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The rake is under £300 now with summer15 code. Looks like a better bike than that Fuji, and cheaper.
The limiting factor in this is how is the bike going to be used. I bought a voodoo bizango for 600 when they first came out. @3 rides a week in peak district slop the headset, bb, pedal bearings and hub were goosed in less than 6 months. Drivetrain followed suit before the year end. Love it as a 2nd bike still, but I've spent way more than it's initial cost on maintenance and upgrades.
That calibre looks great value. But the reviews on the site tell you the same story. If it's ridden regularly off-road in all conditions, it's going to break. And if you're not doing your own spannering that's going to be expensive relative to the cost of the bike.
If it gets pulled out once a week for a blast round a trail centre or ridden along toe paths to work, then that's a different story.
Can people not get some kind of test ride on these bikes? Might give you an idea of how it rides. Perhaps borrow a bike and get some idea of geometry / their riding style?
I appreciate with the low budget that it may take a bit of a chunk out to hire bikes, but it would be money well spent - there's loads of places that hire out cheaper bikes and would probably be a good way to do their toe in the water, so to speak.
I think a bit more information on what the purpose of the bike is would help though - rigid with big tyres may be a better option if just riding canals, etc.
It's hard to get a proper test ride on halfords and go outddoors bikes. I should image shop tests are only the expensive bikes.
Cheers guys the Go outdoors deal is certainly attractive, I'm going to get them to look at that as a starting point as the spec and price are spot on. Thanks for the help
And that’s not just because my local black run is at Swinley
The black run has recently been logged apparently! 😥
The calibre looks far better than the fuji
Don't forget the extra 15% off code
Got my daughter a Nakamura, Intersport own brand, for 279 euros and it is a really nice bike.
27.5 wheels, Shimano Altus gears, mechanical disc's brakes, front suspension, alu frame and it doesn't weight a ton.
My Vitus Nucleus was <£350 in 2014, as a bike to see if I liked MTB. I rode it loads, gradually upgrading parts as they wore out. I still ride it more than my £3.5k full suss bike.
Thanks very much for the advice - we got him the Calibre Rake and he loves it 🙂
Cheers - much appreciated.
good stuff.