PLEASE HELP! Bike buying advice needed asap..

[lauriemcmanus55]

Hi All,

Had my bike stolen recently and am soon to move too far away to walk to work. Looking for something ideally under £400 that I can commute to work on (lock out forks) and ride the odd trail on the weekend (with ability to progress to intermediate trails).

I have narrowed it down to three bikes that are available near me but want some advice as been warned away from halfords..

Marin Bolinas Ridge 2 - Good reviews and actually found for £330.

http://www.sunsetmtb.co.uk/shop/ind..._p9JH0_jDzTKq6fmMJ3phJgrZlpwT24X44RoCuGHw_wcB

Carerra Kraken - Surprisingly good spec? XCR 120mm Shocks, 27 Speed, continental tyres.. for £360 at local store..
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bik...N-7LsieSC0ZAc9zqmlea2pX3LdaIx2ArhaRoCzs7w_wcB

And Finally a Scott Aspect 730 (2016) that someone near me is selling, looking for £330 for it, reckon i could maybe push down to 300.

What do you guys think?? is there any other bike that would be better than these? Any advice would be massively appreciated thanks!

 

[alecstilleyedye]

depends on the halfords. the one in macclesfield has a decent chap in there at the moment…

 

[Cycleops]

If you're using it for commuting and the odd trail I wouldn't bother with sus forks. They will only add weight increase cost and won't be nessecary.
Riding a MTB on the road isn't making the best use of your energy, it will be slow and heavy.
Its up to you but you'd be better off with a hybrid with wider tyres imho. How about this:http://www.sunsetmtb.co.uk/shop/index.php?product_id=4694&category_id=148

Or this from Halfords:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...goryId=165534&productId=1326025&storeId=10001

Or this for less which has sus forks:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...goryId=165534&productId=1173752&storeId=10001

 

[froze]

I agree with Cycleops, a cheap suspension fork is your worst nightmare, they don't work as advertised, they fail quite frequently, they can't be repaired when they do fail, they're very heavy, the bike company had to cheapen the frame and components to make up for the cost of the suspension fork, every time you pedal the suspension aspect uses lots of watts that could be directly applied to the rear wheel it was a rigid fork.

I use to run mountain trails in Southern California on a rigid fork bike and had no problems.

I'm a big fan of Kona bikes, they're frames are top notch.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Agree with the guys...had a FS Boardman from Halfords, eBayed after 3 mths back on 90s rigid Cannondale upgraded to 30sp XT.....Sweet!