WHAT BIKE 2008

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  • 2006 Giant XTC
    2010 Giant Defy Advanced
    2016 Boardman Pro 29er
    2016 Pinnacle Lithium 4
    2017 Canondale Supersix Evo
  • Thnaks for that- I was also looking at the Xtc 4.5 as another hard tail in the £500 bracket- it doesn't get much better than £350! Cheers
  • Douche
    Douche Posts: 134
    Dunno if you can help, im after some suggestions for an XC hardtail, absolute top limit is £1000, at the moment im edging towards the '08 Orange Evo 8 but i'd like a few other suggestions from someone who actually appears to know their shyte. Im plumping for the Evo8 cos its well built, has a good specification, ive always wanted one, and of course its british.

    Any other rides you could suggest please?

    Many Thanks

    JD
    I found it hard, its was hard to find, oh well whatever nevermind.

    Boardman Mountain Pro
    185 G3 CleanSweep Front
    Cane Creek Grips/Ergo Ends
  • For that sort of money I would seriously consider the Malt 4 08. Light bike, good spec kit and an excellent frame. Has had excellent reviews as well. Currently only £835 and also a British bike. Possibly even another discount on top of that if ordering over the web. :o
  • For a £1000 I'd be looking at a Rock Lobster TIG team,or a Malt 4 with XT upgrades from Merlin.

    One other to consider is an On One Scandal.
    2006 Giant XTC
    2010 Giant Defy Advanced
    2016 Boardman Pro 29er
    2016 Pinnacle Lithium 4
    2017 Canondale Supersix Evo
  • easyg
    easyg Posts: 266
    Orange and Marin have to come into play when the price bracket approaches £1000

    Orange P7 (c. £799- 1200 depending on the model), Orange Crush (similar price)
    Marin Rocky Ridge (£999), Marin Nail Trail (£999)

    & another just came to mind - Santa Crux Chameleon (c.£499 frame only!)

    I know they are getting towards the higher end price range but surely they must go on...
    "If you think straight enough, you can see round corners"
  • ncj
    ncj Posts: 3
    On the subject of a new bike, what would you recommend for a maximum budget of £1000?

    I am after a light hardtail capable of off road as well as some road riding. Lock out forks are important as well as a light frame.

    In my intitial search i got it down to a Focus Raven, Merida tfs 900-d and a Marin Eldridge Grade. Would you recommend any of these bikes as better than the others and are there any alternatives that you would suggest?

    Many thanks, NCJ
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Evenin all, I have been offline for 3 weeks, gonna update this thread!
  • If you want full suss on the cheap,this would make an ideal project bike.Apart form a heavier frame its much the same spec as the 2008 Trance that scored 9/10 in this month`s WMB and was their choice of best full susser for a grand.Even better for £640!
    The frame and shock are probably worth it alone.All the other kit is good,enough to get you going,and imagine how good it would be with some better wheels and forks when finances allow.
    http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b4s1p1291
    2006 Giant XTC
    2010 Giant Defy Advanced
    2016 Boardman Pro 29er
    2016 Pinnacle Lithium 4
    2017 Canondale Supersix Evo
  • I'm in the market for a bike (first one in years) for a top price of £250.

    I've come across this one; Carrera Vulcan V Spec but my local Halfords store doesn't have it to test. They have quite a few bikes down there, alot of which seem pretty good, but i've no idea what I'm looking at really. The advice on these forums has been useful, but some actual bike recommendations would be great given my very tight budget as it looks like whatever I get I'm going to have to purchase online. And there seems to be more choice on the various bike websites out there, although I know actually testing one would be ideal.

    I will be using this bike off road, but I've no intention of taking it up a mountain, not yet anyway, lol... any advice much appreciated. Thanks in advance... :)
  • jaybo1973
    jaybo1973 Posts: 301
    My head is spinning, been speccing up for the last couple of weeks. I have mainly been looking at the 2007 range to try and get 'more bike for the money'

    My maximum budget is £500 but all my favoirite choices keep getting snapped up. Rockhopper disc 2007, kona kaldera 2007. Also been advised to take a look at the giant xtc 3.5 2007, but there is none of these local (may find one online, but never sat one one to size it up. odd frame sizes ; 19.5", 21,5" etc

    I keep coming back to the kona cinder cone 2007, it looks a decent specced bike for £450 but I dont know if I am clutching at straws. Its listed as a 'back country hard tail', how does that differ from the XC? Is this my best choice for the money? Could fetch one today, but something is holding me back
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Its just Konas term for a trail bike - pretty much what most hardtails in this price range are. Nice frame, but pretty dire spec to be honest. Some 2008 bikes at rrp have better components that that. Check the Carrera Fury out.
  • nigpay1
    nigpay1 Posts: 11
    i'm trying to find the best £300 - £350 bike..

    looking at..
    GT avalanche 3 disc
    Felt Q220
    Tyax Elite
    Trek 4300 Disc
    Scott Aspect 55 disc
    Pinnacle Peak 2
    Merlin Malt 1
    Carrera Kraken

    Opinions appreciated or alternatives?!
    thanks
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Best is hard to quantify. So many are very similar, so it often comes down to what fits or feels best. However couple of things to look out for, and one is an hydraulically damped fork. This offers control over the rough stuff. Dont see many at 300 quid, but 350 plus they creep up. Personally, value wise the Kraken takes a lot of beating, but slightly heavy.
  • I've just bought an Orange G2 (2007) from Sunset MTB for £499 with free delivery.

    http://www.sunsetmtb.co.uk/shop/index.php?product_id=606&category_id=21,

    It ticked enough boxes for me.

    1) hydraulic disc brakes, I know they're So1es but compared to my 7yr old v-brakes they're fantastic

    2) 27 gears - Deore/SRAM SX-5 mix seem good enough

    3) Better forks, Rockshox dart 2.5's are low spec but they're again a big improvement for me and they are very good with adjustable rebound and a lockout (can someone explain what the .5 gives!)

    4) Great Brand and design

    5) upgradeable frame for the future

    6) 0% finance (without the daft setup fees)

    It's a great ride and I can't wait to get out again this weekend on it.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    I've added a few more to the list, mostly based on good mag reviews, value and rider feedback. The orange you mention, while good value, is a 2007 and 100 quid off: sticking to 2008 rrp bikes.
  • punkypossum
    punkypossum Posts: 660
    I'm so impressed, my bike is on the list - hooray! :D
    One day, I'm going to buy a cottage in a small village and become its idiot!
  • spesh p all mountains are very good all round jump/freeride hardtails.
  • gangsteruk
    gangsteruk Posts: 4
    hi newby here - got roughly 1400 quid to spend i am looking at specialised xc pro, kona four thingy, and trek ex 7? anybody got any experiences with these? which is best? i like the look of the specialised (and the colour!!)

    cheers jk
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    gangster,

    you may want a seperate thread you may get lost in the sticky, i ride a specialized stumpy fsr comp, from 07 no complaints, the kona tend to be a bit heavy, but ridden an older trek fuel was a solid bike and i hear great things about this year models,

    But go test ride see which you prefer!
  • zero303
    zero303 Posts: 1,162
    At this sort of money it's harder to buy a true rotter. If the spec looks alright and it's comfy and does what you want, chances are it'll be the best thing for you.

    And yeah, make a separate thread! :)
  • Fabio
    Fabio Posts: 2
    Specialized Hardrock Pro

    I see these are now going for £350 on most websites and at shops. Would you therefore recommend spending the extra £50 over the Tyax Elite and GT 3.0 Disc?
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Its a much better prospect at 350 than 550. However it is still heavy, with a crap fork and rather poor hydro brakes. The rest of the parts are ok, and going on overall parts value, it is better than the others you list.
  • Fabio
    Fabio Posts: 2
    Got the bike. Very pleased. The came with these big clunky pedals though. I think the shop put some shit ones on as I saw the bike in another shop and they had nice pedals.
  • redrook
    redrook Posts: 12
    Haro?
  • ThomP
    ThomP Posts: 1
    Great thread - work in the health service and they've just launched the "cycle to work" scheme. Spread the word.

    It works through the NHS payroll with loads of financial benefits - Enrole and agree a value you can afford to pay back (between £100-£1000) over 12 months interest free - but its better than that as deductions from the salary are taken before tax giving an added tax benefit - hence borrow £1000 and pay back £630. You can't add any money to the scheme though - unfortunate as I was wanting Pitch Pro '08. Vouchers are with Halfords but they have confirmed that they can source most bikes through the scheme, Cannondale, GT, Specilaised, Marin, etc,

    I mainly do single track stuff - should I get the ZASKAR Expert - other suggestions. Mates gone for Prophet 3
  • angrymeerkat
    angrymeerkat Posts: 134
    Excellent sticky.
    I can testify to the fact the 200 quid Boulder is a good gateway drug to the sport - once you realise that the pogo stick up front is simply there for comic relief!
    :)
  • Good info Supersonic, thanks.

    Its helped to narrow down the list for my next steed, currently in a quandry between a Trek 4300 Disc (not sure about the Gila fork though), Spesh Hardrock Comp (bit heavy?), Scott Aspect 55 and Avalanche 3.0 Disc.

    As far as I can tell theres no massive differences between them, its gonna be a feel test when testing them!

    Cheers
    Do it.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Yes, feel is a big part of it - and of course that varies from person to person. But spec can be part of that feel - especially if the fork tops outs, and brakes dont work!
  • supersonic wrote:
    Yes, feel is a big part of it - and of course that varies from person to person. But spec can be part of that feel - especially if the fork tops outs, and brakes dont work!

    Absolutely. Also, at well over 6 feet I need to make sure the feel, and size of the bike is spot on.

    Not being a really technical head myself, I'm leaning towards the Trek, but wondering does that RST Gila let it down somewhat, or is it negligable?
    Do it.