I have mine. On one Hello Dave! It’s so amazing that I stupidly sold one in a downhill bike mid life crisis and then bought another Dave as I missed it and it’s awesome
My Commencal HT. SRAM GX, XT brakes, Lyric 160 ultimate, One up 200 mm dropper, bontrager line pro 30 carbon wheels. The thing rips and I find myself reaching for it for most trails. Loosey Goosey in the back end is a good time! The bike is an homage to Blake's old Scout. The first time I heard "hardcore hardtail". Thanks Blake for celebrating what a hardtail can be!
I have the same model Voodoo Hoodoo. I've recently changed the bars to nukeproof bars with more rise. Upgraded the grips, pedals and saddle and it already feels like a completely different bike. I plan to add a dropper and convert to tubeless which should make it a pretty capable hardtail. I'm 42 and brand new to mountain biking. I can't afford to spend £2000 on a bike, so videos like this make me feel better about my purchase. Please do upgrade videos on this bike, fans on tight budgets would really appreciate it as mountain biking is an expensive dammed sport to get into
After you do the dropper and tubeless upgrade, just wait until parts break. Meanwhile keep an eye out for deep discount sale on wheelset, forks, etc that are too good to pass up.
@StuJM Definitely man, I wouldn't have been able to do even my minor upgrades without their videos. But very often (not always) they are using a higher end bikes while explaining how to change out parts. I think it would be nice to see from start to finish just how far you can take a low-budget bike with upgrades.
Does the bike have an air fork? On even the cheapest of bikes, an air fork and dropper will absolutely transform the bike and make it 10x as capable. I enjoy the upgrade process. My first hardtail didn't have a dropper, no air fork, 3x8 drive train. Each upgrade feels huge. I'd say it's more enjoyable than someone who just starts out on a top of the line bike. You don't get the appreciation for each component upgrade.
I had a 29er Voodoo Aizan, it had acera and altus gears and Clark's hydraulic brakes, never missed a beat,sold it for a specialized sirrus x4 because I was doing more road cycling,Halfords don't sell it anymore,was a bargain at 400 bucks👍🚴
I love the hardtail! Blake I really enjoy your videos. Im absolutely in love with your yellow Nukeproof Scout. After getting into MTB and learning more than I ever thought possible from you guys, I cannot say thank you enough. Im currently sporting a Trek Marlin 6 but my dream build is a Scout like yours...one day it'll happen. Thank you guys and keep biking!
The Voodoo performed well beause it was designed by Murray, how do you not know Blake? He was a chief designer at Kona in the early 90s, he is partly esponsible for the geometry we now have .
Awesome video Blake 👊🤘 That was one hell of a high side 😲 Most importantly did you scratch or damage Buttercup ? Do another video like this and have the same tyres on the Voodoo Hoodoo I bet there wouldn't be much in it Great stuff #GMBN 🤘
Have voodoo hoodoo with Better tyres and pedals and dropper. Been everywhere on it. Crazy fun for little money always makes me smile 😁 . Nice to see bikes everyone can afford sometimes on the channel
Like he said himself, better tires and that Voodoo would be on par. Personally I think a lot of MTB's in all genres are massively overpriced , overengineered and overhyped - heck, he beat 30 odd other people on much more expensive and speciality downhill rides when was riding that slapshod Amazon one size fits all thing with the mag wheels. I bet he could get on my hardtail and win the thing, and I'm into that for about £750. I couldn't win it, but I'm not an elite rider. They all take a battering, they all need constant upgrades and replacements, they're all fun. If I'm gonna spend £2k+ on a bike it's always gonna be on a road/hill climb bike, and even then you can still have as much fun with a £400 Triban.
Wow. This really sells the value of that Voodoo. Given the law of diminishing returns, I didn't expect the Nukeproof to be 4x better, but thought it would have been significantly superior to the Voodoo. Performance on the trail is, in my opinion, the most important metric (both going up and down) and it really does seem like the tires were the most decisive component. I am curious where the Voodoo meets its limit and what the Nukeproof can ride that the Voodoo really can't - at least not to a similar level of performance. It would be interesting to upgrade the Voodoo tires and then take them on progressively more difficult trails until there's a very significant difference in speed or fun.
Mountain bikes easily climb into the $1000's so don't expect this to be a topnotch product. th-cam.com/users/postUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L That being said, for the price, it is an excellent bike. Bought 2 of them and one came with a missing part and the other needed a replacement pedal after 1 month of use. Luckily, Schwinn is an excellent company with excellent customer support and both problems were resolved reasonably quickly. The bike is just a bit too tall for someone 5'7 but not un-rideable. 95% of the bike is sturdy although the suspension is lacking. For the purposes of easy trails and street riding, it's great.
I almost regret buying a full suspension bike, because at the time I had not thought about that all the bearings need maintenance/replacing at some point. I do really miss my hardtails, hopefully gonna add one to my arsenal again some time in the future.🤗 Good video as always!
I love my FS, I barely ride the hardtail anymore just since the FS is so smooth. It even climbs faster. But the one thing I hate is going through mud and getting the pivots/bearings all messed up. If you're riding really muddy trails then the hardtail wins. But for anything else the FS is just so much faster. And I was a huge hardtail fan for years telling myself FS is pointless and I'd never get one lol. Still got love for my hardtail of course.
@@catex5452 technical climbs, like roots and rocks. On a smooth fire road I can just lock the shock out. You climb way faster when your tires stay connected to the ground.
£500 for the voodoo 😂 not a bad entry bike but I’ve just managed to pick up a Scott Scale 950 2019 for £575 with hope fortus wheels, tech x2s in blue, Blue F20 pedals, 12 speed Nx gear set! Will be buying a Nuke proof frame when I find one. It was so so cheap compared to what it should have been, it’s a great parts bike for a more aggressive build when I find one! Buying second hand is the way to go imo, but just required knowing a few people to get good deals 😂
They would probably be within a second of each other. Braking would also be nearly identical. If you don't race, the cheaper bike will be able to handle any trail you ever do
@@zethjugos1250 Nukeproof is a Gmbn sponsor. I think it's not allowed to do such a video where their bikes almost got beaten by a bike for 1/4 the price
This video is proof that even the pros can crash glad blake didn't get hurt as that was a grim crash its awful crashing in clips! Hopefully not too bruised @blake
That was a great candidate for fail of the day 😱 that looked insanely unpleasant. At the time im looking on the used market for a cheap hardtail for every day use, as well as the hardtail feeling for some trips to the woods. Great and funny presenter as always!
Man I was waiting for this video for sooo long. Blake on Voodoo! =) Both bikes are amazing in their respective budget and I love both of them. Great video guys, as always when it comes to hardtails =)
Thanks Blake - for a brilliant dose of honesty about just how much we might need to spend to get a decent, trail-worthy ride. £500 of silver can equal £2k of fun!
I've got the voodoo as a winter bike. I put xfusion velvets on, upgraded the tyres to some wtb's and a brand x dropper. It's fine. Its better than the £500 bikes we used to have to put up with. Is it going to be as good as a £2000 bike? Obviously not. Is it good enough for most people? Sure. A few choice upgrades and it transforms the bike.
I built my dream hardtail last year. Found a very good condition 2018 Honzo CR and built it up with XX1 rainbow cassette, X01 derailler & shifter. Fox Factory 34 fork, RaceFace NextR bars, OneUp dropper, Stans Flow wheels, Rekon / Dissector tire set up. Its perfect!
The question is: how meany times can you descent the budget bike like that before it falls apart? At which point maintenance and replacement cost will start catch up with a decent mid- to high end bike.
Brakes and gearing may be… shock, hubs, bearings? Those are the parts taking hits. Frame welds? Can only be answered after longterm testing. So @Blake… will you long term test the cheap bike? 😁🤙🏻
@@RudiJoubert Sometimes that is what the person can buy , the vídeo shows that is possible to have a lot of fun with a cheap bike , not that buying a expensive one is a bad deal. Also you need to do maintenance on expensive bikes too , and its .... well expensive , and just because its expensive doesnt mean it lasts much longer , many expensive things are build for performance not durability. One last thing not everyone rides like blake and you know that.
Please do it! Upgrade the tyres and chuck a dropper that would get the seat properly out of the way and re-test. Love the Nukeproof but showing it is not all about dropping a ton of cash to get a trail ready bike is brilliant.
Im still riding my Voodoo Bokor from circa 2010. Just changed it over to 1x10 yesterday. Dont plan on getting rid of it anytime soon. Just wished there were more fork choices in 1 1/8 forks
Let's finish the story. The brand is not so important as the equipment on the bike. You can have a bike of a specialized brand, for example, with ordinary equipment, which will be more expensive than a bicycle of a lesser-known brand, even though the lesser-known one will have better equipment and be cheaper. My recommendation is to find a bicycle with an Alu frame and good equipment and save money for other things. It's no use paying big bucks for some top brands if they don't have good parts on them.
Joe Murray was the 1984-1985 NORBA men's champion in the early years of mtb cross-country racing. He was certainly 'da man' in my early racing days. As was Jacquie Phelan on the woman's side...3 time champ!
On the other hand, adding a dropper and lever (about $350) and more aggressive tires ($150 or less) and the voodoo probably would have matched the nukeproof on all tests and be as fun to ride. The scout looks prettier though..¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Yes it would. A 2k bike is only good with the premium parts. If you put budget cheap parts you get a low quality ride/build. The frame is just a frame. Now if you take a cheap bike and put thousands of dollars worth of parts then It's guaranteed to perform better, ride better, whatever. Again the frame is just a frame. A bike is only worth it's weight in gold.
Only just got back in after an 18 year break. Looked at the Voodoo's; but finally settled on a Vitus Sentier VRX. Slightly more expensive but worth every penny for the decent ride and components.
Joe Murray was a early days 80's/ 90's racer, and early designer for Kona before he went to Voodoo, which used to be an American brand. He was the first to do the slanted top tube. Before him mountain bikes were cruisers or road bikes with fatter tires.
100 for two new tires (which are wearing out anyway at some time) plus 100 for a dropper and it's a nice ride. Bonus a better fork an you have a modern hardtail trail bike
Love the budget bike videos. I would like to see Blake and Neil do side by side comparisons of the same exact model hardtails featuring different levels of stock specs to give us a comparison of bikes with the same exact geometry, but how the different level of parts really compare.
@@snickersthingz Sadly Budget vs Baller was done as a joke rather than a serious project because they actually downgraded one of the bikes with bargain basement parts off Amazon/eBay rather than the entry level parts from the main component manufacturers.
@@chiefsilverback you are correct, it really should have been done using more realistic components people would use like base Shimano, SRAM or even BOX. But it does still give a little comparison
lol You guys are all brainwashed by the bike industry, just 10 years ago people were doing major drops and jumps on stepper geometry and still killing it daily.
That's the distinction between budget and premium. The gains per individual test are not always massive but when you add it all up the riding experience will be noticable. On the flip side, a few decent upgrades on the Voodoo will elevate that bike to at least the same level as the Nukeproof but with much less money being spent. Still, the Nukeproof wins hands down for street cred alone.
You've gotta be into your bikes for Nukeproof to get street cred really. It's like owning a Lancia and going to a car meet, a car guy will purr over it, but everyone else will be looking at the Ferrari, Lamborghini and Astons. I have a Santa Cruz, the only people that ever say nice bike mate are skaters or ex-skaters. The average Joe don't know the brand, same with Nukeproof. They might know Specialized (not S-Works just standard) Marin, Orange, Trek, GT etc, might. Most people I know think Carrera and Claude Butler are premium bikes. Elite bikes are a very niche thing, I found that out when I got into it years ago. It's like wearing Bottega Veneta clothes and George Cleverly shoes go to the bingo, nobody is ever gonna give you credit for wearing a 5 grand outfit, as they'll have no idea it's a 5 grand outfit. Having a Nukeproof will get hit respect from your peers though, that's much better than street cred. People on the street have poor taste, they ride e-scooters and wear The North Face jackets.
@@davehedgehogUKI used the term "street cred" in very loose terms. What I meant was peer to peer credibility in the MTB world. I'm not a brand snob so I go for the best bike you can get for your money regardless of the brand. I wouldn't be concerned about pretentious riders who worry about what other people may think.
Soooooo….trade the tires between the Scout and Hoodoo and the Voodoo wins! 😃 Not often that we see Blake crashing like that….good thing he was wearing his gloves and eye protection! 😆
Gone from a similarly priced Boardman hardtail to a Commencal Meta HT - I've found you're paying for durability and more modern geo above everything else. I upgraded when the list of repairs for the Boardman kept increasing after a couple of years
I came to say the same. The other thing is that the better components all around make a bike much easier to ride for longer. I had a series of cheapos before really buying more expensive bikes and man there is a world of difference in the long haul in how tired you get!
Droppers always get mentioned as something that every bike needs an upgrade to (which is true) but none of the timed tests account for that or show you how it saves time/energy. We need a timed test that uses a trail with lots of elevation change that shows the difference in time/energy using a dropper verses leaving you seat in the same place or using a quick release to get comfortable whenever necessary.
I almost never use my dropper on any of bikes. Where I live, I will have about 20-50ft of decent at most and it takes more brain power and movement to drop the seat and then have to put it back up than to just stand up for a second. And when I take the Enduro down mountains, it just stays down almost always. Droppers are convenient sure I guess but I've thought about swapping them for carbon seatposts many times. Quick release and carbon for weight and absorption is all I really need and I'd wager all most riders "need" too.
I actually have the Voodoo Zobop (not electric) and it's the full suspension Rockshox, Shimano Hydraulic Brakes, SRAM derailleur, tubeless, all stock with few minor upgrades, the bike needs nothing, it feels quite premium to me.
I've recently bought a Carrera valour. Not been on a bike in years. It's not the best bike. But I do get on the trails with it. And I've had no complaints so far. Just happy to be back out on my bike.
Im riding a Commencal Meta HT Essential for 2K for around one year now, have ridden a 3K Freeride Bike before and gotta say, that expensive Hardtails are better! More fun and you get a lot more for your money!
The prices are nuts. A few days ago I was at a bike shop looking at some bikes and the cheapest on offer was a spezialised for £3200 I will stick to my heavily modded Giant full suspension till end of the days.
I envy these sort of riders. Ending up rubber side up and keep going, flat out. Me on the other hand: I take the warning sign from the universe, it is home time.
In a long run thinking, the 2k$ bike would probably last much longer, if of course it is well maintained. Anyway, you get what you can with your own budget and its good to know that a 500$ bike can do the job too.
Sooooo, I am a budget biker and have the chance to get a 2023 Rocky Mountain Growler 40 w some upgrades for $1k…I’ve saved my Pennies for a few months. Being that I ride mostly trail and some downhill do you think this is a good opportunity? I have only ridden bikes 2008 and older, this would be my first “real” bike. TIA.
In 2017 I paid £650 for a new Diamondback Heist 3+. Plus size tyres and dropper post as standard, XT mech, Shimano hydraulic brakes, rockshox fork.. I put Maxxis Assegia's on it as I go down the knarliest runs in Portes du Soleil, Samoens etc and apart from pads it's needed no repairs.
What model of NP Scout I should to buy, 275 or 290? I am 190cm of height and I need XL frame, so… What am I need as my first true-trail bike after grandpa-bike GT avalanche 9r (29inch)…?
I'm looking to upgrade from my 2015 giant talon 3 to a better quality hardtail for under 2k. I'm looking at the San Quentin 2, Trek Roscoe 7 or nukeproof scout ( if I can find one in Aus). Any opinion on these bikes? Just looking at a solid all rounder with best value for money
Blake I have an importand question! Where do you get this mudguard for your manitou fork? Can't find any mudguard for my manitou circus expert anywhere on the internet and many riders have the same problem... Can you do some blake magic and release some in the GMBN Shop? Please I'm begging you!!
I had the same voodoo hoodoo was a 22 inch frame with stock forks bought thru axle wheels and put adapters in them for fit and made them tubeless upgraded to a external bottom bracket and new brakes I’ve recently bought a nukeproof scout 275 medium frame in the stout colour with a rockshox 150mm sektor and new nukeproof bars new nukeproof whit grips 150mm dropper post and same wheels from my previous bike with the adapters for quick release removed it’s in the bike shop now because I could get the gears to work but should have it back in a few days or so
Id love to aee one of those "$2000 value" $400 clunkers Peter Simon flogs on the tv shopping channel on such a comparison. Its bloody misleading as hell that bs on that show.
As long as you have a solid frame, the options are endless. Of course depends on your wallet. You can make that woodo bike cost way more than 2000. That nukeproof is available from 700 to 2500 pounds 💷 depends on components
It's about quality, not the price. Can we all please think about that with these mountain bikes? We don't need to just waste money on super expensive bikes. Don't be cocky
i think that particular voodoo won bike of the year for the £500 category & to be fair they are well worth the money as a competitive entry level bike, as you say change tyres & you would be good to go. you should send your crash to pink bike for their Friday fails...lol great effort blake.
I just bought the scout elite brand new for half off. Takes a fairly pricey hardtail into budget territory. Screaming deal when on sale! Fun video regardless though.
There is no reason why that Voodoo bike couldn't have made it up that hill. That is of course if he didn't want it to. The tires are fine. Don't blame the setup. That could have been adjusted beforehand. Just trying to prove their narrative.
Following your unfortunate crash on the premium hard tail you could also mention a repair bill on a budget hard tail would be far cheaper. For example you badly scratched your RockShox Pike stanchions compared to the stanchions on the budget Suntour forks.
Lol, I've got hardtails worth almost the nukeproof as well as the voodoo, but for me it's a bizango. I love the bizango, ride the shit out of it because I know its a cheaper bike I think so if I do a Blake and crash 🤦it's not the end of the world. And yes, upgraded brakes and tyres bike sorted.
Genuinely impressed with that suntour XCR fork. I'm getting a bike on clearance for $400 this weekend and I thought I'd need a new fork but it looks like I can save my cash. Thanks GMBN!
5 times more the Scout over the Voodoo Hoodoo. Pointless to spend that kind of money on an aluminum hardtail. Unless its a carbon or Titanium one. Voodoo is a sensible choice for an Alu frame hardtail. Smack on a dropper and its good to shred.
I’ve got a voodoo bizango hardtail. Other than the 141qr boost. It’s a very capable bike. Was a great starting point. I’m now on a Nukeproof mega and my wife rides the voodoo
The problem with used is that you can't run out and buy that exact bike for that exact money. I've never understood these types of videos. Nice production value though.
Blake sold me more on the hoodoo than the nukeproof with his voodoo hoodoo I do joke. Na, who am I kidding, that nukeproof is clean and makes me miss my old hardtail!!
I have a voodoo Bantu and love riding it. I've upgraded the shifters and derailleurs and it shifts 👌. It stops well and I love the look. Just wish the forks worked a bit better. Suntour xcm aren't really doing much 😝
What's your dream Hardtail MTB build? let us know down below! 👇
A Sendero Titanium frame from Chumba setup mullet with SRAM XX , Berd wheels, Pirelli Scorpions and an Öhlins RXF34. 😍
Commencal Meta HT, Shimano Deore 12 speed, Fox Factory Float 36’s, Enve M9’s. 😍🔥
I have mine. On one Hello Dave! It’s so amazing that I stupidly sold one in a downhill bike mid life crisis and then bought another Dave as I missed it and it’s awesome
My Commencal HT. SRAM GX, XT brakes, Lyric 160 ultimate, One up 200 mm dropper, bontrager line pro 30 carbon wheels. The thing rips and I find myself reaching for it for most trails. Loosey Goosey in the back end is a good time!
The bike is an homage to Blake's old Scout. The first time I heard "hardcore hardtail". Thanks Blake for celebrating what a hardtail can be!
@@vashusan1984 That’s very near my dream hard tail! Lucky you!
Enjoy it 😀
I have the same model Voodoo Hoodoo. I've recently changed the bars to nukeproof bars with more rise. Upgraded the grips, pedals and saddle and it already feels like a completely different bike. I plan to add a dropper and convert to tubeless which should make it a pretty capable hardtail. I'm 42 and brand new to mountain biking. I can't afford to spend £2000 on a bike, so videos like this make me feel better about my purchase. Please do upgrade videos on this bike, fans on tight budgets would really appreciate it as mountain biking is an expensive dammed sport to get into
After you do the dropper and tubeless upgrade, just wait until parts break. Meanwhile keep an eye out for deep discount sale on wheelset, forks, etc that are too good to pass up.
There are some upgrade videos they’ve done in the past, but you’re right, more are always helpful.
@StuJM Definitely man, I wouldn't have been able to do even my minor upgrades without their videos. But very often (not always) they are using a higher end bikes while explaining how to change out parts. I think it would be nice to see from start to finish just how far you can take a low-budget bike with upgrades.
Does the bike have an air fork? On even the cheapest of bikes, an air fork and dropper will absolutely transform the bike and make it 10x as capable. I enjoy the upgrade process. My first hardtail didn't have a dropper, no air fork, 3x8 drive train. Each upgrade feels huge. I'd say it's more enjoyable than someone who just starts out on a top of the line bike. You don't get the appreciation for each component upgrade.
I've the bizango and I'm struggling to convert
Blakey, das war so schön. Du bist unsere Butterblume. 😂
Ja 😂
I had a 29er Voodoo Aizan, it had acera and altus gears and Clark's hydraulic brakes, never missed a beat,sold it for a specialized sirrus x4 because I was doing more road cycling,Halfords don't sell it anymore,was a bargain at 400 bucks👍🚴
I love the hardtail! Blake I really enjoy your videos. Im absolutely in love with your yellow Nukeproof Scout. After getting into MTB and learning more than I ever thought possible from you guys, I cannot say thank you enough. Im currently sporting a Trek Marlin 6 but my dream build is a Scout like yours...one day it'll happen. Thank you guys and keep biking!
Overall great video like always. thank you for your feedback👍
I can’t decide between the Manitou Mezzer expert or the Mezzer pro for my nukeproof scout build.
The Voodoo performed well beause it was designed by Murray, how do you not know Blake? He was a chief designer at Kona in the early 90s, he is partly esponsible for the geometry we now have .
Awesome video Blake 👊🤘
That was one hell of a high side 😲
Most importantly did you scratch or damage Buttercup ?
Do another video like this and have the same tyres on the Voodoo Hoodoo I bet there wouldn't be much in it
Great stuff #GMBN 🤘
Cheers, Ross! Yeah, Blake certainly had a gnarly one. Buttercup was all good! 😅 Thanks for the suggestion!
Have voodoo hoodoo with Better tyres and pedals and dropper. Been everywhere on it. Crazy fun for little money always makes me smile 😁 . Nice to see bikes everyone can afford sometimes on the channel
Right on! 🤩
Like he said himself, better tires and that Voodoo would be on par. Personally I think a lot of MTB's in all genres are massively overpriced , overengineered and overhyped - heck, he beat 30 odd other people on much more expensive and speciality downhill rides when was riding that slapshod Amazon one size fits all thing with the mag wheels. I bet he could get on my hardtail and win the thing, and I'm into that for about £750. I couldn't win it, but I'm not an elite rider.
They all take a battering, they all need constant upgrades and replacements, they're all fun. If I'm gonna spend £2k+ on a bike it's always gonna be on a road/hill climb bike, and even then you can still have as much fun with a £400 Triban.
Wow. This really sells the value of that Voodoo. Given the law of diminishing returns, I didn't expect the Nukeproof to be 4x better, but thought it would have been significantly superior to the Voodoo.
Performance on the trail is, in my opinion, the most important metric (both going up and down) and it really does seem like the tires were the most decisive component. I am curious where the Voodoo meets its limit and what the Nukeproof can ride that the Voodoo really can't - at least not to a similar level of performance. It would be interesting to upgrade the Voodoo tires and then take them on progressively more difficult trails until there's a very significant difference in speed or fun.
Mountain bikes easily climb into the $1000's so don't expect this to be a topnotch product. th-cam.com/users/postUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L That being said, for the price, it is an excellent bike. Bought 2 of them and one came with a missing part and the other needed a replacement pedal after 1 month of use. Luckily, Schwinn is an excellent company with excellent customer support and both problems were resolved reasonably quickly. The bike is just a bit too tall for someone 5'7 but not un-rideable. 95% of the bike is sturdy although the suspension is lacking. For the purposes of easy trails and street riding, it's great.
Just end up being on a big pile of flabluhbluhbahh
This was more of a tyre comparison than a bike comparison IMO. Perform the same tests with both bikes on matching tyres 👍
I was a bit uncomfortable watching you stroking seatpost
I almost regret buying a full suspension bike, because at the time I had not thought about that all the bearings need maintenance/replacing at some point. I do really miss my hardtails, hopefully gonna add one to my arsenal again some time in the future.🤗 Good video as always!
I love my FS, I barely ride the hardtail anymore just since the FS is so smooth. It even climbs faster. But the one thing I hate is going through mud and getting the pivots/bearings all messed up. If you're riding really muddy trails then the hardtail wins. But for anything else the FS is just so much faster. And I was a huge hardtail fan for years telling myself FS is pointless and I'd never get one lol. Still got love for my hardtail of course.
A hardtail with plus size tyres is the best combination in my humble opinion.
@@dylan-5287 that's just not true lmao you don't climb faster on a FS
@@dylan-5287 why would you climb faster on a fully? 🤔 Doesn't make much sense lol
@@catex5452 technical climbs, like roots and rocks. On a smooth fire road I can just lock the shock out. You climb way faster when your tires stay connected to the ground.
£500 for the voodoo 😂 not a bad entry bike but I’ve just managed to pick up a Scott Scale 950 2019 for £575 with hope fortus wheels, tech x2s in blue, Blue F20 pedals, 12 speed Nx gear set! Will be buying a Nuke proof frame when I find one. It was so so cheap compared to what it should have been, it’s a great parts bike for a more aggressive build when I find one! Buying second hand is the way to go imo, but just required knowing a few people to get good deals 😂
So what if you upgrade the voodoo to the same tires and test again because they're relatively cheap to do
They would probably be within a second of each other. Braking would also be nearly identical. If you don't race, the cheaper bike will be able to handle any trail you ever do
Thats actually a nice follow up video wouldnt it? I hope Blake reads this😊😊😊
@@zethjugos1250 Nukeproof is a Gmbn sponsor. I think it's not allowed to do such a video where their bikes almost got beaten by a bike for 1/4 the price
This video is proof that even the pros can crash glad blake didn't get hurt as that was a grim crash its awful crashing in clips! Hopefully not too bruised @blake
That was a great candidate for fail of the day 😱 that looked insanely unpleasant.
At the time im looking on the used market for a cheap hardtail for every day use, as well as the hardtail feeling for some trips to the woods.
Great and funny presenter as always!
First time I have seen Blake crash! You did it in style mate! 😆
Style points all round! 🔥
Man I was waiting for this video for sooo long. Blake on Voodoo! =) Both bikes are amazing in their respective budget and I love both of them. Great video guys, as always when it comes to hardtails =)
Glad you liked it! Cheers for watching! 🙌
I'm a simple man. I see Blake and a video of hardtail I press like. ❤
Haha! Thanks for the support!
Thanks Blake - for a brilliant dose of honesty about just how much we might need to spend to get a decent, trail-worthy ride. £500 of silver can equal £2k of fun!
I've got the voodoo as a winter bike. I put xfusion velvets on, upgraded the tyres to some wtb's and a brand x dropper. It's fine. Its better than the £500 bikes we used to have to put up with. Is it going to be as good as a £2000 bike? Obviously not. Is it good enough for most people? Sure.
A few choice upgrades and it transforms the bike.
I built my dream hardtail last year. Found a very good condition 2018 Honzo CR and built it up with XX1 rainbow cassette, X01 derailler & shifter. Fox Factory 34 fork, RaceFace NextR bars, OneUp dropper, Stans Flow wheels, Rekon / Dissector tire set up. Its perfect!
The question is: how meany times can you descent the budget bike like that before it falls apart? At which point maintenance and replacement cost will start catch up with a decent mid- to high end bike.
Thank you, I was hoping to see this exact comment
2539 times.
they're still decent quality branded parts on the Hoodoo. Just because it's cheaper doesnt mean it's going to break quicker.
Brakes and gearing may be… shock, hubs, bearings? Those are the parts taking hits. Frame welds?
Can only be answered after longterm testing.
So @Blake… will you long term test the cheap bike? 😁🤙🏻
@@RudiJoubert Sometimes that is what the person can buy , the vídeo shows that is possible to have a lot of fun with a cheap bike , not that buying a expensive one is a bad deal. Also you need to do maintenance on expensive bikes too , and its .... well expensive , and just because its expensive doesnt mean it lasts much longer , many expensive things are build for performance not durability. One last thing not everyone rides like blake and you know that.
People always comparing bikes but what they're really comparing usually is tires. Props that this video actually pointed that out
Blake!That is really helpful for us who can’t afford those beautiful expensive bikes😊That kind put a smile on on my face!😃Thanks GMBN!
We're so stoked that you enjoyed this one! It's important to represent all budget ranges that people have to spend on a bike. 🙌
@@gmbn yes thank you so much!my budget mountain bike is a gem for me because i can ride the trails and put a smile on my face every ride!
Please do it! Upgrade the tyres and chuck a dropper that would get the seat properly out of the way and re-test. Love the Nukeproof but showing it is not all about dropping a ton of cash to get a trail ready bike is brilliant.
Im still riding my Voodoo Bokor from circa 2010. Just changed it over to 1x10 yesterday. Dont plan on getting rid of it anytime soon. Just wished there were more fork choices in 1 1/8 forks
Let's finish the story. The brand is not so important as the equipment on the bike. You can have a bike of a specialized brand, for example, with ordinary equipment, which will be more expensive than a bicycle of a lesser-known brand, even though the lesser-known one will have better equipment and be cheaper. My recommendation is to find a bicycle with an Alu frame and good equipment and save money for other things. It's no use paying big bucks for some top brands if they don't have good parts on them.
Joe Murray was the 1984-1985 NORBA men's champion in the early years of mtb cross-country racing. He was certainly 'da man' in my early racing days. As was Jacquie Phelan on the woman's side...3 time champ!
even $1500 worth of better parts would not make some of the cheap bikes as good as standard $2000 bikes...
@@irfuel or because the standards and cheap geometry just simply stop the bike from being as good as an expensive bike
On the other hand, adding a dropper and lever (about $350) and more aggressive tires ($150 or less) and the voodoo probably would have matched the nukeproof on all tests and be as fun to ride.
The scout looks prettier though..¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Yes it would. A 2k bike is only good with the premium parts. If you put budget cheap parts you get a low quality ride/build. The frame is just a frame. Now if you take a cheap bike and put thousands of dollars worth of parts then It's guaranteed to perform better, ride better, whatever. Again the frame is just a frame. A bike is only worth it's weight in gold.
@@webmenacee yea until you realise theres only so much you can do with outdated geometry and qr dropouts
@@irfuel yea thats a cross country bike. But i mean trying to get trail or enduro performance out of an entry level bike is not possible
Only just got back in after an 18 year break. Looked at the Voodoo's; but finally settled on a Vitus Sentier VRX. Slightly more expensive but worth every penny for the decent ride and components.
Joe Murray was a early days 80's/ 90's racer, and early designer for Kona before he went to Voodoo, which used to be an American brand. He was the first to do the slanted top tube. Before him mountain bikes were cruisers or road bikes with fatter tires.
100 for two new tires (which are wearing out anyway at some time) plus 100 for a dropper and it's a nice ride.
Bonus a better fork an you have a modern hardtail trail bike
Love the budget bike videos. I would like to see Blake and Neil do side by side comparisons of the same exact model hardtails featuring different levels of stock specs to give us a comparison of bikes with the same exact geometry, but how the different level of parts really compare.
There was a similar series but with full suspension bikes at pinkbike, you may find it interesting 😉
Look up budget vs baller I think it is, PB did it. Cheap vs expensive upgrades to the same bike
@@snickersthingz Sadly Budget vs Baller was done as a joke rather than a serious project because they actually downgraded one of the bikes with bargain basement parts off Amazon/eBay rather than the entry level parts from the main component manufacturers.
@@chiefsilverback you are correct, it really should have been done using more realistic components people would use like base Shimano, SRAM or even BOX. But it does still give a little comparison
Okay so Blake has a massive highside accident and just carries on riding. A crash like that, I'd be lying down for a week!
lol You guys are all brainwashed by the bike industry, just 10 years ago people were doing major drops and jumps on stepper geometry and still killing it daily.
tbh... this video showed me nothing except Blake breathing heavy....hmm... anyway, just upgrade the voodoo or downgrade the nukeproof and your sorted
I love Blake's videos..always entertaining 😃..that crash 😆
That's the distinction between budget and premium. The gains per individual test are not always massive but when you add it all up the riding experience will be noticable. On the flip side, a few decent upgrades on the Voodoo will elevate that bike to at least the same level as the Nukeproof but with much less money being spent. Still, the Nukeproof wins hands down for street cred alone.
You've gotta be into your bikes for Nukeproof to get street cred really. It's like owning a Lancia and going to a car meet, a car guy will purr over it, but everyone else will be looking at the Ferrari, Lamborghini and Astons.
I have a Santa Cruz, the only people that ever say nice bike mate are skaters or ex-skaters. The average Joe don't know the brand, same with Nukeproof. They might know Specialized (not S-Works just standard) Marin, Orange, Trek, GT etc, might. Most people I know think Carrera and Claude Butler are premium bikes.
Elite bikes are a very niche thing, I found that out when I got into it years ago. It's like wearing Bottega Veneta clothes and George Cleverly shoes go to the bingo, nobody is ever gonna give you credit for wearing a 5 grand outfit, as they'll have no idea it's a 5 grand outfit.
Having a Nukeproof will get hit respect from your peers though, that's much better than street cred. People on the street have poor taste, they ride e-scooters and wear The North Face jackets.
@@davehedgehogUKI used the term "street cred" in very loose terms. What I meant was peer to peer credibility in the MTB world. I'm not a brand snob so I go for the best bike you can get for your money regardless of the brand. I wouldn't be concerned about pretentious riders who worry about what other people may think.
Soooooo….trade the tires between the Scout and Hoodoo and the Voodoo wins! 😃 Not often that we see Blake crashing like that….good thing he was wearing his gloves and eye protection! 😆
Gone from a similarly priced Boardman hardtail to a Commencal Meta HT - I've found you're paying for durability and more modern geo above everything else. I upgraded when the list of repairs for the Boardman kept increasing after a couple of years
I came to say the same. The other thing is that the better components all around make a bike much easier to ride for longer. I had a series of cheapos before really buying more expensive bikes and man there is a world of difference in the long haul in how tired you get!
Droppers always get mentioned as something that every bike needs an upgrade to (which is true) but none of the timed tests account for that or show you how it saves time/energy. We need a timed test that uses a trail with lots of elevation change that shows the difference in time/energy using a dropper verses leaving you seat in the same place or using a quick release to get comfortable whenever necessary.
Serious?
I almost never use my dropper on any of bikes. Where I live, I will have about 20-50ft of decent at most and it takes more brain power and movement to drop the seat and then have to put it back up than to just stand up for a second. And when I take the Enduro down mountains, it just stays down almost always. Droppers are convenient sure I guess but I've thought about swapping them for carbon seatposts many times. Quick release and carbon for weight and absorption is all I really need and I'd wager all most riders "need" too.
Your little incident on Sheep Skull was just as you described it in the cafe, Blake 😎🤘🏻🙌🏻😂🚲
Watching from Australia thanks for posting early 🚵🚵👍
I actually have the Voodoo Zobop (not electric) and it's the full suspension Rockshox, Shimano Hydraulic Brakes, SRAM derailleur, tubeless, all stock with few minor upgrades, the bike needs nothing, it feels quite premium to me.
I've never seen anyone high side a mountain bike before, that was crazy dude! 🤙🤙🤙
I've recently bought a Carrera valour. Not been on a bike in years. It's not the best bike. But I do get on the trails with it. And I've had no complaints so far. Just happy to be back out on my bike.
Im riding a Commencal Meta HT Essential for 2K for around one year now, have ridden a 3K Freeride Bike before and gotta say, that expensive Hardtails are better! More fun and you get a lot more for your money!
Respect to the rider massive off and straight back to the top balls to the wall riding
that was a brutal crash!! Blake is made of strong stuff!
I find the mountain bike scene to be at odds with itself currently- prices have risen but on a lot of bikes the specs / parts have gone cheaper .
The prices are nuts.
A few days ago I was at a bike shop looking at some bikes and the cheapest on offer was a spezialised for £3200
I will stick to my heavily modded Giant full suspension till end of the days.
Greedy profit margins 🤷♂️
Nah bra, most guv will squizz ya hard (they'l say inflation) to see when you brake.
I want to see a $3000 HT vs $2000 FS.
I envy these sort of riders. Ending up rubber side up and keep going, flat out. Me on the other hand: I take the warning sign from the universe, it is home time.
Watching...then holy shit that stepped out...he's losing it! Then cuts back to Blake saying he went down. Awesome effort!
5:34 😆😆😆
Greetings from germany ✌🏻 🇩🇪
The scout is really a sick bike
💯
In a long run thinking, the 2k$ bike would probably last much longer, if of course it is well maintained.
Anyway, you get what you can with your own budget and its good to know that a 500$ bike can do the job too.
That Scout is more like 3 k
RRP is around 2500 £, so even more in US $
I can't help but throw in tire pressure and tread choice as it's a crucial factor . Love the video , Wunderbar !
Sooooo, I am a budget biker and have the chance to get a 2023 Rocky Mountain Growler 40 w some upgrades for $1k…I’ve saved my Pennies for a few months. Being that I ride mostly trail and some downhill do you think this is a good opportunity? I have only ridden bikes 2008 and older, this would be my first “real” bike. TIA.
That Voodo has been in many of ur guy's videos. what an icon
Bikeworld prices will be studied in a future by the Psychiatry.
In 2017 I paid £650 for a new Diamondback Heist 3+. Plus size tyres and dropper post as standard, XT mech, Shimano hydraulic brakes, rockshox fork.. I put Maxxis Assegia's on it as I go down the knarliest runs in Portes du Soleil, Samoens etc and apart from pads it's needed no repairs.
What model of NP Scout I should to buy, 275 or 290? I am 190cm of height and I need XL frame, so… What am I need as my first true-trail bike after grandpa-bike GT avalanche 9r (29inch)…?
I see a Blake hardtail video, I click.
I have old cube acid 29er... Cost me 500eur, upgraded XT brakes, dropper and T6 ground control tyres and he's a beaaaast 😊
I'm looking to upgrade from my 2015 giant talon 3 to a better quality hardtail for under 2k. I'm looking at the San Quentin 2, Trek Roscoe 7 or nukeproof scout ( if I can find one in Aus). Any opinion on these bikes? Just looking at a solid all rounder with best value for money
Blake I have an importand question!
Where do you get this mudguard for your manitou fork?
Can't find any mudguard for my manitou circus expert anywhere on the internet and many riders have the same problem...
Can you do some blake magic and release some in the GMBN Shop?
Please I'm begging you!!
I had the same voodoo hoodoo was a 22 inch frame with stock forks bought thru axle wheels and put adapters in them for fit and made them tubeless upgraded to a external bottom bracket and new brakes I’ve recently bought a nukeproof scout 275 medium frame in the stout colour with a rockshox 150mm sektor and new nukeproof bars new nukeproof whit grips 150mm dropper post and same wheels from my previous bike with the adapters for quick release removed it’s in the bike shop now because I could get the gears to work but should have it back in a few days or so
Id love to aee one of those "$2000 value" $400 clunkers Peter Simon flogs on the tv shopping channel on such a comparison. Its bloody misleading as hell that bs on that show.
As long as you have a solid frame, the options are endless. Of course depends on your wallet. You can make that woodo bike cost way more than 2000. That nukeproof is available from 700 to 2500 pounds 💷 depends on components
It's about quality, not the price. Can we all please think about that with these mountain bikes? We don't need to just waste money on super expensive bikes. Don't be cocky
i think that particular voodoo won bike of the year for the £500 category & to be fair they are well worth the money as a competitive entry level bike, as you say change tyres & you would be good to go.
you should send your crash to pink bike for their Friday fails...lol great effort blake.
I just bought the scout elite brand new for half off. Takes a fairly pricey hardtail into budget territory. Screaming deal when on sale! Fun video regardless though.
There is no reason why that Voodoo bike couldn't have made it up that hill. That is of course if he didn't want it to. The tires are fine. Don't blame the setup. That could have been adjusted beforehand. Just trying to prove their narrative.
Voodoo is my favorite brand, and Ragley Marley 2.0, but we couldn't buy voodoo across pound now I think we can, I like the new wazooo, 2022 or 23.
Just shows you can have as much fun as you want with whatever budget you have. The important thing is to buy the bike and get out there😅😅😅
I have a 2021 Specialized Fuse base model and absolutely love it but i am also dreaming of the Kona Honzo ESD at the moment.
Following your unfortunate crash on the premium hard tail you could also mention a repair bill on a budget hard tail would be far cheaper. For example you badly scratched your RockShox Pike stanchions compared to the stanchions on the budget Suntour forks.
Lol, I've got hardtails worth almost the nukeproof as well as the voodoo, but for me it's a bizango. I love the bizango, ride the shit out of it because I know its a cheaper bike I think so if I do a Blake and crash 🤦it's not the end of the world. And yes, upgraded brakes and tyres bike sorted.
Genuinely impressed with that suntour XCR fork. I'm getting a bike on clearance for $400 this weekend and I thought I'd need a new fork but it looks like I can save my cash. Thanks GMBN!
There’s some entry level Rockshox forks which are good value
5 times more the Scout over the Voodoo Hoodoo. Pointless to spend that kind of money on an aluminum hardtail. Unless its a carbon or Titanium one. Voodoo is a sensible choice for an Alu frame hardtail. Smack on a dropper and its good to shred.
When you these comparisons can you at least use the same tyres. You’re comparing a £500 bike to more expensive bike with £140 of just tyres
I’ve got a voodoo bizango hardtail. Other than the 141qr boost. It’s a very capable bike. Was a great starting point. I’m now on a Nukeproof mega and my wife rides the voodoo
The problem with used is that you can't run out and buy that exact bike for that exact money. I've never understood these types of videos. Nice production value though.
Blake sold me more on the hoodoo than the nukeproof with his voodoo hoodoo I do joke. Na, who am I kidding, that nukeproof is clean and makes me miss my old hardtail!!
Just in case anyone wondered, Joe Murray was involved in the design of Kona bikes too.
When will TH-camrs stop using the vinyl scratch sound for comedic effect?
If you spend a lot of time on your bike, you quickly realise that a quality frame can make a huge difference with fatigue
I have a voodoo Bantu and love riding it. I've upgraded the shifters and derailleurs and it shifts 👌. It stops well and I love the look. Just wish the forks worked a bit better. Suntour xcm aren't really doing much 😝
I wouldn't pay 50 bucks for the hoodoo voodoo. The frame styling is but ugly.
Great video
Thank you for a true budget vid!
I choked on my coco pops when he said 'you want to sit down in your saddle and BRRRRRAAAAAAAP!' 6:04 such a funny dude
"That was better. I didn't crash that time" is my most common thought when mountain biking
But with only a fork and tire upgrade, the gap between the two becomes a lot closer.