Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)
  • £1k MTB Advice – GT Zaskar, Sensor, Lapierre or Specialized
  • sjr202
    Free Member

    Guys, please help…
    My company has signed to the Cycle to work scheme, Im happy to go to the £1k limit and have been advised by one of the guys in a shop that for the money he would recommend one of the following:
    GT Zaskar Comp
    GT Sensor 4.0
    Lapierre (I think the Tecnic 700)
    Specialized Rockhopper Comp

    I have a Specialized Hardrock Pro Disc from 2006 which I love but am treating myself. Anyone any thoughts on the above, I like the idea of the FS Sensor but have heard good things about Lapierre bikes, and finally having had the Hardrock and being impressed cant ignore the Rockhopper!!
    However I dont know the tech specs and what they mean, treat me as a MB nubie!
    If it helps, Im 12st, 5’9″ and will use it for forests, modest downhill, cross country, occasional road/hard track mix. No comp just enthusiastic weekend stuff.
    Thanks
    Simon

    kimbers
    Full Member

    the zaskar and the rockhopper would probably be quite similar bikes of the 2 id be happy to go with the specialized if thats what you know and like but the zaskar does seem to offer a lighter racier package with better brakes and forks
    the lapiere seems a bit under specced compared to the other 2, at least on the fork,a gain probaly still a very good bike

    the sensor looks a good bike and a decent full suss bike will open up a new style of riding, the components would benefit from being upgraded when you have the cash but if you are happy to do so it would be the bike for me
    and id keep the rockhopper for the road stuff, maybe put some semi slicks on it

    but if it was my money and assuming you are going through halfords, this bike is better than any of teh above
    http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_786815_langId_-1_categoryId_165499#dtab
    101

    4ndyB
    Free Member

    Which shops can you use your voucher in?

    There are better specced bikes available than those in your list for under £1000 such as the Cube LTD Team @ £989, RS Reba forks, XT/SLX 10 spd drivetrain, XT hubbed wheels, Easton finishing kit…

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    sjr202
    Free Member

    Hi Kimbers
    Thanks for the advice, I hadnt thought of keeping the hardrock for the road and sticking slicks on, great idea!
    Like you say the FS could open up some extra speed and trails that the hard tail might not cope as well with. I wasnt looking at Halfords as there are a dozen local bike shops round here that are available to choose from, Ill have a closer look at the Voodoo.
    THanks Again

    Mike
    Free Member

    If It was me I’d go for the full suss option – a newer hardtail wont be hugely different from your existing Hardrock. Plus a full susser may push you onto, or at least let you try out more demanding trails…

    sjr202
    Free Member

    Andy
    I have about 11 shops round me that I can go to, went to Action Bikes in Camberley earlier, Ive been to cycle kingdom before where I bought my last one and they are great but mainly Specialized guys.
    Speaking to a guy who is a downhill nut didnt seem convinced on the Cube geometry, which I dont really understand but he said it was old tech given a modernisation by Specialized but admitted they were good spec. He breathes MBing so I am sure I wouldnt notice the differences!

    sjr202
    Free Member

    Hi Mike
    That did cross my mind, the hard tail i have is pretty good for what i do so someone did say to notice a BIG difference on at HT i would need to spend a lot more than 1k. My mate has a Specialized S WOrks which is sweet, and he is a better biker than me but on rutted/tree root covered trails I cant keep up no matter how hard I try, for my ego I put it down to the FS on his 😉

    Mike
    Free Member

    Yeah, that’s what I was getting at – a new 1K hardtail will just be a shiny new version of what you already have. With regards to the Cube geometry, you’ll find they’re steep ish angle wise, which results in a more arse up heads down riding position, compared to some other brands and models. All depends exactly what you’re looking at though in order to get a true comparison

    montylikesbeer
    Full Member

    on one and they do the cwc

    james
    Free Member

    If you get to use halfords/bikehut then the £1000 chris boardman full suss will likely be better spec than almost anythign else
    http://www.boardmanbikes.com/mtb/fs_team.html

    4ndyB
    Free Member

    The geometry doesn’t differ too much between a Rockhopper and a Cube LTD.

    The ‘Hopper has a longer top tube and longer wheelbase

    The Cube has a 72° seat tube, the ‘Hopper has a 73° seat tube, both bikes head angles are 70°

    As for Cube using Spesh’s ‘old tech’ I would assume he means the Horst link on a full suspension frame, which Spesh hold the US patent on and they still use as do lots of other non American manufacturers. It may be an old design, but it works well

    Time to go test riding to see which bike suits you best

    But on paper the Cube LTD Team is hard to beat for value for money

    grim168
    Free Member

    I’m in the same boat but looking at 1k full sus. Its between the boardman and the specialized camber comp. I can use a Halfords voucher at leisure lakes. Pity you can’t add to. If I go for the camber I might swap some bits over from my orange crush.

    sjr202
    Free Member

    Thanks for all the advice guys, Ive had chance to read a load of reviews and some other forums and for FS, Boardman Team for just about 1k seem to be the highest regarded, a lot of people are put off because only Halfords sell it, but according to the magazine reviews its a great bike for the price. Leisure Lakes are selling the Specialized Camber FSR Comp for 999 which from my readings is a good frame but with downgraded components which if you upgrade yourself could make it into a great bike.
    As for Hardtails, the CUBE Ltd looks awesome and a mate has ridden one said it handles as well as any bike he has ever riden.
    Time to get out there and sit on some saddles!

    philconsequence
    Free Member

    not sure if they do the cycle to work thingy but if you’re based in fleet and want to check out cubes then head over to cyclezone in crowthorne. cyclekingdom in fleet is an excellent shop but as you say they’re mainly specialzed dealers and dont have many full sussers in store to try out.

    if you’re going to try halfords bikes then head over to the bracknell store instead of f’bro gate as the guys in bracknell all know their stuff, see them out on their bikes all the time 🙂

    out of curiousity…. courtmoor or calthorpe? 😈

    sjr202
    Free Member

    Phil, thanks for that, the screwing together of Halfords bikes are the only thing that people say to be careful of so if Bracknell know what they are doing sounds good to me. I havent been to Cyclezone but thats pretty close so can take a look at CUBE there thanks, I know the owner of Cycle Kingdom and they are a great bunch of lads but FS Specialized are above the 1k so I’ll keep visiting them for service and bits.

    Haha I actually grew up in Staffordshire so only been in Fleet 7 1/2 years, I think a few of my mates round here went to Calthorpe the rest were posh so were at Salesian.

    philconsequence
    Free Member

    aww you missed fleets glory years, before the town centre turned into a wasteland of charity shops, pubs and estate agents.

    i’m very glad cyclekingdom is still going strong, bought my first ever bike there 🙂 7 1/2 years you say… thats about the time my parents sold up and moved away, you didnt buy a place in church crookham that backs onto the MOD woods?

    sjr202
    Free Member

    I know I used to go out in Fleet when I was at uni as a mates parents lived near and it was packed at weekends with good atmosphere and day time alright shops, its a fairly wealthy area so why its full of charity shops, crap bars and the like I dont even know, it even has 2 pound land type places now!
    No my flat is on Legoland aka Elvetham Heath, middle of the road estate but close enough to yately woods and ceasers camp for the biking!

    sjr202
    Free Member

    Sadly just read some small print!! My company is using Cyclescheme, which means no Halfords! Therefore I might be limited in what I can choose. I think it is just the Boardman which is off the list of interest, which is a shame as that was the one becoming first choice! 🙁

    Gee-Jay
    Free Member

    Just seen this thread, not commenting on the bikes but cyclekingdom are very good & it was Calthorpe for me, left in ’81 I think (it was a long time ago)

Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)

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