The Voodoo Bantu.

I like 26 inch wheels off road, they suit my gentle, pottering, slow speed on the rough nicely, but it seems they are as out of fashion as a Brylcreemed short back and sides and kipper tie at a school disco, and manufacturers have been dropping them from their line ups wholesale.

I had been thinking of getting a new bike for off road ventures for a while. The Carrera is pretty good really, but I wince whenever the V-Brakes get clogged with mud and the rims get a good grinding from all the grit and muck pushed into them by the brake blocks. I fancied something with disc brakes, and new and shiny, 'cos new and shiny is always good.

Just before Christmas 2014, a few things came together. Enough money in the bank to make a little dip into the (cheap) new bike market a guilt and worry free possibility, while Halfords caught my attention by having not only a sale, but an extra 10% off reduction on top of that. That placed the Voodoo Bantu temptingly within budget, and the trigger was swiftly pulled.

Like the Jamis, this was delivered in a box, and required only basic assembly before being ready to trundle, a welcome bonus as I was fully prepared to be adjusting gear cables and derailleur limit screws, but shifting straight out of the box was tickety boo.

For the money I paid, (well below £300) it is not bad at all, and rides well. The hydraulic Tektro brakes have power a plenty while still being pretty progressive, and the budget Suntour front forks cope with my limited needs well, remaining calm and controlled.

It's a good looking bike (26 inch wheels always look right to me on a mountain bike anyway) in a slightly old fashioned way, but the finish in one or two places is a bit fragile, particularly on the wheels where the black is lifting around the spokes after just a few hundred gentle miles. One of the drawbacks of being at the budget end of the market I suppose, so to be expected perhaps.

All in all, I'm very pleased with the Bantu, the only thing I don't like is getting it filthy!