Shockwave XT950 ?

02walkerj · October 2007

Shockwave XT950 Mens Mountain Bike
from Halfords, heres the link:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yrn_103665

Does anyone know if this bike is any good?
If not, do you have any advice,
Im not looking for a bike that is mega good, and i don't want to spend too much.

And can you not just say that this bike is censored , beacuse your bike costs over £500.

Thanks for any help.
You can MSN me at: [email protected]

.

anto164 · October 2007

it is pap. get a hardtail bike, and don't waste your money on that bike. you will find that it wont be very efficient, it will bob MAJORLY every pedal stroke, and it'll weigh the same as a small house. you're better off getting a hardtail, look in halfords at other bikes, or if you have a bike shop near you, that'll be better, as they know whats what about bikes. Go shop around, and i'm DEFINATELY sure you'll find a better deal, i.e a bike with better specifications, and about the same price.

craigkonabikes · October 2007

that costs £300!

thats a joke. :!: :!:

jacktheoc · October 2007

have a look on ebay if you dont mind second hand you will get much better for £150-200!
also have a look at these sites: wiggle, evanscycles,winstanleys bikes and pauls cycles.
pauls cycles is probably the best place as it is older bikes, so they are alot cheaper.

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b0s2p1017
have a look at that, it is alot better..

ras_undy · October 2007

My Son had this bike for his birthday, it's ok, it is heavey, has not got a very good fornt mech, impossible to set up this bit. We have upgraded the shifters to make it a bit better. If you are wanting to do anything more than just muck about I wouldn't bother with it. There are far better options than this for the money, but son decided he wanted it because it looked flash.
Will problaly end up getting him a real bike next year.
Fir the money have a look at the GT aggressor of Giant Boulder etc, far better bikes.

02walkerj · October 2007

Thanks for the help, now I know not to get that bike, i not really sure where to go now.
I don't want to spend alot on a bike, and won't be doing much jumping, but I will be going though lots of mud, I really want a bike that will last.
Halfords is the only bike shop I know in Birmingham, if you have any suggestion or weblinks it will be very helpfull.

ras_undy · October 2007

Try www.chainreactioncycles.co.uk or www.wiggle.co.uk or www.winstlanleys.co.uk or www.evanscycles.co.uk failing that look up bike shpos in birmingham in google. I would do the later fins a good shop near you and visit and talk to them.

joeypesci · January 2008

:shock:

I've stupidly brought this bike. Not knowing anything about bikes I wanted something cheap to replace my old £100 bike that has served me well for 4 years. I wanted the £79 one but being 6ft 5" I sat on it and it felt to small. The xt950 is suppose to be a 19" frame. I've just collected it today and just been for a ride as the roads are empty.

Not knowing about bikes what do I think. It's a pile of mother loving fing poo!!! I was hoping gear slips would be a thing of the past with a new bike, not so. The gears have slipped in the short ride more than my old bike did in a year. The seat needs raising which I should be able to work out how to do. Despite having disc breaks they are just as slow stopping me as much as the V breaks on my old bike. I have to pull them all the way before they kick in. The seat feels weird, like it's too close to the handle bars, feels uncomfortable but feel it might be due to the low seat. You have the gear shifts on either handle bar. On the left is that the ration? Well you have 1 to 3. If I go from 1 to 2 it's a smooth change, then down to 1 again, I have to ride about 300 yards before it will jump back properly and sounds like it's trying to jump back in. From what I read during this change if it doesn't go on the cog straight away it can derail the chain or the chain can snap. So that's 300 yards of worry that the chain is about to come off or snap. Walking the bike, I assume due to the weight (yes it does feel like carrying a house), it feels like the back tire is being gripped, possibly by the brake. You can hear something rubbing on the tire as if the brake is slightly stuck on.

Trouble is, now I've ridden it, I bet Halfords won't give me my money back. Why not? How else am I suppose to find all this out without riding the fing thing.

gthang · January 2008

02walkerj wrote:

Halfords is the only bike shop I know in Birmingham, if you have any suggestion or weblinks it will be very helpfull.

go to www.yell.com then search for cycle shops & repairs in Birmingham, 24 are then listed. If you any where near try Halesowen cycles.

OllyUK · January 2008

joeypesci wrote:

Trouble is, now I've ridden it, I bet Halfords won't give me my money back. Why not? How else am I suppose to find all this out without riding the fing thing.

If you've only ridden it once and still have the reciept I imagine you would be able to persuade Halfords to give you a refund on a grounds that it doesn't fit, a 19" frame is too small for someone who is 6ft5".
If you're looking for a cheaper bike don't buy a full suss, get a hard tail, and make sure you try riding a few first, any shop that doesn't allow this isnt worth buying from.

Biker Mike · February 2008

With respect to all the negative comments regarding Halfords Shockwave XT950, I have just bought this bike for £129 and I would challenge anyone to find a better bike for that kind of money.
The list of features, the quality parts, and the overall build quality is excellent. Once set up CORRECTLY I have no issues with regard to gear changing, braking or overall riding experience.
Sure you can find much more expensive bikes that would satisfy the purist's needs more, but for overall value for money, the XT950 is an amazing buy.
It also looks amazing, from the mean looking awesome triple clamp front forks, to the rear swing arm, it really looks the dogs dangly bits. Ok you can argue it's all a bit OTT for normal everyday use, but then so's a top of the range sports car used just for the school run and a trip to Tescos!!!
ANY bike can have problems if it's not set up right, and 9 times out of 10 you'll find something wrong, no matter what machine it is. Just don't take it away from the shop until you've given it a good test ride and are entirely happy. If the gears slip or are touching the derailer, take it back, and keep taking it back until the shop sorts it out. If they can't, ask for your money back and go elsewhere.
I've NEVER found any problem dealing with Halfords, unlike some of the so called 'specialist elitist' bike shops I could mention. The type that would turn their noses up straight away at a bike like the XT950.
Perhaps it might help if EVERYONE who has slated it on here had tried it first and NOT just assumed it was censored .
I've got it, and for a meagre £129 it is excellant value for money.
I'm well pleased and that's all that matters!

beccalily · February 2008

I work at halfords... and lets just say I wouldnt.

We have so many of these returned.

They arent meant for proper MTB'ing.

Rubbish quality.

Andy B · February 2008

I'll give it 3 months before things start to fail. £129 for a bike that will last 3 months at best is a waste of cash.

The forks will seize up, the Bottom bracket will fail, the wheels will buckle at the slightest sign of a kerb & it weighs a metric tonne.

All of this I know from experience, I work in the trade and all to often these problems occur. I sell bikes from £79-£450, so no bike snobbery here. Folks turn their noses up at Shockwave bikes for a very good reason, they're censored as a mountain bike goes.

If people want to blindly ignore the years of experience given on forums on their own heads be it.

RE: halfords, you must be one of the lucky ones who has a decent branch nearby, a hell of a lot of problems have been reported about their mechanics not knowing the basics, for example, a Shockwave & it's owner came into our shop with brakes that didn't work properly, loose crank arm & badly set up gears, the bike was a week old, the owner had completely lost faith in halfords & who can blame him if that's how they set up bikes in our local branch.

dav1 · February 2008

The shockwave is poor at best, these bikes are made more for show then performance which should be clear from what everyone has been saying here.

@ 02walkerj, What sort of money are you looking to spend?

@ biker mike, we dont just assume its censored , just look at the facts here.

That bike costs less then the rear shock on many full suspension bikes. The components are weak, the suspension is completly undamped.

This means when you throw it round an XC trail centers red or black routes it wont take a lot to fail. You will be bounced out of the saddle, your wheels will buckle, the gears will fail at the very least.

If you are using it as a bike to get to the shops and back however it is likly to last, the requirement of the parts is much less such that a properly set up shockwave will probably work ok for quite some time if looked after. Trouble is that you still wont get over its weight and the fact that (as everyone in this country seems to have forgotton) MTBs are not ideal for use soley on the road.

However this is a mountain biking forum and the "to the shops" use of a bike is not what is considerd. The interest here is on bikes that are suitable to ride in quite demanding offroad situations and perform well whilst doing so. The shockwave does not fit this bill.

The General · February 2008

Biker Mike wrote:

The list of features, the quality parts, and the overall build quality is excellent.!

:shock:

whelieking27 · February 2008

beccalily wrote:

I work at halfords... and lets just say I wouldnt.

We have so many of these returned.

They arent meant for proper MTB'ing.

Rubbish quality.

I too work at halfords and will say , please for the love of god don't go and throw your money away like that. shop around.
them bikes are always being returned mainly due to the brakes failing, the gears skipping, snapping chains, the rear derailleur bending, and also the forks ( they come loose and the lowers seem to come free of the upper part.)
please just shop around, save yourself time and money and save halfords the time and money too.

schmako · February 2008

I think i'll sell my bikes and buy 38 shockwaves they sound really good. :roll:

stumpyjon · February 2008

Just clicked on the link in the first post (before I realised it was an old thread) and got a Halfords page up titled Generic Error.

How appropriate LOL.

cee · February 2008

whelieking27 wrote:

and also the forks ( they come loose and the lowers seem to come free of the upper part.)

:shock: :shock: :shock: that sounds like a laff in the middle of a rock garden!

batch78 · February 2008

No need to worry Cee. I doubt anybody could make it to the middle of a rock garden on one of these.

bullcross · February 2008

you might as well get your £129 and give it to the kids in the street lol
that bike wont last 3 months

if your going to use halfords get a carrera vulcan or a gt aggressor 3
much better bikes and not much more money
they have a few 2007 bikes that are cheap now

this is not bad for the money

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... =ClickInfo

gotta_hurt · February 2008

schmako wrote:

I think i'll sell my bikes and buy 38 shockwaves they sound really good. :roll:

lol

only 38...if you shop around...you might 40!

http://gottahurt.pinkbike.com/album/Kona-McRea/

dodgyknees · February 2008

Agree with the earlier comments that bikes like the Shockwave aren't designed as serious off road machines.

But that said my younger son has been making do with an old Ammaco Illusion full sus bike since last summer and has ridden it at Llandegla & Coed-y-brenin in Wales (no black routes or longer red routes of course but still not bad for a cheap bike).

We're due to uprade him to a Mongoose Tyax Elite next month but that old Illusion can be proud of the punishment it's taken.

supersonic · February 2008

There are many other bikes for 130 quid better than the shockwave - lighter, longer lasting and better performing. Why triple clamp forks?! Style over substance.

Luke-Dob · February 2008

joeypesci wrote:

:shock:

I've stupidly brought this bike. Not knowing anything about bikes I wanted something cheap to replace my old £100 bike that has served me well for 4 years. I wanted the £79 one but being 6ft 5" I sat on it and it felt to small. The xt950 is suppose to be a 19" frame. I've just collected it today and just been for a ride as the roads are empty.

Not knowing about bikes what do I think. It's a pile of mother loving fing poo!!! I was hoping gear slips would be a thing of the past with a new bike, not so. The gears have slipped in the short ride more than my old bike did in a year. The seat needs raising which I should be able to work out how to do. Despite having disc breaks they are just as slow stopping me as much as the V breaks on my old bike. I have to pull them all the way before they kick in. The seat feels weird, like it's too close to the handle bars, feels uncomfortable but feel it might be due to the low seat. You have the gear shifts on either handle bar. On the left is that the ration? Well you have 1 to 3. If I go from 1 to 2 it's a smooth change, then down to 1 again, I have to ride about 300 yards before it will jump back properly and sounds like it's trying to jump back in. From what I read during this change if it doesn't go on the cog straight away it can derail the chain or the chain can snap. So that's 300 yards of worry that the chain is about to come off or snap. Walking the bike, I assume due to the weight (yes it does feel like carrying a house), it feels like the back tire is being gripped, possibly by the brake. You can hear something rubbing on the tire as if the brake is slightly stuck on.

Trouble is, now I've ridden it, I bet Halfords won't give me my money back. Why not? How else am I suppose to find all this out without riding the fing thing.

Being one who works at a Halfords store :oops: The bike you bought is one of the worst I ever seen on the shopfloor ever! All the staff agree that most bikes there are shi- while some are OK. This is because the store is NOT allowed to sell bikes over a certain price. As mentioned too, these bikes are designed to be simple kick about bikes. About not being able to ride them, We normally would allow that to happen but due to "Health and Saftey..." customers are not allowed anymore to ride outside the store incase they get "Run Over...." or they run off with it.

About the warrenty. Halfords are allowed to give you back a refund without any problems. Also the 6 weeks service we do it there for exactly THAT reason. Simply put to those who dont know, Bring the bike in WITHIN the 6 weeks (starting from the date of collection) and all parts and labour is FREE!!! of charge.

PM me is there more issues that you wish to resolve with us.

whelieking27 · February 2008

the best way to ensure the thing lasts is to buy a bike care plan (once the service has been used), for £14.99 a year ALL the labour is payed for ,all that needs to be payed for is parts (ones not covered by warranty). Basicaly,if the brakes jam up , bring it in and it will be fixed free of charge , get a puncture and it will be repaired free of charge (provided a new tube is'nt needed).

ukdemon · January 2010

Right I bought the XT 950 from halfords about a year and half ago and yes its had probs but I stuck with it and upgraded the part recently i think iv spent abt 3 mayb 400 quid on it alot but wanted the best from it eg all simano stuff mainly Derailer, Rear wheel which is is a MX1 shimano upgraded the gears to 22, shifters, gettin kevlar tyers for it soon, replacing the handle bars and putting hydrolic brakes on it next week, i mean yer the bike is censored and it cost me alot to fix but it,but was it was little things i mean the frame and front forks are brilliant theve take a hell of a beating from me and still going like new but i will say best bike iv had years expensive but its improved performance and stability of the bike loadz, but obvisouly if you are willing to to spend abit on it itl work i payed 160 for mine and its been in and out of the shop loadz of times by the end i jus bought new parts and upgraded and its done it no more probs.

The Northern Monkey · January 2010

ukdemon wrote:

Right I bought the XT 950 from halfords about a year and half ago and yes its had probs but I stuck with it and upgraded the part recently i think iv spent abt 3 mayb 400 quid on it alot but wanted the best from it eg all simano stuff mainly Derailer, Rear wheel which is is a MX1 shimano upgraded the gears to 22, shifters, gettin kevlar tyers for it soon, replacing the handle bars and putting hydrolic brakes on it next week, i mean yer the bike is censored and it cost me alot to fix but it,but was it was little things i mean the frame and front forks are brilliant theve take a hell of a beating from me and still going like new but i will say best bike iv had years expensive but its improved performance and stability of the bike loadz, but obvisouly if you are willing to to spend abit on it itl work i payed 160 for mine and its been in and out of the shop loadz of times by the end i jus bought new parts and upgraded and its done it no more probs.

Why?

You've spent a total of £560 on a censored bike, that is still censored ... and is (after "upgrades") only worth about £50.

grumsta · January 2010

ukdemon wrote:

Right I bought the XT 950 from halfords about a year and half ago and yes its had probs but I stuck with it and upgraded the part recently i think iv spent abt 3 mayb 400 quid on it alot but wanted the best from it eg all simano stuff mainly Derailer, Rear wheel which is is a MX1 shimano upgraded the gears to 22, shifters, gettin kevlar tyers for it soon, replacing the handle bars and putting hydrolic brakes on it next week, i mean yer the bike is censored and it cost me alot to fix but it,but was it was little things i mean the frame and front forks are brilliant theve take a hell of a beating from me and still going like new but i will say best bike iv had years expensive but its improved performance and stability of the bike loadz, but obvisouly if you are willing to to spend abit on it itl work i payed 160 for mine and its been in and out of the shop loadz of times by the end i jus bought new parts and upgraded and its done it no more probs.

You would have been far better of just cutting your losses and spending that £3-400 on a decent second hand hardtail.

ukdemon · January 2010

very true but gave me sumin to tinker with, i mean yer im still saving up for a specilised hardtail, but ai mean yes its cost alot but theres nothing wrong with trying to make something better speaking of which could you recommend a good specialized hard tail atall

The Northern Monkey · January 2010

ukdemon wrote:

very true but gave me sumin to tinker with, i mean yer im still saviong up for a specilised hardtail, but at the end yes its cost alot but theres nothing wrong with trying to make something better

Ever been mountain biking on it?

Shockwave XT950 ?

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