Norco charger 1 2018 / alternatives

geofferz
geofferz Posts: 16
edited July 2018 in MTB buying advice
Hi guys

£1000 Ride2work voucher is here and it's gotta be spent at Evans. Absolute biking noob but I want to try some trails on the south downs. I'd prefer a fs but I understand a hardtail will likely be better at this price.

Current frontrunner (cos that's what the guy in the shop wants to sell me) is the norco charger 1 2018.https://www.evanscycles.com/norco-charg ... e-EV306501 Any reason not to buy it? I'll get a dropper post too I think and that will do it.
I need a large frame (I'm 6'2 with 32 inside leg).

Norco specs. Will any dropper fit? I'll ask the chap in the shop but I do like an impartial opinion.

Frame: Charger 6061 Alloy XC Frame w/DB TT & DT
Fork: Rock Shox Judy Gold RL 100mm Boost
Rear Derailleur: SRAM NX 11spd
Number of Gears: 11
Shifters: SRAM NX 11spd
Chain set: SR Suntour Zeron 30T
Bottom Bracket: SR Suntour BB24
Cassette: SRAM PG-1130 11/42 Cassette
Chain: SRAM PC-1110 11spd
Pedals: Supplied
Brakeset: SRAM Level 180/160mm
Handlebars: X6 Alloy 750mm x 31.8
Stem: Alloy 60mm/70mm x 31.8
Headset: Angular Sealed Cartridge Bearings - Tapered
Grips: Norco Grip
Rims: WTB MX21 29"/27.5" DW Rims
Front Hub: Novatec Boost 110mm x 15mm
Rear Hub: Joytech D342TSE-HL Alloy Disc QR 9spd
Tyres: WTB Nineline 29"x 2.25/Beeline 27.5" x 2.25
Saddle: Norco XC Saddle
Seatpost: Norco Alloy 31.6
Weight: No Weight Information Available
Please Note: XS and S sizes come with 650b Wheels <br> M, L and XL come with 29 Inch Wheels

Other options are a cube acid/attention or Scott aspect/scale here
https://www.evanscycles.com/bikes/mount ... ce_inc_vat


Cheers

Comments

  • geofferz
    geofferz Posts: 16
    Bump - can someone tell me what to buy please?
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Looks like the best one they offer that would suite, for south downs you definitley want a 29er hardtail, the only other one to consider is the Rockhopper Pro https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized ... e-EV306336.
    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.
  • billycool
    billycool Posts: 833
    As a complete noob, any of those bikes should be fine.

    They'll get you out riding and after maybe 6-12 months you'll have a better idea of what you like and maybe upgrade to a FS.

    FS is not the be all and end all of MTB. HT's are still very well suited to certain terrain and you can get a lot of joy from them. I still love my HT and get as much enjoyment from that as I do my FS - depending on where I am riding.

    My FS is a Norco and I've also had about 4 Rockhopper HT's (current one is a Stumpjumper). Spesh make good bikes but the spec isn't as good for the money as it used to be.

    The Scott Scale 990 spec doesn't wow me. The Cube Acid looks ok. Norco looks good as well. Rockhopper seems okay. I've not looked at the forks in any detail, so one may be better than another in that respect.

    Some are 2x and the Norco is 1x. Some will say 1x is all you need. I disagree. My FS is 1x as it suits the terrain it rides (i.e off-road). My HT is old school 3x9 but is in effect 2x as I don't use the granny ring. As it is ridden more of path/tracks/road etc, the higher gearing suits the higher speeds and having 2x gives me more `top end`. There is no right and wrong answer but bear it in mind.

    Ideally, you'd want to try the bike(s) for size/fit etc, as spec/price is only part of it. The bike has to be right for you and not what we think looks good on paper or have had a good experience with personally.

    It's so much harder buying a bike than it used to be!
    "Ride, crash, replace"
  • geofferz
    geofferz Posts: 16
    Thank you. I'll let you know which I get shortly.
  • 1se7en
    1se7en Posts: 19
    I was in a similar position not so long ago and was going to buy from Evans through the cyclescheme. I liked the feel of the Jamis Dakar when I sat on it but afterwards went to halfords and tried the Bizango and it felt better to me as a noob. Also it was discounted to £520 and through vouchers landed up paying about £370 so for me it was a no brainer and I didnt have to go through the whole effort of my tax code being messed up again. Worth looking at the Jamis for sure though if you want FS but I cant say which bike to buy as Im noob too but im enjoying my HT Bizango 29er so far.
  • geofferz
    geofferz Posts: 16
    Went for the jamis dakar a2 fyi. I can't see how to upload pics here though.