Halfords is set to become more than just your go-to for entry level bikes and wiper blades after increasing its premium range of bikes by 60%, and its e-bike offering by a massive 300%. Halfords will now offer 20 bikes that cost more than £1,000, which it classes as premium mechanical bikes, and 32 models of e-bike over £1,500.

It’s unclear how many of these e-bikes and regular bikes will be mountain specific, but Halfords will launch a new Boardman MTR 9.0 at £2,400 this month: it’s an alloy 29er with 145mm travel, a 150mm fork, 12speed SLX and Maxxis tyres. Perhaps we’ll see Halfords stocking one of the best mountain bikes of 2024.

The Voodoo Canzo Pro is one of the most desirable bikes we’ve seen come out of Hafords in a long time, with RockShox suspension, Shimano drivetrain and a dropper post

Halfords is actually a huge player in the bike industry at entry level, it has 400 stores, 3,000 mechanics and two wheeled stuff now accounts for 25% of its business. It wants to move more into the vacuum left by the loss of CRC Wiggle, which went into administration earlier this year, and challenge the likes of Evans, Leisure Lakes and Biketart. Halfords also says this premium sector has grown by 25% in the last three years alone.

This is great news for those of us looking to buy a new bike beyond that starter entry level bike. The competition to build great mountain bikes under £1,000 is ferocious and that’s led to an explosion in quality and quantity, with bikes like the Calibre T3 amongst the best beginner mountain bikes. That’s traditionally not been the case at higher price points, with fewer bike supermarket-type brands like Go Outdoors competing in this space.

The Calibre Line T3-27 remains one of the best entry level bikes around… if you can get hold of one

Halfords’ bike brands

Halfords says the new ranges will top out at £3,800, but there are strong hints it’ll go higher than that if this expansion into the premium space is a success. You’re unlikely to find gucci names like Santa Cruz, Yeti, Specialized or indeed any other big brands in store though, as Halfords almost exclusively sells its own models. 

That means Carrera, Voodoo and Boardman will be boosted by the expansion. Boardman is now fully owned by Halfods, as is Voodoo, which is designed, built and retailed by Halfords under licence. Halfords also owns Tredz, which does stock other company’s brands and includes Specialized, Yeti, Mondraker and plenty more household names.

The MTR 9 gets proper sizing, RockShox suspension and a paintjob pinched right off a Stumpjumper

Halfords bikes worthy of a test ride

Boardman MTR 9.0 £2,400

The MTR gets 145mm travel with a 150mm fork. It’s also a 29er, comes with a RockShox Oike Select fork and a Deluxe Select+ shock, Shimano SLX 4-pot brakes, 12Speed Deore drivetrain, WTB wheels, Maxxis tyres and a 150mm dropper post. The sizing is good, the XL gets a decent 490mm reach length, although the bike’s 66° might be a touch steep.

Voodoo Canzo Pro  £1,800

The Canzo gets 140mm front and rear, 29er wheels and an alloy frame. We’ve not ridden it but the spec and geo look good, it’s got a 140mm RockShox Pike fork and Deluxe Select + shock, WTB wheels, Maxxis DHRII and Dissector tyres, and a 150mm dropper post. The head angle is a decently slack 65°. It’s not huge though, there are only three sizes and the biggest L boasts a modest 478mm reach.