Hi, my non-biking mate has a £1k voucher for Evans and seeks my advice on bike choice. He wants a 29er, apparently, might get him down to 650b but I don’t think 26 would get a look in.

Norco Charger 9.1 seems to jump off the page, but it is a little ugly – or is it me? Think I’d be riding off on the Genesis High Latitude but maybe the Mantle 20 makes more sense if you’re not bike fit. Any thoughts?

Tell him to demo them all and decide on what feels the best.

Yeah, probably makes sense. I’m not sure I (or he) could tell much from a spin round the car park, although it was enough for me to buy me five… Just trying to stop him ending up with a Spesh.

Not sure there’s actually anything wrong with a Spesh, especially for a ‘non biking mate’? There may be more exciting options, but Spesh is like Ford or Vauxhall, innit? Some really nice things and a lot of average…

Test rides in order.

Pinnacle Ramin Four looks OK

Charge Cooker or the Genesis High Latitude.

How come a ‘non-biking’ mate is so caught up on wheel size?

Mcnulty,
I’ve ordered the Ramin 4 under the CTW scheme. It seems second to the Boardman 29er in terms of spec, but my employer doesn’t do their scheme.

From what I can work out it should be a fun ride which is all I’m after with this bike.

Spesh just seems a bit of an unimaginative choice – as you say, like Ford or Vauxhall – fine if it’s the escort mex or vx220 but surely not a fiesta? I just can’t recommend that.

Think the clown wheel obsession comes from his brother’s 29er being easier to ride round Swinley than a full bouncer 26″. Probably a good choice tho if you’re never going to do anything particularly challenging?

That pinnacle does look OK be good to hear how it rides. Is it a Ford though?

Is it a Ford though?

More like a Seat/Skoda
But then if your forced to buy from VAG and can’t afford an Audi, what you gonna do!?

(I buy on forks – so the Mantle 30 – although 80mm is a bit outdated)

Spesh just seems a bit of an unimaginative choice – as you say, like Ford or Vauxhall – fine if it’s the escort mex or vx220 but surely not a fiesta? I just can’t recommend that.

Why does it have to be an “imaginative” choice?

You are supposed to be helping buy the best bike for his needs not for you…

Just tell him to get a specialized its what every bugger gets anyway because they’ve heard of them, they read a good review in MBR and they’re generally recognised as decent bikes… even if the snobs don’t rate them.

What’s so terrible about buying the Ford equivalent anyway, its all that most people actually need, it’s got reasonable warranty.

If my Missus decided we needed a new family hatchback and I came home in a SLS saying “I almost went and got a Focus! but this is the imaginative choice, with magic doors” she’d kick me in the knackers and divorce me… and she’d be right to as well.

Not everyone needs to be coaxed into buying some “boutique” ego chariot.

Presumably the £1k voucher is intended to enable to find the right bike to get him to his workplace?

If he can stretch the £1k a bit (to £1199), I can recommend the Whyte 901.
Recently got one and am impressed so far.

Genesis High Latitude would be top of my list to try if I was him.

I bought a Cube Acid 29er last June and now every time I look at it I think I should have bought the Genesis….

cookeaa, If we don’t make a stand now, in the future, all bikes will be made by Specialized, there won’t be a Cafe Roubaix, and the world might as well end. Probably. Also if you can buy something that’s at least part-British, we can help balance the trade deficit or something. No bike purchase is an island.

Also, if you have an SLS and your missus leaves you, providing the knackers recover, it probably won’t be long before you can replace her with a more imaginative model.

Pretty much any Whyte bike would be a delight – but I don’t think Evans flog em…

Scott Aspect looks decent and the Specialized Carve is discounted by a few hundred. The Pinnacle bikes are great value and seem well received.
What colour do they like?