Best modern bike for £1000??

Right, I've got a masterplan. My work is about to start doing cycle2work so I naturally want a chunk of it. The plan is to get a 100mm hardtail with the cheapest frame but best everything else. Then the all the bits might accidently fall onto my 2007 Clockwork frame.
I keep the other frame for a year so I can produce the bike if required. Everyone's happy! :twisted:

Here's where you lot come in. What would you suggest as a 'donor' bike? I've had a quick look around but thought the answer might come from retrobike. Any help would be great!

Merlin offer good value at that price. Sounds like you'd go for their cheapest frame - the MALT 1

MALT1 + 2009 XT groupset + Recon SL + XM317 black rims + RaceFace Ride kit = £1000

or

MALT1 + 2009 SLX groupset + Reba Race + XC717 black rims + RaceFace Evolve kit = £1020

it will depend on which shops the C2W scheme your company uses as to what you can get.

The Boardman Pro @ Halfords come with good specs & a good frame (which you could sell on) but do remember that the bike is not yours until the final payment, the company could ask for it back at any time, as it is theirs until the last payment

# Ultralight super butted race spec aluminium frame has an exceptional strength to weight ratio
# RockShox Reba Race suspension fork with 100mm travel, Motion Control damping, external floodgate and lockout
# SRAM X0/X9 27 speed gearing with lightweight carbon fibre jockey cage and gold anodised alloy bolt
# Powerful Avid Elixir R carbon hydraulic disc brakes are ultralight and provide reliable braking performance in wet conditions
# Truvativ Stylo GXP chainset
# Ritchey WCS rims with cartridge bearing hubs for longer bearing life
# Continental Speed King 2.1" tyres
# Ritchey Pro finishing kit

There is over £1000 in parts alone on that bike.

Decathlon do good deals too .

I was also going to suggest the boardman pro. Fantastic spec

Like wise but in reverse does any one know a cyclescheme shop likely to be able to build a bike using crap parts for £1000 based around a frame worth approximately £750?

Thanks for the help gang. I've looked at the Boardman and it looks good but I prefer Shimano as anything new (who are these Sram people, cheeky young upstarts!) scares me.

Will have to go and have a look at the Merlin site, full XT...Mmmmmm

Think lot's of shops will build you a bike up Jerky but I've not investigated yet. What frame you after? Most of the shops round me (Allterrain, Stif, Airevalley, Boneshakers, etc) do the cycle scheme so I could ask 'em for you if they stock the frame you want. Also know another shop in Harrogate where the bloke that runs it has told me he can be very flexible with c2w.

oooh, which shop in Harrogate? I am from north Leeds so know Harrogate quite well, the only bike shop I can think of though is the one on the roundabout as you come into the town from Leeds. Never been in and always thought it was lower end stuff.

With the C2W some shops play by the book & you have to buy a full bike at full RRP, no custom builds & no topping up the £1k no sale bikes, some however as you say are flexible.

I have read on other forums that the C2W scheme is being looked into as a lot of folks are abusing it

It will all boil down to who you can use with the scheme your company sets up

Think you can use anyone with ours but you get the biggest discount from Halfrauds. 50% plays about £40. Have heard that Halfrauds can get any bike you want though.

Jerky... That shop on the roundabout has shut and was full of tat anyway. The one I was on about is called Phyclosport I think. Little shop tucked away, but bloke who runs it really knows his stuff. As you come in from Leeds turn right at Niddvale garage on to Hookstone Road then either first or second right from there. You'll see it.
Others in Harrogate that are worth a look are Boneshakers (right in the centre, near all the estate agents and behind the Alexandra pub) or the big new Specialized shop (run by the Boneshakers mob) that's on the main run into town from your end just past the Coach and Horses pub.