of the wheels.

Ross Gardner

LeeTheBee wrote:

I won't be buying anything from Halford's again. Just missed out on a £440 Carrera Fury because. All built in store but the Carrera Fury seems to be banished from delivery and pick up locations are all unavailable or too far. Of course the 2015 model has been discontinued, so they're disappearing and the Carrera Fury 2016 is soon to be around.

That's quite unfortunate: I managed to get my Carrera Fury a while ago. I haven't had a problem with Halford's: I clicked and collected.

LeeTheBee wrote:

Banging my head off of walls...

I know what it's like to find a bike you like, and for it to be discontinued. Fortunately it worked out for the better... maybe it will for you as well.

LeeTheBee

Ross Gardner wrote:

LeeTheBee wrote:

I won't be buying anything from Halford's again. Just missed out on a £440 Carrera Fury because. All built in store but the Carrera Fury seems to be banished from delivery and pick up locations are all unavailable or too far. Of course the 2015 model has been discontinued, so they're disappearing and the Carrera Fury 2016 is soon to be around.

That's quite unfortunate: I managed to get my Carrera Fury a while ago. I haven't had a problem with Halford's: I clicked and collected.

LeeTheBee wrote:

Banging my head off of walls...

I know what it's like to find a bike you like, and for it to be discontinued. Fortunately it worked out for the better... maybe it will for you as well.

I understand Halfords can be a great place and that some people, like myself, are unlucky when we come across unhelpful individuals. The store down the road had friendly, helpful staff but the customer services on the phone was pretty poor and rather unhelpful - although the chap on the phone I spoke to yesterday (23rd) was.

It's really just a combination of many things leading to frustration and not necessarily me missing out on the Fury, but I actually like the spec and look of that Calibre Gauntlet 650b so if the 18" frame is good for my height, I'll most likely order that later today.

So eager to get a biker, partly the reason why my brain didn't pick up the very obvious fact that the Bizango I'd ordered had no box haha... Well, didn't really think I'd be sending it back, but digging the Gauntlet, so perhaps things did work out for the better.

The Rookie

LeeTheBee wrote:

I'd rather be comfortable and somewhat flat footed on the ground. .

The two aren't compatible, if you can sit in the saddle with feet flat footed on the ground then the saddle is far to low for pedaling and will kill your leg muscles and can damage your knees, better to learn to ride with the saddle at the right height.

LeeTheBee

The Rookie wrote:

LeeTheBee wrote:

I'd rather be comfortable and somewhat flat footed on the ground. .

The two aren't compatible, if you can sit in the saddle with feet flat footed on the ground then the saddle is far to low for pedaling and will kill your leg muscles and can damage your knees, better to learn to ride with the saddle at the right height.

I didn't mean completely flat footed, I just meant not on tippy toes as ridiculous as it was on the Bizango. I'm fine with being on my toes, just not onto that extent, if you get what I mean. All bikes I've had in the past were comfortable, where pedalling meant my knees where never completely straight but at an ideal slight bend.

18"?

The Rookie

At proper pedaling height I can't stand on tip toes from the saddle on any bike, nor should you be able to.

cooldad

Unless you have clown shoes.

LeeTheBee

cooldad wrote:

Unless you have clown shoes.

I'll just raise the seat then . I ought to buy some clown shoes... or some really really long converse and then do the laces up real tight.

The Rookie

At the bottom of the pedal stroke, with your heel on the pedal you leg should be almost (but not quite) straight, when pedaling you'll tend to drop the toes a touch (so you can pull backwards through the bottom of the pedal stroke - you won't notice you are doing it) leaving your leg slightly less bent.

Your pedal will be about 5-6" off the floor at that point.

LeeTheBee

The Rookie wrote:

At proper pedaling height I can't stand on tip toes from the saddle on any bike, nor should you be able to.

Wait, what? I meant just chillin, sort of sitting on the seat not going anywhere, with toes just touching the ground.

supersonic

I'm the same as The Rookie, at full seated height, can't touch the floor with any part of my foot. Probably over an inch away with my toes. Apart from out body dimensions, the main factor is the bottom bracket height, and to a lesser factor, seat angle. Wheel size has no part in this.

LeeTheBee

supersonic wrote:

I'm the same as The Rookie, at full seated height, can't touch the floor with any part of my foot. Probably over an inch away with my toes. Apart from out body dimensions, the main factor is the bottom bracket height, and to a lesser factor, seat angle. Wheel size has no part in this.

So I could of had that massive Bizango? Mind you the main bar was practically in my nuts lol. I'm a tad confused. So this means that the only way one can stabilise themselves when stationary is to lean the bike to one side and put the foot down?

I'll just adjust the seat. Either way I'm actually more pleased for ordering the Calibre Gauntlet 650b, which I am grateful for you suggesting. I ordered the 18" and it should arrive sometime tomorrow. I imagine these are already boxed and prebuilt and not rush built because I ordered next day delivery lol.

kickaxe

When stopping, just get your hips in front of the saddle, then you can get both feet down, done.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

I hope you ordered the Gauntlet via Topcashback (7.35%).;)

Sadly the Go Outdoors 15% discount code does not work on sale items.

LeeTheBee

I have topcashback on my phone and used that on the Halfords one... However I forgot to use it for the Calibre. Oh well. I got the Calibre for £549. Not too fussed really.

Had to build half the damn bike this morning, but it rides nice. Did notice though that there is in fact a few areas of chipped off paint and one of the gear cable coatings had a split in it... Looks like it must of got trapped when being packed. I'll be getting onto them clowns tomorrow to ask for a bit of paint and another sheathed cable to make up for it. Either that or they can send me £50 back for damages.