What bike for £450?

[alanw89]

Im starting to think about getting a new bike at christmas time (need plenty time to save up) and i reckon i could spend about £450, I've been told that full suspension bikes at that price arent gonna be as good as an equivalent hardtail so hardtail it is.

These are the bikes i've been considering:

GT Avalanche 1.0 Disc 2005
www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=5052

Kona Blast 2006
www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=60194

Specialized Hardrock Pro 2006
www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=70143

So is there anything else out there that you would recommend or are these the most popular bikes around that price and is any one better than the other two. I dont really know that much about mountain bikes so all suggestions would help.

Thanks in advance.

[gazzab]

I watched ebay for a couple of months and ended up getting a brand new Trek 6700SLR for £400. Retailed at £850. In fact this bike came with loads of extras as well.

[cannedheat]

Well I've just bought a Hardrock Sport disc and am pretty happy with it...the Pro certainly comes with some tastier components.

[Rednut05]

To agree with cannedheat, the Rockhopper is a good buy.

I would look at the 2006 bikes as opposed to the 2007 bikes for the money saving. Not much new technology will be brought out on a bike of this price range so I wouldn't be worried to look at 2006.

Specialized Hardrock Pro 2006

Compared to the Specialized Hardrock Pro 2006 that you have shown an interest in.

It has hydraulic disc brakes as compared to cable.
The front fork is better and also the gearing compolents are of higher quality. Gearing can be very annoying when it goes wrong, and can be very fidderly to fix.

Head what Canned has to say about his.

[pombstard]

Don't know about UK pricing, but can you get a bottom-of-range Giant XTC for that? Or a Giant Alias? Mate here has just bought an Alias for AU$1000 new and that comes with a great frame and hydro discs.

[E38]

Yeah ive been thinking of a Hardrock Pro Disc. Have heard some bad things, but these comments seem to only from the really hardcore bikers used to better (and MUCH more expensive) bikes.