£400 hardtail - recommendations?

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Percy

Well-Known Member
cjb said:
Yes, that is my opinion and I always buy the best I can afford whether it be a bike or whatever. Experience has taught me that it is usually the cheapest option in the long run.
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You're confusing your two stances. On the one hand you're saying you like expensive equipment, you won't settle for anything less. Fine - me too, on occasions.

On the other, you're saying "I still think £400 is too little to spend for serious off-road use," without backing it up. If it's the case that you personally wouldn't spend £400, because you like expensive equipment, that's something different to saying, unequivocally, that a £400 hardtail is "unsuitable for serious off-road use."

Being as I originally asked for opinions and advice on £400 hardtails, if you have serious concerns about the quality of the components/manufacture on bikes in that price range, I'd be interested to hear, specifically, what they are.

If you're simply saying "don't buy a £400 bike because a £2000 one would be better"... well, I could have quite happily done without that, to be honest.
 
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Angelfishsolo

A Velocipedian
Location
Cwmbach, South Wales
Percy said:
You're confusing your two stances. On the one hand you're saying you like expensive equipment, you won't settle for anything less. Fine - me too, on occasions.

On the other, you're saying "I still think £400 is too little to spend for serious off-road use," without backing it up. If it's the case that you personally wouldn't spend £400, because you like expensive equipment, that's something different to saying, unequivocally, that a £400 hardtail is "unsuitable for serious off-road use."

Being as I originally asked for opinions and advice on £400 hardtails, if you have serious concerns about the quality of the components/manufacture on bikes in that price range, I'd be interested to hear, specifically, what they are.

If you're simply saying "don't buy a £400 bike because a £2000 one would be better"... well, I could have quite happily done without that, to be honest.
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Percy - seriously you will have no issues with a £400 bike on trails I assure you. You might get slicker gear changes and slightly better brakes on a more expensive machine and yes the forks will not be as good as say a £1000 fox fork but they will do the job you require from them. CJB seems to be a expensive is best person and if he can afford it so be it.
 
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cjb

Well-Known Member
Location
West Yorkshire
Angelfishsolo said:
Yes but I asked about XTR v SLX
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You also asked about my experience.

Regarding XTR v SLX, I would say that the current generation of SLX is excellent and probably equivalent in build quality to XT, say, 5/6 years ago. XTR is primarily intended as a race groupset, I believe, which I think rules it out of this discussion.
 
potsy

potsy

Rambler
Location
My Armchair
Have noticed Spesh Hardrock's going for £350ish on a few sites, don't know a lot about MTB's but for a budget bike it seems OK to me.
Got me wondering now whether to keep to the plan of a CX or switch to a HT MTB :wacko:
 
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Percy

Well-Known Member
I know - thanks AFS. To be honest, I never really had any query over the reliability/suitability of such a machine. I seem to have just been carried along with the confusing nature of this thread...

I think I'll probably just head to the internet bike shops and a few locally and see what's going in the end of season sales. :thumbsup:
 
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Angelfishsolo

A Velocipedian
Location
Cwmbach, South Wales
cjb said:
You also asked about my experience.

Regarding XTR v SLX, I would say that the current generation of SLX is excellent and probably equivalent in build quality to XT, say, 5/6 years ago. XTR is primarily intended as a race groupset, I believe, which I think rules it out of this discussion.
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It is indeed. Thus suggesting that someone spends as much as possible would lead someone to buy a bike with and XTR group-set would it not?
 
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cjb

Well-Known Member
Location
West Yorkshire
Angelfishsolo said:
Percy - seriously you will have no issues with a £400 bike on trails I assure you. You might get slicker gear changes and slightly better brakes on a more expensive machine and yes the forks will not be as good as say a £1000 fox fork but they will do the job you require from them. CJB seems to be a expensive is best person and if he can afford it so be it.
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Percy, I agree entirely with Angelfishsolo here. Buy your bike, ride the trails and, above all, enjoy yourself.
 
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cjb

Well-Known Member
Location
West Yorkshire
Angelfishsolo said:
It is indeed. Thus suggesting that someone spends as much as possible would lead someone to buy a bike with and XTR group-set would it not?
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I don't think I have said, in any of my posts, that one should spend as much as possible. But if I was racing, yes, I would buy XTR.
 
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Angelfishsolo

A Velocipedian
Location
Cwmbach, South Wales
twobiker

twobiker

New Member
Location
South Hams Devon
potsy said:
Have noticed Spesh Hardrock's going for £350ish on a few sites, don't know a lot about MTB's but for a budget bike it seems OK to me.
Got me wondering now whether to keep to the plan of a CX or switch to a HT MTB :wacko:
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I have one of those cost £359 and has been completely reliable.
 
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Zoiders

New Member
Location
Ice Station Zebra
cjb said:
What point are you trying to make?

I am talking about best for intended purpose here, which in this case is recreational mountain biking. As I previously stated, I would certainly buy XTR if I raced regularly.
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You are just willy waving about how much money you claim to spend spend to get "the best" when you probably can't even ride at a level to even need most of the features offered, it's just an expensive security blanket.

$400 on a fork?

Sure you can spend that much but it's not going to be any more servicable in the long run - in fact the more pricey designs tend to have even shorter service intervals than low to mid range forks, if you think it's all about team replica bikes then think on as a big price ticket means a big bill for maintaining the bike.

Plenty of £400 bikes are fit for purpose.
 
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