With the virus and the crazy demands for MTB, I can get a Voodoo Bizango 29er from Halfords this week.

I want a decent bike general off-road and possibly trails if I get the chance.

Should I go for it or is there a better option out there?

For £675, there won’t be many better bang for buck bikes in stock.

Have you looked at the £600 Carrera Fury that comes with a dropper post.

Don’t forget to use your online British Cycling membership code for 10% discount.

You are unlikely to get a better specced bike for that price. Most other bikes that come close (e.g. Vitus Nucleus) are out of stock. The Bizango has consistently won MBR awards in its price category so I would say go for it. Of course if you can afford to spend more it’s worth it in the long run to get things like thru axles, TR wheels, tapered steerer etc.

Thanks everyone. It’s about my limit for a bike so I’m going to go for it.

I’m 5’11 should I go for M or L frame. Obvs, no chance of trying the bikes instore.

There’s a discount on British Cycling membership too.

https://www.hotukdeals.com/vouchers/britishcycling.org.uk

These should be on your list for review as well,

The New Giant Talon XC Hardtail

At 5’10” and short legs, I normally have ~91cm max between pedal axle and saddle top… So I would probably choose the 18″ frame over the 20″.

Its a more upright bike from memory, but my new Voodoo Marasa is the 18″.

I’m building a bike from parts for my nephew as I couldn’t find anything decent in stock for him around that price. First choice would have been the £660 Vitus Nucleus – but I look for a Bizango as an alternative and they weren’t in stock / listed as coming in shortly. Would have saved me a lot of work and been a bit cheaper if £675 – think I’m coming in around £850.

Although that’s 11 speed / 4 pot Clarks brakes / Suntour XCR 34 Lor Air etc. I’m even having to build the wheels.

Bizango is a great starter bike I would definitely have pointed him towards!

Thanks for everyone’s advice. I got my Bizango today, built it up and took it straight out for a 20 mile test. I went for the 18″ and the bike felt great. It was really controllable and felt easy. The weather was wet and the ground was a mixture of wet and dry dirt tracks, grass tracks and road.

First impressions:
1) 29er wheels are big! Even with the medium 18″ frame, it makes for a pretty big bike, glad I opted for this size. I’m 5″11 and a bit. It feels it weighs less than than expected.
2) The rear brake cable snapped the top cable tie after the brake cable got caught on the shoulder of the shock-absorber. This is annoying.
3) On the road there is a definite pumpy feel to the bike. Not sure if this means I need to adjust the shock. It was worse when it was locked.
4) Halfway through the ride the bike was making terrible noises. I think this was dirt/gravel caught in the disc brakes as it cleared up after a while.
5) It was packaged well and easy to assemble.
6) It is a 11-42 and I never needed to touch the two largest sprockets. I did max out the small sprockets on downhills.
7) I forgot my helmet.
8) The tyres seem ok but did slip on a muddy track going uphill. Is this to be expected or is it my technique?
9) No way do I need a dropper post yet.
10) The saddle was uncomfortable after 15 miles but I expect that from all bikes!
11) The handlebars seem wide to me! I think some people prefer wider bars but it was a struggle going down narrow paths at times.
12) The pedals look and feel cheap.

Advice:
1) After a muddy ride, what’s the best way to wash the bike down and keep it lubricated? I hosed it but now wondering if I need to use oil or lubricants anywhere?
2) I don’t feel anything needs upgrading except maybe the saddle? Any ideas?

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/bike-washing-and-cleaning

Generally just re-lube the chain after washing. Some people like to use GT85 on fork stanchions as well.

Standard aftermarket saddle still seems to be the veritable Charge Spoon as it’s cheap and the shape seems to suit a wide range of people.

Do NOT use GT85 stanchions – use a silicone spray like muc off silicone shine

Point 3. Forks can feel bouncy when riding road sections, but are you sure you got the lock/unlock process right? Sounds like you may have them mixed up.

Point 8. Technique really helps, on muddy climbs you have to balance your weight between front and rear to avoid rear wheel spin and front lifting. Stay seated, keep your weight low, (bent elbows and wrists) but those tyres are all-rounders, so won’t be brilliant in mud.

If it has cable brakes try upgrading them to cheap hydros.makes the world of difference.providing the cables aren’t too long they are simple to fit

I would have recommended a vitus nucleus which is very well specced for the price….. But I see they’re hard to get hold of

So, the bike has Suntour Raidons which are an air fork. First thing on setup make sure the lockout isn’t on and workout the sag to the right level. You’ll need a shock pump to adjust this and some way of working out how much the forks are sagging. I don’t know if that fork has a little band on one leg like Rockshox do. Aim for 25-30% sag.

Once you’ve got that you have a rebound damping adjustment on the bottom of the right fork leg. Turning this adjusts how quickly the fork is returning – it might be too far open – you can slow down how quick they rebound by adding more damping.

Anyone riding off road would benefit from a dropper post – you don’t know what you’re missing until you’ve ridden with one then go back to a bike without one.

Try not to get too much water from the hose around the headset / fork seals / hub seals etc. I’d use degreaser on the cassette and chain – then I use gt85 too get the water off – and when the gears have dried I’d then use some chain lube on the chain. I like dry / wax lines as they don’t get so gunky. A cheap one that’s ok that I use is Muc-off dry – it’s in a black bottle with a little yellow lid and is often cheap in Aldi.

Ardents are ok as an xc type allrounder – although they’ll probably be a cheap / hard compound on the Bizango.They have their limits but I’d ride them until you’re used to the bike and then see how you feel. Uphill on mud try not to stand up and crank the bike – if you can shift your weight onto the front of the saddle and balance between rear traction and the front lifting that’s probably the best compromise.

Saddle wise I’d give it another 3 or 4 rides and see how it goes. If it’s not getting any better then try something else. Fabric Scoop saddles can be had fairly cheaply – the ‘Radius’ is the most forgiving one but saddles are very much personal preference. On the bike I’m building for my nephew I’ve picked up a Charge Spoon because it was cheaper than the Fabric – but it doesn’t look like the kind of saddle I’d get on with now it’s arrived.

Thanks @joebristol and everyone for their advice. Just loving it so far, at the weekend I went out with a mate and he was struggling on narrower tyres but I think I’ll run the Maxxis Ardents until I’m used to what they do. Same with a dropper, I’ll get some experience first and take it from there. Still not touched the lowest two gears and I went up some steep hills. Worst thing I’ve found are muddy ruts which nearly threw me off. I found the best thing is to just relax and enjoy.

Another saddle recommendation from me would be the WTB Volt. It’s very similar in shape to the Charge Spoon, a similar price and also seems very popular with lots of people. I’ve tried both over a few years and definitely find the Volt suits me better on longer rides (20 miles plus).

I found the best thing is to just relax and enjoy.

You’re right! As you gain confidence you’ll find that letting the bike move around under you starts to feel very natural. Don’t try to keep everything rigid.

You’re right! As you gain confidence you’ll find that letting the bike move around under you starts to feel very natural. Don’t try to keep everything rigid.

This is, (I think) the main reason when any of my road-riding cycling club mates try out mountain biking they rarely return! They get battered and pinged all over the place by maintaining their stiff, efficient race bike posture.

Love this thread. Well done mistajolly! Bikes are just ace.

Update:

Took my bike to Woburn at the weekend. My friend is a keen cyclist and he took me around, he was on an old 26er, so much easier for him to weave through the various gates. I didn’t try the jumps, too early for that. The jump area was quiet! I finally used my lowest gear and learnt the hard way that going up hill in the wrong gear means shameful walking! I’m glad my handlebars aren’t wider, some tree trails seemed too narrow. There was some definite alpha male behaviour involving a couple of guys on super expensive bikes. They looked far to clean for me and one of them made it very clear he was raising his dropper post! I’m sticking with my bargain bike and so far so good!