# Insurance Offer



## PoiSon (6 May 2009)

Hi, New to the forums and mountain biking really. Hope to get a bit more into it in the summer and that after exams are over but atm I don't really do anything challenging at all on my bikes. Basically 7months ago I had a Saracen Ikon Full sus bike and got a nice insurance offer of a Carrera Kraken replacement when it was stolen.

Now my bike has been stolen again (oh the joys of living in Nottm) and I am being offered this bike (Kona Blast Deluxe '08) as a replacement:

http://www.konaworld.com/08_blastdlx.htm

My stolen bike: 

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_273391_langId_-1_categoryId_208956#dtab

To me they seem pretty similar. The concern for me is that they are giving me lesser forks but rock shox are generally better aren't they? I'll miss my remote locking though :|

Just wanted to know people's opinions on whether this is a good replacement or whether I should go back to them and ask for an alternative? How significant would 20mm of travel be to me? I have no real idea as to comparison of gears etc. so input would be nice. Cheerz


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## Black Sheep (6 May 2009)

I ride most things on a mountain bike with only 100mm travel, if its that much of a problem you can replace the fork later and flog that one on ebay. you most likely won't notice it tbh

the Kona is, in my opinion a better bike than the carrera 

the kona's brakes are better, Deore is better or equivalent to sram X5


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## 02GF74 (6 May 2009)

well no hamr in asking for an alternative to see what they can offer you 
... but that Kona is a fair swap, a slightly better spec. bike, that is new for one that is not so new.

what chain are you using? do you know how the bike was stolen?

If you go to any tube or train station, you will find £ 100 halfrods/argos/tesco bikes, you know the sort, cantilever brakes, rigid steel forks, solid axles etc. i.e. shoot.

anything that is better than that, and both of those bikes are, are asking to be stolen, as indeed my friend found out to her cost even though I told here so, and I'm afraid that Kona will go too.


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## Black Sheep (6 May 2009)

been happily locking a rather expensive on-one inbred up in city centres for the past couple of years, before that specialized hardrocks and not had them stolen, its how you lock it and what with.


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## PoiSon (6 May 2009)

Well it was locked up at college with some really expensive bikes actually. I assume it was cut through but it was a pretty large lock. If I can find my receipt I get £100 back for it being cut through. The thing that made me laugh was that my mates kraken next to mine wasn't touched! Trust it to be mine!

Ah well £75 excess later...


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## Mr Pig (6 May 2009)

Given the choice I'd pick the Kona myself, I prefer the spec on it. Looks like a fair deal to me. 

I wouldn't leave my bike locked up anywhere. Two bikes stolen, are we learning yet? ;0) I'd keep this bike good and get hold of an old clunker to take to collage.


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## Mr Pig (6 May 2009)

Oh, and you can add the remote lockout to those Dart forks if you like.


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## PoiSon (6 May 2009)

How easy/cheap is it to do yourself? Looking at it, it looks like its a simple replacement of the little lock bit that comes with it.

The insurance company might not be able to get me one of those bikes now (in the right size) though so I may have another bike option soon...

lol to be quite honest I would rather have a good bike nicked because at least its covered by insurance and only a £75 excess. Get a £125 bike nicked and have the displeasure of riding it? YAY =P I plan to leave my decent bike at home when I go off to uni though and get a cheapo one.

PS the first bike was kind of my fault, only locked it up to another bike and both got nicked :|


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## arallsopp (6 May 2009)

I've managed daily commutes into London, shopping expeditions into Croydon and Bromley, and recreational rides into almost all parts of SE England for the last year, on bikes worth over 2k, and I've never been worried about them being stolen.

The best defence (IMHO) is to NOT own a lock. Its the only way to stay off the slippery slope...

*With lock:*
I'll just lock it up here. Its in sight, kinda. That's pretty much secure anyway. I'll be back soon enough. Just pop inside for a minute.. Oooh. My bike has gone.

*Without lock*
I'll just lock it up here. Oh, I can't. Ok. Best take it with me.


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## Mr Pig (6 May 2009)

PoiSon said:


> How easy/cheap is it to do yourself?



Cyclists can do it, must be very simple ;0)


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## Black Sheep (7 May 2009)

PoiSon said:


> lol to be quite honest I would rather have a good bike nicked because at least its covered by insurance and only a £75 excess. Get a £125 bike nicked and have the displeasure of riding it? YAY =P I plan to leave my decent bike at home when I go off to uni though and get a cheapo one.
> |



i had a bike stolen (was mugged riding home) and the replacement was just a year newer and a spec level higher but didn't feel the same to ride despite being 'identical' (same frame size etc) used to bug me quite a bit as it meant i didn't feel as comfortable riding some stuff.


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## 02GF74 (7 May 2009)

^^^ LOL the bike/car/motorcyycle/Ninetnedoo/LCD TV/computer that you have stolen is always better than any replacement, just like the Word document/Excel spreadsheet that you forgot to save!!!


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## PoiSon (7 May 2009)

Lol yeh I still say about my saracen £200 full sus as being more fun then my kraken even though i know it was a better bike.

Instead of the kona, now I'm getting £345 towards a new bike as they couldn't match my spec at evans for anywhere near the price. From what I've seen the best bikes for within £100 or so of that total are the carrera kraken/fury and the GT aggressor xc2 (seems like £50 for a GT written on it instead of the kraken though). Any other thoughts of what to spend the money on? It can be from any shop as I'm getting a cheque.


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## PoiSon (10 May 2009)

Just in case you were interested. I bought a Saracen Trace 2 from Evans http://www.evanscycles.com/products/saracen/trace-2-2008-mountain-bike-ec001196

Tried to get one of the giant XTC 4.5's from dales cycles but they only had 18" left. 

Saracen had the spec I wanted and they always seem to have a far nicer finish then the carrera's. Got it price matched to £350. Means only £5 from my own pocket and they will build it for me


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## 02GF74 (10 May 2009)

my 1994 saracen is still going strong, paint is partiicualarly durable, let's hope this one doesn;t go walkines.


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## Mr Pig (11 May 2009)

Check for leaks on those M485 brakes, there was a problem with them. They've now been replaced by the M486. Any oil on the disks or calliper, tell them you want new brakes.


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## PoiSon (16 May 2009)

Got my bike today and its really nice. Feels so much lighter and easier to ride then my Carrera did. Only problem is the brakes are just shite atm!! I've been told to expect it as its a "trait" shimano brakes have and they should get better after a few rides but atm its kinda scary coming down my local hill at 35mph or so with these things lol 

Anyone else had experience of shimano hydraulics?


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## Mr Pig (16 May 2009)

PoiSon said:


> Anyone else had experience of shimano hydraulics?



Yes. Are they M485 or M486?

If they are M485 check very carefully for oil in and around the callipers and on the disk. Find any and that's why your brakes are crap. There was an issue with these brakes and Shimano are replacing them under warranty with M486 or sometimes better!

I was sent a set of M486 and they worked well straight out of the box. They did not get better with time, they were good straight away. I think they are trying to fob you off. Contact Shimano and tell them you are not happy.


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## PoiSon (17 May 2009)

I don't know tbh. I saw your advice before (thanks for that btw) and did check for the brakes and that. No oil or anything at all. It said m485 on the spec but if they've stopped making them now then maybe I have the newer set, will check tomorrow. He seemed to think that once they got a bit dirty they'd be better. 

He did say though that if they don't improve before my 4 weeks service he would replace them so I don't think he was really trying to fob me off.


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## Mr Pig (17 May 2009)

That's fine then. 

This is the 486:






This is the near identical 485:





Some 485's just have the word 'Shimano' on the side but most of the OEM ones have the large white circle. There is also a small rectangle on the end of the calliper with either 485 or 486 on it. 

I don't know what the difference between them is, it certainly isn't much, but the 486 are better. They have better feel, are stronger and don't squeal at all. The 485 squealed like a pig! 

I doubt that you're brakes will improve much over the next month, mine didn't, but that's cool that you'll get new ones. A few teething problems like this are par for the course these days. It's nothing to do with the bike manufacturers, it's the component manufacturers who seem to be pushing the spec at the cost of consistency and reliability.


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