Are these budget MTB's worth the money ?
Blade180
Posts: 70
Hi all
Basically, I want to buy a bike for all-day riding for all sorts of trails.
I don't know much about bikes so that is why I am posting here.
I found this bike which I will link below, It fits my budget but I don't know if it is worth the money or would it be better not buying it
https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/ ... -20-frames
What are your thoughts?
I have also now linked more bikes to have a look at.
Basically, I want to buy a bike for all-day riding for all sorts of trails.
I don't know much about bikes so that is why I am posting here.
I found this bike which I will link below, It fits my budget but I don't know if it is worth the money or would it be better not buying it
https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/ ... -20-frames
What are your thoughts?
I have also now linked more bikes to have a look at.
0
Posts
Bird Aeris 120 | Boardman Team 650b | Boardman Pro FS | Calibre Two.two
The only better value bike I know currently is this one but it is only available in the 20" frame size.
https://www.parkersofbolton.co.uk/produ ... ntain-bike
That benefits from better gears, hydraulic disc brakes and either inferior or superior forks depending on how you look at it. The forks are XCT not the XCM of the Carrera but the XCT forks have hydraulic lockout and non-adjustable damping so they are the best version of these slightly weaker forks (28mm stanchions) were as it looks like basic XCM forks on the Hellcat with 30mm stanchions but no hydraulic lockout or damping. XCM are stronger, XCT perform better basically.
Obviously Parkers of Bolton will only deliver the bike in its box you have to set it up yourself and check it. The halfords bike can be setup by Halfords and you get a 6 week service thrown in too. Many people don't have confidence in Halfords staff so like to order the bike in a box to setup themselves anyway, I've never had problems with Halfords staff myself.
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Orbea-Sport-30 ... XuEALw_wcB
18KG!!!!!!!!!!!
2011 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc (son #4s)
2013 Decathlon Triban 3 (red) (mine)
2019 Hoy Bonaly 26" Disc (son #2s)
2018 Voodoo Bizango (mine)
2018 Voodoo Maji (wife's)
LOL! 18kg is so heavy, it's off the scale.
For £250 you'll get a basic MTB - if that. Some are even described as `leisure bikes` and not even MTB's.
These sorts of bikes will do a job but *may* struggle with more complex stuff. You say you want to ride all day on `all sorts of trails`. What sorts of trails do you mean?
I appreciate that you have a budget, but you need to be wary that a £250 bike will have limitations.
Dave
That's not really a mountain bike that is really mountain bike style, it has very basic forks and a freewheel based drivetrain, it wouldn't last long off road in my opinion.
Remember its the larger 20" frame so that will add some weight and it's probably the boxed weight anyway. Saying that it's the heavier 29" wheels with double wall rims and 36 spokes plus the forks are fully populated with both the spring on one side and the hydraulic damping and lockout on the other. I can't see it personally be anymore than about 15kg probably less but you never know.
Looking at the copy it's hard to see how it could get to 18kg based on the description. Where is the weight, maybe cheap heavy tyres? In fact looking more closely at the tyres they don't feature in the copy and there is no obvious branding on them. Cheap basic tyres especially in 29" size can be very, very heavy.
It's even got a decent Shimano crankset and drivetrain. Even the frame looks relatively simple. I'd still buy it at 18kg I must admit if I needed it such a bike because it's such a fantastic spec for the price. They are claiming a hydro-formed frame yet many bike frames now are mechanically formed at entry level which tend to be heavier.
2011 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc (son #4s)
2013 Decathlon Triban 3 (red) (mine)
2019 Hoy Bonaly 26" Disc (son #2s)
2018 Voodoo Bizango (mine)
2018 Voodoo Maji (wife's)
Parkers of Bolton are owned by Avocet bikes who in turn are owned by a large indian bicycle manufacturer I forget the name of. Parkers I guess are a sort of outlet for surplus bikes or returned bikes. I have a local bike shop fairly close to me that sells Avocet bikes although mainly their e-bikes.
I think like Carrera's, Vitus, Pinnacle, Felt, Cube, Raleigh and no doubt a huge number of other brands they are coming out of the more basic bike factories in Bangladesh or Cambodia if you are lucky (slightly better).
It's not unheard of for larger frame sizes to have invisible strengthening as larger frames will be ridden by heavier riders on average, i.e. butted tubes become straight gauge, seat and chain stays hollow on smaller frame sizes become solid or partially solid on larger frame sizes (likely only the chain stays). Still seems unlikely 18kg. Just looking at the frame there is only one part that looks hydro-formed which is the top of the downtube and it still looks like it could be easily mechanically formed to create that shape.
Looking at this basic Trek that has a low end straight gauge frame, junk components that comes in at just over 14kg for the smaller frame size.
https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/bike ... Code=green
Avocet don't feature bikes of this spec in their Coyote brand anymore it is more downmarket. This bike is old stock probably at least 2 years out of date.
The equivalent bike now is the Riddick RD400 which is broadly similar in spec and that weighs 14kg approx. So still think this Coyote is unlikely to be above 15kg.
https://www.insyncbikes.com/bikes/riddi ... iNEALw_wcB
I'm sure you're right about them coming out of much the same factories / processes as brands we "trust" like Carerra etc. They just have a different business model in terms of distribution etc.
2011 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc (son #4s)
2013 Decathlon Triban 3 (red) (mine)
2019 Hoy Bonaly 26" Disc (son #2s)
2018 Voodoo Bizango (mine)
2018 Voodoo Maji (wife's)
Found second hand looks in a good condition...
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/pric ... 1329775909
As far as I can see it has mechanical disc brakes, combined brake levers and shifters and would be broadly similar to the Hellcat you are considering. The frame looks pretty basic and Felt are one of the brands that manufacture in Bangladesh. The felt brand might get you more kudos as its a brand seen in independent bike shops but its nothing special however if you can get it for £140 or less than its not bad. The forks are XCT so are very basic cross country forks and may not have the hydraulic lockout and non-adjustable damping of the Coyote bike so it could be the most basic bike overall.
You always wonder why people would sell a new bike with a heavy discount it's like they have decided they don't like the bike and rejected it. Many years ago I bought a Kona Lanai which I thought I'd got a bargain for a new bike which was normally £300 and I got it for £140 as new, when it arrived I realised the bike was probably Kona's worse ever bike with junk parts and was total rubbish even the bottom bracket was a model known to fail very quickly. It's pretty clear the buyer had completely rejected the bike and just wanted shot of it.
I found another one within my budget, would it be better than the ones we discussed so far?
https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bikes/mo ... lsrc=aw.ds
Here some other ones I found, I just want to know which would be best for the money out of all bike mentioned
1. https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bikes/mo ... ver_454595
2. https://www.merlincycles.com/bianchi-du ... source=PHG
3. https://www.cjperformancecycles.com/339 ... D-EALw_wcB
4. https://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s155p ... -4-29-2017
They also have a number of UK brands such as the recently reinvented Viking bikes. With recent acquisitions and expansions Hero are now approaching Giant's annual volumes.