GT Avalanche 1.0 - A buyer's tip

I looked at the Specialized Rock hopper as well as the Hardrock and ended up with a GT Avalanche 1.0 Disk.

I decided to pay £200 less and bought 2008 rather than 2009. Mid February is the best time to get last year's model - this is where there's still stock and the prices keep coming down. Look to pay under £400. I know the latest model's supposed to be packed full of upgrades, but it's up to you if you can justify the cost difference.

You'd have the choice to buy from a local shop, but more likely to get a better deal online. Mine came from Paul's Cycles, packed in a box with the handle bar twisted to fit in the box and the pedals ready to assemble.

Important to note:

1. Pedals have a left/right!

2. If you buy online then you don't get to easily take your bike back to the shop for a free safety check. Almost all bike shops offer this service. You'll also have to install all the the accessories yourself.

3. If there is a problem with your bike then it's more difficult to get it resolved if you've bought it online. For example when my bike arrives the rear break disc was curved.

Accessories:

GT don't do any accessories so you're kinda stuck with Specialized - mainly because most bike shops stock Specialized.

Bar ends: I'm planning to do London Brighton this year so bar ends would be (super SUPER geeky, but…) useful. I bought the Specialized Dirt Rodz Bar Ends to go with mine - about to give those away to my brother to use on his 2008 Avalanche 2.0 and replace mine with the Specialized P1 Bar Ends - they look and feel nicer.

Tyres: If you get the opportunity to get your bike with Specialized Armadillos then DO IT! Apparently you'll never get a puncture again! I need to get mine changed soon. I'm planning to train on standard mountain tyres and change to sleek / semi-mtb tyres before London-Brighton.

Pump: Topeak Mini Master Blaster Pump with gauge was an easy find. I was looking to get the Specialized Dual pump, but for a little extra I ended up with the Topeak with a gauge. I've had to use it already and I can report it's good!!

Rear light: Serious amount of choice out there, but the Smart Superflash 0.5W Nichia LED Bicycle Rear Light was a no brainer. It has all steady or all flashing modes. However, it's only UK road legal if you use it in the steady mode - so it only gets four out of five start there.

Trip Computer: If you have an iPhone then you already have one; so just get an iPhone Cycle-Mount Holder (there are much cheaper ones on ebay) and download a cycling software from the iTunes stores to turn it into a Bicycle computer with GPS. Update: the holder I bought from eBay managed to last me 20 miles of use - the clip that holds the phone seems to have snapped.

Gloves: I decided to stick to Specialized BG - Body Geometry gloves. The Gel was a bit too padded, and the Comp was the perfect compromise. Don't just go with the size guide on web sites - walk into a shop and try one. Hint: Your fingers shouldn't be going blue if you wear them for a few minutes!

I'll add to this list as I end up getting more accessories, so watch this space.