RB5-Black

Yes I know most of the time I'd rather chop a leg off than ask opinions of Halfords but this is a serious question.

I have over £300 of vouchers that I have earned through a scheme at work. Now I am going to buy a Bike and the only place that accepts the vouchers and sell's bikes is....... yes Halfords.

so the question is do Halfords sell anything half way decent ? I want a hardtail for on/off road nothing like downhill. just forest tracks and stuff.

n one

iTrader: (5)

I cant see why not, just get the best quality bike you can afford.

Artful_Dodger

Halfords Bike Huts tend to be a bit hit and miss - some are good, some full of Saturday staff who don't have a clue.

They sell Carrera bikes (own brand) which are OK. Some also sell Kona's which are good bikes and would work well for Cross Country/commuting.

RichWalk

Think they do a full suspension one in the Apollo range approx £300- if you do buy one from here, take it to pro bike shop and have it set up properly first.

RB5-Black

My local shop sells the Kona bikes .... I was going to spend £400-£500 before I got the vouchers so I could go for upto a £700 without spending anymore than I was going to

Dougster

Bigger Halfords will get you any GT you want.

Artful_Dodger

If you can go to £700, Kona Cinder Cone is good

http://www.konaworld.uk.com/bikes/20...inder_cone.cfm

IWatkins

Go into a Halfords BikeHut store, but not on a weekend. You tend to get better staff then. Kona or GT are usually available and I bought my last GT from a Halfords.

Cheers

Ian

ProperCharlie

lots of people would say the same thing about cars - what's the point of a more expensive car; they all go from a to b?

either you are into it

or you're not!


PC (ex lycra clothing and expensive bike owner )

RB5-Black

LOL

ProperCharlie

but lighter bike = better acceleration for given power input.

scoob and mini-metro both travel at the same speed in a traffic jam on the M1 . (Until the metro breaks down )

SiPie

5,000 posts Bravo

Well done

super_si

I got the Kona Caldera, cant fault it at all. Hydralics are brilliant i think on it. Better then the two Marins ive had

Si

Brit_in_Japan

But for extra money you do get extra quality. Hydraulic brakes instead of V brakes, better front forks with smoother operation & more travel, higher spec frames with more strength and less weight etc. Yes, you still have to pedal, but at higher speeds on downhill stretches, being able to ride bumps better and stop at the bottom (!) is related to the spec of the bike. Lower priced bikes can't take the same abuse, so if you're into your biking then the bike becomes the limiting factor, not the rider.

Not so different from scoobs in some ways. How many people pay for mods yet don't push the car to it's limit on tracks ? You pays your money and takes your choice.

CEL

iTrader: (1)

Personally wouldn’t go near any of the cheapo bikes... from past experience they really do fall apart given a little stick.

I remember taking my first mountain bike (diamondback) back to the shop i bought it from with numerous broken or faulty bits, the salesman told me I shouldn’t be riding it off road in muddy conditions ... hello!! Mountain bikes are supposed to stand up to the abuse.

The point im trying to get across is, spend as much as you can afford its worthwhile in the long run.

Chris

Harry_Boy

Cheap bikes normally equal horrible, nasty, badly meshing gears, with poor shift mechanisms, dodgy brakes and suspension with far too much 'stiction'.

As with cars, if you enjoy riding a bike, you should get the best you can afford.

ProperCharlie

following this thread got my trek (road bike) out of the basement. haven't ridden it for several years, but went fora quick spin and it felt pretty good. might have to try and find those cycling shorts i used to have.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Was pressure wasing the other day at the in laws (dont ask) and neglected to notice my brother in laws brand new 2 grand racing bike, boots, helmet and water bottle and coated the lot in grime and rotting leaves, oooooppps, he didnt look pleased.

mark_h

You do get what you pay for on a bike, and the more expensive bikes will have components that can put up with more punishment.

If you're looking for cheap entry-level, I'd suggest going for a hard-tail with V-brakes and a good Shimano groupset with rapid-fire shifters. Then you'll get a good frame which you can upgrade later. If you have more money, go for a better groupset (LX is very good) and then disk brakes, and then if you still have money left, look for a full sus. If you intend to be a dry weather cyclist only, disk brakes could be skipped, but they're very handy when mucking about in the mud like I've been doing all winter!

Just my 2p...