[Closed] Which bike brand would you never, ever buy?

Cotic. The old 26" BFe was not suitable for long travel forks like they claimed. The sizing and reach was almost BMX compact. They were stiff as a budget Alu BSO. Why pay extra for a heavier steel frame!

I'm weary of all Hotlines brands, particularly for frames. Had three, two from different Hotlines brands with multiple defects. They just don't seem able to weld the rear triangles on straight and are not afraid to bodge/hide defects and top it off with a shite paint finish.

Canyon, cos the logo is bloody awful. Backward sloping font! Yeuch

I don't think there's any brand I wouldn't buy, lots of bikes I wouldn't look at for various reasons but nothing based on brand alone, I'd look at anything for the right use at the right price (bought all the unpopular oo, trek, spesh, cannondale and currently love my unbranded carbon...)

Don’t think I could ever say never if they were at the right price but it’s unlikely i’d buy:

Evil, warranty.
Trek, ruined far too many truly innovative brands.
GT, had a bad one.
Santa Cruz. Underwhelming test ride, would have a Yeti or Hope instead.
On One. Turned to mince with no interesting bikes.

I get they have some but really? It’s just a name...

I'm sure they are good bikes, but we are allowed to be irrational... It just puts me off them (not that I'm their target market. They won't give a shit)

Trek, Giant, Cannondale, Cube, Orange, Mondraker, Scott, Commencal.

Don't know why but they just leave me cold.

Looks at at this thread.... looks at my two Giants..... starts crying

Orange - my mum can produce better welds, also why don’t they smooth them down? If I bought one I’d be tempted to grind them smooth
Santa Cruz - great bikes but every time I visit the in-laws I go to Hurtwood and it’s full of nobbers on them in full face gnarmets, would feel like one of them if I bought one
As per SC for Pinarello on the road, they never say hi, nob-wheelers
Spesh - just boring as they’re everywhere
Bought a canyon years ago when the nerve first came out, now too common so like a direct sale spesh
Planet X as it’ll fall apart and they won’t care

Lot of insecure people who sound like they want to like SC, but are trying hard not to conform 🙂

Me and the missus didn't really get excited by SC when we first started biking, now we both own one. Can't afford an Audi though now 🙁

Seeing as no one has mentioned Whyte.. They are in the same category for me as Giant. Supposed to be great bikes and ride well, but for no rational reason, I just can't see me ever owning one.

I don't really dislike any brands, just some don't really interest me. Lapierre is another.

Lot of insecure people who sound like they want to like SC, but are trying hard not to conform

I think it's enve myself....

Hmmmm.
I'm with davidtaylforth^^^ on pg 3 about the exploding number of 'boutique' frame builders.
Should say that I'm not a serial bike swapper; don't upgrade components often, in my case N+1 has been mathematically limited to 4.
Maybe I've been.....lucky but I have no entrenched negative views about any bike or component manufacturer; yes, stuff fails and manufacturers usually say OK we'll sort it.
I don't do jumps or big air - just ride.
Frame materials are all (generally) good these days; I have Ti, aluminium, carbon & steel - Lynskey Cooper stock frame with bespoke build; Radon Sage - used - for £600 with Force 22 & a wheelset which CRC sold at £700; Kona Kula Watt ex Torq team 26" race bike with carbon frame- about 19 lbs all in; Indy Fab steel deluxe 29er which is a rebuild project.
The Radon is better than the Lynskey on road for a small proportion of the price; the Kona 26er takes some beating.
IMO you don't always get what you pay for.
It's easy to be influenced by fancy paint jobs which distract from considerations about build quality and geometry.
So much of the bike industry appears to be a triumph for the marketeers in convincing me/you/us that we really need the latest 'innovation'; niche to the Nth degree.

Cube, Merida,

Because I put riders of these in the same box that I put Hyundai drivers into.

I'm amused at the disdain for Giant and Merida, because many of the folk who don't like them are probably riding one, but have paid the Decal Tax to buy a bike made by them but with a different brand name stuck on it. Both are probably the best value for money propositions in the market.

And I'll stick in a good word for On-One too. Their basic bikes like the Pompino, Inbred etc are decently built and good designs. Pay discount prices and don't expect luxury bike finishes or service.

Never ever buy? Not sure. I've zero love for SC though. To me they're sold as a boutique/niche brand but in mass market numbers.

It maybe different elsewhere but here they're 10 a penny, it's like Audis, BMWs and range rovers, largely seem to be bought by people wanting to stand out but instead they just blend into the crowd. (See various "alternative" sub cultures and the associated uniform).

They may all be awesome in their own right but all of the above just make me think "aspirational bore" (or sales rep) due to the numbers you see.

OC my own bikes probably produce "oh God here we go" reactions from most and both appear in the above list a few* times.

*Maybe more than a few in one case, maybe even more than SC.

Fatbikes.

I let my riding do the talking on any bike.

Mongoose for me. No rational reason, I know they make great BMX's and I'm sure their MTBs are good too. I think Chris Akrigg is a great brand ambassador, but just never considered buying one.

I’ll add Merida to my list. They’re just a bit ‘meh’ aren’t they?

I reckon giant aren't that popular as they produce bikes at all price points.. My mum had a giant hybrid, it had very little in common with my trance, other than the name.

I've had many bikes, some from more boutique brands. I currently have a yeti and a giant, and both are superb.

I reckon giant aren't that popular as they produce bikes at all price points..

It's a visual thing for me. I've had quite a few Giants, some of them have ridden great but they've all looked bland TBH.

The new Meridas look pretty swish actually.

Intense, the worst bike I have ever bought, shit quality control, actually no quality control compounded by the fact it took them 4 months to exchange the defective frame. A triumph of style and bullshit over function.

Orange, I have never sat on one let alone ridden one but good god their full sussers offend my eyes, they look shit and I am being kind. There are better looking tractors in the fields and tbh quite a few combine harvesters look more elegant. That said they are honest bikes and I would have one long before any Intense.

ohhh and anything with a Lefty fork, fugly and then some.

Because I put riders of these in the same box that I put Hyundai drivers into.

Hey!

Cannondale, but mostly cos they have too many logos all over them. They are good bikes.

Generally I go for things that are a little left-field, I don't know why cos the riding I do is quite average. So I go for things that are a bit more esoteric so not normally the big brands.
But then again, Trek made some cool bikes about 6 years back - Sawyer, District, 69er etc and I really like the Cannondale Slate.

But mostly I buy when the discount is >50% and I'm not so picky then.

Currently riding a Revolution (Ed Bike Coop), a Rose and a Turner

Ohh and Chris King, had headsets and hubs, headsets were ok, hubs a bit disappointing but sooo expensive without any real reason and Ellsworth because their designer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Pb2 - I seriously thought Chris King hubs were the best you could get bar none...?

Overpriced niche (often uk) brands

It’s a bit like buying overpriced niche uk trousers

Having said that - I will demo a windy milla road bike soon

Nobeerinthefridge, I just saw that comment, I did a little clap 🙂

I never thought I'd be defending SC, but I bought one off the back of a demo as it's the first time I've ever ridden a bike that I gelled with straight away.

Missus bought a very high spec Roubion CC after test riding it 6 months ago, then having an op, then saving the money up to buy it.

I'm actually glad we upset the inverse-snobby people as we cruise round on them at sub-bimbling speeds. They'll soon be going in the back of a £1000 van, because we've no money left! 😆

I'd probably never by anything 'boutique' or 'niche' as I just can't justify spending silly (£5k etc) money on bikes. So basically stuff from SC, Yeti, Nicolai and a lot of other brands are out. I'm fairly price sensitive.

Even though the current models aren't too garish, I still don't like the look of Ellsworth.

I thought for a while that I'd never buy a Trek due to my memories of the brand (being mostly XC orientated with a token freeride rig chucked in for good measure) but they seem to have completely changed over the past 5-10 years - recent bikes are seriously impressive bits of kit and I just bought one which I'm really happy with.

[b]Pb2 - I seriously thought Chris King hubs were the best you could get bar none...?[i][/b]

They were a pain, to start with the Shimano cassette would not tighten down, got loads of flack on here from people who had never used them saying I must doing something wrong etc. Then I got confirmation from CK that I required a special spacer 🙄 Then they needed servicing more than other high quality brands and you had to find a bike shop that had a bunch of special CK tools which bumps up the hassle factor and cost.

DT Swiss, American Classic and Hadley were all excellent and far better value and the Hadley looked and sounded better and never required servicing in two years.

Surly.
Shit frame design and quality. Plus pretty much every Surly owner is a dull idiotic bore.
Ironically. I quite liked the owners of the company when we met.

Anything that has propriety parts. Got a Cannondale that took that to extreme and having not learned my lesson bought a Scott with a DT Swiss pull shock. That got sold PDQ after the fourth rebuild in 18 months.

So now nothing is off the table as long as there are no propriety standards/non replaceable items.

I'd not buy Specialized. Don't like the way they treat other firms who pose no threat to them.

Cannondale. Managed to snap three of their frames (was being paid to ride them). Don't like the logo being plastered all over the frame and don't like the ride of a Lefty.

Ellsworth because their designer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel

If Brunel designed bikes they would likely be the most stupendous things and you could pass them on to your grandchildren in perfect working order.

The brand I have fallen most out of love with is Planet X/On One, which is a shame because I used to hold them in such high regard. Looking back now I'm wondering if they have always been a bit crap, but I'm still loving riding my Inbred so maybe not!

Plus I'm still using a pair of surprisingly good and ridiculously cheap track wheels, which they don't do any more (obvs)

I don't think I've got an irrational hatred of any marque. If I don't like them it's for a reason whether valid or otherwise.

Ellsworth - just look ridiculous along with poor customer service reports and dubious suspension tech claims.
Yeti - too many dodgy suspension designs which are just trying to be different and meaning the basic design and qc go out the window. Oh and the stupid turquoise thing. I quite like the logo kind so never say never.
Merida - it's an own brand
Specialized - no to cables routed under the bb
Haibike - stupid name
Saracen - distributors own brand

That's not exhaustive and I may consider any of them if they'd make something incredible. I reserve the right to Change my mind at any point.

Is there a brand that hasn't appeared here yet?

Can't see any mention of Whyte, Salsa or Lapierre

You people sheesh ... Just get out and ride your bikes

gwurk - Member
Surly.
Shit frame design and quality. Plus pretty much every Surly owner is a dull idiotic bore.

There's nothing shit about their frame designs. Conservative geometry maybe, but that's a plus for people who are riding natural trails with a loaded bike.

They are built to last, and last they do. I'm still riding my 1998 1x1, and because they designed all their mtb frames with plenty tyre room it's perfect for UK mud, and also has the capacity for plus size tyres.

Ditto my Pugsley. When it comes to tough conditions and the ability to carry a load it's hard to beat, and I tend to pick it over my no-weight plastic fantastic.

Both are extremely versatile bikes. I can't speak for their road range, but the guys I know who have them all tend to hold on to their Surlys even though other bikes pass through their hands.

The only negative is that their prices on this side of the pond are high, but in both cases when I bought them there was no other similar bike being made.

Their warranty service is pretty good too.

As for the owners being dull idiotic bores, I'm not so sure. It's quite exhilarating to be in the company of other Surly owners when we settle into a discussion on the best material for sintered differential compression chain tugs. However we totally fail to understand irony... 🙂

Seems to be a lot of hate for Santa Cruz. They usually make well made nice looking bikes (bar the new nomad imo) and well marketed, with sponsorship deals with the right people.

But.... I have looked long and hard in the past but didn’t press the button on one as I couldn’t get my head around the pricing.
I mean is a Nomad 3 [i]really[/i] any better than a Capra?? More or less identical geometry but a nomad frame cost the same as a fully loaded capra.

flashinthepan, I mentioned Whyte and Lapierre 🙂

Nothing against them, they just don't do anything for me.

This whole " I hate this brand because someone who owned one was mean to me" thing, is a little sad.

The only knob I've ever met on a bike was riding a Santa Cruz ironically. Didn't put me off 🙂

Brands don't really factor in the decision for me. It's more aesthetics, parts standards etc. I'll avoid pressfit BB if I can, unless I really like the bike.

Giant is a safe bet, not a lot of their bikes really float my boat. I'd love a new 29er Anthem for clocking some mileage up on flatter stuff.

Don't plan to not buy any brands, designs keep changing, the new Cubes look really neat but i'll put it like this:
What do I not see myself riding currently?
-Scott
-SC
-pretty much every direct consumer brand
-Niner
-Saracen
-Hardtails

Actually I would never buy a commencal, there just seems to be a dark side to them that I can't grasp.

Funny thing is i'm going from a Spesh to a Trek 😀
The companies may be dicks but they make great bikes.

No irrational dislikes, just a big bit dislike for what TREK did to Lemond. They kowtowed to Armstrong and did not back the brand, in fact they actively did not distribute it. It was not a business decision it was a political one that they have now had to do a lot of back tracking.

"Yeti - too many dodgy suspension designs which are just trying to be different and meaning the basic design and qc go out the window. Oh and the stupid turquoise thing. I quite like the logo kind so never say never."

Best suspension platform i've ridden to date (sb6c). Nicely made too and tough (enormous off a few weeks back; it survived and I'm still recovering). Plenty will disagree I'm sure and post back links to dead Yetis etc.

Anyway, nothing further to add to my list.

PS. why do people not like Audis ? Should we add cars I'd never buy to the lists as well ?

why do people not like Audis ?

PS. why do people not like Audis ? Should we add cars I'd never buy to the lists as well ?

I really like some of their stuff, they make some beautiful , fantastically well engineered cars and have an amazing history.

Unfortunately, as well as normal people they seem to attract throbbers, young ****s, tailgating Uber reps and blind supermums in Qubelwagens.

We're on a cycling forum, so I doubt any owners here fall into those categories, but it's amusing nonetheless.

Used to be BM's, before that?

Oh dear...