New Hardtail advice

My old rockhopper has served me well but is pretty wrecked now so looking to get a new hardtail for next year under the bike to work scheme. Nothing too fancy but something that will serve me well in the club league and the few NPS rounds that I manage to make next year. At the moment I'm leaning towards buying an XTC frame (Alu), XT groupset and Mavic crossrides thru my local bikeshop which will set me back around € 1000 (I know - prob at least 20% dearer than I could get on line but I need to do it thru the bikeshop to avail of the BTW scheme). I've got a set of forks and brakes so would then be sorted. But although I'm more or less decided I'm still not sure whether I should just buy this instead :
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/product...id=m1b4s2p1686
I'm also not sure about which wheels to go..
So all advice welcome, particularly about the wheels ..

Keep you cash and ride/wreck you bike for the winter. But something new in March/April

If I was in your shoes Mick I'd grab that XTC, sweet as a nut.

Mick, you're after coming along really well as an XC racer and I know you have to squeeze in the training and the races but you've made huge progress and the bike to work scheme looks tempting, but seriously if you are going to race XC and you really want to enjoy it, nothing beats a top class frame and wheel set. My advice to you is go for something Carbon, preferably a Giant due to the success of them and the warranty.
As for wheels, Mavic SLrs or Hopes with mavic 819s. Obviously there are several esoteric wheelsets out there but they are for techno geeks.
That bike won't bring out the best in you, its a pale ghost of the Carbon XTC.
You're a better rider than that bike ..
cop on to yourself !

thanks lads, am really tempted by the BTW scheme, just seems too good to miss and since the company I work for will only keep it open for a few weeks I need to act now As for carbon, i'm not sure I could justify the cost with sufficient time in the saddle (and I'd be divorced), also how durable are they really given Luke's experience's this year ? A midway solution could be tha half and half yoke that Giant make : http://www2.giant-bicycles.com/en-us...ce/3877/36273/ but they don't sell the frame on it's own ..
Will think on a while ...

Mick - I think most of the bike shops will sign you up for the BTW scheme and give you a credit note for the value! Then you can buy at your leisure!

^^^^ What he said. Also remember that the bike can be for any amount of money, and just a one grand slice of the price is eligible for the BTW. Also, you can source them from anywhere. There is no restriction in the scheme limiting them to Irish shops.

can it be used for second hand? anyone know?

Shane I'm not sure it says anywhere that the bike has to be new, so I guess if you find a 2nd hand bike in a bikeshop or from an on line bike shop then it would qualify (how can they check it anyway ?). Don;t think you'd get away with buying something on ebay tho. Check out http://www.bikescheme.ie/ for more info

Im pretty certain that the bike has to be new to qualify for the scheme.

not nesecarily new but you need to buy it from a bike shop as there needs to be VAT Receipts and a paper trail.

Buy that frame Tarbo's selling then build it up with decent parts of your choice under the BTW scheme, you'll get all the parts you need in the Bike Rack.

The Trek 19" is very long, allot longer than the Giant medium frames (18.5"). Would be too big for Baldy.

Rudolph got himself a new frame and might be willing to sell is old carbon one, as basil said, buy new groupset for it.

has my feckin spacehip landed on planet Mongo ?
Go to a bike shop and buy a real top of the range XC racing bike, not a fookin commuter goober machine like that alu XTC..or somebody elses cast offs !!

Let me know where that spaceship of yours has landed.....if you can get carbon race bikes for a grand there....

My old rockhopper has served me well but is pretty wrecked now so looking to get a new hardtail for next year under the bike to work scheme. Nothing too fancy but something that will serve me well in the club league and the few NPS rounds that I manage to make next year. At the moment I'm leaning towards buying an XTC frame (Alu), XT groupset and Mavic crossrides thru my local bikeshop which will set me back around € 1000 (I know - prob at least 20% dearer than I could get on line but I need to do it thru the bikeshop to avail of the BTW scheme). I've got a set of forks and brakes so would then be sorted. But although I'm more or less decided I'm still not sure whether I should just buy this instead :
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/product...id=m1b4s2p1686
I'm also not sure about which wheels to go..
So all advice welcome, particularly about the wheels ..

Keep you cash and ride/wreck you bike for the winter. But something new in March/April

If I was in your shoes Mick I'd grab that XTC, sweet as a nut.

Mick, you're after coming along really well as an XC racer and I know you have to squeeze in the training and the races but you've made huge progress and the bike to work scheme looks tempting, but seriously if you are going to race XC and you really want to enjoy it, nothing beats a top class frame and wheel set. My advice to you is go for something Carbon, preferably a Giant due to the success of them and the warranty.
As for wheels, Mavic SLrs or Hopes with mavic 819s. Obviously there are several esoteric wheelsets out there but they are for techno geeks.
That bike won't bring out the best in you, its a pale ghost of the Carbon XTC.
You're a better rider than that bike ..
cop on to yourself !

thanks lads, am really tempted by the BTW scheme, just seems too good to miss and since the company I work for will only keep it open for a few weeks I need to act now As for carbon, i'm not sure I could justify the cost with sufficient time in the saddle (and I'd be divorced), also how durable are they really given Luke's experience's this year ? A midway solution could be tha half and half yoke that Giant make : http://www2.giant-bicycles.com/en-us...ce/3877/36273/ but they don't sell the frame on it's own ..
Will think on a while ...

Mick - I think most of the bike shops will sign you up for the BTW scheme and give you a credit note for the value! Then you can buy at your leisure!

^^^^ What he said. Also remember that the bike can be for any amount of money, and just a one grand slice of the price is eligible for the BTW. Also, you can source them from anywhere. There is no restriction in the scheme limiting them to Irish shops.

can it be used for second hand? anyone know?

Shane I'm not sure it says anywhere that the bike has to be new, so I guess if you find a 2nd hand bike in a bikeshop or from an on line bike shop then it would qualify (how can they check it anyway ?). Don;t think you'd get away with buying something on ebay tho. Check out http://www.bikescheme.ie/ for more info

Im pretty certain that the bike has to be new to qualify for the scheme.

not nesecarily new but you need to buy it from a bike shop as there needs to be VAT Receipts and a paper trail.

Buy that frame Tarbo's selling then build it up with decent parts of your choice under the BTW scheme, you'll get all the parts you need in the Bike Rack.

The Trek 19" is very long, allot longer than the Giant medium frames (18.5"). Would be too big for Baldy.

Rudolph got himself a new frame and might be willing to sell is old carbon one, as basil said, buy new groupset for it.

has my feckin spacehip landed on planet Mongo ?
Go to a bike shop and buy a real top of the range XC racing bike, not a fookin commuter goober machine like that alu XTC..or somebody elses cast offs !!

Let me know where that spaceship of yours has landed.....if you can get carbon race bikes for a grand there....

My old rockhopper has served me well but is pretty wrecked now so looking to get a new hardtail for next year under the bike to work scheme. Nothing too fancy but something that will serve me well in the club league and the few NPS rounds that I manage to make next year. At the moment I'm leaning towards buying an XTC frame (Alu), XT groupset and Mavic crossrides thru my local bikeshop which will set me back around € 1000 (I know - prob at least 20% dearer than I could get on line but I need to do it thru the bikeshop to avail of the BTW scheme). I've got a set of forks and brakes so would then be sorted. But although I'm more or less decided I'm still not sure whether I should just buy this instead :
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/product...id=m1b4s2p1686
I'm also not sure about which wheels to go..
So all advice welcome, particularly about the wheels ..

Keep you cash and ride/wreck you bike for the winter. But something new in March/April

If I was in your shoes Mick I'd grab that XTC, sweet as a nut.

Mick, you're after coming along really well as an XC racer and I know you have to squeeze in the training and the races but you've made huge progress and the bike to work scheme looks tempting, but seriously if you are going to race XC and you really want to enjoy it, nothing beats a top class frame and wheel set. My advice to you is go for something Carbon, preferably a Giant due to the success of them and the warranty.
As for wheels, Mavic SLrs or Hopes with mavic 819s. Obviously there are several esoteric wheelsets out there but they are for techno geeks.
That bike won't bring out the best in you, its a pale ghost of the Carbon XTC.
You're a better rider than that bike ..
cop on to yourself !

thanks lads, am really tempted by the BTW scheme, just seems too good to miss and since the company I work for will only keep it open for a few weeks I need to act now As for carbon, i'm not sure I could justify the cost with sufficient time in the saddle (and I'd be divorced), also how durable are they really given Luke's experience's this year ? A midway solution could be tha half and half yoke that Giant make : http://www2.giant-bicycles.com/en-us...ce/3877/36273/ but they don't sell the frame on it's own ..
Will think on a while ...

Mick - I think most of the bike shops will sign you up for the BTW scheme and give you a credit note for the value! Then you can buy at your leisure!

^^^^ What he said. Also remember that the bike can be for any amount of money, and just a one grand slice of the price is eligible for the BTW. Also, you can source them from anywhere. There is no restriction in the scheme limiting them to Irish shops.

can it be used for second hand? anyone know?

Shane I'm not sure it says anywhere that the bike has to be new, so I guess if you find a 2nd hand bike in a bikeshop or from an on line bike shop then it would qualify (how can they check it anyway ?). Don;t think you'd get away with buying something on ebay tho. Check out http://www.bikescheme.ie/ for more info

Im pretty certain that the bike has to be new to qualify for the scheme.

not nesecarily new but you need to buy it from a bike shop as there needs to be VAT Receipts and a paper trail.

Buy that frame Tarbo's selling then build it up with decent parts of your choice under the BTW scheme, you'll get all the parts you need in the Bike Rack.

The Trek 19" is very long, allot longer than the Giant medium frames (18.5"). Would be too big for Baldy.

Rudolph got himself a new frame and might be willing to sell is old carbon one, as basil said, buy new groupset for it.

has my feckin spacehip landed on planet Mongo ?
Go to a bike shop and buy a real top of the range XC racing bike, not a fookin commuter goober machine like that alu XTC..or somebody elses cast offs !!

Let me know where that spaceship of yours has landed.....if you can get carbon race bikes for a grand there....