£600 Hardtail - Struggling to choose

mattrgee · March 2010

Well the title says it all.

I will soon have £600 burning a hole in my pocket (work bonus) but struggling to choose a hardtail. I'm 6' 1" and will be using the bike purely for XC.

I've looked at the Specialized Hardrock Pro but felt uninspired

The GT Aggressors look good on paper, but I can't bear to buy from Halfrauds.

Cube Attention? Looks great but not convinced by the Suntour fork.

Open to suggestions.

Thanks

Da Mighty Chicken · March 2010

I'd look at this years Carrera Fury in Halfords, won best in test in the mags not so long back and a few users on here have them and really rate them, my wife also has last years model which is excellent.

Look out for the so called 'Halfords Sales' and you'll get a good discount, also use the link in my sig to get cashback on it too.

But best advice is always to try before you buy, or at the very least have a sit on any bikes you are considering.

Hope this helps

djames77 · March 2010

could you stretch to this?

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/gt-zaska ... 45848.html

djames77 · March 2010

or maybe this

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/custom-mo ... lt-11.html

Pudseyp · March 2010

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=41722
This is in budget and a good spec for the money, or if you can add another £200 this is a bloody bargain http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=41724 in comparison with brands such as Marin/Orange/Trek/Scott this spec would cost you double!!!!!

mattrgee · March 2010

Cheers.

Those Genius bikes look pretty awesome, but I don't think I can stretch the budget to £800

Pudseyp · March 2010

mattrgee wrote:

Cheers.

Those Genius bikes look pretty awesome, but I don't think I can stretch the budget to £800

The one at £599 is also a good buy...worth considering

ian220476 · March 2010

Despite your concern at Halfords, and you'r enot alone, I do have a GT Aggressor XC1 which I bought through them last year. It is fantastic for a hardtail. At 579 it comes in budget and has never really missed a beat for me. I would recommend the bik, if not the source, to anyone

dunker · March 2010

my offering,

Giant XTC 3 2009 for £750 but on sale for £560
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b0s2p2288

Merlin Malt 1 looks good too

philcube · April 2010

my local cube dealer knocked £70 off a 2010 cube acid in white n red, (taking it down to £610) may be worth a try for you, cos you get the rockshox dart 3 as opposed to the suntours on the attention, and the rest of the spec is hard to beat in this price range. i should add that i got the deal because i paid cold, hard, cash. good luck with your search!

furby · April 2010

I have a cube attention, have had it for 18 months or so. I have been riding on the suntour forks untill now, ok, yes they are not very good at all but the rest of the bike is cracking and ideal I think for ungrading.

I have now bought a set of Tora for £110, which I think 18 months after is pretty good and gives a good all round spec.

Im not sure what I would choose now, but I am more than happy with the cube attention.

You could go for something with better forks, but worse running gear and wheels so might not be so good after a year or two.

bregante · April 2010

if you like the gt, at least try it out for size. don't rule it out just because it's from halfords - that's ludicrous. just check it's been put together properly. you don't need to take it to them for servicing etc do you?

averagebiker · April 2010

The one thing Halfords do need to sort out is the ability to take the bike for a spin...I strruggled to convince a person at my locsal store that it was necessary to take the bike for a short ride..all i got were raised eyebrows...and yet they expect us to buy something for many hundreds of pounds without trying it out....need to get tht sorted halfords

JamesBrckmn · April 2010

08 kona kula? £600, reduced from £850 at pauls: http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1539&rs=gb
best bike you can get for that money

dunker · April 2010

the OP is 6'1" though, that kona deal only has 14"-17" size bikes, too small

glynieboy · April 2010

Genesis Core 10 or 20 if you can stretch another £99 of your hard earned

http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/mountain/core/core-10/overview/

or

Carrera Fury (well worth a look) as per Mighty Chickens post.

If you can, try before you buy.

bamba · April 2010

+ 1 For the GT Aggressor XC1, got mine to from halfords for £550 last year,never had a problem with the shop or the build.I had to try a few branch's mind as the 2 in Derby where worse than useless, poor stock useless unhelpful staff.I used the branch in chillwell Nottingham , which was very good

MJP · April 2010

I'm in the same situation, with a similar amount of money to splash....
I have also been looking at the Attention, but have also been looking at the FOCUS Fatboy
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Focus_Fat_Boy_2010/5360045243/
Review http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/fat-boy-09-33476

which looks to come with better forks but a lesser crankset, but it does come in under the 6 ton mark, and that could be put towards the upgrades?!?

But now the Genesis Core 10 & 20 have been pointed out to me....
the 20 tips the scale a bit over budget at £700 but the only thing WMB could find 'wrong' with it was the handlebars (cheap fix if I think the same way??)
as for the 10, I can't find a review for the 2010 bike but a review of the 2009 version, highlighted a weakness with the forks???

and now after ever so nearly having my mind made up.... everything is up in the air again... :?

mattrgee · April 2010

I agree, £600 seems like a tricky price point, what you gain on one you loose on the other.

Thanks for all the help so far, I wish I could say one of the suggested bikes jumps out at me, but I'm still struggling to see the light at the end of the purchasing tunnel! Decisions, decisions.

Let me know what you decide MJP.

supersonic · April 2010

Don't dismiss Halfords - some stores are very good, and no doubt the bikes at this price are top value.

MJP · April 2010

No probs mattgee if you make a decition before me let me know how if goes for you,
I will hopefully be going to my local Genesis and Cube deals in the next few days to give the bike a visual look over and a bit of a tryout

SS as for Halfords my nearest couple are some of their tiny little shops, so I will have to be looking further afield in search of pastures bigger.... lol
just remembered the Carrera Fury.... doh another one to the list...

mattrgee · April 2010

glynieboy wrote:

Genesis Core 10 or 20 if you can stretch another £99 of your hard earned

http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/mountain/core/core-10/overview/

or

Carrera Fury (well worth a look) as per Mighty Chickens post.

If you can, try before you buy.

Just looking at the Genesis Core 20 here http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/product/genesiscore20bike2010.aspx?&id=13089

but also the Core 30, for £20 more?!

http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/produc ... ?&id=13088

Both look good on paper, however the Core 30 seems remarkably cheap :shock:

Both however around £100 more than the original budget

mattrgee · April 2010

Here's the 'shortlist':

Rockrider 8.1 @ £499

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/rockrider-8-1-66759353/

Specialized Hardrock Pro Disc @ £550

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... e-ec019397

Merlin Malt 1 @ £650

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/custom-mo ... lt-11.html

Genius Pro @ £600

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=41722

GT Aggressor XC 1 @ £580

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_229915

Genesis Core 10 @ £600

http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/produc ... ?&id=13090

Carrera Fury @ £600

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165499

I think I need to get this list a bit shorter then go try them, any help appreciated.

MJP · April 2010

Mattgee... as requested I have made my mind up

Was down my local shop this morning trying out a few bike I had thought of and a couple others they had in stock...
tried out the Cube Analog, Attention & Acid.... liked all of them but the Acid just seemed and felt like the better bike, altought I still wish I could have had the black and green paint job of the Attention :shock: , so I am now the proud owner of a MTB again...

and I can see from your shortlist that your willing to go up to £650 for a Malt 1, for another £30 you could go for a Acid, or @£599 the Attention has good reviews aswell

let me know how you get on mate

mattrgee · April 2010

I really do like the Cube bikes, like you say the Green and Black Attention looks pretty awesome.

At £499 the Rockrider 8.1 is hard to ignore with its Tora fork, but at 13Kg it's a bit of a heavy bugger.

Does anyone one to help me eliminate some from the list based on their specs? I'll then go and see the remaining bikes in 'the flesh'.

rchip · April 2010

I woudln't go with the specialized! I haven't had any experience with them but from what i read the rs dart 3 forks aren't very good at all! the spec of the genius pro is fantastic i think! I wouldn't know if it was the best bike to ride though!

The Fopster · April 2010

Carrera Fury. Very happy with mine, and cheap as chips for what you get. Great looking bike too - not that that should matter. But it does...

mattrgee · April 2010

dunker wrote:

my offering,

Giant XTC 3 2009 for £750 but on sale for £560
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b0s2p2288

Is there much in it between that XTC 3 and the XTC 2.5? Is the extra £40 worth it for the 2.5?

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b0s2p1684

The XTC 2.5 has a Recon SL fork where as the XTC 3 has a Tora, both 100mm.

AndyBeast · April 2010

Hi mattrgee,

I set myself a budget of £600 for my CTW voucher this week and went for one of these http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Mongoose_Tyax_Super_2010/5360045390/ in the end, couldn't really find much wrong with at and felt 'right' (I'm 6'1" and 31" leg, but quite ' large')

Just another one to add to the mix!!

dunker · April 2010

mattrgee wrote:

dunker wrote:

my offering,

Giant XTC 3 2009 for £750 but on sale for £560
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b0s2p2288

Is there much in it between that XTC 3 and the XTC 2.5? Is the extra £40 worth it for the 2.5?

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b0s2p1684

The XTC 2.5 has a Recon SL fork where as the XTC 3 has a Tora, both 100mm.

yup the 2.5 is better but they only have 18" size for sale, too small for your 6'1" height i would think. but yeah if you can find one it looks like a good bike and deal to me.

£600 Hardtail - Struggling to choose

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