My partner wants a MTB

[GrumpyGregry]

Which is more important to our OP - the way it rides, or the jewelery hanging off it?

If its the former, then the Hardrock Pro is probably the best 26'er HT he'll find for south of a grand.

Why force someone to choose between the two when they can have both?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I haven't been able to find out much about the current Hardrock Pro - it doesn't even seem to be listed on Spesh's website. I'm also not sure how easy it will be to get here because I know Spesh don't allow their bikes to be sold mail order, and it's one brand I haven't seen at all since I've been in Spain.

You might double check with Evans Cycles re exporting a spesh to Spain. They bend most rules in exchange for hard currency.

 

[Cubist]

Why force someone to choose between the two when they can have both?

I thought the stock answer was "buy a Rockrider and spend the rest of the budget on a rack, panniers and lentils."

 

[Drago]

Why force someone to choose between the two when they can have both?

I'd be interested to hear of a better riding 26er HT for under a bag of sand. If you can think of one let me know, and provided its nothing too esoteric ill get in contact with the importer and nab one off the test fleet.

Spesh had binned a lot of their 26" HT range in favour of 29ers, but I'm hearing much of the old 26" range is coming back to the UK market because of disappointing 29er sales.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I'd be interested to hear of a better riding 26er HT for under a bag of sand. If you can think of one let me know, and provided its nothing too esoteric ill get in contact with the importer and nab one off the test fleet.

Spesh had binned a lot of their 26" HT range in favour of 29ers, but I'm hearing much of the old 26" range is coming back to the UK market because of disappointing 29er sales.

There's nothing wrong, apart from the garish paint on some, with a(ny) Hardrock (Pro) for sure. A very safe choice. Nicely sorted short travel beginners bike with a rep for neutral handling, but it has a typical modern Spesh bargain basement mix of components which will simply wear out or break in short order when put in direct contact with real off road terrain more challenging then a UK FC fireroad or a canal tow path. And then fixing things gets complex because of the component mix. For me the entry level spesh ranges are no longer the vfm they once were.

I've no idea what your or anyone else's criteria would be for a better riding bike, feels a bit too subjective for my taste. How does it compare with the Voodoo Hoodoo or the Carrera Fury or even its sister the RockHopper for instance?

btw, my chrome gets me home on every ride.

 

[02GF74]

Which is more important to our OP - the way it rides, or the jewelery hanging off it?

If its the former, then the Hardrock Pro is probably the best 26'er HT he'll find for south of a grand.

hmmm, that is interesting - I have a handful of bikes and if you were to press me to explain the difference in how they rdie, I would stuggle to tell you. the only two comments I would make is that light carbon frames are a lot easier to push and feel faster - pressing on the pedals makes them fly but are jittery when descending on lumpy stuff, namely to the lightness, the other being that some suspension, forks and rear shocks feel different - some are much smoother than others.

what different geometry makes I could not tell you.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

what different geometry makes I could not tell you.

off road, when the descending gets technical and steep, a bike with a racy XC geometry i.e. a steep headtube angle, say 70 degrees, will feel unstable, twitchy and nervous, especially in the hands of the hesitant, the novice and the faint hearted or inexperienced. Same rider, same slope, same speed, will find a trail bike with a slacker headtube, say 65 degrees, much more stable and, as a consequence, easier to ride. Or so they tell me. It makes them steer like barges to my mind but I can see the advantage.

There is an article in one of the current mags asking if suspension is being dumbed down by using linear spring rates rather than progressive rates. I'd argue frame geometry is being "dumbed down" in exactly the same way.

But so long as folk are out playing on their bikes, who cares....

 

[lulubel]

The bike has been ordered, but we didn't go for the Boardman in the end, for a number of reasons - the main one was that the prices jumped up considerably on Wiggle, and made it less competitive in its price bracket. And once the Boardman had led me into a higher price bracket, I decided it wouldn't be fair if she didn't have lovely Reba forks like mine ....

So we went back to Bike Discount and chose this Radon.

I ordered it on Monday and was amazed to get the shipping notification (and the dhl tracking says they've picked it up) this afternoon. Based on the length of time mine took from dispatch to delivery, it will probably be here on Monday.

The thing I'm struggling with is that she thinks we haven't got enough money to buy it at the moment, and we're going to have to save up, so I haven't told her I've ordered it. I'm going to find it so hard to stay quiet until it arrives.

 

[Motozulu]

I would just say 'Happy Crimbo' when it arrives

Looks an excellent bike for the money!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

very good choice

 

[subaqua]

I thought the stock answer was "buy a Rockrider and spend the rest of the budget on a rack, panniers and lentils."

no you don't put lentils in stock, makes it too gloopy

 

[Cubist]

That looks good Lu, good spec and very very very futureproof.

 

[Dan151]

boardman hands down

 

[lulubel]

Thanks, guys.

Apparently it's in Spain already. They're moving super fast with this one. (I still don't think it will be here before Monday, though - it's in the hands of Correos now, and they're not known for speed, although they did manage to deliver my bike successfully.)

Apart from the price thing, and getting Rebas on it, the mostly Shimano groupset was a contributing factor for me. It's all stuff I'm familiar with, and since I'll be the one maintaining it, it would be silly to make my life difficult. (We do share jobs in this house, by the way. My OH says, "Help, my gears are crunching," and I say, "How do I turn on the hob?" Since I'm a lousy cook and she's a rather good one, I think it's an excellent arrangement.)

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Apart from the price thing, and getting Rebas on it, the mostly Shimano groupset was a contributing factor for me. It's all stuff I'm familiar with, and since I'll be the one maintaining it, it would be silly to make my life difficult. (We do share jobs in this house, by the way. My OH says, "Help, my gears are crunching," and I say, "How do I turn on the hob?" Since I'm a lousy cook and she's a rather good one, I think it's an excellent arrangement.)

I say "Drat, my gears are crunching" and the lovely Helen answers "What are you cooking for dinner?"