bike.Pros and cons of this bike.

I would like to know your collective thoughts on what you think are the bad/good points of the

Yes I will tweak it over time so what would you change first, the rear shock?

Baring in mined that it sonly £640 at the moment.

Cheers.

Looks ok to me…not the top-end kit that you could have (by spending a lot more cash) – but it doesn't look bad. Suspect it might be on the heavier side but that is more down to spec of kit rather than just being made of lead. Saying that, the kit all looks good and it should be fine.

I'd say go for it if that is the one you have your eye on, I doubt there will be much wrong with it until you start pushing it beyond it's comfort level…

Decent shifters and brakes.
It'll be heavy.
Questionable forks.

Why buy that when you could get twice the value here Giant Trance

Looks alright, not a bad spec for the price (X5, Juicy 3, Mavic rims). Probably pretty heavy though despite being 'lightweight' 7005. In that sort of price range I'd be looking at bikes like this…

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b4s1p2273

:edit: Beat to it…by exactly the same bike at the same shop 😯

Price plays a big part and the Carrera is only £640 at the moment and I’m after something that’s geared to taking a bigger hits than the Giant. I know it will need upgrading before I start doing anything to mad but I don’t have the cash for a midrange full suss bike right away, so I figured this would make a good place to start. I wanted to check its not going to be a complete dog before I start.
I’ve had a ride around the shop on one and It feels right, which is better than some of the more expensive full sus bikes I’ve sat on over the last few weeks.

I have a set of X9 shifter, X7 derailleur’s and a decent seat post that will go on the bike and at that price I could scrape enough for a decent rear shock as well.

Cheers B.

PS.Dont you think the Giant looks like something my granny would ride to the shops on.

One of the bloke's at work lad had a Banshee, and whilst he reckons it a good bike for the price and intended use it knackered up pretty comprehensively when starting to take 'bigger hits'.

That’s concerning do you have any other information on what sort of things and how badly they failed.

Earlier ones had epicon forks that wont be near as good as the zochi's on the new one, at the price it will be absolutely fine as is, just replace things as they wear out… My mate just bought one to take to the Alps this year, he isnt a big MTB'r but it will do him, he bought 2nd hand for about £250!!

I don't know the details, but I think by the time he'd finished with it, pretty much everything major (and definately the frame) had been replaced under warrantee, but he was using it as a mini DH bike. You'd need to talk to Halfords about what it was designed for, and consider the sort of riding you do or intend to do.

There was a Pro Flex something on Pauls cycles for a similar price, and it came with Pikes! I can't really search at the mo as I'm posting from my phone, but it got mentioned in a thread very recently.

Edit – http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b62s1p2444

I had a frame only and it was pretty heavy (about 9lb frame only) so it's gonna be beefy regardless. Its basically a Kona (same front end) with a chainstay pivot, by all acounts they ride well (I sold mine before I built it). If you can stretch to one then the Mongoose Teocali on paulscycles is a good bet as well.

A friend has had one for about a year and it's done him well at Afan.Handled it with ease.Heavy though.Only one issue.The bolt at the bottom of the back shock snapped,but he'd been giving it the cherries on some serious DH tracks around here.