Voodoo... any good?

justo181
justo181 Posts: 5
edited April 2017 in MTB buying advice
Hi all. After being out of mtb'ing for about 17 years I'm looking to start again. I've got up to £800 to spend on a bike and want a decent hardtail, after looking around I'm quite taken by the Voodoo Bizango. My question for all of you with more modern knowledge than me is this a decent bike or could I get more for my money else where? I will add that I want new not second hand and I'm not a brand snob. I've owned a couple of GT full sus rigs in the past and a Scott and Saracen hard tails and much prefer the way you can throw a hardtail around. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

Comments

  • JGTR
    JGTR Posts: 1,404
    The Bizango is a great bike for the money, all the reviews are very good, but it is a 29er so if you've never ridden a 29er I'd suggest a test ride as they can feel a bit cumbersome.

    If you think you can't throw a full suss about then I'd suggest a ride on a modern mid travel full suss, very nimble, probably more so than a HT as the back wheel stays hooked up more.
  • jamski
    jamski Posts: 737
    If you're not a brand snob look at the Boardman too. I'd say a modern full suss is every bit as nimble as a hardtail, modern damping is excellent!
    Daddy, Husband, Designer, Biker, Gamer, Geek
    Bird Aeris 120 | Boardman Team 650b | Boardman Pro FS | Calibre Two.two
  • justo181
    justo181 Posts: 5
    Thanks for the quick response guys.
    If I was to be swayed by a full sus what would you suggest given my £800 budget? Back when I was riding in the late 90's anything under £1500 was utter cr@p when it came to full sus setups, I just assumed the same was true now?
    I had a bit of a blast on a mates 29'er a while back and was very impressed at the way it just rolled right through a lot of stuff my old 26 inch wheels would have rattled my fillings out :lol:
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    FS at that price, nothing worth while.

    This is about as close as you'll get new.

    http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/calibre-bos ... lsrc=aw.ds
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Looks like there's another 15% off deal as well, which makes it in budget and a serious bargain.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • jamski
    jamski Posts: 737
    Boardman Team FS is down to £900. With the British Cycling discount you can get it down to £810. Very similar spec to the Bossnut. Sram vs Shimano.

    http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/m ... nsion-27-5
    Daddy, Husband, Designer, Biker, Gamer, Geek
    Bird Aeris 120 | Boardman Team 650b | Boardman Pro FS | Calibre Two.two
  • justo181
    justo181 Posts: 5
    As I thought the full sus market is still beyond what I'm prepared to pay to get anything worthwhile.
    Is the Voodoo Bizango as good as the reviews say or would I do better looking at a cube or trek or specialized? So much choice out there I'm chasing my tail round in circles and don't want the dreaded buyers remorse (I've got bike x but wish I'd got bike y)
    Think I need to introduce the wife to the idea of ideal amount of bikes is always n+1....
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    The calibre Bossnut FS is £850 THIS WEEK ONLY as they are clearing stocks of the old model. Despite what CD says it's well worth getting.

    He must be getting old as he wont remember the post letting people know it was coming.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    I meant to say nothing much worthwhile, and I did link to it. Very worth it if you want new.

    Personally I would buy second hand at that price, but that's not for everyone.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • justo181
    justo181 Posts: 5
    That's cool. I definitely want new, I do a good enough job of killing bikes as it is without taking on something pre crashed :lol:
    I'm not buying just yet, still saving pennies but not far off so am starting to really look around at what's out there. I have my heart set on a hardtail as that is what I'm most comfortable with. Will mainly be riding bridal paths and old clay pits around the St Austell area in cornwall, I can't drive so don't stray to far from home! The granite dust from the clay works really killed the suspension pivots on my old GT iDrive and most of my mates stick with hard tails for much the same reason. I know careful cleaning and maintenance could off set this but if I'm honest I can be a bit lazy!!!
  • Shin-Ra
    Shin-Ra Posts: 9
    If your not in a rush to buy maybe take a look at some of the direct mail order offerings,

    http://www.radon-bikes.de/en/mountainbike/hardtail/
    https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/mtb/grand-canyon/
    https://www.rosebikes.co.uk

    There are other brands available aside from the ones listed above but most have some good offerings in your price range (spec is pretty decent on some models too) and are definitely worth a look if you are confident on buying without trying.

    Good luck :)
  • dcwhite1984
    dcwhite1984 Posts: 86
    Any update as to what you ended up going with??

    If you havent bought yet take a look at the vitus sentier vrs, if you sign up to British cycling you get an extra 10% off.

    I bought one just before xmas and i have to say its an awesome bike.

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/vitu ... prod146561

Categories