Suggestions/advice on MTB purchase

[Mark Edgerton]

Hi

I am looking for a MTB in order to join my local CC and do some off roading. I have currently got a Boardman Hybrid Pro a Carrera Virago and an old Carrera Crossfire 1000. I like Boardmans but have some problems with the BB and some quality control issues. Never had a problem with either Carrera and the Crossfire has had some serious use.

My choices are either a

Voodoo Hoodoo which I can get new (till tomorrow) for £400
Carrera Fury which are fetching about £330 on e bay
Boardman Team which is the most expensive option

Anyone got any experience of these bikes or any other choices

Cheers

 

[lulubel]

From that list, I'm a bit puzzled about your budget, to be honest. The Boardman Comp (are you sure you mean the Team, which Halfords describe as an urban MTB?) is £699 on Halfords website, which gives a big price range.

It's hard to make suggestions without really knowing how much you want to spend.

 

[Mark Edgerton]

Hi

Good point. Forget the Boardman its too expensive even on e bay

Budget about £400

Thanks for that

 

[lulubel]

In that case, the Voodoo Hoodoo seems to be a very popular choice that I often see recommended. I don't have personal experience of one, though. All my experience has either been at the very cheap or more expensive ends of the market.

 

[ianjmcd]

the Voodoo Hoodoo is a excellent bike and at 400 its a bargain

bike radar gave it 5 stars

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

 

[Cubist]

Hoodoo looks good. It featured as best in category in What Mountain Bike.

 

[02GF74]

Hi


Budget about £400

take a look at Wiggle and Cain Reaction - they both have some discounted bikes.

 

[Drago]

For £400 you'd surely be looking at the Carerra Kraken?

 

[Cubist]

For £400 you'd surely be looking at the Carerra Kraken?

Not if he can get a Hoodoo for £400. The Hoodoo had a Suntour Raidon 120mm air fork that has received great reviews, where the Kraken has Suntour XCO, heavy and underdamped. The Carrera frames are what they are, capable and competent, but the Hoodoos look better and is, in my humble opinion, more future proof.

 

[Drago]

But the XC/XCR/XCO is a lot more durable that is air sprung brethren, who who wants to pay £100 for servicing every 50-100 hours off road riding on a bike that was worth only £400 new? It's a better riding fork, but not a downright better fork, and I guarantee in, say, 2 years for now the sprung Subtour XC will feel much as it did when new. The Raidon won't. Our fleet at work is split roughy 2/3 to 1/3 of each type so there's a nice comparison of their durability.

And the 32mm version if the XC is a very stiff fork, with very good levels of deflection under braking. And it's more a question of being under spring than under damped, but only for heavier riders. Whippets and raving snakes will do just fine. The XC series also has a simple and robust mechanical lock out. And they track terrain better, with much better small bump sensitivity than the Raidon. That said the Raidon is better in heavy terrain or fast riding... Until it needs that expensive service, which won't get done because of the cost, and not far down the line the performance quickly degrades.

It might be better out the box, but the air version is not a better ownership proposition.

The frames from both brands use pretty much the same headset, bottom bracket, QR and brake mounting standards, so in terms of 'future proofing' there's not a fag paper between them, with both already being some distance behind the cutting edge standards. And again, does it matter? Are you going to spend £££s upgrading a £400 bike to the latest standard every tine sonething new pops in? You'd be better off just buying a decent bike to begin with. Spend a bit more and get a decent frame that's worthy of upgrading as time goes buy, something that's worth it.

 

[Cubist]

My lad had a budget Suntour coil fork, an XCM. It rarely gave anything like 100mm travel, and was an absolute clunker. It packed up very quickly and was simply horrible. Yes, air forks need servicing, but I suppose I'm used to doing that anyway.

The OP has limited budget, so anything we propose will have its limitations. I suppose I'm going for the "ride out of the box" option. And I still prefer the Hoodoos's looks!

 

[Cubist]

Whoops.

The current Kraken now has a 120mm Air fork, the Suntour XCR D. Budget SRAM drivetrain as opposed to budget Shimano on the Voodoo. So in terms of spec it's not a million miles off. Both have fairly decent tyres too. (Mountain King on the Kraken, Maxxis on the Voodoo)

Good call Drago, but I'd still want the Voodoo if he can get it for £400 I'd spend £40 on a Deore chainset from Rose bikes as soon as I got it out of the box though.

They both weigh an impressive 30+ kg .

 

[Cyclist33]

If you can live with second hand I would part with my 2010 Marin for £250 and it's a very decent bike...

Stu

 

[Mark Edgerton]

Hi. Thanks all for the advice. I have purchased a 2011 Carrera Fury. It seemed to tick all the boxes and got a 5 star review on Bike Radar.

Time will tell if its any good or not lol

 

[Cubist]

Good choice.