As a general purpose hoon..........

[sevenfourate]

Hi all,


I've just got into cycling a few months ago and have just upgraded to a nice road-bike after starting with a 'cheapy'. I've been doing 12-15 miles every morning before work as an aid to keep fit / lose weight. And i'm loving it !

Now looking toward winter i'd be really interested in looking for an MTB to do a few trails, some local river-paths etc and we have some fairly flat trails through some woods too. I dont intend to tackle anything too difficult - but would like a bike that could handle it if needed !

Would this be my best sub-£500 bet ?

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/voodoo-hoodoo-mountain-bike-2013-2014

And the fabulous review it gets:

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/c...-bikes/product/review-voodoo-hoodoo-12-46194/

Any other suggestions ? Ready to buy right now if the right bike / deal is out there.............

Shuv.

 

[Cyclist33]

Looks ideal for general hoonery!

 

[dawn72]

My husband uses his to commute and for some forest trail riding and he loves it. The review that you've posted is part of the reason for him choosing that bike. Only is due I'd have is that I don't think halfords let you have a proper test ride

 

[AyJay]

Looks good value. Halfords have some good bikes at competitive prices. If you do buy from there be careful to check everything is set correctly and all adjustable components are tight.
I bought a childs bike for my Grand-daughter from the local store. Although the bike was in stock we did not need it for a further three weeks so we ordered it for then. They had plenty of time to adjust and check everything. When we picked it up it appeared all that had been done was to set the handlebars to the correct position. The brakes did not work, several of the nuts were not even tight and the saddle was not set in the straight ahead position.

PS. I notice that this mountain bike has 26" wheels. A lot of new bike have either 27.5" or 29" wheels now. Mine has 26" and is fine but a larger wheel might be worth considering. Just a thought.

 

[sevenfourate]

Thanks all.

Halfords had very few left (Being an old model). Infact they couldn't supply, deliver or help in any other way other than if i collected from a store that happened to have one left in stock.

The nearest is an 80 mile round trip away, and i've reserved one there and will be collecting Saturday :-)

 

[Pale Rider]

The fork has been downgraded since the review.

Air - which it had - is generally reckoned to be superior to coil - which it now has.

I still doubt you will do much better for the money.

 

[sevenfourate]

The fork has been downgraded since the review.

Air - which it had - is generally reckoned to be superior to coil - which it now has.

I still doubt you will do much better for the money.

I'm getting the exact model and year reviewed. Hence my trouble's tracking one down - being a couple of years old now.

Anyway - got one fresh out of the box :-)

Thanks for the heads-up. Cant wait to get out and muddy on it. Expect some pics over the weekends, of my activities !

 

[sevenfourate]

And on the weekend im due to collect the Voodoo - a 650B Boardman gets seriously reduced at Halfords !

Worth the extra £100 over the Voodoo now ?????

GRRRRRRRR.......CONFUSED.

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bik...e2015_2015|kw:BoardmanFlashSale1&mi_u=6242804

 

[Motozulu]

For me it's a definite yes for the Boardman, better forks (although you may be getting the same on the Hoodoo you say?) better brakes and drivetrain too. The biggie for me though is the weight difference with the Hoodoo at 14.1kg and the Boardman at 12.8kg.

For me, for a measly £100 more it's a no brainer, especially if you start getting serious about off road. You are easily realising the £100 in the improved componentry alone.

 

[sevenfourate]

^^^THANKS

What a shame its web-only and i cant view the Voodoo until tomorrow.

Never-mind. Theres two shops (One MASSIVE) together - so at least i can view a few and get some comparisons.

 

[Motozulu]

Good luck and you are doing the best thing by going and seeing the bikes. Both very good entry level MTB's with good reviews but as I say, the Boardman shades it for me, even with it being a £100 more. Try and get them to let you ride them both around the car park - even though not ideal you'll at least get a feel for the bikes' geometry and which one will suit your build better.