GT Avalanche or Specialized Hardrock?

Indigo Gorilla · 27 Dec 2007 at 00:37

Getting a new bike in the new year and have £250-300 to spend. Seen these two but can't decide on which one I want.

Both are from Evans (getting the bike from here, no where else) and both cost £270 for the standard versions (The Specialized being the 2007 model) and £300 if I want the disc brake versions of either bike.

So which one does everyone recommend and are disc brakes worth it or shall I just save the £30.

Youstolemyname · 27 Dec 2007 at 10:26

Have you ridden either of them? I would go try that first as the riding position really makes the difference. I have the 2006 Hardrock sport and it is a great bike for what I do (bombing about in our local woods and going up and down a few paths around here)

Wouldn't bother with the discs if they are mechanical discs. They are often worse than normal brakes. Hydraulic discs are obviously infinitely better but infinitely more expensive.

Like I say, see if you can try either bike first and see what you find comfy.

Indigo Gorilla · 27 Dec 2007 at 12:08

Cheers,

I'll be getting the bike from Evans and if I leave my debit/credit card behind then I've read they let people take the bikes out for a test ride which is good. That said I don't really want to leave any of my cards there so will probably just leave the right amount of cash for the bike as it's safer.

Oh and I think they are indeed just mechanical disc brakes so I think I'll get the standard versions and then spend the £30 I save on some gloves/mitts and a helmet most likely.

These two bikes arn't the be all and end all however so if someone can reccommend something else (from Evans) then no problem. Only picked these two out as I've heard they're both made by decent manufacturers and I know the HRS has quite a few fans on here as well.

georges · 27 Dec 2007 at 12:51

I have the avalanche 2 disc, and tbh, I'd rather have just got the V brake version, then upgraded the front brake to a hydro disc and left the rear as V.

The mechanicals aren't too good, and the rear doesn't have much, if any, advantage as a disc, since both disc and V cause skids with ease.

Afaik the rest of the spec of the bike was the same (is this correct)? If this is the case, then take the non-disc over the disc, but if the spec differs between the two models I'd see which one is your personal preference.

edit: I checked spec, and IME, go for the non-disc one, then upgrade to your ideal front hydro disc in the future if you feel you need it. In some ways, the mechanical discs are a downgrade.

As for GT vs Spec. I can't help you there, but I'd say just try them both and see which is most comfortable for you.

B@Th*nG · 27 Dec 2007 at 16:10

I've got the hardrock with v brakes and it's more than suffient at stopping the bike.

I like the bike on the whole but if you want to use it on the road in the majority it's not great. Because the tyres are so chunky they drag more than regular mountain bike tyres and so you find yourself working that little bit harder to keep up a decent pace (compared to my previous mountain bike - which was nothing special) which takes some of the fun out of the ride. But the bike isn't designed for the road so there you go

i'm sure someone will disagree with me but i'd rather have spent my money on something designed more for the road instead.

B@Th*nG

Indigo Gorilla · 27 Dec 2007 at 18:20

Cheers for that one B@Th*nG.

Thing is I want to start using it mainly for the mountain biking and that on sundays mainly as thats when I'll have the time and then other times it'll just be used to go on smaller bike rides to keep my fitness levels up and improve my cardio. With that said I don't think it's really that bad if the bike is a little harder to use on the road as it'll improve my fitness because of it.

It'll be a 50/50 kind of bike then you see but I'd rather go for a proper mountain bike over something like a hybrid or road bike as well.

Popping down to Evans in the week to test them out.

MuvverRussia · 27 Dec 2007 at 19:06

I'd probably still go for the one with the discs. Even mechanical discs are better than V brakes if you ride in the UK- deep mud can easily cover your rims which mean you'll eat away your brake blocks in no time.

Also does the VBrake model come with disc hubs? If not and the disc one does then i'd be inclined to go for the latter as it'll allow you to slam on a cheap set of deore hydros in the future.

MoD_Callidus · 27 Dec 2007 at 21:32

Disc's for serious downhill events yus, but for weekend warriors and the like a good set of V's are fine.

nicholas_yiu · 28 Dec 2007 at 09:16

MuvverRussia said:
I'd probably still go for the one with the discs. Even mechanical discs are better than V brakes if you ride in the UK- deep mud can easily cover your rims which mean you'll eat away your brake blocks in no time.

Also does the VBrake model come with disc hubs? If not and the disc one does then i'd be inclined to go for the latter as it'll allow you to slam on a cheap set of deore hydros in the future.

I agree with this guy.

I have disc on the front and V-brakes on the rear.

On average, decent v-brake blocks last around 2 rides if it's wet and they cost 7 quid for the pair (xt ones). Although I agree the braking performance isn't that much worse than discs but I'll go for disc brakes because they are cheaper in the long run. Disc brake pads last forever compared to v-brake ones.

Also, not having disc hubs mean you have to get new wheels when you want to upgrade to disc brakes. A decent pair of disc wheels will cost you around £150. So for a price different of £30, I'll definitely go for discs even if they are mechanical.