New to the forum and looking for a new entry level 29er to kickstart the biking habit again.

Looking at a variety of bikes but stumbled across the Avanti Montari 2. See the link:

http://www.avantibikes.com/cross-country/montari292.aspx?bid=519

Looks like a killer spec for the price and maybe too good to be true. Does anyone know of the Avanti brand; reputation and all? Also is this spec as good as it looks or do I really need to spend £800 to get the entry level Cannondale?

Not bad but I would also look at a Voodoo from Halfords, especially if they have a sale on.

Check out what Charge have to offer.Cooker

You can get 2013 specialized hardrock 29er already
Rrp 499

The spec on that Charge is beyond crap!!
£1900 for Alivio kit?
Really 😕

What Charge are you looking at?

LOL. Charge Cooker was £720, £1k for the next one up. I love the look of the frame but the spec isn’t great. At £1900 it would amazingly bad. 😆

The Voodoo 29ers seem to start at 20.5″ frame which might rule you out….

Thanks for all the comments. I looked really seriously at the Charge Cooker Mid but was eventually convinced that the spec on the Avanti bettered it. All the reviews about the Voodoo Hoodoo seem to concentrate on the 26er, so the 29er seems like an unknown quantity. Must admit to not having seen a Specialized 29er under £1300. Will look into that. I was also tempted by the Trek Cobia on a deal except that I couldn travel halfway across the country to get it.

Got to make a decision soon as I am using whatever I buy on a biking holiday in France in Aug!!

I got a voodoo bokor 29er for that money, ace.

In fact, so much so I’ve upgraded everything on it since! Stock kit was fine, just loved it and wanted to make it better. Thought about swapping out for a lighter frame, but I like the way it rides so much it seems a waste/might end up worse.

I looked really seriously at the Charge Cooker Mid but was eventually convinced that the spec on the Avanti bettered it

Spec means jack if the geometry of the frame is poor. Gears wear out sooner or later.

My skinny Duster is the nicest bike I’ve ridden (for me), I really can’t tell if the mech is LX or XTR or Deore (all have been on there).

Hear good things about the Voodoo though, and should be easier to get a test ride on.

You can get 2013 specialized hardrock 29er already
Rrp 499

Lovely looking bike for the dosh and a great bike to get you restarted !

Does anyone know of the Avanti brand; reputation and all

They’re from New Zealand, just starting to appear over here..

My local bike shop has just got a few Montari’s in for hire/sale and they seem pretty decent – not had a chance to ride one yet other than round the car-park.

You can get 2013 specialized hardrock 29er already
Rrp 499

Took a good look at this today. I agree it looks like a good bike. Can anyone tell me the real difference between the “RockShox XC 28 100mm Travel, Preload/Rebound and lockout”; and the “80mm-travel SR Suntour fork with preload adjustment, lockout and size-specific spring rates means the suspension is dialled for rider size”?

Is the RockShox worth another £70 and will I notice the difference between 24 and 27 gears?

Just need a little help here to sort out the fact from the hype.

The Voodoo is a better spec. It has a halfway decent bolt through air fork so you can adjust the spring rate easily yourself. Pretty decent shimano gears, hydraulic brakes and single speed convertible if you are that way inclined. In the last sale seem to remember they did them for 500. At that price I can’t see why you would buy anything else. If the Voodoo is 600 plus the spesh may be worth a go if your budget is really tight. Either fork you mention above will be ok for a first bike but neither is as good as the one on the Voodoo I.m.o. Arguably the Rockshox a bit better but not enough in it to care about. if you are getting back into biking biggest factor is do you want to ride it? May be best to go with instinct and just get what you like the look of – chances are it will make you want to ride it!

Whatever you get – hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for all the comments. Bought the Avanti the other day and really impressed with the ride. Looking forward to giving it a proper test in the next few weeks. Is it my imagination or are the 29 inch wheels just better rollers?

http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/ is selling the Avanti I to thought they looked OK for the money…