Apollo?

[milto]

Hey Guys,
What do people think of apollo? are they malvern star equivalent(sp?) ?
would you be seen riding one? are the reputable?

Its is http://www.apollobikes.com/apolloproducts/id/7/cid/8/parent/0/t/apolloproducts/title/Enduromodel if you were woundering!

Just because im looking to buy one!

Cheers,
Nick.

 

[funky]

Nothing wrong with Apollo.

They used to cover the full spectrum of bikes, low end to high end etc. Then they decided to differentiate by introducing the "Raceline" brand. ie, higher level bikes.

Looking at that link, it looks like they have dropped the "Raceline" Brand and gone back to just Apollo, as it is listed as "Raceline Series".

As such, they are good solid bikes. I know a couple of people who have had the Raceline Comp, and they were good. Frame a little heavy, but very solid bikes.

 

[rideabike]

Not badly specced for the price, however it might be worth also looking at the Giant Talon/Alias, Scotts aspect series or the Avanti range.

The talon retails for just a little bit more than the Apollo, but you get Tora's and IMO a better frame.

Worth a thought.

Cheers.

 

[DeBloot]

My immediate thought was they would be a mum or dad bike
But the link looks like a reasonable spec- similar to a Giant Alias I think
Personally, I would go for a Giant at under $1000 (10 out of 10 in MTBA mag)
It's not just a wank to go for the brands that have a better reputation
For one, you'd be buying it from a 'proper' bike shop, where they would look after you when you had it serviced, and if you did crack the frame, the warranty issues would be easier I imagine. My opinion anyway.

 

[milto]

Yeah thanks for the reply,
I tought that they wernt as good as giant, scott, norco, avanti but i thought that for the money that was fairly good spec ($1000) shal look at the giants.

Nick.

 

[hubbie]

Yeah, Apollo are way above Malfunction Star hey. Never thought it till I started selling them. Good spec for the price point for sure.

 

[LJohn]

They've sourced some good frames this year and are offering some nicer bikes. We were surprised when they showed us their 08 range too.

 

[sawtell]

dad bikeFor one, you'd be buying it from a 'proper' bike shop, where they would look after you when you had it serviced, and if you did crack the frame, the warranty issues would be easier I imagine. My opinion anyway.

i absoultly love it when people post ABSOLUTE SHIT like that.. where do you buy appollo from then? if not from a bike shop? plenty of stores sell them, back in the day, they were a decent bike.. then they turned crappy and then they bought out raceline, which had great bikes for the price.. then they dropped of radar.

very similiar to mongoose, diamond back and haro, all used to be good bikes, dropped away, and are now coming back in with killer ride's..

i expect to see appollo in many stores and trails in the next few years.

 

[aaron01]

Apollo have always produced a great bike for the money, Over the years the higher end of their lineup were branded raceline but this year raceline has been dropped as a brand and Apollo are a stand alone brand, I haven't seen alot of there 08 MTB lineup but their road line is equal if not better to the more affordable to mid range spec of the bikes bought out this year and their top line stuff is very impressive and getting good reviews, IMO don't let a name throw you have a good look at the parts and the product and look at it like this SRAM/Shimano are not going to allow their products to be bolted onto a bike that isn't going to enhance their reputation.

 

[DeBloot]

i absoultly love it when people post ABSOLUTE SHIT like that.. where do you buy appollo from then? if not from a bike shop? plenty of stores sell them, back in the day, they were a decent bike.. then they turned crappy and then they bought out raceline, which had great bikes for the price.. then they dropped of radar.

very similiar to mongoose, diamond back and haro, all used to be good bikes, dropped away, and are now coming back in with killer ride's..

i expect to see appollo in many stores and trails in the next few years.

oh well, do pardon me, sawtell. i don't know their history and wasn't around 'back in the day'. I'm only going by seeing them at kmart and under the ass of footpath riders. like I said, my fucking opinion. Thanks for correcting me.

 

[hubbie]

yeah man, I've never seen Apollo's in department stores. I'd be hugely surprised if they ever did.

The reality is that the majority of brands can be found under footpath riders. Especially names such as Giant and any slightly older GT's Raleighs etc, who also build some nice bikes. I sell Apollo's in a proper bike shop, and there's definitely nothing more shoddy about Apollo's than any other bike shop brand at a specified price point, including the Felts we also sell, Diamondbacks and Haro's we're phasing out, and other brands we're bringing in (though we've never had the nickel deficiency problem in Stainless spokes on Felts). They actually will often beat more popular brands on spec with equal quality, simply because the brand marketing has died recently, and they are unable to sell them for more.

You're entitled to an opinion, but i think you have the wrong idea about Apollo.

 

[normdouglas]

They look the goods to me

Recently saw a small range of their new $1000'ish bikes and I was very impressed. The geometry looked good, tubes were a little hefty looking, but they did seem to be well specced.

I would also follow other posters and compare them to the Scott range.

My first ever "serious" MTB was an Apollo Himalayan. That thing was the "ducks nuts" when I got it, and I thought I was the shit.

I think I paid about $1000 for my Apollo back in 1992, and I can assure you it wasn't anything like what you get today for $1000.

Good luck

 

[sawtell]

oh well, do pardon me, sawtell. i don't know their history and wasn't around 'back in the day'. I'm only going by seeing them at kmart and under the ass of footpath riders. like I said, my fucking opinion. Thanks for correcting me.

mate everyone is entitled to their opinion, but i was just leeting other non informed readers know that what you had typed was nothing but crap .. your opinion sucks..


..

im not saying go for appollo, but yes they are a good bang for your buck on rrp terms, but their RRP is very close to cost price, so dont expect such a saving which you may get of bike from .... apparntly proper bike shops...

 

[DeBloot]

Got no problem with being wrong (which sounds like I am) or being corrected (which I have). Just absolute shit in capitals did give me the absolute shits I'm happy to learn from those with more experience anytime

 

[sawtell]

Got no problem with being wrong (which sounds like I am) or being corrected (which I have). Just absolute shit in capitals did give me the absolute shits I'm happy to learn from those with more experience anytime

wow i was an angry little fellow last night, you have my honest apologies.

 

[Customjimmy]

oh well, do pardon me, sawtell. i don't know their history and wasn't around 'back in the day'. I'm only going by seeing them at kmart and under the ass of footpath riders. like I said, my fucking opinion. Thanks for correcting me.

Your first post was fair, I reckon. If this Apollo is about the same sort of money (I don't know) you're better of with the giant - spec is very close and you'd be in front with the better metal, welding and frame design of the Giant.

One thing that is difficult, too, is painting all bikes of one brand with the same brush. Look at Schwinn. Among the best bikes in the world when manufactured by Germans in America decades ago, but absolute shit when made (as they are now) by in-bred reprobates in dungeons underneath asian brothels. A name is just a name.