Hi Everyone

So, I’m looking at replacing my aging bike which has had a hard life. I’m in the UK, so I’m getting one though work with Cyclescheme. I have already had a certificate issued to buy a Cube Analog, though I’m now debating if I have made the right decision… The specs are: Judy Silker TK coil forks, Shimano BR-MT200/U300 discs and SRAM SX Eagle 12 speed rear mech. I really love the Flashlime frame (aesthetically, not necessarily geometry), but the more I’ve read about the coil Judy silvers and the SX Eagle gears, the more I’m worried the hardware isn’t the best I could get for the money (it’s costing £629).

It’s not an expensive bike, I know, but I’m now wondering if I would be better of with the Cube Attention? I can get it for £699, so no a lot more, and it has The Judy Silver Air forks, with Poploc, and Deore FC-M5100 / SLX FD-M7025 rear/front mechs. To me it seems a step up for not much more money, though is going 2 x 11 a bit dated these days?

I mostly plan to ride the forest trails around Thetford (Norfolk, UK), and haven’t been riding in really quite a long time, so don’t need anything top of the line.

Are both options a mistake, and should I be looking at something else in the sub £700 bracket?

Thanks so much in advance for any help!

Generally at those price points you are looking at bikes not really designed around MTB more for puttering around some easy grass or gravel trails on a heavy bike. However it does look like the two bikes you are listing are maybe used at those prices but certainly an air fork is generally going to be better than a cheap coil fork. The fork is kind of the most important part and generally with a good air fork you will have decent parts on it as you have with the second bike.

If the bike has thru-axles and an air fork it is likely a decent candidate for upgrading down the road if you don't want to just get the bike you want new. However I recommend getting the bike you want from the get-go because upgrading is significantly more expensive.

IMO, neither one really looks worthy of upgrades down the road, looks like both are QR instead of thru axle...geometry looks pretty old school as well.

It depends on the use case, but I think at this price point, used is a much better option, or a larger budget... Modern MTB frame specs include boost spacing, thru axles, 30.9 or 31.6mm seatposts(better for dropper posts,) etc. A lot of the budget MTBs lack some or all of these, and it doesn't make a lot of sense to upgrade these frames IMO.

Thanks both, I just double checked and it looks like all Cube bikes have QR hubs.

Unfortunately, as I'm buying through Cyclescheme (this is a work perk), I have to buy new from an approved store (and not all accept the scheme), though there are some big tax benefits for me doing it this way. That's ruled out anything secondhand. I have taken on board what you have both said, and really appreicate the advice. Having a (slightly) better idea of what to look for, I've searched for a few options with some reasonable discounts on them, and I'm now considering the follwoing 2 bikes as possibilities;

£800: Giant Talon 1 (2025): SXC32-3 RCL Forks (100mm, coil), Cues U6000 1x10, Maxis rekon race Thru-axles, 2 position dropper post (30.9mm), Tektro HDC m275 (180mm/160mm)

£600: Voodoo Bizango: Suntour Raidon32 Boose (120mm, Air), Cues U6000 1x11, Voodoo thru-axels, 31.6mm seatpost, Shimano BR-MT200 (180mm/160mm)

Am I heading in the right direction, taking into account the limited budget? Thanks again for taking the time to help out!

Oh and I've also looked at the Calibre Line T2, at £699, which ticks almost all the boxes, but it's on 27.5" wheets.. No idea if that's a compromise I should make for the rest of the components? (It has RockShox FS-RECON SILVER-RL (120mm), 1 x 10 Deore, MT201s 180/160mm and thru-axles). I don't think it has a dropper post, but is 30.9mm.

The Voodoo seems like it is a better bike more travel but most importantly an air fork which is the most crucial part. Plus I think Voodoo is a cooler company overall but Giant really doesn't do anything for me. If you are getting this CycleScheme you might also consider a slightly upgraded budget as well since they are taking care of some of it but if stuck where you are skip anything with coils (unless a very high end coil fork which is rare spec on a stock bike).

Thanks, I feel like I'm heading down the rabbit hole. The Voodoo looks great on paper, great price too.. But... I'm not a fan of the colour scheme. I know that shouldn't be that important, but I finding it hard to ignore.

So now I've also started looking at a 2024 Trek Roscoe 7, which is £950, so I need to justify the extra expense. Not sure I can, but it looks a really nice spec for the money too (RockShox Recon Silver RL 140mm, MT200s (180mm/180mm), Deore 1 x 12, Transx post, TAs).

Go with the Trek then, get better specs you will be happier in the end. I am not a Trek fan but the Trek is probably in the end going to be better and at least they have a lifetime warranty on their frames which is helpful long term and 140mm travel is nice.

I've only gone a actually made a decision! The Roscoe 7 will be arriving next week. Thanks so much for the help everyone.