Apollo FS 26 Mountain bike

I have just acquired one of these secondhand. I am fast becoming an avid collector of Apollo's - Halford's own brand.

Keep in mind Halfords have been procuring bikes since 1930 so they must have been doing something right and have a reputation to uphold.

T

I'd delighted with this Apollo FS26. Being secondhand there was a bit of remedial work to be done so it is road -ready, but now it is a solid durable reliable workhorse to take its place alongside others in the Apollo family.

Yes Apollo are not the lightest of bikes but being steel made you can be assured of a strong frame that's not going to breakup

It is a great value for money. The first thing I noticed about this bike is that the suspension is soft, compared to the other bikes I have ridden. The attempt of cycling it over a small flight of stairs was proved successful. the Apollo FS.26s is a tough, smooth, well-made, and beautiful bike.

I have had this bike 12 years, over that time it has taken some abuse. I have replaced brake levers with Clarks metal short leavers so you can break with 1-2 fingers. Suspension is terrible, it is like a pogo stick although now the front forks don't really work that well anymore and the back coil had worn out and couldn't be replaced. I went to Halfords and they were really helpful and just took one off a cheap bike as generally the bike isn't supposed to last that long. I have had a new back wheel, three bottom brackets and new tyres but it refuses to die. I have done 30 miles in one go many times on this bike and often that is off road, very light trails but for a laugh I have taken it on red routes and definitely just falls to bits, so don't try! I also use this bike for short 1-2 mile trips to the shops and pull a childrens trailer with it. I must of spent £70-80 fixing it over 12 years on top of the £89 it cost new so I would call that good value. Some of these cheaper bikes are actually have fairly strong frames. I would get a cheap rigid and upgrade wheels, bottom bracket and brakes and you actually have a good work horse on the cheap.

I ordered one of their bikes, and it is having the same problems. I return to the store to be fixed, and after a few days fixed, the bike still breaks! Same thing always, same problem. Honestly, dont waste you money buying it!

Since having this bike, both wheels have buckled! Rear cog fell off of the wheel, which caused me to swerve into oncoming traffic! Brakes have failed when I have needed to stop and they need adjusting far too many times! Runners round the suspension folks don't stay in place very annoying! This bike may look the part but trust me it isn't! It's a death trap!

Not a bad bike but not the best. Bought mine years ago and just started riding properly for work. Like most people I have replaced a bit , bottom bracket , brakes grip shift etc but I know people that have spent 4 times as much on a bike and needed to replace things in a similar time frame. I do admit that the stuff I do replace I spend a little more on better quality parts. Think the gears slipping is a common problem with bad chains and cogs again I have now replaced these with good quality ones. Would recommend spend that little big more on a bike but as I use mine just for in and out of work it's ok cheap and cheerful

I bought an Apollo FS.26s in a carboot sale in Spring 2011, for £41.My dad thought it is expensive, but I think it is a great value for money.

The first thing I noticed about this bike is that the suspension is soft, compared to the other bikes I have ridden. The attempt of cycling it over a small flight of stairs was proved successful, and it absorbd large bumps well, but there is a minimum damage to one of the axles. The rider should take precaution of the suspension's limits.

The 'Innova' tyres it came with provide excellent grip to both road and off-road. Extreme riding may wear them out faster than normal off-road tyres.

The 'Shimano Tourney' gearbox, and the 'SRAM' twist grip, provide a smooth gear change. Also the 'Shimano' HG40 chain and the 7-speed freewheel provide a sharp response. However, the whole set must be properly maintained, ideally with an expert.

There is a front disc brake, and a rear V-Type brake. The front is the 'Tektro' IO with a 160mm disc brake creates a powerful, but stable stopping power. The rear V-Type brake main components are made of metal.

One of the most important points of the Apollo FS.26s is that the bike is well made. There is no feeling of any loose components or bike parts.

The bike's framework is made of aluminium. It may be weaker than steel, but it would last longer.

The bad points of the FS.26s is that the whole bike is heavy. It may be difficult to ride on a steep hill. The second point is that the pedals are low to the ground, and it may scrape the ground when the rider is turning.

Overall, the Apollo FS.26s is a tough, smooth, well-made and beautiful bike.My final notification is that the bik must be properly maintained, to work at it's best.

I bought this bike for my son and it has been nothing but trouble. In the time of ownership it has had 2 back wheels bearing failure not warping, complete front braking components, twist grips broken on 1-7, the main spindle in the rear wheel snapped in half, the brakes need constant adjustments, 2 new brake cables.

Now some of these are to be expected but this bike is in the shed and has only had light use. I will never purchase any bike through Halfords ever again.

I have had bike/apollo fs26 for a 18 months now going to and from work, I purchased the bike from halfords,The good points are it's a tough bike on/off road,I have read the reviews of others I did have problem with the chain slipping off but that was due to my lack of knowledge applying oil on to the chain, so now I just simply use WD40(problem solved bike shop told me so),I also found changing gears tricky ,I found you've got to change gear at the correct speed and also turning the gear selector GENTLY!!(just as you would raising the clucth pedal on a car when changing gear),e.g going from 5th gear to 4th gear or 3rd to 2nd gear. Changing from 4-5-6th gear down you can change the gear selector rapidly. I have manged to fit a pannier rack on the front fork, the only bad points are the bike is heavy and seat is uncomfortable, so may upgrade front forks & seat soon.enjoy cycling everyone

I got my Apollo second hand for £50 so I could try commuter cycling without shelling out £100's. I've ridden it to and from work for the last 8 months through all weather, covering 50 miles a week on road and cycle path.

I've had a few problems (chain snapped, bottom bracket broke after about 1500 miles, re-tuned gears, replaced tyres it came with) but for the money this continues to be a great bike. Spent about £74 to keep it running but it's saving me over £100/month in petrol...and I'm never stuck in traffic!

It is what it is - a decent cheap bike, but I've found it a joy to ride. Especially since I changed the tyres for some Schwalbe Land Cruisers ;)