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| excossack Member Since: 22 Feb 2012 Location: North West Posts: 5842   
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Currently have an old Apollo Destroyer mtb. Quoted £150-170 to repair/service.
New rear wheel bearings, chain, rear cogs, front cogs, new pads, new tyres! So thinking time for a new one, budget around £200-£280. Nothing extreme for me, maybe too from work and out on roads/rough lose ground. Been looking around and seen a few in Halfords Raleigh http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/moun...ntain-bike Carrera http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/moun...-bike-2015 http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybr...ybrid-bike What are the thoughts on either make? We do have the cycle to work scheme but not planning on a £400 bike which is going to live in the shed with the other crap and have stuff piled on top! 1999 Defender TD5 110 Regards John M0VAZ Econet Station 48 no clock |
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2nd Jun 2016 7:25pm |
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| Oakseywick Member Since: 20 Dec 2014 Location: Cirencester Posts: 1000 
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I would have a look on eBay at a good second hand bike will get better spec I.e brakes shock and gears for your budget than a new 1 from halfords, boardman are good value second hand.
If you do buy from halfords check their trained monkeys have assembled the bike correctly as they don't have a good reputation  Last edited by Oakseywick on 2nd Jun 2016 7:59pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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2nd Jun 2016 7:47pm |
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| excossack Member Since: 22 Feb 2012 Location: North West Posts: 5842
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Yes really!
If the bike didn't need work doing to it, then I probably would not be thinking about changing. So which bits make the bike ride better? What do you class as heavy? the three I found are between 13kg and 15kg, what my current on weighs, I am not sure. I go via the Cycle to Work scheme and some have. Boardman is one I have heard people buy. 1999 Defender TD5 110 Regards John M0VAZ Econet Station 48 no clock |
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2nd Jun 2016 8:27pm |
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| Wangers Member Since: 19 Jan 2013 Location: West London Posts: 265 
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Most bikes sold retail have btwen 60 t0 100% mark up - so your £280 budget cost the retailer around the 180 ish mark, if that. Then take out all the mark ups from manufacturer to retailer nd how much has been spent on the actual parts ....?
Bit like cars - a used older higher model can be better than a new lower model. And TBH the likes of cach converters actually have a good stock of decent used bikes. They have to undertake their due diigence so as not to be nicked, and they have invested in it in the first place so must be of a decent condition. But please - avoid cable disk brakes! they are not that good, they are not the future and they are just calling to be dinked thus needing new disks. Si www.mobytek.co.uk [/url] TY&GN 10 years in a WOLF, WIMIK and Snatch and this is all I have to show! |
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2nd Jun 2016 9:36pm |
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| Likeomg Member Since: 29 Jun 2012 Location: Lake District / Newcastle Posts: 2638 
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stay away from halfords, end of basically.
Your best bet is x hire bikes, my uncle has a shop in the lakes come end of season he sells x hire bikes, 1 season old with full warranty and a service for about 300, these bikes retail at £800, last years had shimano xt components; hydraulic brakes etc... the apollo you have isn't worth putting £50 into it, and wangers, cable brakes are fine, id much prefer to ride a bike with cable brakes to standard brakes... i sometimes work for my uncle when I'm not over sea during summer so have plenty of experience working on bikes and have several very high end bikes of my own... |
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2nd Jun 2016 11:26pm |
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| excossack Member Since: 22 Feb 2012 Location: North West Posts: 5842
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Cheers Likeomg. X hire isn't an option I had'nt considered.
Nope, the Apollo is not worth it. Apart from not buying from Halfords, are the makes any good? 1999 Defender TD5 110 Regards John M0VAZ Econet Station 48 no clock |
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3rd Jun 2016 6:56am |
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| 300TDi CSW Phil Member Since: 03 Apr 2016 Location: Bracknell Posts: 750 
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Apollo (what you have) and Carerra are both Halford own brands.
I believe Boardman maybe as well but am happy to be corrected. Not sure about the Raleigh but I guess their not made in Nottingham any longer. Buying a bike from ebay may be an option but I would be very wary and would want to pick it up from the seller in an attempt to make sure it was clean. It may be worth looking at Decathlon they also have their own brands and several people I know rate them highly. Also if you dont mind mail order there is a cycle shop in Norfolk called Pauls cycles, they tend to have really good deals on previous years models I got a very good spec full suspension a good few years ago for 50% off list because it was the previous years colour scheme. In terms of brakes: When I first got V brakes I thought they were awesome but they wear rims and have all the normal brake block issues that have existed for decades. My first disk brakes were cable (mechanical) these were a different league compared to V brakes but could fade under heavy prolonged braking. My current disk brakes are Hydraulic and the first time I used them I nearly had an over the handle bar moment they are that good they dont seem to be affected by temperature or weather and dont appear to fade. 1995 300 Tdi Epsom Green - It's a keeper. Wide Track Sankey- In bits- Gone to a new home M0XQS |
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3rd Jun 2016 7:12am |
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| Muddybigdog Member Since: 11 Apr 2014 Location: Suffolk Posts: 1016 
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Take a look on gumtree, pre loved, or one of the online bike sites e.g. http://www.onceridden.com/giant-talon-27-5-2581 Jumped ship to reliability - Mitsubishi L200
Puma 90 XS - Sold D3 - 2.7 S x2 (both Sold) Freelander 2 HSE - Sold Freelander 1 - Sold Disco 2 - Sold |
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3rd Jun 2016 7:23am |
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| excossack Member Since: 22 Feb 2012 Location: North West Posts: 5842
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Plenty of advice chaps - cheers.
Did take a quick look at Pauls bikes, Do 27er, 29ers relate to tyre size? 1999 Defender TD5 110 Regards John M0VAZ Econet Station 48 no clock |
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3rd Jun 2016 7:26am |
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| 300TDi CSW Phil Member Since: 03 Apr 2016 Location: Bracknell Posts: 750
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Yes 27er and 29er do relate to tyre size.
I'm still running 26" without issues though and do not plan to change anytime soon. 1995 300 Tdi Epsom Green - It's a keeper. Wide Track Sankey- In bits- Gone to a new home M0XQS |
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3rd Jun 2016 7:29am |
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| excossack Member Since: 22 Feb 2012 Location: North West Posts: 5842
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What difference does this make 26 vs 27.5 vs 29 ? 1999 Defender TD5 110
Regards John M0VAZ Econet Station 48 no clock |
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3rd Jun 2016 7:35am |
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| 300TDi CSW Phil Member Since: 03 Apr 2016 Location: Bracknell Posts: 750
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The principal difference is allegedly comfort as the bigger wheels will roll over obstacles easier.
I believe however, that it also affects the handling and changes the steering, possibly so it is less twitchy but I am trying remember where I saw that so I can point you in the direction of something more definitive. https://www.evanscycles.com/coffeestop/adv...t-for-you/ Edited as I found a fairly good link. http://www.bike198.com/26-vs-29-mountain-bike-debate/ Re edited as better link with 27 included 1995 300 Tdi Epsom Green - It's a keeper. Wide Track Sankey- In bits- Gone to a new home M0XQS |
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3rd Jun 2016 7:40am |
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| excossack Member Since: 22 Feb 2012 Location: North West Posts: 5842
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Thanks Phil
Had a quick look at Pauls and spotted http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s2p5333/GT-AGGRESSOR-2-0-2014 1999 Defender TD5 110 Regards John M0VAZ Econet Station 48 no clock |
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3rd Jun 2016 8:19am |
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| Lost for Words Member Since: 18 Jun 2015 Location: Warminster, Wiltshire Posts: 200 |
Please, please support your local bike shop rather than Halfords if possible.
I ride a 29er (Spesh Stumpy HT Carbon) and the difference is noticeable, both off road and on road at high speeds - smoother all round with less rolling resistance. I've changed out the transmission to give a very wide range, up to road-bike gearing, so it really flies. 
All I can say is, if you can stretch your budget any further, do. There are dozens of things that can make a bike better, but within that budget I fear there is little choice. A good bike is so much more encouraging to ride and well worth spending on IMO. Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver  |
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3rd Jun 2016 8:26am |
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