EMERGENCY!! Friend wants to buy this...

thebouldwhacker

Hi all,

A mate wants to by this bike,





All mountain 6" travel bar linkage

Suntour Epicon 140mm travel fork with lock out

X-fusion Glyde RL rear coil shock with lock out

• SRAM SX5 27 speed gearing with trigger shifters
• Powerful Tektro IO disc brakes with 180mm front rotor
• Truvativ Isoflow chainset with powerspline bottom bracket
• DDm1 disc specifc rims with Tioga Factory
• Extreme tyres
• Bike accessories also available

[

• Frame Material Aluminium
• Frame Size:17-18
• Gears: 21+
• Gender Mens
• Suspension: Full
• Alloy Rims: Yes
• Brake Type Mechanical Disk
• Chainset Truvativ Blaze powersplined
• Exact Frame Size: 18"
• Fork Lock-out Yes
• Fork travel: 140mm
• Forks Suntour Epicon
• Forks - Adjustable damping : No
• Frame Colour:Grey
• Frame-7005 Series Aluminum
• Front Brake Tektro Tektro IO - 180mm rotor
• Front Mech: Sram SX5
• Gear Shifters: Sram SX5 triggers
• handle Bars Kalloy, Over-sized - black alloy
• Headset Semi-Intergrated - Black
• Arial]Hubs Formula DC-20
• Number of Gears 27
• Pedals Wellgo - alloy platform BMX style
• Quick Release Wheels Yes
• Rear Brake
• Rear Mech] SRAM SX5
• rear Shock X-fusion Glyde RL coil
• rear Shock Adjustable Damping Yes
• Rear Shock Lock-out Yes
• Rear wheel travel 150mm
• Rims Strongarm DDM-1, Double walled with Eyelets
• Saddle Carrera
• Seatpost:Kalloy Micro Adjust SP-601
• Arial]Stem: Kalloy - Matt Black
• tyre size:2.1"
• Tyres: Continental Speed King
• Wheel size:26"

he reckons its the Mutts Nuts




I need info to convince him not to do it (no offence but I see Halfords as nothing more than a MacShop


without proper knowledge or back up. I am as always open to correction regarding this
His budget is €350 and he wants it for the Ballyhoura trails, I want him to go at least €500 but Halfords have BRAINWASHED



him into thinking that this is the be all and end all of bikes…


HE NEEDS YOUR



Sorry for being dramatic but I needed to catch your attention………….

thebouldwhacker

This should have been there too...
Carrera Banshee Full Suspension Mountain Bike with superb aluminium frame.

RobFowl

At that price he needs to go for a hardtail , that bike won't last 6 months of off road riding .

Enduro

Thats a pretty crap bike alright. Very low end compents all round. The best way to enjoy Ballyhoura is on a decent hardtail, which, as stated above, will probably cost around 700 euro new. Anything less is just a bike shaped object which will fall apart after a few off-road spins.

A 140mm full suspension bike would take all the fun out of ballyhoura, even (especially) if it was an expensive top end bike.

Greyspoke

....and it no doubt weighs a ton..

thebouldwhacker

Cheers.... (weight off my sholders) Keep the comments coming, in a few days I'm gonna forward all this to him so he can read it so be as truthful as you wish:D:D... all comments will be used:cool:

WicklowRacer

Wrong bike for the Houra.

Get a XC hardtail - something like a Specialized Rockhopper.

Don't buy it from Halfords.

Light, cheap, strong - pick any 2.

thebouldwhacker

I was on a review site last night and there were 5 different halfords staff defending the shop and this bike!!!

coincidence??

I think not!

The fix is in boyz... :cool:

dave.obrien

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/banshee-10017

bike radar review here. reads not too badly actually, but i would point out how it says that set up needs to be good. i wouldn't be confident of getting that from your standard halfords employee...

but is this really the bike you need for houra? i know i've only tested myself there the once, but this doesn't seem to fit... at all.

just to get the jump on an angry, and no doubt extremely committed, halfords bike mechanic, there are some of you who do a great job. your reputation is tarnished by those for whom working on a bike isn't what they really want to be doing.

studiorat

Carrera Banshee while isn't top end by any standard isn't a bad bike at all for the money. Good starter for an all mountain bike IMO, change out the cranks and change over to hydraulic brakes after a while and it's a good-un, for a tank anyway!

NeilMcEoigheann

get a hardtail. better for components and cheaper, but for god sake don't by that demon bike... a hardtail would be much better for ballyhoura aswell full suspension xc bikes need to be expensive to be worth it.

Bunnyhopper

I'd say you can probably get a basic Specialized Hardrock for under €350 now. It might not have the greatest components, but it'd be a decent hardtail frame.

skuzzb

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/13501/Kona_Four_Bike_2008

A hell of a lot of bike for very little money. If he really wants a full sus that is the minimum spend for a good brand with good parts.

Delivery is about 25 quid and had no problems with delivery.
If he can get the cycle to work thing, it hits in his budget.

If not the Kona Hoss is great value on there too.

kona

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

Hi all,

A mate wants to by this bike,





All mountain 6" travel bar linkage

Suntour Epicon 140mm travel fork with lock out

X-fusion Glyde RL rear coil shock with lock out

• SRAM SX5 27 speed gearing with trigger shifters
• Powerful Tektro IO disc brakes with 180mm front rotor
• Truvativ Isoflow chainset with powerspline bottom bracket
• DDm1 disc specifc rims with Tioga Factory
• Extreme tyres
• Bike accessories also available

[

• Frame Material Aluminium
• Frame Size:17-18
• Gears: 21+
• Gender Mens
• Suspension: Full
• Alloy Rims: Yes
• Brake Type Mechanical Disk
• Chainset Truvativ Blaze powersplined
• Exact Frame Size: 18"
• Fork Lock-out Yes
• Fork travel: 140mm
• Forks Suntour Epicon
• Forks - Adjustable damping : No
• Frame Colour:Grey
• Frame-7005 Series Aluminum
• Front Brake Tektro Tektro IO - 180mm rotor
• Front Mech: Sram SX5
• Gear Shifters: Sram SX5 triggers
• handle Bars Kalloy, Over-sized - black alloy
• Headset Semi-Intergrated - Black
• Arial]Hubs Formula DC-20
• Number of Gears 27
• Pedals Wellgo - alloy platform BMX style
• Quick Release Wheels Yes
• Rear Brake
• Rear Mech] SRAM SX5
• rear Shock X-fusion Glyde RL coil
• rear Shock Adjustable Damping Yes
• Rear Shock Lock-out Yes
• Rear wheel travel 150mm
• Rims Strongarm DDM-1, Double walled with Eyelets
• Saddle Carrera
• Seatpost:Kalloy Micro Adjust SP-601
• Arial]Stem: Kalloy - Matt Black
• tyre size:2.1"
• Tyres: Continental Speed King
• Wheel size:26"

he reckons its the Mutts Nuts




I need info to convince him not to do it (no offence but I see Halfords as nothing more than a MacShop


without proper knowledge or back up. I am as always open to correction regarding this
His budget is €350 and he wants it for the Ballyhoura trails, I want him to go at least €500 but Halfords have BRAINWASHED



him into thinking that this is the be all and end all of bikes…


HE NEEDS YOUR



Sorry for being dramatic but I needed to catch your attention………….

that banshee has similar geometry to a kona stinky, not a bad deal for e350:)

whats the emergency anyways, the fact that your mate is going to get what appears to be a decent deal in halfords. Or the fact that your a retail snob and cant deal with the fact hes ignoring your advice and getting the best deal he can?*

Speaking of halfords, whats the craic with their prices, i think they have ****ed up in the blanch store, they had a kona blast there for e450 and a cindercone for e560 , thats half the cyclogical price:eek:

I think the main reason halfords is regarded as the negro of bike shops is because it has a heap of stores and is structured in a retail enviroment.

With upto 400 stores id say its hard to fill every one with knowledgable staff, but im sure there are a few that would beat the bajaysus out of some of the bike shops in dublin.

So i suppose its hit and miss with them, on a side note, if the staff are spending time on bike forums im sure it will be safe to say they will have as much of a interest in the bikes as you do, and perhaps are more knowledgable. I wouldnt think its nice to see that your repution is being tainted by some other gob****es who just hapen to work for the same company but in a shop 400 miles away.


*yes i do expect this sarcastic statement to stir the ****, but its what your coming acros as

thebouldwhacker

Thanks for all the posts, comments and info.

A prezzi for all posters..

(A CHAINLESS MTB, WHY? WHY NOT:D

Quick note to kona, as your expecting a response I'd hate to dissapoint...:rolleyes:

whats the emergency anyways, the fact that your mate is going to get what appears to be a decent deal in halfords. Or the fact that your a retail snob and cant deal with the fact hes ignoring your advice and getting the best deal he can?*

I'm far from a 'retail snob' I wear my €10 Aldi cycling top and other bargan buys with pride! I simply feel that when your spending that much money on something that will require follow up work one is better off to a local bike shop (so long as they know what they are doing). Local bike shops imo are the best option, go to any faceless provider and you get what you pay for! This includes online shopping, I buy my bits and bobs where I can, local, online, discount or mega marts but I would always buy things like a bike localy (again so long as the 'local' shop knows their stuff), also on this point I told him to buy what feels good to him, he loves the look of it and so that matters to him so if he's happy hes happy... he's 14/15 stone and I just dont think the bike will stand up to the punishment, being a mate I said I'd do a shout out on boards to see what would come back. Thats all.

Now that said, onto this comment '...regarded as the negro of bike shops...' The WHAT of bike shops???? WTF does that mean? arse to being P.C. ya cant just throw that term out like that........ shame:mad:

kona

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

being a mate I said I'd do a shout out on boards to see what would come back. Thats all.

You forgot, "and use a tone of language and structure as to ensure a speedy anti-halfords attack and ensure that my mate doesnt drop a few quid in halfords".

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

I'm far from a 'retail snob' I wear my €10 Aldi cycling top and other bargan buys with pride! I simply feel that when your spending that much money on something that will require follow up work one is better off to a local bike shop (so long as they know what they are doing). Local bike shops imo are the best option, go to any faceless provider and you get what you pay for! This includes online shopping, I buy my bits and bobs where I can, local, online, discount or mega marts but I would always buy things like a bike localy (again so long as the 'local' shop knows their stuff), being a mate I said I'd do a shout out on boards to see what would come back. Thats all.

You are a snob:D your not shopping in halfords because you feel that LCBs are far superior. I have a few questions. Have YOU ever had a bad experience in a halfords store? or just internet crap talk??

Can you define these magical LCBs?:) Im sure halfords is "Local" to many, Im sure it Employs "Local" staff, which would imply that it has "Local" knowledge.
So could you define halfords as a group of 400 LCBs all run by a Large Company? I dont know how you can define halfords as a faceless provider, if you said wiggle, CRC etc i will agree but, Halfords is a physical shop, (although mostly made of steel not bricks and mortar), The staff are real. I dont think its fair to call all halfords **** when maybe people have had a bad experience in one or two stores, ive had plent in LCBs, thank god i dont have to deal with them anymore.
Halfords provide ireland with alot of jobs and are one of the retailers actually going to provide ALOT more they are opening 14 more stores, I dont think its a good idea tarring all of halfords with one brush because some guy you never met said bad things about the bike he bought or had repaired in the 1 out of hundreds of stores. Id say realistically 15% of their stores are ****e, not too bad if you consider the numbers.(That figure is pure guess)

***shock Horror*** Lcb's or Bike shops as i like to call them, all are not fantastic, infact there are only a handful that are good in my experience and loads that are pure crap just out to make a quick buck.(the ones in artane and sutton springs to mind:()
Halfords can also offer bikes with a discount that NO LCB could dream of(this doesnt mean they always do:mad:)

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

Now that said, onto this comment '...regarded as the negro of bike shops...' The WHAT of bike shops???? WTF does that mean? arse to being P.C. ya cant just throw that term out like that........ shame:mad:

Get off your high horse, I HATE PC, but thats another days work.:D Nothing wrong with saying NEGRO(OMG Oh no he didnt:pac:) I dont dress in a bed sheet and lynch people, i couldnt give a **** what race, colour, whatever you are, ill treat you all the same. If your a arsehole your a arsehole and treated accordingly.:cool:

uberwolf

kona wrote: »

Get off your high horse, I HATE PC, but thats another days work.:D Nothing wrong with saying NEGRO

Here's the funny thing. The term is a racist slur. Your use was a slur. It was probably intended light heartedly. But just avoid using it please.

http://www.rsdb.org/search?q=negro

I've also deleted the two posts which were off topic