New bikes for family query

hawkelady

Hi, not sure if this is the right place to post but I'm looking at getting new mountain bikes for 2 adults + 2 kids. I was looking at halfords selection of trax bikes. All in for €500!! I know some of you guys spend thousands on your gear. Is there any place else I could consider looking or is halfords the cheapest. It's mainly for going on trips together , nothing to strenuous.
Any advice will be appreciated.

leeomurchu

hawkelady wrote: »

Hi, not sure if this is the right place to post but I'm looking at getting new mountain bikes for 2 adults + 2 kids. I was looking at halfords selection of trax bikes. All in for €500!! I know some of you guys spend thousands on your gear. Is there any place else I could consider looking or is halfords the cheapest. It's mainly for going on trips together , nothing to strenuous.
Any advice will be appreciated.

4 bikes for €500 sounds very cheap. If budget is your only criteria I'd say you'll find it hard to beat that price. you might get some places that'll throw in the kids helmets.

If you have an axa card or know someone who does you'll get a further 15% off in Halfords

Darkglasses

Halfords is probably the cheapest. I don't want to burst your bubble, but you'll get what you pay for. Heavy, unreliable, prone to rust, will not last too long. If its just for tipping around on once or twice, it'll be ok, but if you want any longevity or medium-distance riding done you're probably going to end up needing new ones soon enough.

happytramp

€100 is VERY cheap for a bike. But please bare in mind it will be made of VERY cheap materials and will probably not last very long.

Lumen

If you avoid any kind of suspension you might be OK.

How bad can this be?

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_770971_langId_-1_categoryId_212589

hawkelady

Lumen wrote: »

If you avoid any kind of suspension you might be OK.

How bad can this be?

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_770971_langId_-1_categoryId_212589

Hiya. I was actually looking at the ones with suspension for €125... Why would you advise to stay away from the suspension ones. Are they more prone to breaking ?
Cheers for all the replies much appreciated.

Lumen

...although for a few quid more from Belfast I'd be tempted to go with BTwin

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-50-mountain-bike-black-id_8202062.html

Lumen

hawkelady wrote: »

Hiya. I was actually looking at the ones with suspension for €125... Why would you advise to stay away from the suspension ones. Are they more prone to breaking ?
Cheers for all the replies much appreciated.

Suspension costs money, so for the price every other component will be crapper, and in any case cheap suspension is heavy, slow and pointless.

You're not going to be flying down off-road trails at 50kph on a 100 quid bike anyway.

leeomurchu

Lumen wrote: »

...although for a few quid more from Belfast I'd be tempted to go with BTwin

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-50-mountain-bike-black-id_8202062.html

I'm beginning to think sales reps are on boards. If I see another Btwin add I'll crack up.

OP would you not maybe consider renting bikes if it's only for a family holiday?

fat bloke

10 burgers for a euro.

Sure how could you possibly go wrong with that?

Lumen

leeomurchu wrote: »

I'm beginning to think sales reps are on boards. If I see another Btwin add I'll crack up.

That's right, I posted 16,637 times just waiting for the moment I could finally shill a €130 Btwin.

leeomurchu

Well at least you're an honest sales rep.. haha

TheBikeGuy

Stay away from Trax bikes they are notoriously bad. Put it this way, its the only type of bike halfords have to charge people to assemble it after they buy it

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_770971_langId_-1_categoryId_212589

Look at the additional information section near the bottom. 'We can build your bike for you, for only 25 euro'

All the other bikes come assembled for no charge, the Trax is so difficult they have to charge 2 hours of labour!

cdaly_

hawkelady wrote: »

Hiya. I was actually looking at the ones with suspension for €125... Why would you advise to stay away from the suspension ones. Are they more prone to breaking ?
Cheers for all the replies much appreciated.

Cheap suspension components are just that; cheap. You'll get a spring that makes the bike bounce (which wastes energy), you'll end up with extra weight (which makes it harder to push).

Cheap bikes also come with cheap brakes which, while technically adjustable, will end up not adjustable because the adjusters have crumbled...