Which one..

[Briggo]

Right my Halfrauds vouchers (cycle2work scheme) should be with my this time next week so been searching searching searching for bikes to order.

Have £400 in vouchers to spend on the bike.

Now I was looking at ordering in another bike such as a GT Avalanche 2.0 or similar but at the moment Halfords are offering £50 cycle accessories on any bike you buy from their current selection thats over £250.

Now this £50 would come in bloody handy for the helmet & lock, so after much thought about it all I've decided to go with either of these -

Carrera Kraken 18"
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...rumb_33980-33957-82393_parentcategoryrn_82394

GT Aggressor XC2 18"
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...rumb_33980-33957-82393_parentcategoryrn_82394

From the reviews I have read they seem fairly good bikes and seem to be equivalent to anything else like the Avalanche series etc, they'll be used for commuting 4 mile round trip to work each day with a blast or two around some easyish XC on an evening/weekend. Then be takin them to other parts of the country to do some more hardcore trails once my staminas improved a bit more.

Any opinions on either one?

Cheers for the help.

P.S. I "tried" (cant call sitting on a bike with deflated tyres tried, asked the chap if he can pump them up to get a real feel but said he wasnt allowed. The bike shop part was on the 2nd floor of this building so it wasnt like I was going to leg it down a huge flight of stairs... fckin useless service) in the shop and they both felt good to sit on.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Unless you really want a MTB and NEED front suspension, I'd go for a Carrera Subway.

 

[punkypossum]

And if you really wanted a mountain bike, you could push the boat out and go for the Fury!

 

[Briggo]

Believe me if I could push the finances out even more I'd get the Fury or even a better one but I simply cant afford anything over £400 at this time.

 

[Mr Pig]

From what I've heard Halfords can order in any bike, so you can pick any bike you like and just ask them to get one for you. I like the look of the Scott Speedster hybrids, faster tyres and nice balance but still have enough of the MTB toughness.

 

[Briggo]

From what I've heard Halfords can order in any bike, so you can pick any bike you like and just ask them to get one for you. I like the look of the Scott Speedster hybrids, faster tyres and nice balance but still have enough of the MTB toughness.

Now I was looking at ordering in another bike such as a GT Avalanche 2.0 or similar but at the moment Halfords are offering £50 cycle accessories on any bike you buy from their current selection thats over £250.

Now this £50 would come in bloody handy for the helmet & lock, so after much thought about it all I've decided to go with either of these

It has to be a hardtail as I plan for this bike to last and I really want to take it round some tougher trails around wales/scotland/peak district.

So my options are down to these 2, they seem similar in spec but I was just querying whether anyone had either one to give their opinion on the durability/ride etc.

 

[RedBike]

As far as i'm aware you can't get a good full sus bike for £400 and the tougher trails in Scotland / the peaks are just too rough to use a hybrid on.

I'm not a big fan of Suntour forks (which both bikes come with) and I would be a little worried about the unbranded hydrallic brakes. Other than that both bikes look ideal.

A set of slick tyres will improve the commute dramatically; if you can be bothered to keep changing tyres.

 

[Mr Pig]

Ask Halfords if they can order in a Specialized (the brand) bike. I'd stretch to the entry Rockhopper which has a great frame, pretty good Rock Shox fork and solid components elsewhere. £500. It's also a good starting point if you want to upgrade the bike later, with disk brakes for instance.

The fifty-quids worth of accessories seems like a great deal but I wouldn't buy a Halfords brand bike. I almost did recently but checking out some revues etc revealed the bikes to be a bit under par in certain areas. Quite a lot of people were having problems and failures on components that should be bomb proof. Also, you seem to be able to buy their bikes cheaper on line, so it's swings and roundabouts.

 

[Briggo]

Ask Halfords if they can order in a Specialized (the brand) bike. I'd stretch to the entry Rockhopper which has a great frame, pretty good Rock Shox fork and solid components elsewhere. £500. It's also a good starting point if you want to upgrade the bike later, with disk brakes for instance.

The fifty-quids worth of accessories seems like a great deal but I wouldn't buy a Halfords brand bike. I almost did recently but checking out some revues etc revealed the bikes to be a bit under par in certain areas. Quite a lot of people were having problems and failures on components that should be bomb proof. Also, you seem to be able to buy their bikes cheaper on line, so it's swings and roundabouts.

Mu budget is £400 max, there is no more money after that like I said I would love to get a more expensive bike but it aint goin to happen yet.

Oh and..

'07 Kraken review on bikeradar.com
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/kraken-07-20130

Aggressor review on bikeradar.com
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/aggressor-9883

Both of them dont seem too shabby too me...

 

[Mr Pig]

Did you notice that in the first revue of the Kraken the guy said that both Dérailleurs snapped? That's about the third time I've heard of that with SRAM dérailleurs on Halfords bikes. I can't see it being the dérailleurs but it might be the Halfords bike mechanics who put the bikes together? I don't know, but it doesn't inspire confidence. Whatever bike I was buying from Halfords I would 'not' let them build it. I'd ask for it in the box and set it up myself. I've heard too many horror stories, some of them from people who work for Halfords!

My wife has a GT bike and it's absolutely fine, I like it. You could do a lot worse, but I'd still buy a Specialized bike first. I've pounded the stuffing out of mine and in seven years nothing has broken or bent. Parts have worn out; the chain, gears, tyres, but nothing has failed which is why I trust them.

The Specialized Hardrock range starts around £250.

http://www.dalescycles.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=SPECHRSPT08

You can buy a bike with seemingly better components for the same money but I feel that Specialized usually get the balance right. As I say though, I don't think that GT bikes are rubbish, I'm just recommending what I know to be good.

Incidentally, I was talking to the young guy who is the bike mechanic in my local Halfords the other week. Really nice guy and keen cyclist, he has a Specialized Rockhoper! ;0)

 

[Briggo]

Believe me, regardless of what bike I get I'll be takin it to my LBS to have a once over!

I'd rather pay that bit extra in the knowledge that someone with an ounce of care for bikes has looked at it.

The guys in Halfords I spoke to the other day didnt fill me with confidence as they were assembling bikes.

 

[Ludwig]

Its ashame that your restricted to Halfords otherwise for £400 you could get a couple of really good secondhand classics for that price.